Food & Cooking Recipes Dessert & Treats Recipes Our Best Lemon Desserts Are Sure to Brighten Your Day By Kelly Vaughan Kelly Vaughan Kelly is a former associate digital food editor for MarthaStewart.com. Editorial Guidelines Updated on January 29, 2020 Share Tweet Pin Email Trending Videos Mike Krautter When life gives you lemons, make our favorite lemon dessert recipes. From crowd-pleasing sheet cakes to the petite Lemon Custard Tarts pictured here, our best lemon desserts offer a bright bite at the end of any meal. When choosing lemons in the grocery store, they should offer just a little bit of resistance when you squeeze them. If they're too firm, it will be difficult to juice them. Another way to maximize their juice is by storing whole lemons at room temperature; they'll be softer to the touch and will release more juice than if they're pulled straight from the refrigerator. Be sure to stock up on a combination of Meyer lemons and regular lemons, as both varieties are used in these fabulous recipes. While many lemon desserts are perfect for summer picnics or backyard barbecues, our lemon desserts are fitting year-round. Try making Meyer-Lemon Shortbread Wreath Cookies during the holiday season; there's tart lemon flavor in both the cookies and the glaze. Plus, the combination of fresh herbs, nonpareils, and pearl sprinkles give them a festive finish. There are plenty of recipes ideal for feeding a crowd here, too. Lemon-Glazed Sheet Cake is perfect to take to a potluck party and is low-maintenance to prepare. Rather than decorating layer after layer, just decorate the top of the cake with lemon glaze and candied lemon zest. Another surefire winner is this showstopping Lemon-Mascarpone Crepe Cake. The lemon flavor comes in the form of a luscious curd filling made with the juice of five lemons. These sweet and stunning lemon dessert recipes are sure to make you pucker (in the best way possible). 01 of 22 Lemon-Glazed Sheet Cake Alpha Smoot The perfect dessert to bring to a potluck or picnic, this sheet cake serves a crowd and can be made in advance. In our book, that's a win-win! View Recipe 02 of 22 Glazed Lemon-Ginger Scones Mike Krautter Gone are the days of dry, bland scones. Enter: these bright, spiced scones with flaky layers offering refreshing lemon flavor. View Recipe 03 of 22 Meyer-Lemon Shortbread Wreath Cookies Mikkel Vang Lemon doesn't just shine in summery desserts. Extra-special Meyer lemons flavor buttery shortbread—and the delicate glaze—for these festive Christmas cookies. View Recipe 04 of 22 Lemon-Olive Oil Cake Paola + Murray This isn't any regular cake—olive oil contributes major moistness and a rich flavor that takes it into slightly savory territory. Macerated berries add texture and color, and the lightly whipped mascarpone topping completes the picture. View Recipe 05 of 22 Meyer-Lemon and Hazelnut Tart Robin Stein Toasted ground hazelnuts take the place of flour in the crust for this tart, so gluten-free guests can indulge in a slice, too. The luscious filling has the perfect balance of tart-but-not-too-tart flavor. View Recipe 06 of 22 Meyer-Lemon and Coconut Layer Cake Johnny Miller Is there any better combination than coconut and lemon? We don't think so, which is why we've created a multi-layered treat made with coconut cake and coconut-lemon curd. The cake is garnished with even more coconut flakes and candied lemon slices for a hint as to what's waiting on the inside. View Recipe 07 of 22 Lemon Tassies Victor Schraeger If you're hosting a more casual gathering where guests will be mixing and mingling, these individual bite-sized tarts are perfect for passing around. View Recipe 08 of 22 Lemon Shortcakes with Basil Berries This isn't any old-fashioned strawberry shortcake. Lemon zest perks up the basic biscuits, and a few tablespoons of lemon juice cut the sweetness of macerated berries. View Recipe 09 of 22 Lemon Pound Cakes with Candied Lemon Slices Clive Streeter With a delicate, moist crumb and pretty garnishes, everyone will want a taste of this lemon pound cake. Whether you serve it for breakfast, a snack, or dessert, it's sure to be a star. View Recipe 10 of 22 Vanilla Sheet Cake with Lemon Cream-Cheese Frosting Did someone say summer? Instead of making a fussy layer cake, bake this low-maintenance, but super delicious sheet cake. It's decorated with a creamy, bright frosting, plus lemon zest and juicy blueberries. View Recipe 11 of 22 Lemon-Date Bars Marcus Nilsson Medjool dates have a deep caramel flavor and chewy texture that is a delight to bite into in this riff on classic lemon bars. Date paste is spread over a homemade crust, then topped with a creamy lemon filling and light dusting of powdered sugar. View Recipe 12 of 22 Lemon Honey Cake Johnny Miller Honey and light brown sugar collaborate on sweetness in this mild lemon cake. Don't fancy lots of frosting? The bare sides and creamy lemon curd feel just right here. View Recipe 13 of 22 Sparkly Lemon Cookies Lennart Weibull Give these lemon cookies the finishing touch they deserve with a sprinkling of coarse sanding sugar. The crunchy topping is a delightful contrast to the cakey texture of the cookies. View Recipe 14 of 22 Upside-Down Lemon Meringue Pie Ryan Liebe This cake is not for the faint of heart—and that's why it's so fantastic. A lemony filling made with eight egg yolks and a cup of heavy cream is plenty rich and indulgent. And it just so happens to be one of Martha's favorites. View Recipe 15 of 22 Lemon Cornmeal Cake Lennart Weibull A combination of raw ground almonds, cornmeal, olive oil, and almond extract put this cake in a league of its own. With just a dusting of powdered sugar for the topping, it's a casual dessert that's perfect for a party. View Recipe 16 of 22 Pear-and-Lemon Pie with Pate Brisee Crust Kate Mathis Instead of making an apple pie for Thanksgiving this year, try this unexpected dessert made with pear slices, candied lemon peel, cinnamon, and perky lemon juice. View Recipe 17 of 22 Meyer Lemon Upside-Down Cake One of the secrets to this mesmerizing cake is incorporating the egg yolks and egg whites separately. The yolks add richness and body while the whites create a luscious, light texture—it's pure heaven. View Recipe 18 of 22 Lemon-Basil Custard Pie with Red Berries Jonathan Lovekin Three kinds of vibrant berries—strawberries, raspberries, and currants—are mixed and macerated together to top this rich lemon custard. It's a juicy contrast that works so well. View Recipe 19 of 22 Lemon-Mascarpone Crepe Cake Jonathan Lovekin Want to create a dessert that will truly wow? Nearly two dozen crepes, stacked on top of each other between layers of a light lemon curd, should do the trick. View Recipe 20 of 22 Meyer Lemon Coffee Cake Mike Krautter Perk up your morning with our sweet, crumbly coffee cake. Sliced Meyer lemons are baked into the batter of this cake for an unexpected tart flavor in each bite. If that's not enough, we've incorporated Meyer lemon juice into the glaze as well. View Recipe 21 of 22 Lemon-Cranberry Meringue Pie Christopher Testani Take a gander at this beauty. On top of our buttery, flaky pate brisee is a double layer of tart goodness. The first layer is a creamy lemon filling that then gets topped with a thin cranberry gelée and is chilled until set. View Recipe 22 of 22 Lemon Curd Souffle Tart Emily Kordovich We've upgraded a basic lemon tart with a light, mousse-like filling and an all-butter crust. A generous dusting of powdered sugar is the finishing touch. View Recipe Was this page helpful? Thanks for your feedback! Tell us why! Other Submit