{"id":17037,"date":"2020-04-05T09:07:37","date_gmt":"2020-04-05T15:07:37","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/cinnamonandcoriander.com\/easy-french-lemon-tart-recipe-tarte-au-citron-refined-sugar-free\/"},"modified":"2026-01-19T12:57:35","modified_gmt":"2026-01-19T18:57:35","slug":"easy-french-lemon-tart-recipe-tarte-au-citron-refined-sugar-free","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/cinnamonandcoriander.com\/en\/easy-french-lemon-tart-recipe-tarte-au-citron-refined-sugar-free\/","title":{"rendered":"Easy French Lemon Tart Recipe – Tarte au Citron (Refined Sugar-free)"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

The best lemon tart recipe ever also happens to be super easy! Learn how to make classic French Tarte au Citron that tastes like it came from a French patisserie! <\/em><\/p>\n\n\n

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Looking for the best Lemon Tart recipe? Try my easy version of a Classic French Tarte au Citron! <\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Who doesn’t want to be that person that ends a dinner party with a homemade lemon tart and wows everyone? Such a classy way to end a meal and about the safest choice ever. A slice of French lemon tart brightens up any season, lifts the grumpiest moods, impresses even the pickiest eaters. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Some lemon tarts are on the sweet side while others are rather tart and sour. I like mine somewhere in the middle. Rich, not too sweet but not too sour either, with a nice silky, creamy finish. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

This lemon tart filling uses a small amount of cream to counterbalance the acidity and it is so sunny, rich and luscious that you will want to lick the bowl. The lemon flavor comes from a mix of the juice and the fragrant zest of lemons. Once cooked, the warm filling needs to be passed through a strainer immediately to make it as smooth as possible. In goes that delicious butter. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Save time by making Coconut Oil Tart Shell instead of Shortcrust Pastry! <\/h2>\n\n\n\n

What makes this tart recipe so stupid easy is the pastry. Major time saving here. I forego making a classic butter shortcrust pastry (pate au sucre) and go with my homemade coconut oil crust instead. It is SO easy to make, no chilling needed, zero shrinking and it hasn\u2019t failed me yet. It\u2019s delicious, sturdy, and I find the subtle coconut taste goes particularly well with the tangy lemon topping. For a tart shell without any coconut flavor, use refined coconut oil. <\/p>\n\n\n

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Serving suggestions and toppings for French Lemon Tart: <\/h2>\n\n\n\n

The lemon curd filling does not go all the way to the top of the tart, which is perfect if you plan on topping it with whipped cream. If you want the filling to go all the way up, multiply filling by 1,5. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

If not, I recommend whipping cream or coconut whipped cream. <\/a> One could just pipe the whipped cream on it or pile it into the middle, as I did. Another great way to serve this is with meringue. Got a blowtorch? Why not wow your guests with a bruleed topping? <\/a><\/p>\n\n\n

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The secret to the best lemon curd tart filling? <\/h2>\n\n\n\n

As I like to keep things on the healthy side, I use monk fruit sweetener instead of sugar but regular sugar is obviously the classic French way to make this. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Now, a word on the butter. I usually don\u2019t like too much butter in my lemon curd<\/a>, but here I add quite a bit. I find it helps to tone down the acidity without muting the lemon flavor. You could lower the amount and stir some 10 % thick Greek Vanilla yogurt into the room temperature curd, then fill the tart shell. Or, be more French than the French and add up to 50 g (3 tbsps) more. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Make sure to whisk the filling for quite some time when adding the butter to it. These couple of minutes of whisking will make it light and airy. You can whisk the lemon curd by hand, using a whisk, or use an immersion blender. Add the butter to the lemon mixture and blend, adding a few cubes of butter at a time, until completely smooth.<\/p>\n\n\n

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Can I make this French Lemon Tart ahead of time? <\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Yes, and you should make it a good 6 to 8 hours before you are planning on serving it! The lemon curd tart needs to chill for several hours before serving or the filling will be too runny. After enough chilling time, the lemon curd will firm up and will cut into sliced beautifully.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I find that this tart au citron holds up pretty well and the coconut crust will not get too soggy once stored in the fridge. So go ahead and make it ahead of time. Whip the cream just before serving though. Freshly whipped cream looks prettier.<\/p>\n\n\n

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Pastry Chef Tips for making French Lemon Tart:<\/h2>\n\n\n\n