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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.
No sugar? The honey is enough to make it sweet?
Hi Carmen! Yes, the honey should be enough! I hope you love this recipe! xTieghan
I am in France and we don’t have graham crackers is there something else I can use ?
Hi Kim,
You can use all pretzels. I hope you love the recipe, please let me know if you have any other questions! xTieghan
This looks amazing! Can’t wait to make it. It’s ok to use a cheesecake pan if I don’t have this tart pan right?
Hi Roya,
Yes that will work! I hope you love the recipe, please let me know if you have any other questions! xTieghan
Is there any way you can make the crust gluten free?
Hi Amanda! I have not tried it, I am sorry about that! xTieghan
Hello there,
I would love to use this recipe for tomorrow
Dessert . Do u think I can use coconut instead of lemons ? Will it work ?
Hi Astrid,
So sorry but you need the lemon juice! You could add coconut though. I hope you love the recipe, please let me know if you have any other questions! xTieghan
Hi ! I just wanted to tell you how much I love your site ! From the recipes to the styling , it’s perfection . I always look forward to what you’re up to next ! Thank you for sharing and all your hard work ! ??
Thank you Andrea! I hope you continue to enjoy my blog and recipes! xTieghan
The flavours were lovely but for some reason the graham cracker and pretzel crust were not crisp. What did I do wrong?
Hi Devon,
So sorry you had issues with the crust. I am wondering if you needed to toast it a little longer, you can always do that next time. Please let me know if you have any other questions! xTieghan
Can you do this tart with 4 inch tart pans?
Hi Alexandria,
Yes that would work! I hope you love the recipe, please let me know if you have any other questions! xTieghan
I tried making this twice. I followed everything exactly and yet both times the tart wouldn’t set. It was really disappointing for the other Mother’s Day dessert to be a pile of mush on everyone’s plate. I even placed the first tart I made in the freezer after it wouldn’t set in the fridge. This helped some but not enough. One-two hours of chilling must not be enough.
Hi Mallory! I am really sorry this did not turn out well for you! Is there anything that you changed about the recipe? I would love to help! xTieghan
This was delicious. The smell of it made it hard to wait for the cool time. Definitely adding this to the list of faves!
Thank you so much Tamara! xTieghan
So far after 2 hours it hasn’t set yet— keeping my hopes up that maybe it will in the morning! Still tastes great!
Thank you so much Maria! Please let me know if this sets for you! xTieghan
I can’t wait to make this!!! I only have an 11inch tart pan.. do you think using 1.5 times the ingredients would work?
Thank you!
Taylor
Hi Taylor,
Yes that will work! I hope you love the recipe, please let me know if you have any other questions! xTieghan
Who would have guessed this would be so good with such simplicity!! The subtle citrus flavors and cold, smooth texture make this pie a real keeper! We’re gluten free around here and this crust is easily made using GF graham crackers and GF pretzels. For a fast make, we’ve even used commercial gluten free graham cracker crust, a bit more sweet for those who like their sugar, but still tasty. All the ways are WONDERFUL!! Thank you so much!
I am so glad this tart turned out so well for you!! Thank you so much for trying it! xTieghan
Hi there,
I’ve just made this lemon tart – delicious – was wondering if it’s possible to freeze?
Thanks,
Amy
Hi Amy! Yes, they are! I hope you love this recipe! xTieghan
Hello! I love your recipes. Thank you! Do you think I could substitute buttermilk for heavy cream? Trying to avoid going to the store! 🙂
Hi Ali,
Yes the heavy cream should work in place of the buttermilk. I hope you love the recipe, please let me know if you have any other questions! xTieghan