Lemon Tart
This Lemon Tart made in a buttery shortbread cookie crumb crust with a sweet and tart lemon filling is a stunning yet easy-to-make dessert!
A Deliciously Bright Treat
Lemon Tart is an absolutely beautiful dessert with its vibrant yellow color and edible decorations such as lemon slices, fresh berries, and flower petals! You could even go the extra mile and put on a few Candied Lemon Slices for an extra wow factor!
I love when a dessert is not only pleasing to the stomach but is also visually pleasing as well! And that’s exactly what you get with this easy-to-follow recipe that’s loaded with fresh lemon flavor.
Whip this Tart up in only 40 minutes using just 8 ingredients and you’re friends and family will be lining up to thank you!
This is the most delicious thing I’ve ever made. I have a wonderful always producing lemon tree and I will happily make this dessert again and again. Thank you!
– Katie Devine
Ingredients For Lemon Tart with a Shortbread Crust
You’ll love how short the ingredients list is for this Lemon Tart Recipe! All you need for the lemon curd filling is granulated sugar, freshly squeezed lemon juice, eggs, lemon zest, and salted butter.
As far as the tart crust recipe goes the ingredients list is even shorter! Just a package of Lorna Doone Shortbread Cookies and unsalted butter. Of course, if you wanted to skip making your own homemade shortbread crust you could also grab a store-bought premade tart shell!
Once you’re ready to serve top the Lemon tart with fresh berries, whipped cream, and edible flower petals!
How To Make Lemon Tart
- Preheat the oven and spray the tart pan with non-stick spray.
- Pulse the cookies in a food processor until fine crumbs form. Add in the melted butter and pulse again until the mixture starts to clump together.
- Press the crust into the prepared tart pan, really compact the bottom of the tart crust by using a flat bottom measuring cup to press down on it.
- Bake the crust until golden brown.
- Whisk together the sugar, lemon juice, eggs, egg yolks, lemon zest, and butter pieces in a medium saucepan over medium-low heat. Continue to cook whisking constantly until the lemon mixture thickens.
- Strain the lemon mixture through a fine-mesh sieve.
- Pour the lemon curd filling into the baked pie crust, smoothing it out with a spatula.
- Bake again to set the lemon filling.
- Cool completely to room temperature then chill in the refrigerator before slicing and serving!
- To Serve: pop the tart out of the tart pan and place it on your favorite serving plate, top with your choice of garnishes.
How To Store Lemon Tart
Keep any leftover Lemon Tart covered in the refrigerator. Enjoy within 5 to 6 days!
Make Lemon Curd Ahead Of Time
You can make the lemon curd up to 2 weeks ahead of time as long as you keep it in the refrigerator. You can also freeze it and use within 3 months.
Do I Have To Strain The Lemon Curd?
You certainly don’t have to! But doing so will give it a nice, smooth and glassy finish!
Where Can I Get A Tart Pan With A Removable Bottom?
I’d start by checking Bed Bath and Beyond, Walmart, and Target. If you have no luck finding one at any of those places you can always grab one off of Amazon! I have this pan!
Check out more great tasting lemon desserts that you’ll love just as much!
- Delicious Lemon Bars – Tart lemon custard tucked into a shortbread crust!
- Simple Lemon Cheesecake Crepes – Airy, mousse-like filling drizzled of lemon icing and zest!
- Easy Lemon Basil Shortbread Cookies – Rich, sweet cookies that are made with just 6 ingredients!
- Perfectly Dense Lemon Butter Cake – Loaded with butter, lemon, and sugar!
- Lemon Cupcakes with Strawberry Buttercream – A delicious blend of fruit and citrus!
Steps
Preheat the oven to 350°F and spray a 9-inch tart pan with non-stick spray and set aside.
Pulse all of the cookies in a food processor until fine crumbs form.
Add the melted butter to the food processor with the crumbs and pulse until the mixture begins to clump together.
Press the crust mixture into the prepared tart pan and tamp down with the flat bottom of a measuring cup or tamper to compact.
Bake the crust for 8 to 10 minutes until golden brown.
In a medium saucepan, whisk together the sugar, lemon juice, eggs, egg yolks, lemon zest, and butter pieces. Cook over medium low, whisking constantly, for 8 to 10 minutes until the mixture thickens and coats the back of a spoon. If it hassn't thicken, turn the heat up just a bit, but keep it at medium heat or below.
Strain the lemon mixture through a fine mesh sieve to remove any zest, stray seeds, or lumps.
Pour the filling into the baked crust and use an offset spatula to spread it smooth.
Bake for an additional 5 minutes to help set the lemon filling.
Cool completely at room temperature, then chill in the refrigerator for 2 to 3 hours before slicing and serving.
Pop the tart out of the tart pan and place on a large serving plate.
Top with lemon slices, fresh berries, edible flower petals, etc.
Notes
- This recipe was updated in May 2022 after retesting the crust to adjust the butter amount after reader feedback.
- Store covered in the refrigerator for 5 to 6 days.
- A lemon tart filling is typically the same thing as lemon curd. Lemon curd can be made in a number of different ways, but we do it the simplest way by adding all the ingredients at once to a saucepan and then heating slowly while whisking constantly to ensure the eggs don’t scramble.
- Keep the curd cooking over low -medium heat. If it becomes too hot or boils too hard, it may curdle. If you have been whisking for more than 10 minutes and the curd is still not thickening, turn the heat up just a bit. You should not need to turn the heat above medium.
- I typically don’t strain my lemon curd, but it is nice to do so for this recipe in order to get a nice smooth, glossy tart. It is not necessary, though.
- The shortbread crust is easy and delicious. One full package of Lorna Doone shortbread cookies was the perfect amount for a nice thick crust. You want a crust that is going to be thick enough to hold together when you pop it out of the tart pan.
- Using a tart pan with a removable bottom is the easiest way to ensure success in removing your tart. If your pan does not have a removable bottom, the tart still popped out - just work cautiously and ensure your tart is thoroughly chilled before removing. If you want to reduce or omit the butter in the crust, it will probably not hold together. In this case, you can serve the tart directly from the pan.
- A 9.5 or 10-inch tart pan may also be used for this recipe.
- The lemon curd can be made up to two weeks in advance if kept in the refrigerator or 3 months in advance if kept in the freezer.
- I used Lisbon lemons for this recipe. Meyer lemons are a bit sweeter - if you use Meyer lemons to make your curd, you can reduce the sugar a bit. Eureka lemons are closer to Lisbon in tartness.
- Bringing all of your lemon curd ingredients to room temperature before cooking will help them to combine smoothly and cook properly.
- If you are going to decorate the lemon tart, do so right before serving. Be sure to pat dry any moisture from fruit and make sure that any flower blossoms are edible and clean.
Nutrition
- Calories340
- Carbs28g
- Protein2g
- Fat25g
- Saturated fat15g
- Fiber1g
- Sugar27g
- Sodium99mg
Estimates per serving, when a serving size is listed.
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