Old Fashioned Lemon Lush
This classic layered pudding dessert, also known as Lemon Delight, is always a crowd-pleaser!
Ingredients
First layer:
- 1½ cups all-purpose flour
- ½ cup finely chopped pecans
- ¾ cup butter, cubed (1½ sticks)
- ½ teaspoon salt (omit if using salted butter)
Second layer:
- 1 package (8 oz) cream cheese (softened)
- 1 cup powdered sugar
- 1 cup whipped topping (like Cool Whip—use an 8 ounce container)
Third layer
- 2 small boxes (3.4 oz each) instant lemon pudding (such as Jello brand)
- 3 cups milk
Fourth layer:
- Remaining whipped topping from an 8 ounce container
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F.
- For the first layer, place the flour and salt (if using) in a large mixing bowl. Cut in butter with two forks or a pastry blender. Alternatively, you can also use your fingers to work in the butter until pea-size lumps form. Stir in pecans.1½ cups all-purpose flour, ½ cup finely chopped pecans, ½ teaspoon salt, ¾ cup butter, cubed
- Press the mixture into a 13×9 inch pan. Bake for 16–20 minutes, or until the edges are lightly golden brown. Cool completely.
- For the second layer, place cream cheese and powdered sugar in a large bowl. Mix with a handheld mixer until light and fluffy. Fold in 1 cup of whipped topping with a spatula, and spread the mixture over the cooled crust.1 package (8 oz) cream cheese, 1 cup powdered sugar, 1 cup whipped topping
- For the third layer, beat instant pudding and milk together with a handheld mixer for 2 minutes. The pudding will thicken. Pour on top of the second layer and spread it out evenly.2 small boxes (3.4 oz each) instant lemon pudding, 3 cups milk
- Carefully dollop the remaining whipped topping on top of the pudding mixture, and spread it with an offset spatula or butter knife. Cover the dish with plastic wrap, and place in the refrigerator for at least 4 hours, or overnight.Remaining whipped topping from an 8 ounce container
- When you’re ready to serve, place the dessert in the freezer for 45 minutes to firm up. (Freezing the dessert ensures that you’ll get nice looking layers when cutting it.) If you don't care about this, or are serving it with a spoon for everyone to scoop their own slice, skip this step.
- Slice the dessert into squares with a sharp knife, and serve.
Notes
How to use real whipped cream instead of whipped topping: substitute 3 cups of fresh whipped cream (made from 1.5 cups heavy cream + 1 tablespoon powdered sugar, whipped until stiff peaks form) for the whipped topping. Use 1 cup in the cream cheese layer and the remaining 2 cups for the final layer.
You can substitute any flavor of instant pudding that you like. Cheesecake, pistachio, chocolate, banana cream, etc., would all be delicious.
Don't like pecans? Substitute walnuts or leave them out.
Make it extra lemony by swapping the crust for lemon Oreos. Crush one package (14.3 oz) of lemon Oreos into fine crumbs, mix with 6 tablespoons melted butter, and pat into the pan for the crust (no need to bake it).
Nutrition
Calories: 247kcalCarbohydrates: 24gProtein: 4gFat: 16gSaturated Fat: 9gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 4gTrans Fat: 0.4gCholesterol: 31mgSodium: 181mgPotassium: 120mgFiber: 1gSugar: 14gVitamin A: 377IUVitamin C: 0.04mgCalcium: 78mgIron: 1mg
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