The Ultimate Lemon Tart Recipe (2024)

This Classic Lemon Tart Recipe features a silky smooth lemon curd flooded into a tender cookie-like tart crust. Our favorite lemon curd has a slight floral note to it thanks to honey, but feel free to make this with white sugar if you prefer. Easier to make than it looks, and always a joy to eat, the lemon tart is a classic for a reason!

Table of Contents

  • Ingredients
    • Lemons
    • Eggs
    • Honey
    • Butter
    • Cream
    • All-Purpose Flour
    • Confectioners’ Sugar (Powdered Sugar)
  • How to Make Lemon Tart
    • Step 1: Make the Tart Crust
    • Step 2: Bake the Tart Crust
    • Step 3: Make the Lemon Curd
    • Step 4: Bake the Tart
  • FAQs
  • Make Ahead Tips
  • Serving
  • Storage
  • More Tart Recipes to Try
  • Classic Lemon Tart Recipe

Ingredients

You only need a handful of simple ingredients to pull together one of the most stunning and delicious dessert recipes. Many of these ingredients overlap between the filling and the crust such as the butter, eggs, and cream.

Lemons

You’ll need 4–6 lemons, depending on size, to make the lemon curd for this tart. Zest the lemons using a microplane (< this is our favorite) before juicing them. You will need a ¼ cup measure of lemon zest and ½ cup lemon juice.

Eggs

This recipe requires a total of 10 eggs—though we only need the yolk from most of those (2 whole eggs and 7 yolks are used in the curd while 1 yolk is used in the crust). Save the egg whites to make an egg white omelette or frittata, or mix them into your morning eggs for a low-fat, protein-packed scramble.

Honey

We love the floral note that honey adds to our homemade lemon curd. You will need ½ cup. If you’d prefer to use sugar you can substitute the honey with ¾cup granulated sugar.

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Butter

For this tart you will need 12 tablespoon unsalted butter (1 ½ sticks or ¾ cup)

Cream

Unlike make other recipes, both our tart crust and our lemon curd feature a splash of cream for silkiness and decadence.

All-Purpose Flour

We’re keeping the tart crust simple and using all-purpose flour. But if you want to make a whole-wheat tart crust, go for it!

Confectioners’ Sugar (Powdered Sugar)

Confectioners’ sugar, also called powder sugar, is ideal for making tender tart crusts. First off, because it’s powdered it blends into the crust smoothly. And secondly, the cornstarch present in confectioners’ sugar makes for a very tender, melt-in-your-mouth texture.

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How to Make Lemon Tart

Step 1: Make the Tart Crust

The beauty of our Classic Tart Crust Recipe is that is uses a food processor to make the dough! Quick and easy and versatile—use it to make a Pear Tart and a Lemon Blueberry Tart.

  1. Pulse the dry ingredients together. Add the butter and pulse until a coarse meal is formed. Add the egg yolk and cream and pulse until a dough comes together.
  2. Form the dough into a disk, wrap tightly in plastic wrap and chill.

Step 2: Bake the Tart Crust

  1. Roll the dough out into a round then transfer it to a tart pan with a removable bottom (this one is our favorite).
  2. Loosely wrap the crust in plastic wrap and freeze until firm.
  3. Remove the plastic from the tart dough and line the dough with two layers of aluminum foil. Fill with pie weights or baking beans.
  4. Blind bake the crust until edges are golden and base is set, this will take about 30 minutes.
  5. Remove the pie weights and foil, then return the crust to the oven and continue baking until deeply golden brown, about 5 minutes.
  6. Let the crust cool completely.

Step 3: Make the Lemon Curd

While the tart crust cools on a wire rack, get started on making our favorite lemon curd recipe.

  1. Whisk the egg yolks, egg, honey, lemon zest, lemon juice, and salt together in a saucepan until smooth. Add the butter.
  2. Cook the lemon curd mixture over medium-low heat, whisking constantly, until mixture has reached 170-degrees and mixture has thickened, this should take 5 to 8 minutes.
  3. Remove the saucepan from heat and strain the curd through a fine mesh strainer.
  4. Stir in the cream.

Step 4: Bake the Tart

  1. Pour the curd into the tart shell, spreading with an offset spatula if needed.
  2. Bake just until the filling has a nice sheen and the center jiggles slightly when shaken, this will take about 10 minutes.
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FAQs

Why did my lemon tart crack?

The most common reason why your tart cracked is because the oven was too hot (375ºF is as hot as your oven should be) or the tart was overbaked. It’s best to pull your lemon tart from the oven when its center is still slightly jiggly when the pan is gently shaken.

