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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.
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.
Forgot to rate this the first time I posted. Just made this & while it took 2 hours to set enough & is still a bit runny, it’s delicious. I think the issue was I used heavy whipping cream rather than heavy cream, as that’s what Aldi had, & I didn’t read all the comments before making it; I saw there it mentioned heavy whipping cream won’t set up as well. I’m going to do it again with heavy cream, as even not fully set it was great. I used sugar instead of honey & pretzel sticks as that’s all the store had. Needed to use more melted butter to get the crust the right consistency. The lemon flavor was perfect & there was no grainy texture from the zest. Will any citrus work to thicken it? I’d like to try making different tarts using blood oranges, grapefruit, or lime. Thanks for such an easy, elegant, bright tasting recipe. It will be getting made a lot.
Thanks again! I am so glad this recipe was enjoyed, thanks so much for giving it a try! Have the best week. xTieghan
Just made this & while it took 2 hours to set enough & is still a bit runny, it’s delicious. I think the issue was I used heavy whipping cream rather than heavy cream, as that’s what Aldi had, & I didn’t read all the comments before making it; I saw there it mentioned heavy whipping cream won’t set up as well. I’m going to do it again with heavy cream, as even not fully set it was great. I used sugar instead of honey & pretzel sticks as that’s all the store had. Needed to use more melted butter to get the crust the right consistency. The lemon flavor was perfect & there was no grainy texture from the zest. Will any citrus work to thicken it? I’d like to try making different tarts using blood oranges, grapefruit, or lime. Thanks for such an easy, elegant, bright tasting recipe. It will be getting made a lot.
Hey Mary Ann,
Thanks so much for giving the recipe a try! Yes, you could use another citrus! Please let me know if you have any other questions! xTieghan
I just made this but added the lemon juice to the cream as it’s going to boil! Will it still set up?
Hey Nichole,
I hope the recipe works for you, the lemon juice is best added after the cream boils. I hope you love the recipe, please let me know if you have any other questions! xTieghan
Hi Tieghan! Happy New Year! I’ve loved so many recipes of yours this year and hoping to kick off the new year with this one tomorrow! I’m wondering if you have any ideas on how this recipe might turn out if I’m trying to made a strawberry tart instead of lemon. Any chance I can replace the lemon juice for some crushed strawberries after boiling the coconut cream, but keep the zest for boiling? I’m guessing it might take a little longer to set too?
Also wonder if I can use a springform pan instead of a tart pan?
Hey Mel,
I have never tried this using strawberries, I would probably recommend giving this recipe a try:
https://www.halfbakedharvest.com/strawberry-pretzel-pie/
I hope you love the recipe, please let me know if you have any other questions! Happy New Year! xTieghan
This looks wonderful. I don’t have an extraordinary tart skillet. Might I be able to utilize an ordinary pie dish, or would the outside stick and self-destruct when I go to serve it?
Hey there,
This would work well in a pie dish. I hope you love the recipe, please let me know if you have any other questions! Happy Holidays! xTieghan
Lemon tarts with strawberry topping are just amazing both in looking and in taste so I’m looking forward to trying it myself.
Thanks so much! I hope you love the recipe! Happy Holidays! xTieghan
I love anything citrus. I’ve made this recipe twice now. Followed it exactly and both times it didn’t set. It was super watery and just fell apart. Any tips on how to make this set properly would be helpful. Is it missing a thickening agent or gelatine? Maybe Canadian ingredients are different?
Hey Ali,
So sorry to hear this! Was there anything that you adjusted in the recipe? Please let me know how I can help! Happy Holidays! xTieghan
Hi there,
I made this dessert and followed the recipe to a T (especially step 3), yet the filling, even after spending 12 hours in the fridge, was not solid. And for a 8in pan, there was way too much filling. It was still extremely liquidy, and it felt like eating a great lemon soup. The crust was amazing.
Where did I possibly go wrong?
Hey Arnela,
I am so sorry you had issues with the recipe. Did you use cream or coconut cream? Also, super key to add the lemon juice after the boiling. Next time, I would try putting this in the freezer to see if it will set. I hope this helps! xTieghan
Hi Tieghan,
Unfortunately I also had trouble with the coconut version, I waited about 24HRS and the tart is still not set. I made sure to boil the cream for 10mins but it’s now a runny custard like consistency. I thought I followed your recipe but I’m now thinking I may have added too much lemon juice or I may have added it too early? Do you add it in straight away after boiling or does it need to cool first? Can it be added while boiling?
On another note I think I would add less honey next time as the cream mixtures seems very sweet but that’s just personal preference. Would that change the outcome? I’ll try the regular cream version next time.
I tried quite a few of your savoury recipes and they were ALL amazing so I still love and trust your recipes! Thank you!
Hey Eva,
So sorry you had issues with the recipe. It is KEY to add the lemon juice after the boiling. Unfortunately the coconut cream does not get as thick as the heavy cream. I would recommend popping this in the freezer for a bit to help it set. I hope this helps for next time, you can certainly adjust the honey to your liking. Please let me know if you have any other questions! xTieghan
Had the same comment as didi, the quantity for filling looked weird to me so I added about 500ml instead of over 800ml listed in the recipe. Surprisingly, the volume was just right and I filled my tart nicely in an 8″ tray! It managed to set pretty quickly- will make again!
Thank you so much Janice!! I am so glad this turned out so well for you! xTieghan
Would love more recipes.
Thanks Faithe! I post a new one everyday ?
I’m lactose intolerant; do you think I could make the No Fuss Lemon Tart with canned evaporated coconut milk or just canned coconut milk?
I thought I could make this a day ahead, but not only was the tasty crust difficult to remove from my tart pan, it became soggy. I had to pitch the whole dessert.
Hi Carla! I am really sorry to hear that. Is there anything I can help with? xTieghan
Hi! Making this recipe right now and in the video you add the lemon zest after boiling but I. The instructions you have it boiling with the lemon zest. Which is best?
Hey Ali,
Sorry for the confusion, you can add the lemon zest after the boiling. I hope you love the recipe, please let me know if you have any other questions! xTieghan
I made this yesterday and it tasted so delicious. However, my filling was a little soft like it didn’t set all the way. I chilled in the fridge for about 6 hours before serving, so I’m not sure what I did wrong. It was still a hit!
Hey Stacey,
So sorry you had issues with the tart. Did you happen to adjust the recipe at all? It is also super important to add the lemon juice after the boiling process. I hope this helps for next time! xTieghan