51 Sweet-On-Citrus Dessert Recipes

Press lemon-infused sugar to the sides of lemon cookie dough, and top with lemon glaze for a citrus treat that won’t leave you sour. Make the dough up to two days ahead of time and chill, or freeze for up to two months.

From the cake batter, to the lemon syrup that’s brushed on the cake, and finally to the lemon glaze, this moist pound cake is positively overflowing with lemon flavor. 

This beautiful layer cake is one of our most popular holiday desserts. A handful of Sugared Cranberries and fresh orange slices make for a photo-worthy topping that doesn’t require pro decorating skills. 

Creamy lemon meringue pie meets dreamy cheesecake in this mashup dessert of our dreams. “Every element tastes like it’s made with love, so zesty and sugary and pillowy and good,” said one Test Kitchen pro who tested this recipe. 

Should this cake be worth a million dollars or does it make you feel like a million bucks after eating it? Either way, it’s worth its weight! A box of cake mix gets a makeover with additions like mandarin oranges, a homemade pineapple filling, and cream cheese frosting. 

These simple lemon bars are delicious (and pretty!) as-is, but if you’re looking to wow a supper club or baby shower crowd, our Test Kitchen included two gorgeous flavor variations at the bottom of the recipe page for you. 

Margarita fans will love this pie for fiestas of all kinds. The lime zest-salt topping adds color, a hint of welcome saltiness, and a touch of green to this fun dessert. 

From Thanksgiving to Christmas, this flavor combination is festive for the holiday season. We love a Bundt cake for the ease of decorating with results that are still gorgeous. 

This citrus play on chilled layered desserts like Chocolate Delight is just as delightful. The freezing times might seem excessive, but they’re the key to perfect slices and even layers. 

Inspired by the famous North Carolina pie, these bars are easier to grab-and-go at big potlucks and events. Plus, you get crust, filling, and whipped cream in every bite with this method. 

Talk about a photo finish! Layers of lemon curd filling and a toasted meringue topping make this cake beautiful before and after you cut into it. 

Our classic Key lime pie recipe was sent straight from heaven to your pie plate! It’s so popular that it has garnered only five-star reviews from our readers.

“I love this recipe because it doesn’t require heating up my oven. It is hot enough already without that,” says Senior Producer Ivy Odom. “But also because it has a gingersnap crust. Most lemon icebox pies call for graham crackers, but I love the punch of ginger this crust has.” 

We’re not telling you to ditch Grandma’s Classic Chess Pie Recipe completely, but this citrus version is a sunny upgrade for fans of lemon flavor. We call for a refrigerated pie crust to save you time, but you can always make our Perfect Pie Crust from scratch. 

White cake layers, lemon filing, and coconut cream cheese frosting make every bite of this cake a joy. Add more lemon juice and zest if you want to dial up the citrus flavor. 

“These Margarita Balls are the bourbon balls of the summer,” says Senior Producer Ivy Odom. “They’re sweet, limey, and perfectly but not overly boozy.” Plus, the recipe makes three dozen of these poppable bites, so they’re ideal for a big crowd. 

This retro dessert has a fun name and easy instructions. It’s the ultimate summer treat to cool you off on hot days. 

Since you can cut and portion them out ahead of time, bars are much easier to serve to a crowd than slices of classic Key lime pie. Plus, the creamy cheesecake filling is a total delight. 

This famed pie from North Carolina chef Bill Smith might be the easiest summer dessert you can make (with the biggest flavor payoff). “It’s really good, and anyone can make it—so they do,” he says. “Bringing it to the table guarantees plenty of praise and compliments. I just stand back and watch.”

This vibrantly colored and flavored pie was made for holiday celebrations. Its gorgeous layers make it a labor of love, but it’s one you can complete in advance of your party. 

There’s something nostalgic about a towering sundae. This one comes together with a few ingredients that combine for a sweet, tart, summery delight. 

Floral thyme and bright lemon are a gorgeous flavor and decoration match in this pretty cookie recipe. “These were tender, buttery and required no adjustments,” wrote a reviewer who gave this recipe five stars. “I prepared by the recipe and received many compliments.”

