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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
I have made it twice with heavy cream. It got rave reviews from friends and family. I’m going to try with coconut cream next. Do I use 3 1/2 cups just like the heavy cream?
Hey Karen! Yes, you should use 3 1/2 cups coconut cream and you should boil for 10 minutes. Please let me know if you have any other questions. I hope you love this recipe! Thank you! xTieghan
This was easy and delicious. I increased the lemon juice to 1/2 cup and added the zest of 2 more lemons after the cream finished boiling for some fresh lemon zing.
Thank you so much Heather! I am so glad you enjoyed this tart! xTieghan
Loving this recipe. But had a question, if you boil it over the 5 min a little will it take longer to set up?
Also can you throw it in the freezer for 20-30 min to help set up quicker too?
Thank you!!
Hey Emily! If you boil over 5 minutes the cream could thicken too much. It would set up faster, but I don’t recommend boiling over 5 minutes. Yes, you can place in the freezer, but it’s best to chill in the fridge for best results texture wise. Please let me know if you have any other questions. I hope you love this recipe! Thank you! xTieghan
Hi Tieghan,
I’m the one that had so much left over with the filling setting up just fine. I did simmer for 5 minutes in a 5 qt pot, stirring to keep the cream from boiling over. I’ve made it twice with the same result and to be honest, I’m happy to have leftover custard for myself to eat afterward since there are never any leftovers! Next time I might try boiling in a larger pot to see what happens.
Thanks!
Debbie
Hi! Please let me know if the larger pot does not work. Also I would love to answer any specific questions you have, just let me know! xTieghan
This was really fantastic! I read through the comments and tried substituting granulated sugar for the honey in the filling. It worked perfectly. Thank you for such an easy recipe
Amazing!! Thank you so much for trying this Rosey! xTieghan
I have made this recipe twice now with great results! However, the coconut version did not work out. I wanted to try it for a party where the guest is lactose intolerant. What brand of coconut milk do you recommend? I used Coconut Cream from my local organic market in Portland, OR, since they sell high quality foods, but no luck. I am enjoying the coconut soup though!
Hey Deanna! I love the coconut brand linked below It works great! Also, make sure you boil the coconut milk for 10 minutes. Please let me know if you have any other questions. I am so glad you love this recipe! Thank you! xTieghan
https://thrivemarket.com/p/thrive-market-coconut-milk-regular?utm_medium=pla_smart&utm_source=google&utm_campaign=Shopping_Engagement_Smart_Members&utm_content=671635704986&utm_term=na&gclid=CjwKCAjwmtDpBRAQEiwAC6lm4-RGpOvxzgKo4NtB5nXUMaLxpyJP-3SzBUi_wgeAPgdJIDfrB4Xx5hoCD48QAvD_BwE
Hi, this is a follow up to my previous post – you don’t have to publish either of them. I poured the liquid out of the crust and back into the pot. I boiled it for 10 minutes and let it cool. It is definitely thicker than it was and is now in the pie crust. I am hoping it will be fine. The next time I will read the post as well as the recipe!! Thank you so much.
I hope it turns out well for you, Anne! xTieghan
Ugh! I printed the recipe but didn’t read your post where you said that coconut cream had to be boiled for 10 minutes. I am now debating whether I should pour it out of the pie crust and into the pot and boil it for another 5 minutes. Thank you for this recipe.
EASY & FANTASTIC! This lemon tart was really simple to make and took no time. It was delish!
I made it for a small party and everyone loved it. I will definitely be making this again.
I used the whipped cream recipe with the creme fraiche from the no-bake eton mess berry cheesecake posted last week.
I highly recommend this for fresh summery dessert!
Thank you so much Shannon! I am so glad this turned out amazing for you! xTieghan
Yum, yum & YUM! So good and super EASY! Substituted GF pretzels and graham crackers, still YUM. Great tip on using a bigger pot than you think you will need when heating up the lemon cream. Was a big hit at the family dinner! Thanks so much for the great recipe!
Thank you Jenni! So glad you loved this! xTieghan
I loved this, but couldn’t fit all the filling into the 9″ tart pan. Had about 2 cups left. Did it not reduce enough? Filling set up so not sure what I did wrong. Should I should increase the crust ingredients and use a bigger/deeper tart pan next time?
Hi there! Hmm, this is so odd. I have no idea why you had so much leftover. The filling totally set up? Did you boil the full 5 minutes. Any details would be helpful so I can know what is happening. Please let me know if you have any other questions. So glad you love this recipe! Thank you! xTieghan
Amazing recipe! So beautiful and so simple with the perfect amount of lemon. Made it for the 4th of July and decorated it with lemon rounds and strawberries, and would’ve been so festive with blueberries too! Two thumbs up and rated 10/10 by everyone I served it too. Thank you!
Amazing! Thank you so much Maddie! xTieghan
Made this last night, but it didn’t fully set. I had it in the fridge for about 5 hours before cutting into it. Any ideas on what I might have done wrong? My family stilled loves it but I wouldn’t have been able to serve it to guests.
Hey Heather! Did you change anything about the recipe? Did you boil the cream a full 5 minutes? Any info would be helpful so I can know what exactly might be happening. Please let me know if you have any other questions. So glad you all still loved this recipe! Thank you! xTieghan
I have made this twice and every time I get a line up of people wanting a piece! I need to start making double the portions! Thank you for such an amazing recipe!
That is so great! Thank you for trying this Sara! xTieghan
This was so simple and perfect! I had a huge group of family over for Sunday dinner and made mini individual tarts with this recipe! Everyone loved it. 🙂
Amazing! Thank you for trying these Jean! xTieghan