Lemon Delight
Lemon Delight is a creamy, DREAMY layered lemon dessert with a sweet cream cheese layer, lemon pudding, and buttery walnut crust. Also known as Lemon Lush, this recipe makes a pan-full and is perfect for sharing. Light and refreshing, this classic recipe is a great complement to summer grilling and chilling.
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This right here ya’ll is my all-time favorite dessert, Lemon Delight. AKA Cool Lemon Dessert, AKA Lemon Lush, AKA Lemon Layered Dessert. This was my mom’s go-to recipe whenever she needed to make a dessert. And then I’ll go years without making it, make it, and wonder why I don’t make this more often! It is SO good, and not hard to make at all. An easy crowd-pleaser and just super super tasty.
This is completely hokey, but I used to say that Lemon Delight is my childhood wrapped in Cool Whip. Some recipes elicit strong feelings of youth, family, and roots. This dessert is one of those for me.
Why this recipe works
I kind of struggle to explain exactly why lemon delight or lemon lush or whatever you want to call it (my mother called “cool lemon dessert”) – why this recipe is so dang good. Which layer? Or is it just all together?
The walnut crust is absolutely clutch. I use the same crust in my Walnut Lime Tart. It is so simple – just flour, butter, and walnuts – but it is just perfect.
The cream cheese layer is oh-Lort-I-can-eat-this-with-a-spoon good. Like, insanely good. Layered between the walnut crust and lemon pudding, it is the luxurious Mmmmm in every bite and why Lemon Delight is so delicious.
So, Lemon Delight is classic, sooooo tasty, easy to make, and can be made a day ahead. What is not to love?
Ingredients
All the ingredients for this recipe are approachable, affordable, and easy to find. This is also a great recipe to scale up to feed more people as well.
For the walnut crust
- All-purpose flour.
- Unsalted butter. Always be sure to use UNsalted butter, aka sweet cream butter.
- Chopped walnuts. Three-quarters will go in the crust, then the rest will be sprinkled on top at the end. Pecans may be substituted.
For the cream cheese layer
- Cream cheese. Let the cream cheese come to room temperature so it combines smoothly with the sugar and Cool Whip.
- Powdered sugar. Also known as confectioners sugar.
- Cool Whip. One container – we use half in this cream cheese layer, then the rest goes on top as the last layer.
For the pudding layer
- Two small packages instant lemon pudding.
- Milk. Reduced fat milk is fine. I do not recommend using skim milk.
Again, not all the walnuts go in the crust and not all the Cool Whip goes in the cream cheese layer. The LAST layer is the rest of the Cool Whip, and a final sprinkling of walnuts.
How to make Lemon Delight
Lemon Delight has 4 layers: walnut crust, cream cheese layer, lemon pudding layer, and final Cool Whip layer with a sprinkling of nuts.
To make each layer, simply combine the ingredients for that layer. Let ingredients (especially butter and cream cheese) come to room temperature so they are soft and will mix with the other ingredients.
The other key is to let the crust cool completely before proceeding with the other layers. Other than that, we just mix and layer, mix and layer.
FAQs
Absolutely yes. Lemon Delight can be made a day or even 2 days in advance.
Yes. I would even recommend chocolate or pistachio puddings as alternates. Just be sure to use instant pudding.
Yes, though I would cut into serving sized squares before freezing.
Yes, just replace the crust with sugar cookie dough for a nut-free option. Then top with chopped sugar cookie to finish instead of walnuts.
Nope. Neither whipped cream nor Reddi-Wip has the staying power needed for this dessert.
Lemon Delight
Equipment
Ingredients
For the walnut crust
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 1 stick (8 Tbsp) unsalted butter softened
- 1 cup chopped walnuts divided
For the cream cheese layer
- 8 oz cream cheese softened
- 1 cup powdered sugar
- 1 (8 oz) container Cool Whip divided
For the pudding layer
- 2 (3.4 oz) pkgs instant lemon pudding
- 3 ½ cups milk
Instructions
- Heat oven to 350°F.
- Combine the flour, butter, and ¾ cup chopped walnuts. Press into a 13×9-inch baking dish. Bake at 350°F for 20 minutes. Cool.
- Use an electric mixer to combine the cream cheese, powdered sugar, and 1 cup Cool Whip until smooth. Spread over the cooled crust. (*see Notes*)
- Whisk together the pudding and milk. Pour over the cheese layer.
- Top with remaining Cool Whip and chopped nuts. Refrigerate at least 2 hours.