Looking to impress your dinner party guests with a personally portioned dessert that looks as good as it tastes? Voila! With a topping of edible flowers, these tiny cakes were made for spring parties. 

“If you’re not a fan of coconut, don’t be deterred by the name of this recipe,” writes Digital Editor Mary Shannon Hodes. “The only coconut in it is actually in the graham cracker crust. It adds just the right hint of coconut flavor without overwhelming the whole dish, and it lends a nice consistency to the crust.”

“I had never heard of orange rolls until I moved to Birmingham to work for Southern Living,” writes Senior Producer Ivy Odom. “A distant cousin of cinnamon buns, the zesty glazed pastries make an appearance at nearly every gathering the same way coffee cakes do in my hometown in South Georgia. Both are sweet enough to be served for dessert but not so sugary that they’re banned from breakfast.” This coffee cake recipe combines the two in perfect harmony! 

This indulgent recipe marries two delicious desserts: lemon bars and cheesecake. Using a dark springform pan ensures a golden brown crust on this tart dessert recipe without having to bake before adding the filling. Try adding our Candied Lemon Slices for the ultimate sweet treat.

You’ll use almost two sticks of butter and a combo of powdered sugar and flour to make these delicate cookies that melt on the tongue. Use a small cookie scoop to create perfectly formed balls. When they emerge warm and fresh from the oven, roll them in more powdered sugar for good measure.

The citrus filling in this cake includes orange and lemon zest, while the sweet glaze includes freshly squeezed juice. This makes two gorgeous loaves for breakfast, tea, or coffee. Keep one, and share the other.

These sweet and tangy cupcakes include lemon juice and sour cream, topped with a citrusy buttercream. We also have variations for orange sherbet and lime sherbet—why not make all three?

This chiffon cake hosts two forms of citrus—orange juice and orange zest—so that the sponge cake has a beautiful balance of zippy and floral notes. Fold in egg whites gently to keep this cake light as air. A simple dusting of powdered sugar is the only garnish this cake really needs.

This crowd-pleasing classic dessert shows us why icebox pies are a busy cook’s best friend. In this recipe, a 1/4 cup of buttermilk helps cut the sweetness of condensed milk. For a sweeter take, try the strawberry-lemonade or mango-lemon versions.

We don’t hold back with the butter, eggs, and powdered sugar in this luscious recipe. Classic lemon squares are always a popular dessert at teas, luncheons, and showers. Make an extra batch and freeze for up to one month.

This dreamy dessert recipe blends together the cream cheese flavor of a cheesecake with the airy creaminess of the classic Italian cake. Instead of rich coffee flavors, expect some zing from lemon zest, lemon extract, and lemon instant pudding mix. When layered with a smooth mixture of cream cheese and mascarpone cheese, as well as traditional ladyfinger biscottis, the tartness really sings.

Toasted pecans drizzled with caramel bring this graham cracker crust to new heights. Plan to make the pie early enough to chill for four hours. For a showstopping finish, top off this refreshing pie with a garnish of lime slices and lime zest curls.

This pound cake is based on a recipe by Kathleen Blackman of Ponce Inlet, Florida. The traditional pound cake includes tart lime zest and a homemade Key lime glaze for a delicious tropical dessert. Brush on the glaze as soon as the cake comes out of the oven so it can soak right in.

Panna cotta is a silky custard made without eggs, in this case infused with orange peel while cooking. The dessert is topped with Buttery Orange Curd and candied orange pieces.

Meyer lemons are a cross between regular lemons and mandarin oranges, giving them a sweeter and subtler flavor. In this recipe, bright Meyer lemon curd swirled into the top of the cheesecake creates a stunning white-and-yellow marble effect. No springform pan is required—these bars are baked simply in a 13×9 pan.

You’ll think you’re dreaming when you bite into layers of orange cake layered with buttery lemon curd and iced with rich lemon-orange buttercream. This cake should be prepared a day ahead so it can firm up overnight.

