The Winter Solstice Approaches

20+ Lemon Desserts to Help You Celebrate Spring

updated Feb 26, 2021

Credit: Photo: Joe Lingeman; Food Stylist: Jesse Szewczyk

Lemon Meringue Cheesecake

As we inch closer and closer to spring, we’re dreaming of the warmer weather to come, and days spent outdoors. While we know that we might not be able to celebrate in all the ways that we normally would, we can still welcome the lighter, brighter days in smaller ways — perhaps by baking something so full of lemons and sunshine that you can’t help but feel a bit cheerier.

Is there anything that screams spring more than lemon-y sweet treats? With Easter just around the corner, we’ve compiled a list of the perfect lemon desserts to help you celebrate. From tangy lemon bars and lemon cookies to moist and zippy bundt cakes and pound cakes to ultra-creamy puddings and pies , here are more than 20 lemon desserts to make right now.

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Easy Lemon Bundt Cake with Fresh Lemon Glaze

A gentle lemon undertone sweeps through the cake, which is subtly sweet, making way for the tart two-ingredient glaze that blankets the top. And in classic Bundt fashion, the texture is sturdy, with the lightness and tender crumb we love and expect in a lemon cake.

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2 / 22

Cheesecake Bars

You’ll be shocked at how easy it is to create such an intricate-looking pattern of lemon and blackberry swirl.

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3 / 22

Lemon Meringue Pie

The hardest part of making this lemon meringue pie is not the tender-crisp crust, the tangy-rich filling, or the light-as-air topping. It’s letting the thing cool completely before slicing into it.

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4 / 22

Easy Lemon Cake with Whipped Raspberry Frosting

If you need a fast-and-fancy dessert, this sunny lemon cake fits the bill. It won’t look out of place at most special occasions, but it’s simple enough you can put it together on a weeknight.

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5 / 22

The Best Lemon Bars

This is the platonic ideal of a lemon bar, with a buttery shortbread crust that’s sturdy but tender enough to bite through, and a thick but luscious filling that evenly balances the sweetness and the tart lemon flavor.

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6 / 22

No-Bake Sheet Pan Lemon Yogurt Tart

This no-bake sheet pan lemon tart is big enough for all your get-togethers. And if it doesn’t win you over with its sweet bite, the supreme ease of it sure will. Take your pick between topping with Cool Whip or fresh whipped cream.

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7 / 22

Simple Elderflower Lemon Cake with Elderflower Whipped Cream

Elderflower cordial is generally known as a mixer for refreshing spring and summer drinks, though you’ll never regret using it for an elderflower syrup to flavor cake.

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8 / 22

Lemon Curd Sandwich Cookies

This lemon curd sandwich cookie starts off with just-sweet-enough cookies, made rich and tender by a simple cream cheese dough. If you’re not game to make your own lemon curd, grab a jar of your favorite kind from the store. It will work just fine.

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9 / 22

Lemon Rice Pudding

If you like rice pudding, this is the ultimate comfort food, scented with lemon, and not very sweet, so perfectly acceptable for breakfast.

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10 / 22

Lemon Drizzle Cake

This British bake is similar to a Victoria sponge, but substitutes almond flour for some of the all-purpose flour and gets a handful of poppy seeds.

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11 / 22

Skillet Blueberry-Lemon Breakfast Cake

If you like cornbread, you’ll like this cake. This all-day cake, made with a tender cornmeal batter is loaded with juicy blueberries a bright lemon flavor.

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12 / 22

Meyer Lemon-Olive Oil Chiffon Cake

Light and fluffy, sky-high chiffon cakes are simple to pull off and always look very impressive. A basic lemon glaze is all you need for a topping, though it can also be cut in half and filled with flavored whipped cream, mascarpone, or custard.

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13 / 22

Meyer Lemon Shaker Pie

The filling in this Meyer lemon pie has only five ingredients, and yet it spills out in a glorious jammy gush of sunny lemon flavor. It’s surprisingly good: sweet, tart, and a little bitter.

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14 / 22

Lemon Cookies

These sunny, sweet-tart cookies start with a box of cake mix for a shortcut that makes them super simple to pull off. Add a touch of fresh lemon zest to really boost the flavor.

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15 / 22

Lemon Poppyseed Bundt Cake

This pretty cake gets an extra rich flavor and tender texture from a generous scoop of ricotta.

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16 / 22

Heavenly Lemon Bars with Almond Shortbread Crust

Lemon bars are a springtime staple. This version has a sweet, nutty undertone that comes from mixing almond flour into the shortbread crust.

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17 / 22

Lemon Cheesecake Cookies

What better way to welcome spring than with a simple, sweet, and tangy cookie that tastes like creamy cheesecake?

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18 / 22

Lemon Pound Cake

This recipe will reward you with two soft and tender lemony loaves. While you could halve the recipe, I urge you not to. It freezes extremely well. Just hold off on adding the glaze until serving, if you plan to freeze.

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19 / 22

Ultra-Chewy Lemon Coconut Cookies

There’s a lot to love about the sweet flavor of lemon in these cookies, but the best part is the chewy bits of candied lemon peel buried in the dough.

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20 / 22

German-Style Lemony Cheesecake

Forget the dense cheesecake that you’re familiar with. This German-style dessert is more like a lofty lemon soufflé crossed with a Dutch baby.

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21 / 22

Lemon Meringue Cheesecake

Each layer of this cheesecake is delicious in its own right — creamy cheesecake, tart lemon curd, and toasted meringue — but combining them into one creates nothing short of a masterpiece.

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22 / 22

Flourless Lemon Almond Cake

When the cake itself is a standout, there’s no need for fancy swirls of frosting or decorations. That’s exactly the case with this lemon almond cake: It’s lightly sweetened and full of bright lemon flavor.

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Kelli Foster

Food Editor, Plan & Prep

Kelli is the Food Editor for Plan & Prep content for Kitchn. She's a graduate of the French Culinary Institute and author of the cookbooks, The Probiotic Kitchen , Buddha Bowls , and Everyday Freekeh Meals . She lives in New York.

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Source : food