23 Lemon Desserts That Will Brighten Your Day, From Cakes to Cookies Our best lemon dessert recipes showcase the fruit's sunny citrus flavor. Close Credit: Mike Krautter When life gives you lemons, make our favorite lemon dessert recipes. From crowd-pleasing sheet cakes to dainty tarts, they're the bright bite that ends any meal on a high note. They are year-round crowd-pleasers because lemon is as welcome in winter as it is refreshing at a summer cookout or potluck. And is there any type of dessert that doesn't work with lemon? Our collection encompasses the classics—there's more than one take on lemon meringue pie and a nod to how much we love lemon bars. We're also sharing some less-expected lemon desserts because you’ll want to make them, too. How to Store Lemons So They Stay Fresh 01 of 23 Lemon-Meringue Sheet Cake Credit: Con Poulos Lofty peaks of irresistible meringue top a luscious lemon sheet cake in this dramatic dessert. If you don't have a blowtorch, you can brown the peaks with a quick blast under the broiler. View Recipe 02 of 23 Lemon Cake Credit: Julia Hartbeck This moist lemon cake features lemon juice and zest in the batter. The baked layers are brushed with lemon simple syrup and sandwiched with whipped frosting or lemon curd. We use the same whipped frosting to cover the cake—and it includes a little lemon juice! Candied lemon slices are the finishing touch that this super citrus dessert needs. View Recipe 03 of 23 Glazed Lemon Cookies Credit: Brie Goldman Easy to make and easy to love—that's these lemon cookies. No rolling or shaping is needed because they are drop cookies. They bake up sweet, cakey, and packed with lemon flavor. View Recipe 04 of 23 Lemon-Glazed Sheet Cake Credit: 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 05 of 23 Glazed Lemon-Ginger Scones Credit: Mike Krautter Gone are the days of dry, bland scones. Enter: these bright, spiced scones with flaky layers offering refreshing lemon flavor. View Recipe 06 of 23 Meyer-Lemon Shortbread Wreath Cookies Credit: Mikkel Vang Lemon doesn't just shine in summery desserts. Extra-special Meyer lemons flavor buttery shortbread—and the delicate glaze—for these festive holiday cookies. View Recipe 07 of 23 Meyer-Lemon and Hazelnut Tart Credit: 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 08 of 23 Meyer-Lemon and Coconut Layer Cake Credit: 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 09 of 23 Lemon Tassies Credit: 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 10 of 23 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 11 of 23 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 12 of 23 Lemon-Date Bars Credit: 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 and then topped with a creamy lemon filling and a light dusting of powdered sugar. View Recipe 13 of 23 Lemon Honey Cake Credit: 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 14 of 23 Sparkly Lemon Cookies Credit: 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 15 of 23 Upside-Down Lemon Meringue Pie Credit: 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 16 of 23 Lemon Cornmeal Cake Credit: 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 17 of 23 Easy Lemon Cake Credit: Jake Sternquist Whole lemons are the secret ingredient to this simple cake. Using the entire lemon— from juice to pulp to rind—gives this moist cake an intense lemon flavor. Topping with fresh raspberries and a dollop of whipped cream is a nice finishing touch. View Recipe 18 of 23 Lemon-Basil Custard Pie With Red Berries Credit: 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 23 Lemon-Mascarpone Crepe Cake Credit: 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 23 Meyer Lemon Coffee Cake Credit: 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 23 Lemon-Cranberry Meringue Pie Credit: Christopher Testani Take a gander at this beauty. On top of our buttery, flaky pate brisée 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 23 Lemon Curd Soufflé Tart Credit: 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 23 of 23 Lemon-Blueberry Tart Credit: Yossy Arefi This showstopping dessert contains layers of flavor from the tangy lemon curd, whipped creme fraiche, pate sucree crust, and candied lemon zest. The combination of sweet blueberries and tart lemon give a bright, balanced flavor. Lemon-Blueberry Tart Explore more: Food & Cooking Recipes Dessert & Treats Recipes