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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.
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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.
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.
Nutrition
Nutritional information is only an estimate. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.
Did you make this recipe? Please rate & comment below.
This, as simple and delicious as it is, doesn’t set. It remains custardy even after freezing for well over 3 hours. Just beware. If you don’t let it set properly, it will become a runny mess.
Hey there,
So sorry your tart did not set. Was there anything you may have adjusted in the recipe? Did you add the lemon juice after boiling the cream? Please let me know how I can help, because it should set for you:) xTieghan
Mine didn’t set either. It got to a custard like consistency, but no firmer. I did wait as directed until after boiling to add lemon juice. My cream briefly boiled over, but I think I only lost about 3T worth of it. Maybe that was all it took? I also only had an 11″ tart pan, so used that, but would have guessed the thinner tart would set better, not worse. Any ideas? It’s still delicious, but I’d love to get it right to be able to take to share with friends in the future!
Hey Megan,
So sorry to hear this. Did you boil for the full amount of time? You can always pop it in the freezer for a bit too! I hope this helps! xTieghan
Did anyone else have way too much filling?
Yes, same here. I used heavy whipping cream so not sure if that was caused the excess…
I have made this three times now with 100% success each time. It is a crowd FAVORITE!!!!! Did you let the cream boil the full five minutes?
I made this yesterday – excellent!!!
Everyone was fooled thinking it was a cheesecake or a sugar-filled dessert, but really it’s just a simple cream tart! The addition of the pretzels to the crust is perfect as it balances out the sweetness of a typical graham cracker crust. This is a very simple dish to make. Since I am from Canada I used ‘whipping cream 35%’ as we don’t have heavy cream here. I also made it and had to transport it in a cake carrier without having the chance to cool it until it was set, so when I arrived I put it right in the freezer. I took it out to sit for a bit before we enjoyed it but it started to melt fairly quickly so it really doesn’t need to sit out for long!
Hey Sarah,
Awesome! I am so glad this recipe was enjoyed and I really appreciate you giving it a try! Have the best week:) xTieghan
Hello ! It looks amazing !!! I wanna try this for my birthday ☺️ next week but we don’t have any graham crackers here.So I’m gonna add some butter biscuits if it’s ok.But can you tell me the metrics for that ?
Hey there,
You will need about 1 cup or 128 grams. I hope you love the recipe, please let me know if you have any other questions! xTieghan
So early and was a huge hit! Everyone loved it and said it was so light and refreshing!
Hey Maddy,
Happy Friday! I am delighted that this recipe was enjoyed, thanks a lot for giving it a try! xTieghan
Hello! I am going to make this tomorrow. I bought a removable bottom tarte pan. I am wondering if you line your tarte pan? If so, do you use parchment paper or do you use tinfoil? If so do you grease it with butter? If I don’t line the pan should I grease it?
Hey Jamie,
I do not line my tart pan, I just grease with butter. I hope you love the recipe, please let me know if you give it a try! xTieghan
This tart is delicious! Only problem is the cream part doesn’t set hard like yours. What am I doing wrong? Should I add cornstarch in in to make it set more?? Help! PLease
Hey Eva,
Thanks so much for making the recipe! Was there anything you may have adjusted? Try popping it in the freezer for a few hours! Please let me know if this helps. xTieghan
This was very easy and absolutely delicious. Will make it again and again! I topped it with blueberries and raspberries.
Hey Gina,
Thanks so much for giving this recipe a try, I am delighted that it was enjoyed! Have a fantastic week! xTieghan
So yummy! I made this two days in a row and the first day it was perfect but the second day it was runny and didn’t set. What did I do wrong?
Hey Maria,
Thanks for giving the recipe a try! Was there anything you did differently the second time around? Let me know how I can help! xTieghan
Hi, just wondering if I can use whipped cream instead of heavy cream ? Or is it the same thing? Thanks
Hey Kelli,
For this recipe you will want to make sure you are using heavy cream. I hope you love the recipe, please let me know if you have any other questions! xTieghan
This is an amazing recipe!! I made it for Easter Sunday and my whole family was so impressed. I love how simple it is. Made it again tonight for my book club tomorrow evening 🙂 One quick question about covering it in the refrigerator overnight….both times I have used saran wrap and it droops down on the tart, which doesn’t make it as pretty! . And recommendations on using a cover besides Saran Wrap? Can it go in the refrigerator uncovered and be okay? Thanks!
Hey Kerry,
Fantastic! Thanks so much for making this recipe, I am it was enjoyed! I would keep covered in the fridge:) xTieghan
I have made this twice using a 9 inch tart pan. Both times I had 2 cups of filling left .????? 3 1/2 cups of whipped cream?
Hey Lisa,
Thanks for making this recipe, hmmm I’ve never had this feedback for this recipe. Is there anything you are adjusting? It should reduce some after the boiling. Let me know how I can help! xTieghan
That happened to me also.
The best lemon tart ever!!! Made this for Easter. Somehow it turns out amazingly light and refreshing!! After reading all of the reviews I used a stock pot while heating up the heavy cream and did not have any issues with it over flowing. At first it will seem like too big a pot but trust me it won’t be. Also my mother in law loves it so much she asked me to make it for her best friends birthday. This is a keeper!
Hey Vikki,
Fantastic!! I am thrilled that this recipe was enjoyed, thanks so much for making it! Happy Friday:) xTieghan
I made this and everyone raved about it.. very easy to make also..
Hey Heidi,
Thank you so much for giving this recipe a try, I am delighted that it was enjoyed!! Have a great weekend! xTieghan
Hi, I want to make this on the weekend. Can you please tell me what are the little white flowers pictured. Are? Thanks!
Hey Tammy,
I hope you love the recipe! Those are chamomile flowers. xTieghan
Made this tart for Easter for my French family and they were in LOVE ! It’s hard to impress Frenchies who have grown up with authentic French lemon tarts, but they thoroughly enjoyed the unique crust, and weren’t any wiser on the much easier version of the custard ! Definitely will make again, actually was requested to make it again immediately !
I used a pie pan because I don’t have a tart pan, definitely not as easy to remove the slices but worked pretty perfectly ! I also had a little bit of left over cream that I cooled in a ramekin .. gave me an idea that mini versions of these would be a HIT too !
Lastly, I was wondering if anyone had tried to make this in a non dairy version? I have vegan family members and I was considering trying this with oat/cashew milk instead but not sure how they would reduce down !
A PLUS from the Frenchies, thanks Tieghan !
Hey Hannah,
I am delighted that this recipe was enjoyed, thanks so much for giving it a try! xTieghan