Looking for a tart but tasty treat? A lemon tart is a classic dessert that isn’t heavy but satisfies your sweet tooth.
Check out our easy lemon tart recipe, or try any of the lemon tarts and tartlets in our roundup of traditional and creative variations on this yummy treat.
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- Get a beautiful tart shape with this non-stick pan*
- A zester grater* for maximum lemon flavor for your tart
What is the difference between lemon curd and lemon pie filling?
Both are thickened differently, which means their textures and how those change over time also differ.
Lemon pie filling is usually thickened with flour or cornstarch and stays firm once cooked. Like a British guard, it stands in place even if you cut through it and have it exposed.
On the contrary, lemon curd gets thickened with egg yolks and always keeps at least some of its ooze factor. In other words, when you bite into something that has lemon curd, it’s going to be gooey and slowly run a little.
Should I refrigerate a lemon tart?
Because lemon tart filling usually has eggs as one of its ingredients, you don’t want to leave your tart out for more than one or two hours at room temperature for food safety reasons.
How long do lemon tarts last?
Refrigerating a lemon tart will extend its life for a few more days, but the crust may start to lose some of its crunch since it will slowly start to soak in the lemon curd or filling. Freezing it will usually buy you a few more months of time to eat it.
Can I freeze lemon tarts?
You can also pop your tarts into the freezer after they’ve been made if you have leftovers, but as with anything, be mindful that there is no guarantee the texture will stay 100% the same.
Some additional tips to ensure the best results:
- Wait until your tart is totally cool before prepping it for the freezer, otherwise the heat can cause condensation that will affect the texture even more.
- Consider slicing the tart up before freezing it; that way you can just take out as many pieces as you need.
- Wrap the tart tightly in plastic to minimize freezer burn.
- Clear out a level space for your tart to sit while it is freezing.
How to make a lemon tart
This lemon tart will bring you a sweet burst of lemon flavor to brighten your day. Keep it simple and classic, or add pops of color with any of the optional toppings listed below.
Ingredients
Crust:
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- ⅓ cup confectioner's sugar
- ½ cup ground or sliced almonds
- 1 teaspoon lemon zest
- ½ stick butter, chilled and cubed
Filling:
- 3 large eggs
- 1 ¼ cups sugar
- ¼ cup lemon juice
- 2 teaspoons lemon zest
- ¼ cup butter, melted
Optional toppings:
- Powdered sugar
- Fresh berries
- Berry-flavored sauce or jam
- Mint leaves
- Cream or whipped cream
- Lemon peels/slices
Equipment
- 9” tart pan with removable bottom*
- Mixing bowl
- Whisk
- Food processor*
- Microplane grater*
How to Make a Simple No-Bake Cheesecake Recipe – Step by Step
Step 1. Set eggs out for 30 minutes at room temperature.
Step 2. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Step 3. Make the filling by whisking together the eggs, sugar, lemon juice, and lemon zest until smooth.
Step 4. Whisk in butter until mixture is smooth, then set aside.
Step 5. Pulse crust ingredients together in a food processor until mixture forms a dough-like ball.
Step 6. Press dough into a tart pan, along the bottom and up the sides.
Step 7. Pour lemon filling into crust.
Step 8. Bake about 30 minutes, or until center is almost set.
Step 9. Cool and then add any of the optional toppings before serving.
Tips
- If you prefer, you can also use a premade shortbread crust from the grocery store and skip steps 5 and 6.
- For a slightly different flavor profile, try mixing in some orange zest rather than just using all lemon zest.
- When grating your lemon to get the zest, use a microplaner grater* and avoid getting too much of the white rind, which is bitter in taste.
More lemon tart recipes
French
For a classic "tarte au citron" tart with a short, cookie-like crust and lemon curd filling, try this recipe. (via Pretty Simple Sweet)
Easy [Vegan, Gluten-free, Paleo]
A simple no-bake dessert that fits all kinds of diets, including egg-free, dairy-free, and low carb, making for a healthy lemon tart recipe. (via Bakerita)Lemon Meringue
This delicious recipe has a graham cracker crumb crust and brown sugar meringue. Yum! (via Dinner at the Zoo)
With Shortbread Crust
This recipe features a buttery, salted shortbread crust and a honey lemon filling. (via Bon Appetit)
Mini
Use an easy cookie dough recipe to create the crust for these bite-size sugar cookie tartlets. (via Inquiring Chef)
Or, try these dainty versions, which have white chocolate. (via The Chunky Chef)
Meyer Lemon Tart [Keto]
Here’s a low-carb dessert with an almond flour crust, which gets its unique taste from some lavender leaves. (via Wicked Stuffed)
Strawberry [Gluten-free, Paleo, Vegan]
A fun-looking no-bake dessert and strawberry lemonade flavor. (via Bakerita)
Berry Bars
Customize these rectangular lemon tart bars with whatever combination of berries tickles your taste buds. (via Oh Sweet Basil)
Lemon Puff Pastry Tart
This fancy-looking lemon berry cheesecake tart has a lemon cheesecake that is topped with lemon curd, lemon zest, and fresh berries, like blueberries and raspberries that are then dusted with powdered sugar. (via I Wash You Dry)
With Condensed Milk
The milk makes for a very creamy and smooth dessert. (via Life, Love, and Sugar)
With Fruit
We love to load our lemon tarts with fresh fruits like this one. Try topping with fresh berries, kiwi, mandarin oranges, or all of these! (via Bakin’ Bit)
RECIPE CARD
Easy Lemon Tart Recipe
Looking for a tart but tasty treat? Check out our easy lemon tartlet recipe and learn how to make this zesty delight.
This lemon tart will bring you a sweet burst of lemon flavor to brighten your day. Keep it simple and classic, or add pops of color with any of the optional toppings listed below.
Ingredients
Filling
- 3 large eggs
- 1 ¼ cups sugar
- ¼ cup lemon juice
- 2 teaspoons lemon zest
- ¼ cup butter, melted
Crust
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- ⅓ cup confectioner's sugar
- ½ cup ground or sliced almonds
- 1 teaspoon lemon zest
- ½ stick butter, chilled and cubed
Optional toppings
- Powdered sugar
- Fresh berries
- Berry-flavored sauce or jam
- Mint leaves
- Cream or whipped cream
- Lemon peels/slices
Instructions
- Set eggs out for 30 minutes at room temperature.
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
- Make the filling by whisking together the eggs, sugar, lemon juice, and lemon zest until smooth.
- Whisk in butter until mixture is smooth, then set aside.
- Pulse crust ingredients together in a food processor until mixture forms a dough like ball.
- Press dough into a tart pan along the bottom and up the sides.
- Pour lemon filling into crust.
- Bake about 30 minutes, or until center is almost set.
- Cool & then add any of the optional toppings before serving.
Notes
If you prefer, you can also use a premade shortbread crust from the grocery store and skip steps 5 and 6.
For a slightly different flavor profile, try mixing in some orange zest rather than just using all lemon zest.
When grating your lemon to get the zest, use a microplaner grater and avoid getting too much of the white rind, which is bitter in taste.
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Nutrition Information
Yield 12 Serving Size 1 gramsAmount Per Serving Calories 239Total Fat 11gSaturated Fat 5.5gUnsaturated Fat 0gCholesterol 67mgSodium 73mgCarbohydrates 33.3gFiber 0.8gSugar 24.5gProtein 3.6g
Conclusion
These zesty baked custard lemon tart and tartlet recipes will be sure to add a zing to your step.
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