Ah, two things go together well: lemon and nostalgia. Carmen Hacker, a great friend to Amish365, has this to say about today's recipe:
This is one of my favorite desserts from the Seventies, and a crowd favorite at summer cookouts when the sun is sizzling and a light, refreshing dessert is all you need for the perfect culinary ending!

Lemon desserts among the Amish are popular even though lemons are not historically a fruit grown in Amish communities. Lemons ship well so they are often found in Amish-owned bulk food stores. And, yes, they help prevent scurvy! Amish cooks have then happily experimented with lemons, enjoying them in juices, muffins, breads, and even savory dishes like chicken. Lemon chicken is popular in Amish kitchens. And who can resist lemon zest?
And, of course, during hot summer months homemade lemonade is also a big hit. I've sat on many Amish front-porches on a warm day enjoying a mug of frosty, cold lemonade.
Use a pastry blender for the crust.
For the center layer of luscious lemon dream squares, beat the lemon mixture until it is smooth.
This is the amazing lemon layer in the making for these luscious lemon dream squares!
This Lucious Lemon Dream Squares dessert does best if refrigerated overnight or at least several hours.
🍋 Lucious Lemon Dream Squares
Crust
- 1-½ sticks butter, softened
- 1-½ cups all-purpose flour
- ½ cup chopped pecans, plus additional pecans for topping
Center layer
- 1 cup confectioner’s sugar
- 8-oz. package softened cream cheese
- ½ of an 8-oz. container of whipped topping (Save the rest for later.)
Lemon Layer
- 2.9 oz. box Jell-O Cook and Serve Lemon Pudding Mix
- ½ cup sugar
- 2 ¼ cups water
- 2 egg yolks
📋 Instructions
Crust
- preheat oven to 350 F.
- Combine crust ingredients with a pastry blender or two butter knives until it is the consistency of pie crust. (It will be a bit crumbly.)
- Coat bottom of a 9 x 13 pan with cooking spray and press crust into bottom of pan. Bake in preheated oven for 20 minutes, just until light golden brown.
- Cool while you make center layer.
Center
- For the center layer, combine ingredients for center layer in a mixing bowl and beat until smooth.
- Spread on cooled crust.
Lemon Layer
- Blend pudding mix, sugar, ¼ cup water and egg yolks in medium saucepan. Stir in remaining water with wire whisk.
- Bring to a boil on medium heat, add 2 cups of water, stirring constantly, until thickened.
- Cool about 15 minutes, then spread over cream cheese layer.
- Refrigerate several hours or overnight.
- Just before serving cover with remaining whipped topping from container (or even a little more) and sprinkle with additional chopped pecans.
- To serve, cut into squares of desired size (about 12 to 16 in all) and use a metal spatula to remove from pan. (Plastic utensils will not do.) Refrigerate any leftovers, if they’re not all gobbled up!
🍋 More Amish Recipes With Lemon
Lemon Bars - These are delicious!
Lancaster Lemonade - So good!
White Chocolate and Lemon Cheesecake - Heavenly!
🖨️ Full Recipe
Lucious Lemon Square Dessert
Ingredients
Crust
- 1-½ sticks butter, softened
- 1-½ cups all-purpose flour
- ½cup chopped pecans, plus additional pecans for topping
Center layer
- 1 cup confectioner’s sugar
- 8-oz. package softened cream cheese
- ½ of an 8-oz. container of whipped topping (Save the restfor later.)
Lemon Layer
- 2.9 oz. box Jell-O Cook and Serve Lemon Pudding Mix
- ½ cup sugar
- 2 ¼ cups water
- 2 egg yolks
Instructions
Crust
- For the crust, preheat oven to 350F.
- Combine crust ingredients with apastry blender or two butter knives until it is the consistency of pie crust. (It will be a bit crumbly.)
- Coat bottom of a 9 x 13 pan with cooking spray and press crust into bottom of pan.
- Bake in preheated oven for 20 minutes, just until light goldenbrown. Cool while you make center layer.
Center Layer
- For the center layer, combineingredients for center layer in a mixing bowl and beat until smooth. Spread on cooled crust.
Lemon Layer
- Blend pudding mix, sugar, ¼ cupwater and egg yolks in medium saucepan.
- Stir in remaining water with wire whisk.
- Bring to a boil on medium heat, add 2 cups of water, stirring constantly, untilthickened.
- Cool about 15 minutes, then spread over cream cheese layer.
- Refrigerate several hours or overnight. Just before serving cover with remaining whipped topping from container (oreven a little more) and sprinkle with additional chopped pecans.
- To serve, cut into squares of desired size(about 12 to 16 in all) and use a metal spatula to remove from pan. (Plastic utensils will not do.) Refrigerate any leftovers, if they’re not allgobbled up!
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