Lemon Delight
This Lemon Delight is a sweet, creamy no bake lemon dessert with layers of Golden Oreo, sweet cheese, lemon pudding, and whipped cream. Whether you call this recipe Lemon Delight or Lemon Lush, it's going to be a hit this summer!
No dessert makes my mouth say, "Oh, my. Happy," like a good lemon-flavored dessert. This rich, sweet, sour, perfectly-balanced homemade lemon delight will make everyone at the table ask for seconds. It's that good.
A simple crust from crushed Oreos layered with sweetened cream cheese forms the base for a layer of lemon pudding topped with whipped topping and crushed Golden Oreos. This one's going to make you swoon.
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Why You'll Love This Recipe
EASY - This recipe is so simple to throw together. It does take a little time as it has 4 different layers, but there are so many shortcut ingredients used to make this lemon delight recipe easy, that a little extra time will be worth it.
NO BAKE - You don't have to worry about warming up your house with the oven this summer! This lush recipe is completely no bake.
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Ingredients for Lemon Delight
See the recipe card at the bottom of the post for all ingredients and quantities.
- Golden Oreos - Lemon-flavored Oreos will also work.
- Butter - This is used to turn the crushed cookies into a crust.
- Cream Cheese - Make sure you get cream cheese without any extra fillers.
- Powdered Sugar - If you don't have any, make your own with a food processor.
- Whipped Topping - You can use store-bought for convenience or make your own with heavy whipping cream and a stand mixer.
- Instant Lemon Pudding Mix - You will need one large box or two small boxes.
- Whole Milk - Using whole milk gives the pudding extra richness.
Substitutions and Variations
The beautiful thing about our recipe for lemon delight is that you can use any combination of flavors. Substitute any pudding for the lemon pudding and any Oreo flavor for the Golden Oreos. You'll end up with a completely different dessert. The possibilities are almost endless; here are some combinations to try:
- Chocolate Pudding - Mint Oreos
- Chocolate Pudding - Double Chocolate Oreos
- Chocolate Pudding - Java Chip Oreos
- Chocolate Pudding - Chocolate Peanut Butter Oreos
- Vanilla Pudding - Birthday Cake Oreos
- Vanilla Pudding - Golden Oreos
- Lemon Pudding - Lemon Oreos
- Pistachio Pudding - Golden Oreos
- Banana Cream Pudding - Golden Oreos
- Banana Cream Pudding - Chocolate Oreos
- Coconut Cream Pudding - Golden Oreos
- Coconut Cream Pudding - Coconut Caramel Creme Oreos
- Pumpkin Spice Pudding (seasonal) - Golden Oreos
- Butterscotch Pudding - Golden Oreos
NOTE: This recipe has not been tested with other substitutions or variations
How to Make Lemon Delight
Making our deliciously sweet and sour lemon delight recipe is super easy and uses convenient ingredients like instant pudding, so it comes together fast.
Step 1: Pulse 26 of your Oreos in a food processor to form a crumb, then add the melted butter and pulse again.
Step 2: Press the Oreo mixture into your 9x13 baking dish evenly and firmly. Refrigerate.
Step 3: In a large bowl, add the cream cheese with powdered sugar. Beat until creamy and then fold in half of the whipped topping.
Step 4: Spread the cream cheese layer over the cookie crust with an angled spatula.
Step 5: Whisk the instant pudding in with the milk until it thickens.
Step 6: Spread the lemon pudding evenly over the cream cheese layer.
Step 7: Top your dessert with the remaining whipped cream by evenly spreading it out with an angled spatula.
Step 8: Add the remaining Oreos that have been chopped into pieces. Refrigerate for at least three hours before serving.
Tips and Tricks
If you do not have a food processor, you can crush the cookies in a sealed plastic bag with the extra air removed. You can either use a rolling pin or the back of a spoon to break up the cookies. They do not have to be finely crushed into tiny crumbs. Just do your best.
Some of the Oreo filling will stick to the bag. You can use a butter knife to peel it off and back into the crust mixture.
Use an angled spatula to spread the various layers of cream cheese, pudding, and whipped topping. This will help keep it neat. Clean the spatula between each layer.
Don't forget to scrape the sides of the mixing bowl and get all that mixed in thoroughly.
How to Store Lemon Delight
Keep your leftovers in the refrigerator and plan to use them within three to four days. At some point, the whipped cream and pudding layers will start to separate, and the dessert should be discarded.
You can freeze this recipe as well. Cover the lemon delight with an airtight lid or two layers of plastic wrap and an additional layer of heavy-duty aluminum foil and place in the freezer. You can serve this lemon dessert frozen, partially frozen, or just store it for up to 3 months in the freezer.
Thaw overnight in the refrigerator before serving if you prefer it soft.
Recipe FAQs
Yes! Simply purchase the gluten-free golden Oreos (or another brand of gluten-free sandwich cookies), and you will be good to go.
While this may be a little harder to find the ingredients and pull off, you can use a dairy-free butter substitute, a dairy-free cream cheese substitute, soy milk (almond milk will not set), and a dairy-free whipped topping. All of these do exist! Pair these with dairy-free sandwich cookies, and you are good to go. The allergy-friendly section of your local grocery store is a good place to start. Whole Foods usually has a very large selection of allergy-friendly products. Always read the labels, but Jello pudding mixes are usually dairy free, so that's helpful.
Yes. It is best if it sets up overnight and served the next day. After one full day in the refrigerator, the crust may get soggy over time as it absorbs moisture from the filling. However, the taste will stay delightful for two or three days from the time you make the dessert.
More Great Lemon Recipes
Layer Desserts to Try
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Lemon Delight
Ingredients
- 36 Golden Oreos divided
- 6 tablespoons butter melted
- 8 ounces package cream cheese room temperature
- 1 cup powdered sugar
- 16 ounces whipped topping thawed and divided
- 2 (3.4 ounce) boxes instant lemon pudding mix
- 3 cups whole milk
Instructions
- Place 26 Oreos into a food processor and pulse until the cookies form fine crumbs and no large pieces of cookies remain.
- Add the melted butter to the food processor and pulse until the butter has completely coated all of the Oreo cookie crumbs.
- Pour the crust mixture into the bottom of a 9x13 baking pan. Begin pressing the crust into the bottom of the pan firmly and evenly until it’s packed down.
- Place in the fridge to firm up while preparing the next layer.
- In a medium bowl, add the cream cheese and powdered sugar. Beat using a hand mixer on medium speed until smooth. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and beat in any remaining pieces of cream cheese or powdered sugar.
- Fold in 2 cups of the thawed whipped topping until the cream cheese mixture becomes light and fluffy and the whipped topping is completely incorporated.
- Spread the cream cheese mixture on top of the chilled cookie crust using an angled spatula. Clean off the spatula before spreading the next layer.
- In a separate medium bowl, add the two boxes of pudding mix and milk. Whisk for 2 minutes or until it begins to thicken.
- Spread the pudding over the top of the cream cheese layer making sure it’s in an even layer using an angled spatula. Clean off the spatula before spreading the next layer.
- Spread the remaining thawed whipped topping on top of the pudding mixture using an angled spatula to spread it evenly to the edges.
- Coarsely chop the remaining Oreo cookies and sprinkle over the top of the whipped topping.
- Refrigerate for at least 3 hours before serving but preferrable overnight so it can set up.
Notes
Nutrition
(Nutrition facts are an estimate and not guaranteed to be accurate. Please see a registered dietitian for special diet advice.)
