Next Post
This post may contain affiliate links, please see our privacy policy for details.
This No Fuss Lemon Tart is that go-to dessert…super easy, yet delicious and pretty too. The filling is made with four base ingredients, heavy cream, honey, lemon, and vanilla extract. The crust is a mix of sweet graham crackers, salty pretzels, and just a touch of butter. When combined with the creamy lemon filling it makes for a mouthwatering tart that’s sweet, luscious, super creamy, and a touch salty. Top with an assortment of fresh berries for a tart that’s perfect for both spring and summer.
Happy Friday! What a fun week it’s been here in LA. I have to say, I’m so excited about everything we have been working on. I’m also pretty glad I escaped all the snow in Colorado this week and swapped it for the California sunshine. It’s been a bit cooler than I might like, but I really shouldn’t complain! We’ve been running around the city all week filming some fun new videos. It’s been such a great change of scenery for me!
With Friday here I am beyond happy to be sharing this no fuss lemon tart. It’s a recipe I’ve been really excited to share since the day I made it, and for a few reasons.
First and foremost, this tart is delicious. It’s lightly sweetened, tangy, creamy and finished with sweet berries. The crust has a little (pretzel) twist and is lightly salted, providing a nice balance to the tang and sweetness.
Second, not only is this tart beyond simple to make (just 4 base ingredients in the filling), but it’s almost no bake. I say almost because the crust does need to bake, but trust me, the toasty flavor is so worth it!
And finally, this tart is so pretty, which some of you may not be that concerned with. But you all know me, I love anything that tastes just as pretty as it looks.
Traditionally lemon tarts are made with a ton of eggs, cream, and butter, but this tart is very different. It uses only cream, zero eggs, and is pretty low in the sugar content…no actual sugar, just honey.
Let me back up a bit though, and tell you about the crust. Most tarts call for an all graham cracker crust, but I wanted to do something different and add a little saltiness to the already sweet graham crackers. Instead of using all graham crackers I went for a mix of graham crackers and pretzels. It’s not what you might typically put together, but trust me when I say, this crust is a game changer. It’s sweet and just a touch salty too. The best combo.
While the crust is baking, work on the filling. It’s the simplest thing and you’re going to be shocked when I tell you the ingredients. All you need is heavy cream, honey, lemon, and vanilla. Yep, just four very simple ingredients, zero eggs, and almost zero effort.
All you need to do is bring the cream to a boil, boil 5 minutes, remove from the stove, add the lemon and vanilla…and that’s it! Be sure to use a large pot, bigger than you think you will need. Heavy cream really likes to boil over, so use the largest pot you have to be safe.
When testing this recipe I was concerned that the cream was not going to set up. But shockingly it set up within the first 30 minutes of chilling. Boiling the cream thickens it, and allows for it to set up just like it would if using eggs.
My favorite part though? I find this to be creamier than the usual lemon tart which is so much fancier and use eggs. It’s crazy to me, but I promise, this is one of the best lemon tarts. And the major bonus is that it’s so simple!!
If you happen to be someone who prefers dairy free, I tested this with both heavy cream and coconut cream (no water, just the cream). Both worked really well! If you are using coconut cream, make sure it is high quality and boil the coconut cream for a total of 10 minutes. Personally, I love the flavor of the coconut. But it does change the tart slightly, giving a little more of a tropical flavor. So use what you love most here!
Finally, finish the tart off with a handful of your favorite fresh berries. You’ll have the prettiest dessert that takes almost no effort at all. In the words of Ina Garten, “This looks fantastic. How easy was that?”.
PS. If you’re in need of more than one tart this Memorial Day weekend, try this no bake fruit tart filled with strawberries. It will be a nice compliment to this lemon tart.
If you make this no fuss lemon tart, be sure to leave a comment and/or give this recipe a rating! Above all, I love to hear from you guys and always do my best to respond to each and every comment. And of course, if you do make this recipe, don’t forget to tag me on Instagram! Looking through the photos of recipes you all have made is my favorite!
Watch the How To Video:
No Fuss Lemon Tart.
Servings: 8
Calories Per Serving: 1847 kcal
Nutritional information is only an estimate. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.
Watch the How-To Reel
Ingredients
- 8 full size graham cracker sheets (about 1 cup once crushed into crumbs)
- 1 cup salted pretzel twists
- 6 tablespoons salted butter, melted
- 2 tablespoons + 1/3 cup honey
- 3 1/2 cups heavy cream
- 2 tablespoons lemon zest + 1/3 cup lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 cups mixed fresh berries
Instructions
- 1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. 2. To make the crust. In a food processor, pulse the graham crackers and pretzels into semi-fine crumbs. Add the butter and 2 tablespoons honey and pulse until the mixture holds together when pinched and starts to look like dough. Press the dough into an 8 or 9 inch tart pan with a removable bottom to form a flat, even crust. Transfer to the oven and bake until toasted, about 8 minutes. 3. Meanwhile, combine the heavy cream, remaining 1/3 cup honey, and lemon zest in a large pot, bigger than you think you'll need. Set over high heat and bring to a boil. Once boiling, boil 5 minutes and then remove from the heat and whisk in the lemon juice, vanilla, and a pinch of salt. Let cool 10 minutes. 4. Carefully pour the lemon cream into the baked crust. Cover and chill 1 hour or until set. Before serving, remove the tart from the pan and top with fresh berries.
