Looking for a show-stopper dessert that doesn’t take hours to make? You only need 7 ingredients for our lemon cream cheese pudding dessert, making it inexpensive as well as easy!
Why this recipe works
Lemon cream cheese pudding dessert uses boxed pudding, making it a simple recipe that won’t keep you slaving away in the kitchen. There’s also no baking involved, perfect for keeping your kitchen cool!
One-pan desserts are ideal for potlucks, backyard get-togethers, or any holiday you need to bring something to. Because it’s in one dish, this dessert goes from fridge to party all in the same pan. If you love easy no-bake lemon desserts, you’ll definitely want to check out my lemon icebox cake as well!
Ingredients you will need
Get all measurements, ingredients, and instructions in the printable version at the end of this post.
PUDDING – Do not use Cook n Serve pudding, only use instant pudding. You do NOT need to prepare the pudding according to the package directions, follow the recipe instructions (you will only need the powder and the ingredients listed below).
How to Make Lemon Cream Cheese Pudding Dessert
These step by step photos and instructions are here to help you visualize how to make this recipe. Please scroll down to simply print out the recipe!
- Crush the graham crackers in a resealable bag with a rolling pin, or in a food processor, if not already crushed. Transfer to a medium mixing bowl and set aside.
- In a small microwave-safe dish, melt the butter. Pour over the graham cracker crumbs and combine thoroughly.
- Firmly press the crumbs into an ungreased 13×9-inch pan. Place in the refrigerator until needed.
- Using a whisk, combine the pudding mix and the milk specified in this recipe only. DO NOT prepare the pudding according to the box instructions. Set aside.
- In a stand mixer or with a hand-held mixer, beat the cream cheese and lemon zest until creamy.
- Add the pudding to the cream cheese and beat on medium until creamy and well combined.
- Pour onto prepared crust and smooth into an even layer.
- Add the whipped topping in an even layer and garnish with additional graham cracker crumbs and lemon slices. Refrigerate for at least 4 hours or until set.
Frequently Asked Questions & Expert Tips
Your mixture may be lumpy if you did not allow the cream cheese to come to room temperature before beginning. Be sure that your cream cheese has been well softened. Take it out of the fridge at least 30 minutes before making this recipe. Remove it from the packaging and cut it into pieces and set them so they aren’t touching each other. Do NOT use the microwave to soften your cream cheese. If you find that your lemon cream cheese mixture is lumpy, switch your mixer to the whisk attachment and beat until lumps are gone. Bringing the milk to room temperature is also a good idea and will keep your cream cheese from lumping.
Yes, you can make this dessert up to 24 hours in advance. Store it with an air-tight lid or tightly covered with plastic wrap in the refrigerator until you are ready to serve.
Store leftovers in an air-tight container or tightly covered with plastic wrap in the refrigerator for 2-3 days.
It’s no secret that I love lemon desserts. Lemon sandwich cookies that start with a cake mix are one of my all-time favorites or a soft, delicious batch of Lemon Sweet Rolls.
More Potluck Dessert Recipes
- Lemon Lush
- Lemon Bars
- Sex in a Pan
- Chocolate Lasagna
- Pineapple Dream Dessert
- Banana Pudding Poke Cake
- Strawberry Jello Pretzel Salad
- Cream Puff Chocolate Eclair Cake
- Lemon Lush Trifle
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Lemon Cream Cheese Pudding Dessert
IMPORTANT – There are often Frequently Asked Questions within the blog post that you may find helpful. Simply scroll back up to read them!
Print It Rate It Text ItIngredients
- 2 cups graham cracker crumbs about 15 cracker sheets, plus more for garnish
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter
- 8 ounces cream cheese well softened (see notes)
- 6.8 ounces INSTANT lemon pudding mix 2- 3.4 oz boxes UNPREPARED
- 2 1/2 cups milk room temperature
- 1/2 teaspoon lemon zest
- 8 ounces Cool Whip non-fat
- 1 Lemon sliced, for garnish (optional)
Things You’ll Need
Instructions
- Crush the graham crackers in a resealable bag with a rolling pin, or in a food processor, if not already crushed. Transfer to a medium mixing bowl and set aside.
- In a small microwave safe dish, melt the butter. Pour over the graham cracker crumbs and combine thoroughly. Firmly press the crumbs into an ungreased 13×9-inch pan. Place in the refrigerator until needed.
- Using a whisk, combine the pudding mix and the milk specified in this recipe only. DO NOT prepare the pudding according to the box instructions. Set aside.
- In a stand mixer or with a hand-held blender, beat the cream cheese and lemon zest until creamy. Add the pudding to the cream cheese and beat on medium until creamy and well combined. Pour onto prepared crust and smooth into an even layer.
- Add the whipped topping in an even layer and garnish with additional graham cracker crumbs and lemon slices. Refrigerate for at least 4 hours or until set.
Video
Expert Tips & FAQs
- Be sure that your cream cheese has been well softened. Take it out of the fridge at least 30 minutes before making this recipe. Remove it from the packaging and cut it into pieces and set them so they aren’t touching each other. Do NOT use the microwave to soften your cream cheese. If you find that your lemon cream cheese mixture is lumpy, switch your mixer to the whisk attachment and beat until lumps are gone.
- Bringing the milk to room temperature is also a good idea and will keep your cream cheese from lumping.
- Do not use Cook n Serve pudding, only use instant pudding.
Nutrition
This post originally appeared here on Aug 20, 2016 and has since been updated with new photos.