Another reason your tart may have cracked is if it was still slightly warm when removed from the pan. This is why it’s so important to let the tart cool completely before removing from the pan.

I don’t seem to have enough filling for my tart, what happened?

We have heard from a few readers who experienced this and it comes down to the size of eggs you used. Although we love using farm fresh eggs, we recommend buying eggs labeled as Large from your grocery store. This will guarantee your eggs are the correct size and you will get the necessary volume of lemon curd for the tart.
If you are not sure what size eggs you have, you can measure the eggs. A raw egg, without the shell, should weigh 50 grams.

Can you freeze lemon tart?

We do not recommend freezing your lemon tart. As much as it may save time, the sacrifice in texture just isn’t worth it.

However, we’ve got some great make ahead tips below that will save major time—making this totally doable for a dinner party.

Are there raw eggs in lemon tart?

Lemon curd is made with both whole eggs and egg yolks. However, the curd mixture is cooked on the stove top to 170-degrees fahrenheit which is above the recommended food safety temperature of 160-degrees. So, lemon tarts are safe to eat!

Make Ahead Tips

  • Make the tart crust dough ahead of time: wrapped the dough tightly in plastic and refrigerate for up to 2 days or freeze for up to 1 month. If frozen, let the dough thaw overnight in the refrigerator before using.
  • Make the dough and line the tart pan ahead of time: make the dough, roll it out and line your tart pan as directed in the recipe. Wrap the dough-lined tart pan tightly in plastic and refrigerate for up to 2 days or freeze for up to 1 month.
  • Do not thaw the tart shell prior to baking; blind bake the frozen tart shell as directed in recipe.
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Serving

We like to keep the serving of this tart simple—a dusting of powdered sugar and some fresh berries do the trick. If can take it a step further with whipped cream, a berry compote or even a berry coulis.

Storage

For the best quality, enjoy this lemon tart on the same day as it is made. However, this lemon tarts lasts well for up to three days wrapped in plastic and stored in the refrigerator. Stored any longer and the crust will start to soften and the lemon curd will start to weep.

Because the tart filling is made with eggs, we do not recommend storing this at room temperature overnight.

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More Tart Recipes to Try

Tarts are one of our favorite desserts to make so we’ve got quite the archive of recipes for you to try!

  • Our Fresh Fruit Tart is unlike any fruit tart you’ve ever had before. Featuring a flavorful whole-wheat tart and a silky mascarpone filling, it’s truly a showstopper.
  • In the citrus mood? Our Lemon-Blueberry Tart has been a reader favorite for years!
  • When rhubarb season is in full swing, put the fresh ruby stalks to use in our stunning layered Lemon-Rhubarb Tart.
  • For something a little funkier and more adventurous, try our .
  • In the fall, give our Pumpkin Butter Pop Tarts a try. They’re a fun brunch treat!
  • If you’re looking for something a little easier, try our Upside Down Puff Pastry Tarts! We offer 7 different varieties including desserts and savory appetizers.

Classic Lemon Tart

Print Recipe Pin

4.77 from 17 votes

Prep Time 20 minutes mins

Cook Time 40 minutes mins

Chilling Time 3 hours hrs 30 minutes mins

Total Time 4 hours hrs 30 minutes mins

Yield 8 servings (one 9-inch tart)

Category Dessert

Cuisine French

Author Lauren

Description

A sweet-tart lemon curd filling floods a cookie-like crust to create a simple yet stunning dessert perfect for any occasion.

Ingredients

Tart Crust

  • 1 large egg yolk
  • 1 tablespoon heavy cream
  • 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
  • cups (6 ¼ ounces) all-purpose flour
  • ½ cup confectioners' sugar
  • ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
  • 8 tablespoons (½ cup or 1 stick) unsalted butter, cut into¼-inch pieces and chilled

Lemon Curd

  • ¼ cup lemon zest
  • ½ cup lemon juice (4 lemons)
  • 2 large eggs
  • 7 large egg yolks
  • ½ cup honey
  • Salt
  • 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into 4 pieces and chilled
  • 2 tablespoons heavy cream

Serving

  • Berries, optional
  • Confectioners' sugar, optional

Instructions

Tart Crust

  • Heat oven to 375ºF (190ºC) with rack set in middle position.

  • Whisk 1 egg yolk, 1 tablespoon cream, and 1 teaspoon vanilla together in bowl.

  • Process 1 ¼ cups flour, ½ cup sugar, and ¼ teaspoon salt in food processor until combined, about 5 seconds. Scatter 8 tablespoons chilled butter over top and pulse until mixture resembles coarse cornmeal, about 15 pulses.

