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Stunning Lemon Tart

4 from 1 vote
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This Stunning Lemon Tart is sure to take your breath away! It’s a vibrant yellow zesty lemon dessert that’s just as sweet as it is tangy. Excite your tastebuds with this homemade tart today!

A lemon tart is garnished with lemon slices, white flowers, and blueberries.

Desserts that are stunning and delicious? Swoon! I hate when prettier desserts aren’t the tastiest – I always feel cheated.

However, this lemon tart is a book you can most certainly judge by it’s cover, as it’s just as scrumptious as it is beautiful. I love making this tart for friends and family, mostly because I love the two reactions I get when serving it!

The first reaction is always a big smile and a compliment on how picturesque the tart is, and the second reaction is usually them not being able to believe how perfect is tastes too!

This lemon tart is creamy, lemony, sweet, and all presented atop a buttery shortbread cookie crust. You can garnish is any way you’d like, or not at all. However, I love adding garnishes to my tarts, as they always look even more perfect.

August is just around the corner, which means in no time, we’ll all be back to making caramel apple and pumpkin recipes. While I’m excited for that season, I’m still clinging to the last weeks of summer with recipes like this one!

Everything about this homemade lemon tart is bright and sunny, making it perfect for spring and summertime. It’s perfect for your end of summer bash!

Lemons, flowers, and blueberries are placed on top of a vibrant yellow lemon tart.

Ingredients to make this stunning lemon tart

For the crust, all you need is:

  • Shortbread cookies – I use Lorna Doone cookies and always have amazing results.
  • Butter – Use melted unsalted butter!

The creamy yellow tart itself calls for:

  • Sugar – White granulated sugar is what you’ll need.
  • Lemon juice – It’s very, very important that you use freshly squeezed lemon juice! None of that bottled stuff with all the preservatives and artificial flavors.
  • Eggs – They need to be room temperature.
  • Egg yolks – These will also need to be room temperature.
  • Lemon zest – This will enhance the natural lemon flavor like you wouldn’t believe!
  • Butter – Unlike the butter in the crust, this butter should be salted and cut into pieces.
A slice of lemon tart is presented on a white plate.

What is a lemon tart filled with?

A lemon tart filling is typically the same thing as a 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.

How do I make sure the eggs don’t scramble and curdle?

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.

What kind of lemons should I use?

I prefer to use 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.

A garnished lemon tart has been sliced into.

How long will this stunning lemon tart stay fresh?

In an airtight container in the refrigerator, this summery treat will stay fresh for about 2 days.

With that being said, 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.

Also, don’t store any garnishes with the tart, as they don’t keep well with the consistency of the tart.

A slice of lemon tart is presented on a white plate and is garnished with blueberries and a single white flower.

Hello, sunshine! Here are just a few of my other favorite summery desserts.

Stone Fruit and Blackberry Galette

Triple Berry Cheesecake Bars

Blueberry Dump Cake

Strawberry Pretzel Salad

Strawberry Lemon Blondies

Stunning Lemon Tart

Absolutely gorgeous lemon tart. An easy shortbread cookie crust and a lush lemon filling make a simple, yet stunning dessert. The sweet, but tart filling meets buttery cookie crumb crust.
4 from 1 vote
Prep Time: 25 minutes
Cook Time: 25 minutes
Chill time: 2 hours
Total Time: 2 hours 50 minutes
Servings: 8 slices
Author: Julie Chiou
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Ingredients 

Crust Ingredients:

  • 10 ounce (284 g) Lorna Doone shortbread cookies
  • ¾ cup (170 g) unsalted butter, melted

Filling Ingredients:

  • 1 ⅓ cup (267 g) granulated sugar
  • ½ cup (118 ml) freshly squeezed lemon juice
  • 2 large eggs, room temperature
  • 3 large egg yolks, room temperature
  • 1 tablespoon lemon zest, grated finely
  • ½ cup (114 g) salted butter, cut into pieces

Instructions 

  • Preheat oven to 350 °F (177 °C). Spray a 10” tart pan with non-stick baking spray and set aside.
  • In the bowl of a food processor, pulse all cookies until finely crumbled.
  • Add the melted butter to the cookie crumbles and pulse until the cookie crumbs begins to clump together.
  • Press crumbs into a tart pan and tamp down with the flat bottom of a measuring cup or tamper to compact.
  • Bake crust for 8-10 minutes until golden brown.
  • In a medium saucepan, whisk together sugar, lemon juice, eggs, egg yolks, lemon zest, and butter pieces.
  • Heat over medium low, whisking constantly.
  • After cooking and whisking for 8-10 minutes, the mixture should begin to thicken. If it does not thicken, turn the heat up just a bit, but keep it at medium heat or below.
  • Pour the lemon filling through a sieve to remove any zest, stray seeds, or lumps.
  • Pour 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 and then chill in the refrigerator for 2-3 hours before 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.

Recipe Notes

A lemon tart filling is typically the same thing as a 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. My tart pan does not have a removable bottom, but the tart still popped out – just work cautiously and ensure your tart is 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.
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 FACTS

Serving: 1 slice | Calories: 602 kcal | Carbohydrates: 58 g | Protein: 5 g | Fat: 40 g | Saturated Fat: 21 g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 3 g | Monounsaturated Fat: 13 g | Trans Fat: 1 g | Cholesterol: 198 mg | Sodium: 309 mg | Potassium: 84 mg | Fiber: 1 g | Sugar: 39 g

This website provides approximate nutrition information for convenience and as a courtesy only. Nutrition information can vary for a variety of reasons. For the most precise nutritional data use your preferred nutrition calculator based on the actual ingredients you used in the recipe.

The default measuring system for this website is US Customary. Unit conversions are provided for convenience and as a courtesy only. While we strive to provide accurate unit conversions, please be aware that there may be some discrepancies.

Recipe Rating




Lisa

Wednesday 5th of July 2023

3/4 cup of butter was WAY too much butter for the cookie crust. It absolutely soaked the cookies and made a mushy mess. I would recommended starting with 3-4 tablespoons of melted butter and added 1 tbsp at a time after that to get the right consistency.