I love a good slice recipe. I’m all for a choccy slice filled with candy as an afternoon treat with the kids. However, there is something about a creamy slice with a lemony tang that makes it a tad more ‘adult’ and one you can enjoy over a cuppa with a close friend or as a secret indulgence during rare ‘me time’.

This may be why lemon desserts are the most popular dessert type on ABR. Now, lemon slices are a dime a dozen, but hear me out when I explain why this lemon flummery slice is our top lemon slice recipe on site and has had hundreds of thousands of views to date.

This lemon flummery slice is a bit like a cheesecake slice, with a biscuit base and creamy topping, but it’s not nearly as dense. It’s much airier than cheesecake and isn’t as rich and heavy, so you don’t feel like you should be pulling on your Lycra pants and going for a power walk immediately after eating a square. 

Um, so what’s a flummery?

A flummery is an old-fashioned set dessert that has its origins in 17th-century England, where it was a jelly-like oatmeal (er, okay 😬), but it became very popular in Australia and New Zealand as a much more palatable dessert following World War II (😋). 

Less expensive than a traditional cream-based mousse, the flummery is almost as airy and was made by beating together some evaporated milk, sugar and gelatine (or whatever flavoured jelly crystals you had in your pantry). It was one of those desserts that was practically thrown together and aimed to satisfy the family on a thrifty 50’s budget. 

I, for one, am pleased to say the flummery is making a welcome 2025 comeback! This fluffy lemon flummery slice is a lovely change from denser cheesecake slices.

The very nice lemon flummery slice 

“There is so much to love about this lemon flummery slice recipe. It’s a no-bake dessert, which makes it perfect for the warmer months, it only requires 4 supermarket-friendly ingredients and it’s a cinch to make,” says taste digital food director Amira Georgy. “Plus, with a prep time of only 15 minutes, it’s an easy make-ahead dessert that you can whip up at any time.”

Here’s how.

Step 1: Combine some jelly crystals with boiling water, then pop in the fridge to chill until just starting to set.

Step 2: Blitz some biscuits and butter in a food processor, then press the mixture over the base of a slice pan.

Step 3: Whip some cream with the chilled jelly until it’s thick and airy. Pour the mixture over the biscuit base and chill for a couple of hours, before cutting the slice into squares to serve.

Psst! Some grated lemon rind added to the biscuit base mixture will boost that heavenly lemony flavour. 

I’m sure you want to make this right now, so here is the full recipe for lemon flummery slice. You might also like to sample Grandma’s 2-ingredient raspberry flummery, or this passionfruit flummery that will help you offload some in-season passionfruits.

‘Simply the zest’ lemon desserts 

Citrus-flavoured desserts are my absolute favourite. I’ll have these over chocolate desserts any day. And because I simply love lemon-flavoured anything, and I have a lemon tree that bursts with fruit every year, I’m often on the lookout for delicious desserts using fresh lemons. Here are 5 of the best recipes I’ve found on ABR.

  1. Condensed milk lemon tart: a quick and foolproof baked tart.
  2. Creamy lemon fudge slice: for when you’re craving something sweet and decadent.
  3. Italian lemon cream cake: two thin layers of lemony vanilla cake filled with a sweet and tangy lemon mascarpone cream and topped with a crunchy crumb.
  4. Lemon custard cookies: delicious chewy cookies made bright and zesty with a sweet lemon custard filling.
  5. Lemon sour cream cheesecake: the dollops of lemon curd inside this cheesecake really make it zing!

Of course, this selection is only the tip of the lemon tree, but I don’t want you to be in a flummery flummox over what to make first. I’ll absolutely be starting with that zesty lemon flummery slice!