LEMON DESSERT BOARD
When life gives you lemons…make a dessert board!

This Lemon Dessert Board is a bright and beautiful way to serve a variety of lemon desserts using a mix of homemade treats and store-bought favorites. It’s perfect for Mother’s Day, spring gatherings, bridal showers, or any time you want an easy but impressive dessert display.

With its fresh citrus flavors and cheerful presentation, this dessert board is as fun to create as it is to share.

In the summer, I love to have lemon decor in my kitchen and to use citrus scented wax melts throughout my home. I love to drink lemonade, and make lemon desserts. I even clean with citrus scented cleaners. This board was created for an evening with my daughters. 

What to Include on a Lemon Dessert Board

This board combines a variety of textures and flavors for the perfect balance of sweet and tangy.

Store-Bought Lemon Treats

• Lemon wafers
• Lemon cream cookies
• Lemon crème yogurt-covered pretzels
• Lemon sorbet almonds

Homemade Lemon Desserts

• Lemon cream cheese cake bars
• Lemon curd
• Stamped shortbread cookies with lemon curd filling
• Mini citrus Bundt cakes with lemon curd and raspberry sauce

I found these treats at Home Goods.
LEMON WAFERS, LEMON CREAM COOKIES,
LEMON CREME YOGURT COVERED PRETZELS,
LEMON SORBET ALMONDS.

I baked my DECORATED SUGAR COOKIE recipe and added 1 teaspoon of lemon extract for a teaspoon of the vanilla, cut them out with a lemon shaped cookie cutter, and iced them.
I added 1 teaspoon of fresh lemon juice, and a touch of yellow coloring paste in the icing.

The other homemade desserts I added were
Lemon Cream Cheese Cake Bars, Lemon Curd,
Stamped Shortbread Cookies with Lemon Curd Filling 
Mini Citrus Bundt Cake with Lemon Curd, Raspberry Sauce.

 

Layered Lemon Pudding Cups

How To Make a Lemon Dessert Board

• Create a list of the foods you would like on your board.
• Select the board or platter you want to use. You can use trays, wooden cutting boards of any shape, or even baking sheets. I purchase these at Sam’s Club. They work great when transporting a food board.
• You will also need to gather any small bowls you will be using on the board to put foods in. They can be glass, plastic, or even cupcake liners. I love to use pretty cupcake liners for dry food items.
• Purchase any lemon treats that are available to you.
• Bake the desserts that you will be serving ahead of time. I baked my cake bars and the cookies a week in advance and put in the freezer. I decorated the cookies when I thawed them.
• Arrange the foods on the board.  Place the larger foods on the board first. Fill in the spaces with the small bowls and smaller foods. Feel free to rearrange the foods if they don’t look appealing to you.
  Add garnishes if desired, such as fresh mint leaves, lemon slices, fresh berries, or edible flowers.
• Serve with coordinating plates, napkins, and silverware.

Why You Will Love This Lemon Dessert Board

• First of all, everything is so delicious.
• You can create the board to serve any size crowd that you need.
• It is easy to create by using a mixture of purchased and homemade items. (or even all purchased)
• Lemons make people feel cheerful and think of summer.
• It is easy to transport.
• This is perfect to serve at a bridal or baby shower, a summer luncheon, poolside, a tea party, or just friends getting together.
• Bright lemon flavors are fresh, light, and refreshing.
• Beautiful presentation with minimal effort

Helpful Tips and Frequently Asked Questions

• Use foods with different textures, and try to balance sweet and tart.
• Bake any of the homemade treats ahead of time that you can.
• When zesting fresh lemons, be careful not to get the white part under the peel. It may taste a little bitter.
• Make sure the cold desserts are served cold.
• Add fresh garnishes for color and freshness

What flavors go well with lemon desserts?
Fresh berries (strawberries, raspberries, blueberries),
Mint or basil, Cream cheese or whipped toppings,
Light vanilla or shortbread flavors

Do I need to wash the lemons before using them?
YES,  Wash under cold water and dry them before zesting the lemon. They can have dirt, debris, or bacteria on them from handling.

Some lemons are “waxed” which is added to the outside to protect  them during transportation. To remove this, run under hot water or set them in a bowl of boiled water for 5 minutes.  Rub this off with a vegetable brush and then wash under cold water and dry. I am careful NOT to buy the waxed ones.

 

A Simple and Beautiful Dessert Idea

A Lemon Dessert Board is an easy way to create a stunning dessert display without a lot of stress. Whether you’re hosting a special occasion or just want to serve something a little different, this board is sure to brighten the table and bring smiles all around.

This post was shared on Sweet Little Bluebird Weekend Potluck.