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  • With processor running, add yolk mixture and process until dough just comes together, about 12 seconds.

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  • Form dough into 6-inch disk, wrap tightly in plastic wrap, and refrigerate 1 hour. (Dough can be wrapped tightly in plastic and refrigerate for up to 2 days or frozen for up to 1 month. If frozen, let dough thaw completely on counter before rolling.)

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  • Let chilled dough sit at room temperature for about 10 minutes, roll dough out to a 11-inch circle on lightly floured surface. Loosely roll dough around rolling pin and gently unroll into a 9-inch tart pan with removable bottom, letting excess dough hang over edge. Ease dough into pan by gently lifting edge of dough with your hand while pressing into corners and fluted sides of pan with your other hand (make sure edges are about 1/4-inch thick).

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  • Run rolling pin over top of pan to remove any excess dough.

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  • Wrap dough-lined pan loosely in plastic, place on a large plate, and freeze until dough is chilled and firm, about 30 minutes. (Dough-lined tart pan can be wrapped tightly in plastic and refrigerated for up to 2 days or frozen for up to 1 month.)

  • Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 375°F (190ºC). Set dough-lined tart pan on baking sheet, discard plastic and line with a double layer of aluminum foil, covering edges to prevent burning; fill with pie weights. Bake crust until golden brown and set, about 30–40 minutes, rotating pan halfway through baking.

  • Remove weights and foil and continue baking crust for an additional 5-10 minutes until deeply golden brown.

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  • Transfer tart crust to a wire rack and let cool completely.

Lemon Curd

  • Whisk ¼ lemon zest, ½ cup lemon juice, 2 eggs, 7 egg yolks, ½ cup honey, and pinch salt in medium saucepan until smooth.

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  • Add 4 tablespoons butter and cook over medium-low heat, stirring constantly with rubber spatula, until mixture thickens and registers 170ºF (76ºC) 6–8 minutes.

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  • Immediately pour mixture through a fine-mesh strainer into bowl.

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  • Add 2 tablespoons cream.

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  • Whisk until smooth.

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Bake

  • Pour warm lemon curd into cooled 9-inch tart crust. Set tart on baking sheet and bake until filling is shiny and opaque and center jiggles slightly when shaken, 10–15 minutes, rotating pan halfway through baking.

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  • Transfer tart with baking sheet to wire rack and let cool completely, about 2 hours.

  • To serve, remove outer metal ring of pan, slide a thin spatula between tart and tart pan bottom, and carefully slide tart onto serving platter.

  • Top with berries and dust with confectioners’ sugar, if using.

Notes

The curd recipe calls for large eggs, but depending on the size of your eggs the yield may differ. To ensure you have enough filling adjust as needed. (1 medium egg = 1.75 oz.; 1 large egg = 2 oz.; 1 extra-large egg = 2.25 oz.; 1 jumbo egg = 2.5 oz.)

DO NOT use the convection setting on your oven when baking tarts. This will cause the tart crust to burn.

Store tart in the refrigerator covered with plastic for up to 3 days.

Nutrition

Serving: 1sliceCalories: 388kcalCarbohydrates: 36gProtein: 7gFat: 25gSaturated Fat: 14gCholesterol: 304mgSodium: 183mgFiber: 1gSugar: 20g

Like this? Leave a comment below!I love hearing from you and I want to hear how it went with this recipe! Leave a comment and rating below, then share on social media @zestfulkitchen and #zestfulkitchen!

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Original Post Date Updated Post Date

About The Author

Lauren Grant is a professional culinary food scientist, food writer, recipe developer, and food photographer. Lauren is a previous magazine editor and test kitchen developer and has had work published in major national publications including Diabetic Living Magazine, Midwest Living Magazine, Cuisine at Home Magazine, EatingWell.com, AmericasTestKitchen.com, and more.

Learn More

The Ultimate Lemon Tart Recipe (2024)

FAQs

How do I stop my lemon tart from cracking? ›

Why does my lemon tart crack? The most common reasons why your tart has cracked is because the oven was too hot or the tart baked too long and overbaked. We recommend pulling your lemon tart from the oven when it's still a little jiggly in the middle when the pan is gently shaken. Love all things lemon?

Why is my lemon tart filling not thickening? ›

If your lemon curd hasn't thickened, it may not have been heated enough. It can take up to 30 minutes of constant stirring to cook lemon curd, especially if it's a large batch. Remember that curd will thicken more once cooled.

