This Lemon Tart is a gorgeous dessert that will impress whoever you’re serving it to! The fresh, vibrant, sweet-tart flavor of lemons shines against a simple buttery shortbread crust.
This recipe for a Lemon Tart is the only one you’ll ever need! A crispy homemade shortbread crust holds the most amazing, creamy, tangy, and refreshing lemon curd.
I’ve tested and perfected this recipe so that it has the perfect balance of sweet and tart flavors, and I know that you’ll agree.
If you like this lemony dessert recipe, be sure to try my easy Lemon Meringue Pie, Lemon Curd Cookies, and reader-favorite Lemon Muffins next!
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
It’s fancy but simple. The flavors and method for making this tart are similar to making an old-fashioned lemon meringue pie or lemon bars, but the presentation makes it a better choice for a dinner party or any time you want to thoroughly impress someone with your baking abilities.
If you really want to be fancy, call this lemon dessert by its French name: Tarte au Citron.
The freshly made lemon curd is perfectly sweet while still letting the tart lemon flavor shine through. You’re going to love this recipe!
As always, I’m sharing all of the details and step-by-step instructions so that you can easily make this amazing lemon tart at home. Follow along with the photos and be sure to read through my tips as well.
Key Ingredients
- Shortbread Crust: Flour, powdered sugar, salt, and melted butter come together to make a flaky, flavorful tart crust.
- Eggs: The filling for our lemon card uses 3 whole eggs plus 5 extra egg yolks to create a thick, firm custard. Save the egg whites for making macarons!
- Lemons: You’ll get the most intense lemon flavor from fresh lemons. Please do not try to make this dessert with bottled lemon juice – it won’t be nearly as tasty.
- Cornstarch: I don’t typically add cornstarch to lemon curd, but for this recipe, it’s necessary to make a tart filling that will solidify enough to cut clean slices.
Complete list of ingredients and amounts can be found in the recipe card below.
How To Make A Lemon Tart
To Make the Crust:
- Make the Tart Crust Dough: Start by preheating the oven to 350°F (180°C). In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, sugar, and salt. Add melted butter and mix until well combined into a dough.
- Form the Crust: Add ⅔ of the dough to a 9-inch (23 cm) tart pan with a removable bottom. Use your hands and the flat bottom of a measuring cup to evenly press the mixture into the bottom of the pan. Press the remaining dough into the sides of the pan, connecting to the bottom to create an even layer all around the pan.
- Pre-Bake The Crust: Line the crust dough with parchment paper, then add pie weights or dried beans. Bake for 15 minutes. Remove the paper and weights, and continue to bake for 10 more minutes. Remove and allow the crust to cool while you make the lemon curd for the tart.
To Make the Lemon Curd
- Whisk the Eggs: In a medium mixing bowl, whisk the whole eggs and the egg yolks together, and set aside.
- Cook the Lemon Mixture: In a small saucepan, whisk together sugar, cornstarch, salt, and lemon zest. Add the lemon juice and butter and cook on medium heat, stirring often, until the mixture just starts to bubble.
- Temper the Eggs: Slowly pour the hot lemon mixture into the eggs, whisking constantly. Transfer the lemon curd to a new saucepan, and cook over medium heat, whisking constantly, until the curd starts to thicken and will coat the back of a spoon.
- Strain and Finish: Strain the curd through a fine mesh sieve into a bowl to remove the zest and any bits of egg that may have cooked. Stir in the cream, and pour the finished lemon curd into the still-warm crust.
- Bake the Tart: Place the filled tart into the oven for just 10 minutes to set the filling. Allow the tart to cool fully at room temperature for 1-2 hours.
- Serve: This tart can be served at room temperature, or carefully covered with plastic wrap and chilled. Before serving, carefully remove the tart from the outer ring of the pan, and decorate it with fresh berries, whipped cream, or powdered sugar if desired.
Tip!
Have fun decorating your lemon tart! Fresh berries in a crescent shape look beautiful against the yellow lemon filling. You could also add mint leaves or lemon slices, mini meringues, or simply serve your tart with a dusting of powdered sugar or a dollop of fresh whipped cream.
Recipe Tips
- Pre-Bake the Crust: Not all lemon tart recipes call for this step, but I found that it gave me the very best results. Pre-baking ensures that the crust is fully cooked on the bottom and will stay crisp rather than getting soggy.
- And Don’t Skip the Pie Weights: If you don’t have a traditional set of pie weights, use some dried beans! Once you’ve used them as pie weights, they probably won’t be good for cooking, but you can save those as your “pie weight beans” for the future.
- Avoid Scrambled Eggs: Making lemon curd is just like making any custard. You’ll need to add the heated mixture to the eggs very slowly and whisk constantly to avoid cooking the eggs in the process.
Storing Tips
You can store your lemon tart in the refrigerator, covered with plastic wrap. It will stay fresh for up to three days this way.
It’s best to wait to add any garnishes such as berries or whipped cream just before serving so that they are fresh and delicious.
Recipe FAQs
Can Lemon Tart be Frozen?
Technically you can freeze this dessert, but I don’t recommend it. The texture of the lemon curd can change during the freezing and thawing process.
What Occasion is Lemon Tart Best For?