This cake features our Luscious Lemon Frosting, a citrusy buttercream confection. Create an impressive stack of zesty lemon layers that’s perfect for any casual gathering. Or, frost the cake completely and decorate with a fruity garnish for a more elegant event.

In this recipe, we quite literally poke holes all over the top of a baked cake, creating channels through which filling can seep in. The filling uses a mixture of citrus-spiked sweetened condensed milk and buttermilk to add a double dose of moisture to a standard white cake mix. The custardy mixture resembles the filling you’ll find in Key lime pie, but with both lemon and lime juices, it channels both of our favorite citrus flavors.

For this lime-flavored treat, we start with a box cake mix and add in other store-bought ingredients like lime-flavored gelatin and frozen whipped topping. Don’t skimp and buy bottled lime juice, however—freshly squeezed is so much better. Poke the cake to help the gelatin absorb into the cake, spread the silky whipped topping, and garnish with thin lime slices and mint.

Key lime pie and cheesecake just make sense together. To ensure this combination captures the best of the two desserts, it’s important to start with a solid cheesecake recipe, as well as a basic understanding of what makes for a perfect cheesecake filling. A traditional cheesecake uses a water bath, which we break down for you with our straightforward guide.

Tart cranberries are paired with zesty lemon in these colorful bars. A buttery, delicious shortbread acts as the base for the cranberry jam layer, followed by sweet and tangy lemon curd. This dessert speaks for itself, requiring no more than a sprinkling of powdered sugar.

Compared to its lemon meringue cousin, this Lemon Chiffon Pie is sweeter, lighter, and gentler on the palate. Known for its delicate texture and plain looks, this pie bespeaks old-school Southern class and charm. A store-bought crust works fine, but we recommend using our Single-Crust Pie Pastry Dough recipe because it’s easy to make, buttery, and flaky.

This Shaker-style pie is made with thinly sliced whole lemons—peels and all. The Charleston, West Virginia, Junior League included this dessert in its 1974 Mountain Measures cookbook, and it’s been a favorite of bakers ever since. The easy recipe requires only four ingredients and 15 minutes of hands-on time. But let the lemon slices and sugar sit in a shallow bowl together for at least four hours, or even overnight, to get the lemon slices good and juicy.

This creamy dessert is infused with lemon from the cookie-wafer crust to the Lemon Curd glazing the top. We think the name speaks for itself, but a dollop of freshly whipped cream and a curling twist of candied lemon really sell it.

This bright Lemon Loaf Cake makes for a refreshing treat any time of day. It’s tender and moist from pudding mix in the batter with a deliciously chewy crust. The frosting includes Greek yogurt and a pinch of salt to enhance the tang. Garnish with lemon zest.

Your crowd will ooh and aah when they see this trifle stacked with layers of yellow, orange, and red fruit. Throw in cubes of angel food cake and a toasty Italian meringue (this is your chance to pull out the kitchen torch), and you’ve got a showstopping dessert.

Here’s your chance to enjoy the flavor of one of the most beloved summer cocktails in the form of a sweet and delicious cake. Our Margarita Cake uses tequila in a lime syrup that is brushed across each cake layer. We added store-bought margarita mix to the cream cheese frosting to spike it with the classic sweet-and-sour flavor. Use a little food coloring to achieve that characteristic green, and garnish with candied lime peels and a generous sprinkle of flake salt around the edge.

The doberge cake, a sponge cake made of thin layers stacked sky high, is a New Orleans tradition at birthdays. This half lemon and half chocolate version is truly a labor of love. Our Test Kitchen used store-bought lemon curd and chocolate pudding in between the layers, which taste great and save you a few steps in the kitchen.

We love this pie for its silky lemon-curd filling, perfectly complemented by a light, fluffy meringue topping. You can use a grocery-store pie crust or feel free to bake your own. Appropriately named “Mile-High Meringue,” be sure to pile a generous amount of the meringue on top of the pie and spread it all the way to the edges. While you can serve this pie straight out of the oven, it’s better when it has time to chill in the fridge.