Why has my lemon tart curdled? ›

Why did my lemon tart curdle? If the lemon juice comes into direct contact with the eggs then the eggs will curdle. Be sure to whisk the eggs with the sugar first to minimize this effect. Another reason could be that the lemon curd was cooked on too high a heat, which can scramble the eggs.

What are the six tart baking tips? ›

Here are 6 of Kirsten's best quick tips in tart making:
  1. Don't over mix your pastry dough.
  2. Chill your dough before you start rolling it out.
  3. Make sure your pastry goes into the corners of your tart shell.
  4. Don't grease your shells.
  5. Chill again and refrigerate!
  6. Choose Silikomart.

How do you fix a crack in a tart? ›

She starts by mixing some flour and water in a bowl—just enough to make a small amount of paste, the consistency of spackle. She then uses a spatula or the back of a spoon to spread the paste across the line of damage in the crust. Next, she places the crust in the oven and bakes it just until the paste has dried.

How do you fix a cracked tart? ›

While pie is still hot fill with a paste made from 1 part butter 2 parts flour. Gently and carefully fill crack and smooth bake for 5-10 min until dry at 375F.

How to tell if lemon tart is done? ›

Bake until the tart is set but with a little wobble in the centre (about 30 minutes). 11. Remove from oven, cool for 5 minutes, then trim overhanging crust.

Why is my tart not setting? ›

If the filling is runny and flowing out of the tart when you cut into it, then it is likely that the curd was not cooked for quite long enough. You need to be patient when cooking citrus curds as if you heat the mixture too quickly then it can curdle and become lumpy. You need to keep a low heat and stir constatntly.

How to tell when a tart is done? ›

Once you've successfully got it in there, you can relax and let it bake for 20-30 minutes. You will know the tart is done when you can gently nudge the tin and the mix wobbles like set jelly.

Why does my lemon tart taste eggy? ›

Although lemon curd uses egg yolks and/or egg whites, the final product shouldn't taste eggy. If it does, it may mean that you've overcooked your eggs. In saying that, traditional lemon curd does have a distinct after taste which doesn't sit well with some.

What happens if you overwork tart dough? ›

Richard's solution: Tough pastry is very common, but easily avoidable. It usually occurs when you've been a bit heavy-handed with the water when you're initially bringing the pastry together (by adding water to the flour and butter), or if you have over-worked the dough and developed the gluten in the flour.

Why does my lemon curd taste weird? ›

A metallic aftertaste is usually the consequence of the lemon curd coming into contact with a metal (especially while it's hot). This could be a metal whisk, a metal bowl, a metal (or metal-coated) saucepan, or a metal sieve.

What is the golden rule of pastry? ›

Follow these easy tips the next time you're making pastry. The first golden rule of making pastry; keep the ingredients, the bowl and the hands as cool as possible.

Why do you dock tart dough before baking it? ›

With docking, the holes allow steam to escape, so the crust should stay flat against the baking dish when it isn't held down by pie weights or a filling. Otherwise the crust can puff up, not only impacting appearance but also leaving you with less space for whatever filling you have planned.

What oven setting for baking tarts? ›

Preheat the oven to 180°C. Line a 22cm tart tin with the pastry and cover with baking paper (I find it easier if I scrunch the paper up a bit first), then fill halfway up with cooking beads (or uncooked rice or dried beans). Place the tin on a flat baking tray and bake for 10-15 minutes on the bottom shelf.

Why are my tarts cracking? ›

Zestful Kitchen tells us "the most common reason why your tart cracked is because the oven was too hot." It's easy to be tempted by the lure of the myth that jacking up the oven temp will lead to a faster bake. But recipes have been painstakingly developed to help you achieve the best possible result.

Why does my tart crust crack after baking? ›

Your dough might be too dry or unevenly hydrated.

When dough doesn't have enough water, or if it's not properly hydrated (more on that below), it will feel and look dry and be prone to cracking.

How do you stop pastry from cracking? ›

Here then, in brief, are the 5 things you can do to help prevent your pie dough from cracking.
  1. Make sure you cut the fat in enough. ...
  2. Add the water all at once. ...
  3. Knead the dough once. ...
  4. Put the dough in a plastic freezer bag and roll it out to about 8 inches in diameter.
Nov 8, 2013

How do you keep a pie from cracking? ›

To avoid this, make sure to allow your pie to cool down completely before chilling. Pro tip: when your pie is done baking, shut the oven off and leave the pie inside with the oven door slightly ajar (you can prop it open with a wooden spoon). Let the pie slowly cool in the oven just like a meringue.

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