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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.

overhead photo of No Fuss Lemon Tart with 4 slices cut into triangles and knife in photo

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.

overhead photo of No Fuss Lemon Tart without berries on top
No Fuss Lemon Tart with berries on top

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.

overhead close up photo of No Fuss Lemon Tart with 4 slices cut

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.

overhead close up photo of No Fuss Lemon Tart with 3 slices cut

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.

front on photo of No Fuss Lemon Tart slice with bite taken out

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!

overhead close up photo of No Fuss Lemon Tart with 2 slices cut and 1 slice missing from tart

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.

overhead photo of No Fuss Lemon Tart with 3 slices cute into triangles

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.

Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 15 minutes
chill time 1 hour
Total Time 1 hour 30 minutes
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.

Ingredients

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.
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    1. Hey there,
      Sure, that will work nicely for you! Please let me know if you give this recipe a try, I hope you love it! xT

  1. How thin should it be when pouring into the tart shell? Mine is like a melted milkshake. I followed the directions exactly….boil 5 min and cool off heat for 10 min. Will it thicken more in the fridge? Is there a video so I can see what it should look like? The filling tastes good…haha. I suppose, if all else fails, I will throw it in the ice cream maker and use the crust as a crumble stir in….haha

    1. Hey Rebecca,
      Yes, that sounds correct, it will thicken! There is also a video above for reference:) I hope this turns out well for you! xT

      1. Ah….I missed the video. It thickened up beautifully!! – No need to make ice cream! (though it would have tasted wonderful, no doubt)

        For those a little nervous like I was…..Trust the process! Wonderful recipe!

  2. 5 stars
    My go to lemon tart recipe. Never fails me and it’s always a favorite amongst family and friends. However, one of my friends would love this but with raspberries. How can/should I add raspberry compote/jam? Any and all suggestions welcomed please! I really want to make her the tart she wants for her bday!

  3. 5 stars
    This has been my go too lemon tart for years! It’s fantastic! No one ever believes it has no eggs! Thank you for this amazing recipe!

  4. 5 stars
    This was delicious. I made it twice in one week for two different events. It’s somewhere between smooth yogurt and cheesecake in texture. I was amazed at how well it set up and the longer it’s refrigerated (5+ hours), the better. I used an 8″ tart pan and had a lot of leftover custard so if I had a larger pan, I’d use it. The crust is the best!

  5. 3 stars
    The tart filling separates easily from the crust when cutting – making it difficult to serve. The fast was decent but I would nt make this one again.

    1. I’ve made this several times and never had this happen, set perfectly and did not separate. Maybe give it another try!

  6. 5 stars
    This recipe is wonderful. However, using an 8” tart pan left me with about 1.5 cups of custard that could not fit. Size does matter here, I would definitely recommend a 9” pan.

    1. Hi Deb,
      Thanks for giving this recipe a try and sharing your feedback, so glad to hear this turned out well for you! xT

      1. Agree- my tart pan I have is too small as well, so I put the extra in a container and eat throughout the week! Lol! Love this recipe and have made it about five times now!