Spring has sprung, and that means it’s time for all kinds of new flavors like herbs and citrus. These flavor combinations make this Lemon Square Salad the perfect treat for spring and summer party menus.

This time of year, I love herbs like lavender or thyme in sweet dishes. I love all things lemon. And I realize many things are dyed pink just because you can. It’s the fun that Easter and springtime bring.

My mom often makes what we call “green salad.” It’s a super easy cold spring salad that I’m sure she learned from my Grandmother or some lady at the church potluck. But it’s just the perfect cold treat on a plate piled with spring foods. It almost always appears at St. Patrick’s Day and sometimes on our Easter Dinner spread.

But, a few years ago we took a Epic Road Trip on Route 66 and stopped at a little tea room for lunch on the last leg of our trip, and they served a lemon square with every sandwich plate. When I saw the yellow square on my plate, I immediately knew exactly what it was. And, one taste and I was taken to spring salad heaven.

So, my love for green salad has been transferred to these yummy Lemon Salad Squares.

These Lemon Salad Squares are the perfect cold, sweet spring potluck salad to serve at Easter or any Spring Brunch or Celebration. The creamy flavor of this jello-based treat is the ideal bite to elevate a simple spring or summer potluck.

I’m fully convinced this is my next mix-and-match recipe, where you can trade out the jello for any flavor. It would be delightful as a dreamsicle treat with orange jello or taste like that Starbucks Pink drink if you used strawberry jello instead. And, before you ask, yes, you can totally use Sugar-Free jello instead of regular.
And, for the sake of timing, YES, this needs to be on your Easter Dinner table.

Print Recipe

Lemon Salad Squares

These Lemon Salad Squares are the perfect cold, sweet spring potluck salad to serve at Easter or any Spring Brunch or Celebration. The creamy flavor is the perfect bite to elevate a simple spring or summer potluck spread.

Ingredients

1 box Lemon jello regular or sugar-free
water
1 can pear halves don’t drain
8 oz block cream cheese

Instructions

Put a can of pears in the fridge to chill for 1 hour before preparing salad..
Boil 2 cups of water in a saucepan.
Measure 1 cup of boiling water in a glass measuring cup with pour spout.
Add jello and stir to dissolve.
Pour the dissolved jello through a strainer into the blender.
Add cream cheese and chilled pears to the blender. (do not drain pears, the liquid serves as the “cold water” to set the salad)
Puree the mixture in a blender until smooth.
Pour through blender into a shallow 9×9 square pan or pie dish.
Cover and chill 4 hours or overnight, until set.

Notes

Note: Doubled, the recipe fills a 9×13 baking dish. You can easily substitute other flavors of jello for an equally enjoyable treat. Lime, orange, and strawberry are all successful flavors.

This is the perfect addition to an Easter Brunch spread, a sit-down meal at a baby or Wedding Shower, a Graduation celebration, or a Spring Brunch.