Lemon Delight is a lush dessert that starts with a delicious no bake Lemon Oreo crust then is layered with cream cheese filling, a tangy lemon layer, and finished with a creamy whipped cream layer. This easy, layered dessert is going to be a hit for any lemon lover out there.
Table of contents
Ultimate Lemon Delight is one of our go-to desserts because of how easy and flavorful it is.
With this easy no-bake recipe, you can skip the oven and go right to enjoying dessert.
We’ll show you how to boost the lemon flavor in the pudding layer.
And we’ve got a fun surprise for the top – and the bottom!
Disclosure – I may get a small commission for purchases made through affiliate links in this post.
🔑 Key to Success #1 – Start with a No Bake Lemon Oreo Crust
One of the things that sets this Lemon Delight recipe apart is the crust.
We’re using Lemon Oreos to form a thick and flavorful crust for our layered dessert.
If you can’t find the Lemon Oreos, you can use Golden Oreos or any vanilla flavored cookie.
Use a food processor to finely crush about 2/3 of the package of Oreos.
You can also crush the cookies in a large zip-top plastic baggie using a rolling pin or a heavy bottom saucepan.
Make sure the cookies are finely crushed with no large chunks left.
Place the cookie crumbs into a medium bowl.
Next, add the melted butter and stir until all the crumbs are moistened.
Finally, spread the moist Oreo crumbs into the bottom of the baking dish and press them down firmly to form a thick crust.
It’s as easy as that!
With this no-bake crust, you don’t even have to wait to let the crust cool.
🔑 Key to Success #2 – That Luscious Cream Cheese Layer
The cream cheese layer is one of my favorite parts of any of the layered “delight” desserts on the blog.
It adds so much richness and creaminess to the dessert. You are going to love it!
For the cream cheese layer, you’ll take a brick of cream cheese, a cup of powdered sugar, and half of a large tub of Cool Whip.
Or you can use one small tub of Cool Whip. (You will need two small tubs for this recipe.)
Before you start mixing up the cream cheese layer, be sure to allow the cream cheese to soften.
The easiest way to soften cream cheese is to allow it to sit on the countertop for 1-2 hours.
If you are short on time, you can soften cream cheese in the microwave.
Place the unwrapped cream cheese in a microwave-safe bowl and microwave on high power for 20 seconds, just enough to soften it without melting it.
Use an electric hand mixer to cream together the cream cheese and powdered sugar, also called confectioners’ sugar.
Next, add in the Cool Whip and blend until just combined.
🔑 Key to Success #3 – Pucker Up Lemon Pudding
The trick to getting lots of lemon flavor in this easy dessert is to add extra lemon juice to the pudding layer.
This extra lemon juice is completely optional. If you like less lemon flavor, you can just use the lemon pudding on its own.
But if you want that citrus tang in your Lemon Delight, you will want a little bit of extra lemon juice.
Two tablespoons of lemon juice is the right amount for us, but you can play around with the flavor and add more if you really want to pucker up.
We’re using two boxes of lemon pudding in our Lemon Delight.
Spread the lemon pudding evenly over the cream cheese layer then top with a thick layer of fluffy Cool Whip.
To top off this easy dessert, we’re using more crushed Lemon Oreos.
Crush them coarsely for the top so that you will have some larger chunks of cookies and not fine powder.
❓FAQ
Can I make a traditional shortbread crust for this Lemon Delight recipe?
Yes, absolutely!
Simply combine 1 cup of all-purpose flour, 1 stick of melted butter, and 1/2 cup of chopped pecans in a small bowl until a thick dough forms.
Press the dough into a greased 9×13-inch pan then bake at 325 degrees for 25 minutes.
Allow the shortbread crust to cool completely before adding the other layers.
Can I use lemon pie filling instead of lemon pudding?
Sure you can.
Use two 21-ounce cans of lemon pie filling in place of the lemon pudding layer.
The Duncan Hines Wilderness Lemon Creme pie filling has a great lemon flavor and silky texture that is perfect in this easy Lemon dessert recipe.
Add a little lemon zest in there for even more lemon flavor.
📌 Get the Printable Recipe for Lemon Delight
Save this Ultimate Lemon Delight recipe to your favorite Lemon Desserts board or your Layered Delight Recipes board.
Ultimate Lemon Delight
Ingredients
- 1 pkg Lemon Oreo Cookies divided
- 1/2 cup butter melted
- 8 oz cream cheese
- 1 cup powdered sugar
- 1 large tub whipped topping divided
- 2 small boxes lemon pudding
- 3 cups milk
- 2 Tbsp lemon juice
Instructions
LAYER 1
- Crush up 2/3 of the Oreos and mix in melted butter. Press cookie crumb mixture into the bottom of a 9X13-inch pan and press firmly to form the crust.
LAYER 2
- Mix together cream cheese, powdered sugar, and 1/2 of the Cool Whip. Spread over Oreo crust.
LAYER 3
- Mix together both packages of lemon pudding mix, lemon juice, and milk. Refrigerate about 20 minutes until the pudding thickens. Spread over the cream cheese layer.
LAYER 4
- Spread the remaining Cool Whip over the pudding. Place the remaining Oreos into a plastic tip-top bag and smash into medium-sized pieces. You should have some chunks of cookies and some crumbs. Sprinkle Oreo pieces and crumbs over the Cool Whip. Refrigerate at least 3 hours before serving.
Notes
Equipment
Nutrition
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Sheila
Friday 30th of September 2022
In Canada, the package of cookies comes in a 270 gram package. Made a thin crust - only used part of the butter (too much). Has anyone else found this or should I use two packages for the crust?
Linda
Sunday 22nd of January 2023
@Sheila, I used graham cracker crust and doubled it as I was using a bigger pan ... So,,,, why not for cookies?
Janice
Thursday 31st of March 2022
Has anyone used lemon curd instead of the lemon pudding? I can't find lemon pie filling anymore.
Jennifer
Thursday 31st of March 2022
Lemon curd would be delicious! I’ve had a hard time finding lemon pudding recently too. Found it at my local hometown grocery store, but not at any of the chain stores.
Mary
Monday 28th of February 2022
Has anyone tried this recipe with lemon pie filling to cut the milk?
Jennifer
Tuesday 1st of March 2022
I haven’t tried it with lemon pie filling but I think it would work just fine if you wanted to substitute it for the lemon pudding.