You can serve this dessert any time of the year, but I think that the bright lemon flavor is best in the spring and summer months. Make a lemon tart for Mother’s Day, Fourth of July, or Easter.
Can I adjust the Sweetness of this Tart?
Yes! I tested this recipe with three different ratios of lemon juice to butter in the curd and settled (happily!) on what you see in the recipe. If you’d like a less lemony tart, reduce the lemon juice to ½ cup. For a more intense lemon flavor, reduce the butter to 8 Tablespoons.
This classic French Lemon Tart with a buttery shortbread crust is stunning to look at and delicious! It’s the perfect dessert for whatever fun event you have planned next. Pin this recipe so more people can see it!
Did you make this? Be sure to leave a review below and tag me on Facebook, Instagram, or Pinterest!
Lemon Tart
Equipment
- Measuring cups and spoons
- 9 inch tart pan
Ingredients
Shortbread crust
- 1 ½ cups (180 g) all-purpose flour
- ½ cup (100 g) powdered sugar
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 10 tablespoons (140 g) unsalted butter melted
Lemon Curd
- 5 large egg yolks at room temperature
- 3 large eggs at room temperature
- 1 cup (200 g) granulated sugar
- 2 teaspoons cornstarch cornflour in the UK
- ⅛ teaspoon salt
- 2 tablespoons grated lemon zest
- ½ cup+ 2 tablespoons (150 ml) lemon juice freshly squeezed (about 4-5 lemons, depending on the size)
- 10 tablespoons (140 g) unsalted butter
- 3 tablespoons (45 ml) heavy whipping cream
- Fresh berries, whipped cream, or powdered sugar optional, to garnish
Instructions
Shortbread crust
- Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C), or 160°C fan oven.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, sugar and salt. Add melted butter and using a spatula, mix until combined.
- Add ⅔ of the flour mixture to a 9-inch (23 cm) tart pan with a removable bottom. Using your hands and the flat bottom of a measuring cup, press the mixture evenly into the bottom of the pan and just starting up the sides. Press the remainder of the mixture into the fluted sides, connecting to the bottom crust. Use your hands to make sure the crust is evenly spread in the edges of the pan, even on top, and with the aid of the measuring cup, even on the bottom. The measuring cup can be used to ensure the joint of the sides and bottom are straight against the pan.
- Line the crust dough with parchment paper or aluminum foil and fill with pie weights, dried beans or rice work well. Bake the crust for 15 minutes, remove the paper and weights, and continue to bake for an additional 10 minutes. Carefully remove from the oven and set on a cooling rack.
Lemon Curd
- In a medium bowl, whisk eggs and egg yolks together and set aside.
- In a small saucepan, whisk together sugar, cornstarch, salt, and lemon zest. Add lemon juice and butter and cook on medium heat, stirring often until the mixture just starts to bubble.
- Remove the pan from heat and slowly pour the lemon mixture into the eggs, whisking constantly. Transfer curd to a new small or medium saucepan, whisking constantly over medium-low heat until the curd starts to thicken and coat the back of a spoon, this takes several minutes.
- Place a fine-meshed sieve over a medium-sized bowl and strain the curd into the bowl. Stir in the cream and pour the curd into the warm crust.
- Bake the filled tart in the 350°C/280°C oven for 10 minutes to set the tart. Take it out of the oven and place on a cooling rack to cool to room temperature, for about 1-2 hours.
- Serve at room temperature or carefully cover with plastic wrap, refrigerate for 3-4 hours or overnight, and serve chilled. Once cooled, before serving, remove the outer ring from the pan and using a thin metal spatula, slide it between the bottom crust and the tart pan bottom and carefully transfer it to the serving plate.
- The lemon tart can be served plain, sprinkled with powdered sugar, garnished with fruit, or with whipped cream and fruit.
Notes:
- Pre-Bake the Crust: Not all lemon tart recipes call for this step, but I found that it gave me the very best results. Pre-baking ensures that the crust is fully cooked on the bottom and will stay crisp rather than getting soggy.
- And Don’t Skip the Pie Weights: If you don’t have a traditional set of pie weights, use some dried beans!
- Avoid Scrambled Eggs: Making lemon curd is just like making any custard. You’ll need to add the heated mixture to the eggs very slowly and whisk constantly to avoid cooking the eggs in the process.
- Have fun decorating your lemon tart! Fresh berries in a crescent shape look beautiful against the yellow lemon filling. You could also add mint leaves or lemon slices, mini meringues, or simply serve your tart with a dusting of powdered sugar or a dollop of fresh whipped cream.
- Storage: You can store your lemon tart in the refrigerator, covered with plastic wrap. It will stay fresh for up to three days this way. It’s best to wait to add any garnishes such as berries or whipped cream just before serving so that they are fresh and delicious.
Nutrition Information
This website provides approximate nutrition information for convenience and as a courtesy only. Nutrition data is gathered primarily from the USDA Food Composition Database, whenever available, or otherwise other online calculators.
© Little Sunny Kitchen
H. Shah says
Great recipe. I’ve tried it with Splenda and about half as much butter. It turned out perfectly, the crust and the curd still tasted great. The garnishing with berries really makes it look good for all occasions.
Little Sunny Kitchen says
Thank you for sharing your tips on making it with less sugar! I’m so glad you enjoyed the recipe.