Gluten-Free Lemon Tart
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Easy to make and packed with fresh lemon flavor, this gorgeous gluten-free lemon tart is the perfect dessert for special occasions!
Citrus season has been good to us! We have two kinds of orange trees, two kinds of lime trees, and a lemon tree, and they’ve all been so happy this year! So, what’s a girl to do but bake some citrus desserts?
This Zesty Tart Is For Lemon Lovers!
I’m a huge fan of a luscious chocolate tart, but when you want a sunny alternative, there’s no better lemon dessert than this gluten-free lemon tart recipe! From the tangy lemon filling to the easy press-in crust, there’s so much to love!
🥣 EASE: Simple ingredients, 3 different crust options to choose from, and no fancy skills required in this delicious recipe!
🍋 FLAVORS: Sunny fresh lemon is the star of the show! Then, the crust comes through with a delicious buttery flavor, and the fresh berries (or whipped cream or both!) topping pulls it all together.
❄️ TOP TIPS: This is a great recipe for a special occasion! For best results, just make sure you plan ahead to allow enough time for this tart to chill!
Happy baking! xo, Emily
Gather Your Ingredients
Our lemon tart is a slightly easier take on a classic tarte au citron. We just simplified it so it’s more accessible! So, what do you need to get started? Let’s take a look at our ingredients list:
You’ll Also Need a Tart Pan!
Lastly, you’ll need a 9-inch tart pan with a removable bottom. We love this one. It’s easy to clean, easy to work with, and bakes evenly!
How To Make a Gluten-Free Lemon Tart, Step By Step
As always, you can find the full recipe, with ingredient amounts, detailed instructions, and tips in the recipe card below.
- Preheat & Prep. To start, preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Lightly grease a 9-inch tart pan with butter and set aside.
- Make The Tart Crust. In a large mixing bowl, cream softened butter with brown sugar and granulated sugar for 2-3 minutes or until smooth and fluffy. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and add gluten-free flour and salt. Mix until the flour mixture is evenly coated in the butter mixture. The mixture may look a bit dry and shaggy, but if it holds together when pinched, you’re good to go!
- Bake The Crust. Use the bottom of a measuring cup or drinking glass to pat the crust mixture out into the prepared pan and up the sides. (Make sure to also go around the border of the crust with a finger to pack it down into an even layer.) Gently prick the crust 4-5 times with a fork and bake in preheated oven15-18 minutes, or until just golden brown. Set aside to cool slightly.
- Mix Up The Lemon Filling. In a medium bowl, combine sweetened condensed milk, fresh lemon juice, egg yolks, vanilla extract, and lemon zest. Whisk until the lemon mixture is as smooth as possible. (There will still be flecks of zest, but you don’t want any unmixed egg!)
- Bake. Pour the tart filling into the baked tart shell and gently smooth into an even layer. Bake 12-14 minutes, or until the filling looks just set, with a subtle wiggle in the center.
- Cool, Then Chill. Let the tart chill at room temperature 45-60 minutes, then transfer to the refrigerator and chill at least 3-4 hours, or until completely cold.
- Decorate. Just before serving, decorate the tart with powdered sugar, fresh berries, whipped cream, lemon slices, edible flowers, or mint leaves, as desired.
- Serve & Store. Cut into slices and enjoy! Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge 2-3 days or freeze up to 2 months.
Make It Pretty! Decorating Ideas To Try
Other than eating it (always the best part!), my favorite part of this delicious dessert is dressing it up. Here are a few pretty garnishes to try:
- Fresh Berries. Fresh fruit makes anything prettier, so my go-to garnish for this easy lemon tart is a mix of fresh strawberries, fresh raspberries, and fresh blueberries. This trio looks gorgeous together and pair nicely with the sweet-tart lemon filling! Feel free to brush them with thinned out jelly, or a mix of lemon juice & honey for a little glossy shine.
- Whipped Cream. Pipe, swirl, or dollop whipped cream on top of this tart any way you like! Homemade whipped cream or even store-bought (like Cool Whip!) can work great here! Use what makes sense for your skill level or capacity.
- Lemon Slices. Candied lemon slices and fresh lemon slices can both look beautiful.
- Fresh Mint. I tuck a few mint leaves in with the berries, but they also look great with whipped cream and lemon zest!
- Edible Flowers. Violets and chamomile both look especially beautiful!
- Meringue. I’m sure you could top this with a classic lemon meringue pie topping!
