10 lemon desserts that are perfect for spring and summer

When summertime rolls around, nothing satisfies a sweets craving quite like a bright, citrusy dessert. Lemon is a versatile flavor that can be used in a wide variety of recipes. Whether you prefer creamy and rich, light and sweet, or tart and tangy, you’ll find a lemon dessert that will suit your tastes.

Lemon is especially fitting for the summertime because the fruit is so bright and sunny. So, if you’re looking for a fresh and seasonal treat to help usher in the warm weather vibes, check out our list of lemon desserts that are sure to impress and refresh.

Lemon Blueberry Cheesecake Bars

The Lemon Blueberry Cheesecake Bars recipe from Sally’s Baking Addiction offers a popular summertime flavor combination — lemon and blueberry — in a creamy handheld treat. With a graham cracker crust, these little bars are like mini cheesecakes that you can devour in just a few bites.

7Up Bundt Cake

If you’ve never tried adding soda to your baked goods, you’re in for a delightful surprise with this 7Up Bundt Cake from All Things Mamma. The lemon-lime soda comes together with fresh lemon juice, lemon pudding, boxed cake mix and a few other simple ingredients to produce an easy summertime confection.

MORE: This easy Key lime cheesecake dip tastes just like the pie

Lemon Blondies Topped With Lemon Glaze

These Lemon Brownies from Kitchen Fun With My Three Sons bring us a lemon-centric take on the frosted chocolate brownie and we are here for it. The bottom part is mixed together just like your traditional brownie, and the lemon glaze on top only calls for three ingredients: powdered sugar, lemon juice and lemon zest.

Pro tip: Blogger Jill notes that if you don’t have a lemon zester to zest the lemon, you can use a vegetable peeler.

3-Ingredient Honey Lemonade Popsicles

Is there anything prettier than these all-natural lemon desserts with edible flowers frozen inside? This recipe for 3-Ingredient Honey Lemonade Popsicles comes to us from Eden Passante, the blogger behind Sugar and Charm (Passante and these gourmet popsicles were even featured on Hallmark Channel’s Home & Family TV).

As the name suggests, these popsicles only require three ingredients: fresh lemon juice, honey and water. Colorful edible flowers are dropped into the popsicle molds just before freezing and the final product is pure elegance.

Lemon-Blueberry Cake

This gorgeous Lemon-Blueberry Cake from the blog Preppy Kitchen is ideal for any summertime holiday or special event. Just imagine the “oohs” and “ahhs” you’ll hear when presenting this for Mother’s Day, Father’s Day or a graduation celebration.

With blueberries and sour cream added to the batter, the cake comes out moist and fruity, and it’s layered with a sweet buttercream frosting — some of which is flavored with a blueberry reduction while the rest is flavored with lemon.

Lemon Meltaways

For summertime cookie cravings, look no further than this recipe for Lemon Meltaways from Saving Room For Dessert. While summery and light, these cookies also have a buttery richness that helps create that “meltaway” sensation when you’re eating them. These bite-sized goodies are perfect for when you just want a little burst of sunny lemon to boost your mood.

Warm Lemon Pudding Cakes

Baked in their own individual ramekins, these citrusy cakes contain a delightful surprise custard in the middle. The recipe for these Warm Lemon Pudding Cakes comes from Jenn Segal at Once Upon a Chef who notes that something magical happens in the oven as these treats bake up into light and fluffy cakes on the top with a pudding bottom.

This happens when the ramekins are set in a water bath (or a bain-marie) in the oven, which allows the cakes to gradually and gently bake while a pudding forms underneath. Topped with confectioner’s sugar and bright berries, these little cakes make for an impressive finale to a summertime dinner.

Lemon Strawberry Trifle

If you don’t have the time for super-complicated lemon desserts, check out this easy-peasy recipe for Lemon Strawberry Trifle, which calls for a handful of store-bought items to be layered together in a glass bowl. Guests at your next summer barbecue can spoon up this dessert that combines spongy cake, lemon-vanilla pudding and strawberries. The best part about this warm-weather treat from Mom on Timeout? It’s no-bake, so there’s no need to turn on the oven on a sweltering day.

Raspberry Lemon Tartlets

These Raspberry Lemon Tartlets from Sweet & Savory look fancy, but they come together easily. In a single bite-sized treat, you can experience the flaky pastry crust, smooth lemon creme and juicy berry flavors of a whole tart. Everything is made from scratch — including the crust, which only requires three ingredients. You can make the tartlet shells in advance and then prepare the creamy lemon filling right before serving. Set a vibrant berry on top of each filled pastry cup and voila! Summertime dessert is served.

Lemon Layer Cake With Lemon Cream Cheese Buttercream

Another mouth-watering lemon dessert recipe from Sally’s Baking Addiction is this Lemon Layer Cake With Lemon Cream Cheese Buttercream, which would make a perfect celebratory cake at a small summer wedding, anniversary party or birthday gathering.

The cake recipe calls for buttermilk to add a little tang, while the buttercream frosting gets a kick of tartness from lemon juice and a velvety texture from the cream cheese. Topped with dollops of whipped cream, lemon slices and delicate flowers, this cake is ready for its close-up.