Making Mealtime Meaningful: Discover how we're giving back with the 12T Cares program →

Vintage Lemon Lush

The perfect blend of tart, sweet, and creamy!

hearts
When you share or print a 12 Tomatoes recipe,
you're making mealtime meaningful.
100% of the Share to Care sponsor fees fund meals for families in need. Learn More
CLICK ANY LINK BELOW TO JOIN OUR CAUSE!
Side shot of lemon lush layers

This Vintage Lemon Lush is all about the layers. I mean, just look at them! First, we have a Nilla Wafer crust, comprised of wafers, cinnamon, sugar, and of course, butter. Then, there’s an easy, rich cheesecakes layer, followed by lemon pudding. Finally, the whole thing is topped with whipped cream and lemon zest. If you’re looking for the perfect summer dessert that’s sure to satisfy a crowd, then this is the recipe for you! Let’s take a look at the video below and see how easy it is to throw together.

Bite of lemon lush on a fork

Doesn’t this dessert look absolutely mouthwatering? It’s the perfect combination of sweet, tangy, rich, and creamy. And the Nilla Wafer crust ties it all together!

Ingredients laid out for lemon lush

We’ll start out by making the crust. First, preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Add Nilla wafers to a food processor and process until fine crumbs form. Pour crumbs into a 9×13 baking dish along with melted butter, sugar, and cinnamon. Stir to combine. Next, press the crumbs out to cover the bottom of the dish and bake for 10 minutes. Let cool for 30 minutes when done baking.

Now it’s time for the super easy cheesecake layer. Place cream cheese, powdered sugar, vanilla extract, and whipped topping into a mixing bowl. Add lemon zest and beat on medium speed with a hand-held mixer until smooth. Spread cream cheese mixture over the cooled crust.

A slice of lemon lush taken out of the pan

Next, we’ll make the lemon layer by adding the pudding mix and cold milk to a mixing bowl and whisk well to combine. Once the pudding mixture has begun to thicken, spread it evenly over the cheesecake layer. Finally, spread whipped topping over the lemon pudding in an even layer and top with lemon zest if using. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 1 hour before serving.

This is truly one dessert that you won’t want to pass up! Go ahead and get the full ingredient list along with step=by-step instructions below!

A piece of lemon lush on a plate

Yield(s): Serves 8-10

20m prep time

1h inactive

4.6
Rated 4.6 out of 5
Rated by 25 reviewers
hearts
When you share or print a 12 Tomatoes recipe,
you're making mealtime meaningful.
100% of the Share to Care sponsor fees fund meals for families in need. Learn More
CLICK ANY LINK BELOW TO JOIN OUR CAUSE!
For the crust:
  • 12 ounces Nilla Wafers
  • 1/3 cup butter melted
  • 3 tablespoons sugar
  • 1 teaspoon cinnamon
For the cream cheese layer:
  • 8 ounces cream cheese room temperature
  • 1 cup powdered sugar
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 8 ounces refrigerated whipped topping
  • 1 lemon zest only
For the lemon pudding layer:
  • 2 boxes instant lemon pudding 3.4 ounces each
  • 3 cups cold milk
For topping:
  • 8 ounces refrigerated whipped topping
  • Lemon zest (optional)
To make the crust:
  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
  2. Add Nilla wafers to a food processor and process until fine crumbs form. Pour crumbs into a 9×13 baking dish along with melted butter, sugar, and cinnamon. Stir to combine.
  3. Press the crumbs out to cover the bottom of the dish and bake for 10 minutes. Let cool for 30 minutes when done baking.
To make the cheesecake layer:
  1. Place cream cheese, powdered sugar, vanilla extract, and whipped topping into a mixing bowl. Add lemon zest and beat on medium speed with a hand-held mixer until smooth.
  2. Spread cream cheese mixture over the cooled crust.
To make the lemon layer:
  1. Add pudding mix and cold milk to a mixing bowl and whisk well to combine.
  2. Once the pudding mixture has begun to thicken, spread it evenly over the cheesecake layer.
For topping:
  1. Spread whipped topping over the lemon pudding in an even layer and top with lemon zest if using.
  2. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 1 hour before serving.

Recipe adapted from Buns in My Oven.


Subscribe to 12 Tomatoes