Lemon Curd Tarts (Vegan)
These lemon curd tarts have a lightly zested shortbread crust, a tart yet sweet curd filling, and a lightly curd-flavored whipped cream topping. They are tart and sweet all at the same time. A single-serve, dairy-free, egg-free irresistible little tart.
This amazing little tart is like a spring day in your mouth. The lovely shortbread crust has a hint of lemon zest, the lemon curd hits the right balance of tart and sweet, and the whipped cream is just sweet enough with a hint of lemon curd flavor. Looking for a single-serve dessert that is easy to prepare and will satisfy any lemon lover? Look no further. You have found that dessert.
What you will need:
You will need single-serve tart tins (this recipe makes 4) and lemons for this recipe. All the ingredients are basic pantry items; anything you don’t have, you should be able to find at your local grocery store. The tart tins I used measured 4 inches across the top, 3 inches across the inside of the bottom, and 1.25 inches tall and have removeable bottoms. Any tart tin will work, just make adjustments to the recipe per your tin (depending on how much bigger or smaller it is than the one I used). I needed 3 medium size lemons for this entire recipe.
Shortbread crust
- all purpose flour
- coconut sugar
- lemon zest
- plant based butter with salt
Lemon curd
- plant based milk
- lemon zest
- lemon juice
- cane sugar
- cornstarch
Whipped cream
- plant based heavy cream
- powdered sugar
- lemon curd
- cream of tartar
How to:
Let’s start by making the lemon curd. All of the ingredients are added to a medium pan, whisked well to combine, and then heated over medium or low heat until the mixture begins to bubble and thicken. You know it is ready when the curd is a bright yellow color and clings to a spoon (you don’t want it too runny or too thick). This process should take about 10 minutes. I added extra cornstarch to this curd because I wanted it thicker, so be careful with your cooking time to avoid it getting too thick. Set aside to cool to room temperature. Store in the refrigerator if not using right away.
The next step is the shortbread crust. In a medium bowl, add the flour, sugar, and lemon zest; whisk well to combine, and then add the cubed, room-temperature butter. Cut the butter in until a sandy or pebble-like consistency is reached. I used a pastry cutter for this, but you can do this with your hands, a couple of knives, or a food processor. Once the proper consistency is reached, bring the dough together with your hands and form it into a disk. Wrap it in plastic wrap and place it in the refrigerator for an hour.
It’s time to make the tarts. Preheat the oven to 350F and grease your four tart tins. Remove the dough from the refrigerator and divide it into two pieces. Take one of the pieces and roll it out to about 1/8 of an inch in thickness. Cut out two 3-inch rounds for the bottoms of two of the tart tins (adjust the size for your tart tin). Use the rest of the dough to line the sides of the two tart tins. Repeat the steps for the second piece of dough and the other two tart tins. You should end up with four tarts. Using a fork, poke holes in the bottoms of all four tarts, place them in the oven, and bake for 20 minutes. Once out of the oven, let the tarts cool completely before removing them from the tins.
Lastly, let’s make the whip cream topping and assemble the tarts. To the bowl of a stand mixer with a balloon whisk attachment, add the plant-based heavy cream and cream of tartar. Whip for 2 minutes on high. Next, add the powdered sugar and continue whipping on high for another 2 minutes. Add the lemon curd and whip for another 30 seconds to a minute. Be careful not to over-whip, or it will break and become runny. I Suggest minimal whipping after adding the lemon curd.
Now that we have all of our components, let’s put these little cuties together. To each tart crust, add 3 tablespoons of curd. To the top of the curd, add 2 to 3 spoonful’s of the whip cream. If you have a little zest left over, it can be sprinkled on top for a final look. I will tell you, I had just enough lemon curd after adding 3 tablespoons to each tart and using 2 tablespoons in the whip cream. I also used almost all of the whip cream for the 4 tarts.
Helpful tools/tips:
The curd and the crusts can be made ahead of time, make sure to store both in air tight containers. The curd will need to be kept in the refrigerator; the crust will be fine on the counter. I suggest preparing the whip cream and assembling the tarts the day you plan on serving them. Note: after 24 hours in the refrigerator fully assembled, the crusts started softening.
So, let’s get started. Please make, bake and enjoy!
Lemon Curd Tarts (Vegan)
Ingredients
Shortbread Crust
- 1¼ cups / 150 grams all purpose flour
- ¼ cup / 40 grams coconut sugar
- 7½ tbsp / 106 grams plant based butter with salt (cut into cubes and set aside to reach room temperature)
- 1 tbsp lemon zest
Lemon Curd
- 6 tbsp / 90 grams plant based milk
- ½ cup lemon juice
- 2½ tbsp cornstarch
- 1 tbsp lemon zest
- ¾ cup / 150 grams cane sugar
Whipped Cream
- ½ cup plant based heavy cream (needs to be cold)
- 2 tbsp powdered sugar
- 2 tbsp lemon curd
- ⅛ tsp cream of tartar
Instructions
Lemon Curd
- To a medium pot add all the ingredients ( lemon juice, lemon zest, cane sugar, cornstarch and milk). Whisk well to incorporate all the ingredients. Heat the mixture over medium/medium low heat until it starts slightly bubbling and thickens. This took about 10 minutes. The consistency was just thick enough to cling to a spoon. Pour the curd into a heat safe container and set aside to cool to room temperature. If making the curd ahead of time, store in the refrigerator until you are ready to use it.Side note: be careful with the cook time, I added more cornstarch in this recipe because I wanted a thicker curd, it can easily be on the heat for too long and become too thick.
Shortbread Crust
- The tart tins I used are 4 inches across the top, 3 inch bottoms and 1.25 inches tall and have removeable bottoms. Any tin will be fine, make adjustments as needed for your particular tins.
- In a medium bowl add the flour, lemon zest and sugar; whisk to combine. Add the room temperature butter and cut it in until a sandy consistency is achieved. I used a pastry cutter to do this. You can also do this with your hands, a couple of knives or a food processor. Once a sandy consistency is reached, bring the dough together with your hands and form it into a disk, wrap it in plastic wrap and place it in the fridge for an hour.
- Preheat the oven to 350F and grease your tart tins. Remove the dough from the refrigerator and divide it into 2 equal pieces. Take one of the pieces and roll it out to about 1/8 of an inch thickness. Cut out 2 3-inch rounds for the bottom of 2 of the tins. ( if your tins are a different size, cut out the appropriate size for your tin). Use the rest of the dough to cut strips to line the edges of the 2 tins. Repeat these steps with the other half of the dough. You should end up with 4 tarts. Poke the bottoms of the tarts with a fork, place them in the oven and bake for 20 minutes. Once out of the oven, let them cool and then remove them from the tins.
Whipped Cream
- To the bowl of a stand mixer add the heavy cream and cream of tartar and whip on high with a balloon whisk attachment for 2 minutes. Make sure the heavy cream is cold ( straight from the refrigerator). Add the powdered sugar and whip on high for another 2 minutes. Add the lemon curd and whip on high for another 30 seconds to a minute. We want it to be stiff enough to hold its shape.
Tart Assembly
- To each tart crust add 3 tablespoons of lemon curd. To the top of the curd add the whipped cream. I dolloped about 3 spoonfuls of the whip cream on each tart. For a final look, a little lemon zest can be sprinkled on top of the whipped cream. The crust and curd can be made ahead of time, I suggest making the whipped cream same day. I suggest assembling the tarts same day and keeping them in the refrigerator until you are ready to serve them.Side note: I had just enough lemon curd for the 4 tarts and what was used in the whipped cream and I had just enough whipped cream for the 4 tarts.
