4 Lemon Dessert Recipes From the Pioneer Woman To Make It Feel More Like Summer Right Now

We’ve officially made it to spring, and that means that summer is only a few months away. But if you just can’t wait any longer to bring that summer energy into your home, then it’s time to start whipping up some lemony recipes that definitely have a summer vibe to them. Ree Drummond has so many delicious lemon dessert recipes on her Pioneer Woman website, and we’ve found the four must-try desserts that will make it feel like summer right this very second.

Lemon Bars

Lemon bars may be the perfect summer treat to bring to backyard BBQs, garden parties, and beach get-togethers because they’re easy to eat and so refreshing. Drummond’s Lemon Bars recipe is so simple to whip up in a pinch. First, you’ll make the crust. Stir together the flour, sugar, and salt in a large bowl. Then, cut your cold butter into the dough until your mixture looks like fine crumbs. Press the crust into a prepared baking dish and bake until golden.

For the filling, combine sugar and flour before cracking in your eggs and whisking everything together. Then add in your lemon juice and zest, stir everything together, and pour into the crust. Bake until the filling is set, and then cool the bars for at least two hours before cutting them into squares. Easy, sweet, and tangy!

Lemon Chess Pie

Drummond’s Lemon Chess Pie is kind of like the dressed-up version of her classic lemon bars, and because it uses store-bought pie crust, you don’t have to make the entire thing completely from scratch. You’ll first want to roll out and bake the pie crust in the pie pan until it’s golden brown, pricking the bottom with a fork after 15 minutes or so (this can be done up to two days in advance). Then, to make the filling, whisk together granulated sugar and melted butter, then whisk in your eggs one at a time. Then add in cornmeal, flour, vanilla, lemon zest, lemon juice, and a bit of yellow food coloring to really sell the lemon theme.

Pour the filling into the crust and bake the pie for just under an hour, then it let it cool completely before cutting and serving. It’s tart, sweet, and so delicious.

Lemon Pudding Cakes

These Lemon Pudding Cakes from Drummond are basically like chocolate lava cakes, but citrus! To make them, first prepare individual ramekins and set them aside in a baking dish or roasting pan. Then, whisk together egg yolks, buttermilk, flour, lemon juice, lemon zest, salt, melted butter, and a cup of granulated sugar until smooth. In a stand mixer, beat egg whites until they’re foamy, then add granulated sugar a little at a time until stiff peaks form. Fold the egg white mixture into the egg yolk mixture, just a bit at a time, until combined and no streaks remain. Pour this batter evenly into your ramekins. Boil water and pour it into the baking dish, and then bake the entire thing for about half an hour.

Dust each ramekin with powdered sugar when cooled, and enjoy! They feel fancy and can be topped with berries to add more oomph.

Lemon-Poppy Seed Cake

Lemon-Poppy Seed Cake has a subtle hit of lemon flavor that makes it a refreshing breakfast, mid-day snack, or dessert! To make Drummond’s version, first beat together sugar and butter in a stand mixer, then add your eggs one at a time. Then stir in the vanilla extract and lemon zest. In a separate bowl, combine flour, salt, baking powder, and baking soda, and then combine buttermilk, poppy seeds, and lemon juice in another smaller bowl. Add a third of the flour mixture into the stand mixer, then about half of the buttermilk mixture. Repeat until all the ingredients are combined. Prepare a Bundt pan and pour the batter in. Bake until a toothpick comes out clean, and then let the cake cool for at least two hours.

Drizzle over a classic powdered sugar and lemon glaze, and then you’ll be ready to slice and eat!

Before you go, check out our slideshow below: