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READY IN 55 mins

Lemon Lush

Read Reviews (170)

"A family friend shared this lemon and cream cheese dessert with me. It has been a hit with our family now for all our get-togethers." — MRS.KELLYZ

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Original recipe makes 12 servings Change Servings

2 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup butter, softened
2 (8 ounce) packages cream cheese
1 cup white sugar

2 (3.4 ounce) packages instant lemon pudding mix
3 1/2 cups milk
1 (12 ounce) container frozen whipped topping, thawed

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Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). In a medium bowl, combine the flour and butter using a pastry cutter until a ball forms. Press into the bottom of a 9x13 inch baking dish.
Bake for 25 minutes in the preheated oven, or until lightly golden. Remove from oven and allow to cool completely.
In a medium bowl, beat the cream cheese and sugar together until smooth and well blended. Spread evenly over the cooled crust. In another bowl, whisk together the lemon pudding mix and milk for 3 to 5 minutes. Spread over the cream cheese layer. Chill until set, then top with whipped topping.

Kitchen-Friendly View

PREP 15 mins
COOK 25 mins
READY IN 55 mins

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OK-This recipe has such potential to be better than a five-with slight modifications. I must agree with the rest - the lemon pudding itself was fake tasting and I too had to add lemon juice and lemon rind to kick it up to a nice lemon taste. Now in doing that my lemon pudding got a little too runny and didn't set up as nice. Next time I will add a little less liquid(in the milk/heavy cream) to compensate for the lemon juice. To make the pudding mix layer itself I did use half heavy cream and half milk-because it makes the pudding soo much more rich and tasty. I also used fresh whipped cream (2cups heavy cream, 3/4 cup sifted confectioners sugar and a squirt of vanilla-whip in chilled bowl with chilled wisk or paddles) instead of cool whip and it was awesome. This really is such a great little recipe that is soo easy to make with such a nice combination of flavors-cream cheese,lemon and fresh whipped cream. YUMMY!! Don't pass it up-just make sure to add either the lemon juice or lemon extract if you have it.

—cookiequeen

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Most Helpful Critical Review

May 21, 2010

Five stars for concept, but sadly only two stars for ingredients. If made as written the crust would be flat, tasteless - just flour and butter? I added 1/2 cup of confectioners' sugar and that was all it needed. Instant lemon pudding would not taste like lemon to me, it would taste artificial, because it is. So I skipped that and used a fresh, homemade lemon curd instead, "Microwave Lemon Curd," also from this site. Finally, I used real whipped cream rather than the Cool Whip. My tastebuds were in heaven - this was goooood. Creamy, lemony, buttery good. Even Hubs loved it - and the only thing he likes lemon with is fish!

—naples34102

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196 Ratings

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May 10, 2006

I subbed in 2-15oz cans of lemon pie filling for the lemon pudding and this was awesome. My Easter guests loved it-it's cool and refreshing.

—GINAH1

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Oct 04, 2010

This recipe isn't something I would have prepared for myself, because I don't like lemon pudding mix or Cool Whip, but I made it for my great-uncle who loves both. It was a huge hit with him. I'm not sure why people bother to make recipes full of ingredients they don't like, then write negative reviews. Create your own versions using ingredients you like, and then submit them for publication. This recipe is simple, inexpensive, and works great for people who enjoy the ingredients.

—campagnes

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Dec 18, 2009

I have this same recipe and the lemon cheese cake is a definite show stopper. Except one thing, for the bottom crust I use 1 1/2 cups chopped pecans or walnuts and 1 cup flour and 1 stick of butter. The rest is all the same and it is fantastic. I call a recipe like this, an Impressor. Guaranteed to impress.

—Kitten

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Jan 09, 2004

This is a definite family request at our holiday get togethers and all our summer picnics! It tastes just like a cool & creamy version of lemon meringue pie, but better :) I add 2 tablespoons of lemon juice to the cream cheese part and I also use confectioner's sugar instead of granulated. Every once in a while I add a half of an 8 ounce container of Cool Whip to my cream cheese layer and cut back on my sugar. I also make sure to buy a couple of extra boxes of Lemon Pastry Creams from the Girl Scouts, because I crumple a few up to sprinkle over the top of the Cool Whip~yummy!

—MANOPA

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Feb 06, 2004

Oh baby! This was amazing! I used a Keebler Shortbread crust because I really didn't want to have the oven on when it's so hot, and this dessert was fabulous. I'm sure I'll experiment with different puddings, like other reviewers, but it will be hard to improve on the original. A definite keeper recipe!

—MRS. LOUDSHOES

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Jul 23, 2003

I prefer a graham cracker crust to lighten up this dessert. I also added 1/8 cup lemon juice to the lemon filling. My family enjoys tart desserts. This is great, thanks for sharing Mrs. Kelly Z!

—MAGGIE MCGUIRE

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Nutrition

Calories
591 kcal
30%

Carbohydrates
58.5 g
19%

Cholesterol
87 mg
29%

Fat
37.2 g
57%

Fiber
0.6 g
2%

Protein
7.8 g
16%

Sodium
467 mg
19%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.

Nutritional Information

Lemon Lush

Serving Size: 1/12 of a recipe
Servings Per Recipe: 12
Amount Per Serving
Calories: 591
Calories from Fat: 334

% Daily Value *
Total Fat 37.2g 57 %
Saturated Fat 25g 125 %
Cholesterol 87mg 29 %
Sodium 467mg 19 %
Potassium 185mg 5 %
Total Carbohydrates 58.5g 19 %
Dietary Fiber 0.6g 2 %
Protein 7.8g 16 %
** Sugars 26.6g
Vitamin A 23 %
Vitamin C < 1 %
Calcium 15 %
Iron 15 %
Thiamin 20 %
Niacin 21 %
Vitamin B6 3 %
Magnesium 6 %
Folate 26 %

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet. Your daily values may be higher or lower depending on your calorie needs.
** Nutrient information is not available for all ingredients. Amount is based on available nutrient data.
(-) Information is not currently available for this nutrient. If you are following a medically restrictive diet, please consult your doctor or registered dietitian before preparing this recipe for personal consumption.