Lemon Tart
A French lemon tart — crisp shortcrust pastry filled with bright tangy lemon curd, baked until just set. The dessert that balances sweet and sour perfectly. Best served chilled with a dusting of powdered sugar.
Prep Time
21 min
Cook Time
32 min
Servings
6
Calories
358 cal
🛠 Interactive Recipe Tools — Use them right here on this page
Smart Servings Scaler
- Lemon1 ½
- Flour3 cups
- Butter½ cup
- Sugar¾ cup
- Eggs3
All quantities scaled automatically from 6 servings.
Ingredients
Makes 6 servings · Use the Servings Scaler above to adjust
- Lemon1.5
- Flour3 cups
- Butter0.5 cup
- Sugar0.75 cup
- Eggs3
Instructions
- 1
Make the pastry: pulse 1.5 cups flour, ¼ cup sugar, ¼ teaspoon salt in a food processor. Add ½ cup cold cubed butter, pulse until pea-sized. Add 1 egg yolk and 2-3 tablespoons ice water, pulse until dough comes together. Chill 1 hour.
- 2
Roll the dough to ⅛-inch thick and fit into a 9-inch tart pan with removable bottom. Trim edges. Prick the bottom with a fork. Chill 30 minutes.
- 3
Blind bake: line with parchment, fill with pie weights or dried beans. Bake at 375°F for 15 minutes. Remove weights and parchment. Bake another 8-10 minutes until pale golden. Cool.
- 4
Make the lemon filling: in a bowl, whisk 4 large eggs + 2 egg yolks + 1 cup sugar + zest of 3 lemons + ¾ cup fresh lemon juice + ½ cup heavy cream. Strain through a fine sieve.
- 5
Place the cooled tart shell on a baking sheet. Pour the lemon filling into the shell.
- 6
Bake at 325°F for 25-30 minutes until the filling is just set but still slightly wobbly in the center (it will set as it cools). Cool completely, then refrigerate at least 2 hours. Dust with powdered sugar just before serving. Slice with a knife dipped in hot water.
Watch how to make Lemon Tart
Plays the exact recipe video right here — no need to leave the page.
💡 Expert Tips
- 1.Cold butter, cold dough. Pastry depends on cold ingredients. Warm dough = tough pastry.
- 2.Blind bake the shell first. Without pre-baking, the bottom stays raw under the wet filling.
- 3.Fresh lemon juice only. Bottled lemon juice tastes flat and chemically. Fresh squeezed is essential.
- 4.Don't overbake. Filling should be just set with slight jiggle in center. It firms as it cools.
🔬 Why It Works
Classic French lemon tart succeeds when the pastry is properly blind-baked (crisp, fully cooked) and the lemon filling is just set (jiggly center, sets as it cools). The high ratio of lemon juice to sugar provides the signature bright tartness — too much sugar and it tastes flat; the high acid is the point. Fresh zest provides aromatic oil that bottled juice can't deliver.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why is my filling weeping?▾
Can I make this ahead?▾
How to slice cleanly?▾
Variations?▾
4.1
474 home cooks rated this
Nutrition Facts
Per serving (recipe makes 6 servings)
* Percent Daily Values based on a 2,000 calorie diet. Values are estimates.
Nutrition Facts
Per serving (recipe makes 6 servings)
* Percent Daily Values based on a 2,000 calorie diet. Values are estimates.
Related Recipes
Chicken Alfredo Pasta
Veggie Wrap
Chicken Caesar Salad
Beef Burger
Margherita Pizza
