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side view of a French Lemon Tart topped with whipped cream and berries

French Lemon Tart - Tarte Au Citron

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! 

Course Breakfast, brunch, Dessert
Cuisine French
Keyword easy lemon tart recipe, French Lemon Tart
Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Total Time 40 minutes
Servings 12 servings
Calories 400 kcal
Author Kiki Johnson

Ingredients

For the vegan shortcrust pastry

  • 2 cups flour 260 g
  • 1 cup powdered sugar or powdered no-calories sweetener 110 g
  • 3/4 cups melted coconut oil
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 1/2 tsp vanilla

Lemon Curd Filling

  • 2 large eggs plus 2 egg yolks or 3 whole eggs
  • 3/4 cup granulated sugar or monk fruit sweetener 150 g/5.3 oz
  • 1 tablespoon lemon zest
  • 1/2 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice 120 ml - 2-3 lemons for both zest and juice
  • 1-2 tablespoons heavy cream optional
  • 1/2 cup unsalted butter + 1 tbsps 125 g cut into small pieces

Instructions

Pastry

  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Lightly grease a tart pan with a removable bottom and set aside.
  2. In a large bowl, stir together the AP flour, melted cooled coconut oil, and powdered sugar until well combined. The dough will be stickier than your regular shortcrust pastry but fairly easy to transfer. Roll out and transfer to the greased tart pan and press evenly into the sides and the bottom of the tart pan.
  3. Place the tart on a baking sheet and freeze for 5 minutes, while the oven heats up! Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, until the crust is starting to have a gorgeous golden brown look. Remove from the oven and let cool.

Filling:

  1. To make the lemon curd: Start by zesting the lemons (about 2 whole lemons) directly into the sugar and rub the zest into the sugar. 

     In a medium heatproof metal bowl, place eggs, lemon sugar, lemon juice, a pinch of salt and heavy cream and whisk to combine. Place the bowl over a saucepan of simmering water (bain-marie).

  2. Cook on moderate heat, whisking constantly until the mixture becomes nice and thick. This can take a good 15 minutes. As a shortcut, you can skip the water bath and make it on the stovetop but be careful to not heat it too quickly.

  3. If you have a thermometer, the lemon curd should register 170°F/75°C when it's ready - it should coat the back of a wooden spoon and leave a clear pass if you run your finger through it. The curd will thicken more once cooled.
  4. Remove the curd from the heat and immediately strain the mixture through a sieve to remove the zest. Add the butter, a few cubes at a time, and whisk until completely melted and incorporated.
  5. Take your time with it - you want to whisk a couple of minutes to have the smoothest filling. Allow to cool to room temperature before filling the tart shell.
  6. Fill the tart shell with the lemon curd, then refrigerate for at least 4 hours until chilled. Top with whipped cream and fresh berries

Recipe Notes

  • I use Swerve powdered Sweetener in the crust for a sugar-free version
  • We use lemon zest in this recipe! Make sure you remove pesticides from your lemons – I also do this with organic lemons. All you have to do is fill a large bowl with 4 parts water to 1 part plain white vinegar. Soak your lemons in the mixture for 20 minutes. Rinse with water.
  • This recipe makes a regular 11-inch tart pan, but you could use mini tart shells as well.
  • I made this French lemon tart recipe with orange juice, and lime juice and zest and with grapefruit and both worked out really well. Don't overdo it with the lime zest though - it is more bitter than lemon so I recommend a mix of lime and lemon.
  • If you want a really bright yellow color, you could possibly add just a couple drops of food coloring to the lemon filling!
  • Lemon curd can be kept in an airtight container in the fridge for up to a week, or can be frozen for up to 2 months. To thaw, place overnight in the fridge. Whisk the mixture to smoothen it before using.