This post was originally published on May 24, 2019
Just made the filling again today. We don’t bother with the crust (half the time I can’t find GF Graham crackers and I didn’t get them thin enough to be crispy when I made them.) But I put the filling straight into ramekins, and we put fresh berries on top and just love it – did 1/2 lemon zest & 1/2 grapefruit zest this time. So lovely in warm weather.
Yes!! I am so glad this recipe turned out so well for you, Kate! Thank you! xTieghan
I just tried this recipe and WOW! So simple and the perfect summer treat. I love that I was able to whip this up during naptime and that the tart isn’t too sweet. I didn’t have a tart pan but my 10” spring form did the trick. 🙂
Thank you so much Katie! I am really happy to hear that! xTieghan
I can’t believe this recipe works – but it does! Easy and sooo good. Made it for neighbors last night and it got rave reviews! It’s a keeper!
I am so glad you tried this and loved it!! Thank you so much Ardis! xTieghan
Easy. Delicious. Impressive.
Thank you so much Tamara! xTieghan
Long story but my cream only managed to boil for about ,3 min. It’s been 6 hours and it hasn’t set. Am I out of luck? Any way to salvage this?
Hi Sarah,
So sorry you are having issues with the tart, unfortunately the cream needs to boil for 5 minutes. You might have to restart:( xTieghan
Have you tried non-dairy supplements? Maybe coconut creme?
Hi Steph,
Yes you can use coconut cream. I hope you love the recipe, please let me know if you have any other questions! xTieghan
I have some leftover lemon curd from Trader Joes in my fridge, how can I incorporate the store bought in this recipe and what to omit?
Hi Amy,
So sorry I haven’t tested this, and the tart is very specific direction wise so I really am not sure how this would work out. I hope you love the recipe, please let me know if you have any other questions! xTieghan
I made this tart over the past weekend and wow! It was one of the best desserts I’ve ever made. The filling is so creamy and luscious and the crust, I swear I could eat that by itself. My husband loved it too. I followed the directions right down to the really large pot (which you def need) and it came out perfect.
Thank you so much Katie!! I am really happy to hear that! xTieghan
We love this tart! We’ve made it four times, that’s how much. Today I substituted 200ml of coconut cream in the heavy cream and the taste is amazing.
One thing, it has never taken only one hour to set,
Honestly, it takes overnight for us! Even 3+ hours it’s still soup in the middle.
I am really glad this turned out so well for you, Jess! Thank you for trying it! xTieghan
I’ve tried making this a few times with coconut cream and can’t get it to set. I boil for the full 10 minutes (even a little more the second time). Any tips? Thanks in advance!
Hi Jasmine,
So sorry you are having issues. Unfortunately the coconut cream will be on the softer side, also it is KEY to add the lemon juice to the cream AFTER it boils. I hope this helps, please let me know if you have any other questions! xTieghan
I made this tart this morning for a 4th of July BBQ today. I had about 4 oz. too much for the tart shell so put it into a ramekin and am taking a spoonful every so often – delicious. I had no pretzels or graham crackers so substituted some leftover ginger/lemon cookie crumbs from an earlier bake. I augmented with additional lemon cookies and added some coarse salt to make the salt component. I used the sugar option suggested by another review.
The tart is in the frig firming up. Will serve with fresh strawberries,raspberries and blueberries. Thank you for a wonderful recipe.
Thank you Barbara!! I am really glad this turned out so amazing for you! xTieghan
Do you have any suggestions if the filling didn’t set completely? Firmish in the top and edges but sloppy in the middle.
Hi Joanne,
I would recommend popping it in the freezer. I hope you love the recipe, please let me know if you have any other questions! xTieghan
Love this! It was so easy to make, and so YUMMY!!!
Thank you Christine!! xTieghan
I made the no fuss lemon tart as directed. However, when we were ready to eat it, the crust was soggy and wet. There was some clear liquid at the bottom of my sheet pan. The flavor was good though. Why did this happen? I can send photo if you want to. Thank you.
Hi Rosalina, a photo would be great!
Was there anything you did differently at all? Any ingredients different? Method of baking this? Any info will be helpful to help me problem solve and figure out what might be happening for you. It’s hard to know without knowing any details. Hope I can help you! xTieghan
Cream not milk