Lemon Lush Dessert
Ingredients
- Crust
- ▢ 2 cups (282g) all-purpose flour
- ▢ 1 cup chopped pecans
- ▢ 1/2 cup (100g) brown sugar
- ▢ 1 cup (227g) salted butter, melted
- Cream Cheese Layer
- ▢ 2 (8-ounce) packages cream cheese, softened
- ▢ 2 cups (240g) powdered sugar
- ▢ 2 Tablespoons lemon juice
- Lemon Layer
- ▢ 2 cups (400g) granulated sugar
- ▢ 1/2 cup cornstarch
- ▢ 1/4 teaspoon table salt
- ▢ 6 large egg yolks
- ▢ Zest of 2 large lemons (about 2 Tablespoons)
- ▢ 1 cup lemon juice
- ▢ 4 cups water or milk
- ▢ 1/4 cup salted butter, cubed
- Whipped Cream
- ▢ 1 1/2 cups heavy cream
- ▢ 1/2 cup (60g) powdered sugar
- ▢ 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
Method
- Preheat oven to 350°F.
- Combine flour, sugar, and pecans in a large bowl. Add melted butter, stirring until evenly moistened.
- Press crust mixture into a 9×13-inch baking dish. Bake for 20-25 minutes until lightly golden brown. Remove from oven and cool completely before proceeding.
- Beat cream cheese, powdered sugar, and lemon juice using a mixer until smooth.
- Spread over the cooled bottom crust. Place in fridge to chill.
- Whisk together sugar, cornstarch, and salt in a medium saucepan.
- Whisk in lemon zest, lemon juice, and egg yolks until combined. Whisk in the water, then cook over medium heat for 5-7 minutes, stirring frequently, until thickened and starting to bubble.
- Remove the lemon pudding from the heat and stir in the butter until melted and combined.
- Pour the lemon pudding through a fine mesh strainer over a bowl, pressing it through with a rubber spatula to separate out any bits of lemon zest. Cover the surface of the pudding with plastic wrap to prevent a skin from forming. Chill in the fridge for 1 hour to thicken so it isn't warm when adding it to the cream cheese layer.
- Pour the cooled lemon pudding over the cream cheese layer. Chill in the fridge for 2-3 hours until set up.
- Beat heavy cream, powdered sugar, and vanilla extract in a bowl until thick and medium peaks begin to form. Spread over the lemon filling layer. Chill dessert until ready to slice into squares and serve.
Nutrition info is automatically calculated as an estimate — actual values may vary. Always check your ingredient labels for the most accurate results!
Notes
I like to make the lemon pudding while the crust is baking so it has time to cool. That way by the time the crust is cool, I can layer the cream cheese layer, immediately followed by the cooled lemon layer.
Crust substitutions: Other delicious options include a graham cracker, lemon Oreo, or golden Oreo cookie crust. To make the Oreo crust version, you need about 36 cookies combined with 6 Tablespoons of melted butter.
Lemon filling options: Instead of homemade lemon filling, use cook & serve lemon pudding or two 3.4-ounce packages of instant lemon pudding mixed with 3 cups milk. I don’t recommend using lemon curd in place of the lemon filling because it won’t set up quite as well. You can even use store-bought lemon pie filling.
This recipe can be made up to 4 days in advance and kept in fridge. For longer storage, it can be frozen. Let it thaw completely in the fridge before serving.
Storage: Keep leftovers in the fridge up to 4 days covered with plastic wrap or a lid.