Rebekah Garcia
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Jan H says
I do a very similar one like these ( for about 20 years now). I do the same on the bottom layer. Then instead of just a plain cool whip layer. I add the another small box of lemon pudding mix ( or sometimes vanilla) to 1 and 1/4 C. Milk add the cool whip. Then a very thin layer of cool whip ( or sometimes just use the topping as a decoration when I want it fancier. Sprinkle with a few fine lt crushed Graham crackers.
haile says
i accidentally bought shirriff lemon pie filling & dessert mix, instead of instant pudding mix. would i be able to use this still? and if so, would i just treat it like i would the instant pudding mix?? thanks.
Amanda Formaro says
For cook n serve pudding you will need to prepare it and cool it complete first. However, we have NOT tested this with cook n serve. Be aware that we use less milk than recommended on the instant pudding box because we need the pudding to be thick enough to stand up as a layer in the dessert. I am not sure what the adjustment would be for cook n serve pudding.
Angele says
This dessert is decent. It is light, creamy, and subtly sweet – all of which are fine. However, I personally prefer a deeper and more fully-dimensional lemon flavor. This is missing that sweet & sour tang I look for in a lemon dessert. Also – it only yields a very soft set; one which you will not achieve with merely 4 hrs., but will want to leave overnight. Nothing wrong with going for a nice presentation – but the picture is deceiving, because there is no such finished firmness, and the dessert will not cut or serve clean, as it appears. Specifically: the crust will be firm; the lemon layer, like the pudding it is; and the cool whip layer, very loosely holding form – but still melty-like. And yes – I followed all instructions exactly as given, for everything – and was not confused over any part of it (I’ve been cooking & baking for over 30 years, so I know what I’m doing).
This dessert does not absorb cold well – and I would want one like this chilled to absolute cold. For that, you will need to pop it in the freezer for 1 – 1.5 hrs. It will not freeze or alter in that time; it will only achieve a nice chill. But you’d want to serve it immediately, as it will lose that chill fairly quickly. You may want to use a solid spatula with a thin / sharper edge, as the crust, once put in the freezer – will want to adhere to a glass dish. It will come up clean, it just requires a little technique.
Overall, I’d file this one as a decent quickie for when you have a sweet tooth you don’t want to have to do too much, to sate – and you’re in the mood for it. For practical and preferential reasons – I wouldn’t take it as a dish to pass. That’s the beautiful thing about food, though – there’s a wide array for every taste, mood, season, and setting. And there’s room for all of them at the proverbial table, in IMO. :)
ME says
That was rude 🙄
Eve says
This is her recipe not yours you are more then welcome to modify to your standards !
Laurie Vanderbilt says
Can you use 2% milk?
Amanda Formaro says
Yes :)
Theodora says
Is it possible to use almond/coconut milk instead of regular milk?
Amanda Formaro says
I have not tested that myself. I’ve read that if you DO replace the regular milk, you need to reduce the amount. So if a recipe calls for 2 cups of milk, you would use 1 1/2 cups of coconut or almond milk.
Sommer Scott says
This was super easy to make! I added some lemon juice to the pudding/cream cheese mixture (about a tbsp) and then some lemon zest ontop of the same mixture once it was in the pan before adding the cool whip. I like a bit more of the zippy lemon flavour!!
Could you make this a day ahead?
Thank you!
Amanda Formaro says
Yes you can make this a day ahead :)
LFDR says
Is there a way to fix the lemon pudding & cream cheese mixture to be firm? I followed the recipe exactly and it’s soupy. It has been in the fridge for 4 + hours and still not set.
Amanda Formaro says
Did you use the amount of milk that the recipe states? It sounds like you may have used the amount of milk on the back of the box instead.
Anna Marie says
I’m interested in making this, but for the leftovers,
can they be put in the freezer? Thanks in advance
for your response, Anna Marie
Amanda Formaro says
Yes you can freeze this for up to two months.
Gloria says
Was absolutely delicious going to put it on my chef menu
Gin says
Could I use canned Comstock Lemon Pie filling in place of the pudding? If so, one or two cans? Thank you!
Amanda Formaro says
I have not tested this with Comstock pudding. I have never actually used it for anything. If it’s a premade pudding I would imagine it would work depending on the thickness. Jello pudding when made per the box instructions is thinner than what we produce in this recipe because we use less milk to make it thicker.
Ann says
Can I use lemon jello mix instead of pudding?
Amanda Formaro says
No, this recipe calls for pudding mix.
Louise says
Very easy to make
Noreen says
Subtle, not to sweet. Nice and creamy. I used unsweetened almond milk.
Ava says
Could you use a smaller pan than the 13 x 9? Maybe it would be a taller dessert??
Renola void says
Love this recipe
Annette says
Please reword the pudding in ingredients. It’s confusing. 2-3.4 ounce boxes of instant pudding. I thought it was 2 large boxes so I used 4 3.4 ounce boxes….it’s like rubber cement. Definitely not pourable. :)
Amanda Formaro says
Hi Annette. I’m looking at the ingredient list and it says “6.8 ounces INSTANT lemon pudding mix (2- 3.4 oz boxes UNPREPARED)”. So it looks correct to me. Sorry you had trouble!
Flo Mason says
This dessert is awesome!! I love lemon anyway. This was refreshing and light. Like cheesecake but not as heavy and rich. I put fresh blueberries on top. Very pretty and yummy. No bake is definitely a bonus! I will make this again and again!!
Thanks for the recipe 😋
Kristen Formaro says
So glad to hear! Thank you for sharing :)
Renee Anderson says
Can you mix in cool whip to the filling instead of spreading it ontop?
Amanda Formaro says
Yes you can try that :)
Diane Gaba says
This was easy to make and it was delicious s
Jeannine Gagnon says
Désolé i made that cake was more than 4 hours in refrigerator and when we took it out the cake was not even set. Not worth Ed to do.