Easy lemon desserts, particularly when they're no-bake, are a great addition to any summer party. Check out our favorite recipes for lemony icebox cakes, simple pies and no-bake cheesecakes.
24 Easy, No-Bake Lemon Desserts
Updated on May 06, 2024
On a hot summer day, no-bake desserts always seem to hit the spot. And when you’re craving a bit of zest, easy lemon desserts that are also no-bake are winners.
These easy treats can take many forms, including no-bake pies, shortcut trifles and frozen sweets. So break out your lemon zester, stock up on lemonade and head to the kitchen!
Lemonade Icebox Pie
At the top of our favorite easy lemon desserts is this swift lemonade pie. It uses just five ingredients—including a premade graham cracker crust. It has all the sweetness and tang of a tall glass of lemonade.
Looking for easy, no-bake pie options? Try these instead that are still as decadent and delicious as popular desserts that are baked, but they require only chilling time—no preheating or oven time necessary.
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Simple Lemon Mousse
Total Time
30 min
Servings
6 servings
From the Recipe Creator:
This classic, simple lemon mousse recipe is the refreshing dessert you need. Serve it with fresh fruit or eat it alone. —Taste of Home Test Kitchen
Mousse is one of those desserts that always feels fancy. When you stir this one up, top with an extra lemon slice or fresh fruit for a polished look.
3/25
Strawberry Lemon Trifle
Total Time
20 min
Servings
14 servings
From the Recipe Creator:
This refreshingly fruity dessert is one of our favorites. It looks so beautiful layered in a glass bowl that people will think it took ages to make. The secret is starting with a purchased angel food cake. —Lynn Marie Frucci, Pullman, Washington
This refreshingly fruity dessert is a reader favorite. It looks so beautiful layered in a glass bowl that people will think it took ages to make. The secret is starting with a purchased angel food cake.
4/25
Lemon Ice
Total Time
15 min
Servings
6 servings
From the Recipe Creator:
This delicious sweet-tart lemon ice is a perfectly refreshing way to end a summer meal ... or any meal, for that matter. —Concetta Maranto Skenfield, Bakersfield, California
After simmering the ingredients over the stove for a quick spell, all that’s left with this treat is to let it freeze. In a few hours, this easy lemon dessert is slushy and ready to scoop. Try our editor’s favorite ice cream scoops to make it even simpler.
5/25
Lemon Tiramisu
Total Time
30 min
Servings
9 servings
From the Recipe Creator:
I created this recipe to please everyone in my family. It's a cross between cheesecake and tiramisu, with a refreshing lemony flavor. Garnish with fresh berries if you have them on hand. —Monica Marolt, Willowick, Ohio
Easy lemon desserts, it’s time for a tiramisu twist! This tart version of the Italian treat uses mascarpone cheese and ladyfingers like the original, but swaps in a lemon pudding filling and plenty of zesty lemon extras.
No-Bake Lemon Pudding Cheesecake Squares
This easy dessert starts with a box of instant pudding. Combined with whipped topping and layered onto a graham cracker crust, you’ve got a people-pleasing dessert. Not in the mood for lemon? You can use any type of instant pudding in this recipe to make it your own.
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7/25
Blueberry Lemon Trifle
Total Time
15 min
Servings
14 servings
From the Recipe Creator:
A refreshing lemon filling and fresh blueberries give this sunny dessert sensation plenty of color. Don't worry about heating up the oven—this trifle doesn't require baking. —Ellen Peden, Houston, Texas
Blueberries and lemon are such a delightful summer flavor combo. This recipe gets its lemony punch from lemon pie filling and lemon yogurt.
8/25
Limoncello Cream Pie
Total Time
20 min
Servings
8 servings
From the Recipe Creator:
After a big Christmas dinner, we love the cool refreshment of a frozen lemon pie. Limoncello brings a little sophistication to each smooth, creamy slice. —Jessie Grearson-Sapat, Falmouth, Maine
This creamy, no-bake pie is refreshing during the warm months. Feel free to use your go-to store-bought lemon liqueur, but we’ll give you bonus points if you use homemade limoncello.
9/25
Coconut-Lemon Ice Cream Cake
Total Time
30 min
Servings
16 servings
From the Recipe Creator:
I developed this cool treat because I wanted to find a new use for cream of coconut. The sweet coconut combines beautifully with the tart lemon juice, and the streusel adds a nice crunch. Look for cream of coconut in the cocktail mixer section of your grocery store. —Janet Gill, Canton, Ohio
This ice cream cake starts with a package of shortbread cookies. Those are layered between a mix of lemon zest, lemon juice and softened ice cream.
10/25
Lemon Cake
Total Time
1 hour
Servings
12 servings
From the Recipe Creator:
This citrusy cake with a luscious cream cheese frosting will garner plenty of applause. The flavor, a duet of sweet and tangy notes, really sings. —Summer Goddard, Springfield, Virginia
11/25
Lemon Sherbet
Total Time
10 min
Servings
2 servings
From the Recipe Creator:
Lemon juice provides the snappy flavor in this wonderful lemon sherbet recipe from our Test Kitchen. The light, make-ahead treat looks splendid served in individual "boats" made from lemon halves. —Taste of Home Test Kitchen, Milwaukee, Wisconsin
This smooth and creamy sherbet uses lemon juice and zest for a wonderfully zippy flavor. This treat can be served on its own or topped with fresh fruit.