FAQ + Tricks For The Best Lemon Tart
Make-Ahead Tips. If you’re making this lemon tart ahead of time, it will keep well in the fridge overnight. You can also freeze the tart up to 2 months, though it will be slightly softer after thawing.
How To Get A Tart Out Of The Pan. Since we’re working with a tart tin that has a removable bottom, you can literally set it the chilled tart on top of a sturdy overturned glass or small bowl, then just gently wiggle the sides of the pan to loosen them from the tart. The exterior ring should slide right off!
Can I Use Lemon Curd Instead? My recipe is specifically scaled to work with this crust, so I recommend making it as written.
Can I Use Meyer Lemons? I’ve only used regular lemons in my test bakes, but meyer lemons *should* work here. Just keep in mind the tart will takes like meyer lemons! (The flavor is more like a cross between oranges and lemons than a true lemon flavor.)
🌟 Did You Make This Recipe?
Tell me all about it! Leave a star rating below when you try our Gluten-Free Lemon Tart recipe. I can’t wait to hear how it goes!
Gluten-Free Lemon Tart
Equipment
- 1 (9-inch) Tart Pan (with a removable bottom)
Ingredients
For The Shortbread Crust (See Notes For Alternatives!):
- ½ cup butter, softened (113 grams/1 stick)
- ¼ cup brown sugar (50 grams)
- 2 Tablespoons granulated sugar (25 grams)
- 1 ⅓ cups gluten-free measure-for-measure flour (160 grams)
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
For The Lemon Tart Filling:
- 1 (14 ounce) can sweetened condensed milk (NOT regular condensed milk!)
- ½ cup fresh lemon juice
- 3 large egg yolks (save egg whites for another recipe)
- 1 Tablespoon fresh lemon zest (packed!)
- ¼ teaspoon vanilla extract
To Decorate The Tart (Choose just 1-2)
- Fresh Berries (raspberries, strawberries, blueberries)
- Whipped Cream
- Powdered Sugar
- Fresh Mint Leaves
- Edible Flowers
- Fresh or Candied Lemon Slices
Instructions
- Preheat & Prep. To start, preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Lightly grease a 9-inch tart pan with butter and set aside.
- Make The Tart Crust. In a large mixing bowl, cream softened butter with brown sugar and granulated sugar for 2-3 minutes or until smooth and fluffy. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and add gluten-free flour and salt. Mix until the flour mixture is evenly coated in the butter mixture. The mixture may look a bit dry and shaggy, but if it holds together when pinched, you're good to go!
- Bake The Crust. Use the bottom of a measuring cup or drinking glass to pat the crust mixture out into the prepared pan and up the sides. (Make sure to also go around the border of the crust with a finger to pack it down into an even layer.) Gently prick the crust 4-5 times with a fork and bake in preheated oven15-18 minutes, or until just golden brown. Set aside to cool slightly.
- Mix Up The Lemon Filling. In a medium bowl, combine sweetened condensed milk, fresh lemon juice, egg yolks, vanilla extract, and lemon zest. Whisk until the lemon mixture is as smooth as possible. (There will still be flecks of zest, but you don't want any unmixed egg!)
- Bake. Pour the tart filling into the baked tart shell and gently smooth into an even layer. Bake 12-14 minutes, or until the filling looks just set, with a subtle wiggle in the center.
- Cool, Then Chill. Let the tart chill at room temperature 45-60 minutes, then transfer to the refrigerator and chill at least 3-4 hours, or until completely cold.
- Decorate. Just before serving, decorate the tart with powdered sugar, fresh berries, whipped cream, lemon slices, edible flowers, or mint leaves, as desired.
- Serve & Store. Cut into slices and enjoy! Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge 2-3 days or freeze up to 2 months.
Notes
- Other Crust Options. If you prefer, you can make our gluten-free graham cracker crust or our gluten-free Oreo crust, made with gluten-free GOLDEN Oreos. (Do not use chocolate oreos!)
- Gluten-Free Flour. We highly recommend King Arthur Measure-For-Measure Gluten-Free Flour blend. If you use another brand, make sure it contains xanthan gum! Weigh the flour for best results, or use the scoop and level method to spoon flour into the measuring cup to avoid packing extra flour into the crust.
Video
Find the recipe:
sweetsandthankyou.com/gluten-free-lemon-tart/
I love the lemon! It comes through without tasting too tart or like a cleaning product. I love it with shortbread crust or with graham cracker crust! So good!