12/25
Berry, Lemon and Doughnut Hole Trifle
Total Time
25 min
Servings
10 servings
From the Recipe Creator:
After my son called and said he was bringing home his college roommates, I was able to whip up this quick yet impressive dessert in only a few minutes. It's been a family favorite ever since. —Ellen Riley, Murfreesboro, Tennessee
So many trifle recipes start with premade angel food cakes or pound cakes. But this easy lemon recipe uses donut holes! It’s a great way to use up day-old bakery—and it saves you from having to cube up a whole cake.
Lemon Icebox Cake
Icebox cakes are some of the best no-bake desserts you can make. When creamy ingredients are layered with wafers or cookies, the two mesh to create a cake-like treat. This lemon version uses graham crackers, cream cheese and lemon pudding mix.
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14/25
No-Bake Blueberry Cheesecake
Total Time
25 min
Servings
4 servings
From the Recipe Creator:
Because this no-bake blueberry cheesecake doesn't contain eggs, it's lighter but also very creamy and refreshing.—Ken Gallagher, Hastings, Nebraska
For an airy delight on a summer afternoon, try this mouthwatering cheesecake. Because it doesn’t contain eggs, it’s lighter but also very creamy and refreshing.
15/25
Lemon Bark
Total Time
10 min
Servings
1-3/4 pounds
From the Recipe Creator:
I wasn't a fan of white chocolate until I made this candy. It's tangy, sweet and creamy all at the same time. The bark was a lovely treat during a springtime shower but would be nice year-round. —Diana Wing, Bountiful, Utah
White chocolate serves as the base for this lemony candy bark. All you have to do is melt the chocolate and stir in crushed up lemon candies.
16/25
Easy Strawberry Lemonade Freezer Pie
Total Time
15 min
Servings
8 servings
From the Recipe Creator:
Three simple ingredients mixed together and spread into a graham cracker crust make magic while your freezer does all the work. Prep this pie ahead and freeze it overnight or even longer. Feel free to vary the fruit if you'd like! —Debbie Glasscock, Conway, Arkansas
Love strawberry lemonade? This pie is for you! It’s so simple to make; just combine frozen berries, lemon pudding mix and whipped topping. Spoon it into a premade crust and you’ve got a treat folks will devour. Next, try this no-bake lemon pie.
17/25
Lemon Snowball
Total Time
25 min
Servings
20 servings
From the Recipe Creator:
For a special occasion like a church supper, I make this beautiful dessert. The lemon and coconut flavors go so wonderfully together. Everyone will be asking for the recipe.—Lucy Rickers, Bonsall, California
This treat may look like baked Alaska, but it’s not baked at all! Instead it combines a lemony filling and a store-bought angel food cake. The whole thing is topped with fresh whipped cream and coconut.
18/25
Lemon Tea Cookies
Total Time
35 min
Servings
about 4-1/2 dozen
From the Recipe Creator:
These sandwich cookies taste rich and buttery and have a lovely lemon filling. The recipe has been in our family since the 1950s, when my mother got it from a French friend in her club. —Phyllis Dietz, Westland, Michigan
19/25
Lemon-Apricot Fruit Pops
Total Time
15 min
Servings
6 pops
From the Recipe Creator:
With just 31 calories, 4 teaspoons of sugar total and lots of vitamin C, this is one light and refreshing summer dessert everyone can find room for! —Aysha Schurman, Ammon, Idaho
Lemon brings out the vibrance of apricot, one of summer’s under-appreciated fruits. Add a bit of fresh mint to the fruit pop mix for a surprising burst of flavor.
20/25
Frozen Watermelon Lemon Cream Tarts
Total Time
20 min
Servings
8 servings
From the Recipe Creator:
These fruit tarts are so refreshing on a hot summer day! They are extremely healthy and convenient, and just a few ingredients means they're easy to make, too. —Bethany DiCarlo, Harleysville, Pennsylvania
Looking for more ways to enjoy watermelon this summer (besides oversized wedges)? These frozen tarts combine melon, lemon and yogurt for an easy, healthy treat.
21/25
Lemon Chiffon Blueberry Dessert
Total Time
25 min
Servings
15 servings
From the Recipe Creator:
This cool and creamy no-bake dessert is perfect for hot summer days. I sometimes replace raspberries for half of the blueberries to make it look more patriotic. —Jodie Cederquist, Muskegon, Michigan
With a name like “chiffon,” you know this dessert is wonderfully light and smooth. If you want to use frozen berries, our Test Kitchen recommends not defrosting them before stirring them into the lemon fluff filling. This way the chiffon will stay a creamy white.
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Lemon Cream Delight
Total Time
20 min
Servings
2 servings
From the Recipe Creator:
Indulging in this creamy dessert is like eating cheesecake out of a bowl. Light and luscious, it's a pleasing finish to any meal. —Inge Schermerhorn, Kingston, New Hampshire
Think of this easy lemon dessert as cheesecake without the crust. It has the same lush texture and can be served up in small sundae dishes.
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24/25
Lemony Coconut Frozen Yogurt
Total Time
30 min
Servings
1-1/4 quarts
From the Recipe Creator:
Whenever I crave something cold to beat the heat, I whip this yogurt together and share with family. Everyone enjoys the sweet relief! — Caitlyn Heinz, Ovid, New York
Lemon and toasted coconut are a great pairing. When blended in creamy frozen yogurt, you have one of the summer’s best easy lemon desserts.
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Layered Lemon Dessert Squares
Total Time
30 min
Servings
15 servings
From the Recipe Creator:
I found this recipe in an old cookbook and changed it to be extra citrusy. If you’re a fan of Key lime pie, try lime flavors instead of lemon. —Dawn E. Lowenstein, Huntingdon Valley, Pennsylvania
Easy lemon desserts, including this one, often start with a jar of lemon curd. Be sure to grab a quality version at the store. You’ll really be able to taste the citrusy flavor.
