This dessert is easy to make and has a soft almond flour crust that’s filled with a creamy dairy free lemon curd filling. The whole thing is topped with fresh berries and is a perfect sweet treat! The lemon tart follows not only the paleo diet, but is SCD friendly as well! This recipe is gluten free, grain free, dairy free, and refined sugar free!
Hi Friends! I don’t know if anyone else is a fan of The Great British Baking Show, but I’m obsessed. I stumbled upon it one night on Netflix and now I can’t get enough of their British accents, affinity for tea or the delicious looking baked goods they make. They’re genuinely nice to each other throughout the competition, which is really refreshing to see. One of the episodes had the contestants making tarts, and they looked SO good that I knew I had to give it a shot!
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The gluten free crust for this tart has a soft, almost buttery flavor even though there’s no butter in sight! It’s so good! Make sure to mix the ingredients well before pressing the dough into your pan. I decided on an adorable rectangular tart pan
for the simple reason that I find it easier to cut and serve! A pie dish will work just fine for this recipe though or you could even make it in little individual tart pans!
Either way, you want to make sure to press the dough into the pan as evenly as possible before pricking holes into the dough with a fork. The crust is going to go into the oven until it’s a golden brown color. Almond flour tends to burn and brown quickly, so keep an eye on it while it’s baking. Let the crust cool completely before adding the lemon curd filling.
Let’s talk about the filling for a second! This lemon curd is SO creamy and tangy that I always end up eating a few spoonfuls before actually pouring it into my tart crust! Lemon curd is pretty easy to make but it requires patience. A lot of patience. Like you’re going to be constantly whisking the mixture over the stove for at least 10 or 15 minutes kind of patience.
You’re going to begin by pouring lemon juice, lemon zest, eggs and honey into a small saucepan and whisking until everything is combined and smooth. Then add your coconut oil into the saucepan and place the whole thing over low heat on your stove. What I’m going to tell you now is super important…you need to whisk the mixture the ENTIRE time it’s over the heat! If you don’t continually whisk you’re going to end up with scrambled eggs, which is not at all what we’re going for here!
Once the coconut oil has melted into the mixture, you can increase the heat to medium. Keep whisking. And whisking. And whisking. Remember, patience! You’ll be able to see and actually feel when it turns into curd. The mixture will thicken and turn slightly lighter in color. It will take anywhere from 10 to 15 minutes for this to happen.
At this point your curd might have little lumps in it. That’s ok! Those lumps are the lemon zest and little tiny pieces of egg that might have cooked while you were whisking. You’re going to strain the curd into a bowl, getting rid of those lumps and what you’ll be left with is a smooth lemon curd.
Let the curd cool for about 15 minutes before pouring it into your tart crust. Transfer the tart to the fridge for about an hour. Give the tart a little jiggle, if the curd doesn’t move then you’ll know it’s set and ready to be enjoyed! Once the curd has set you can top the tart with fresh berries or just leave it without a topping. It’s delicious no matter what!
Now, if you’ll excuse me, I’m going to enjoy a large slice and the next episode of the Great British Baking Show!
Here are more tarts and pies for you to try!
- Banana Cream Pie
- Vanilla Custard Tart
- No Bake Strawberry Gelatin Pie
- Pear and Havarti Tart with Cinnamon Honey Drizzle
If you’ve made this recipe, be sure to leave a comment and star rating below!
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Updated on 3/1/18 to refine the directions!
Paleo Lemon Tart
Ingredients
Crust
- 1 1/2 cups almond flour
- 2 Tbsp honey
- 1/4 cup coconut oil, melted
- 1 Tbsp fresh squeezed lemon juice
Filling
- 2 Tbsp lemon zest (about 2 lemons)
- 1/4 cup fresh squeezed lemon juice (about 2 lemons)
- 3/4 cup honey
- 1/4 cup coconut oil
- 2 large eggs (room temp)
- 1/4 tsp salt
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350F and grease the sides and bottom of a tart pan with coconut oil. In a small bowl, use a spoon to mix together the almond flour, honey, coconut oil and lemon juice.
- Press the dough evenly into the bottom and sides of the tart pan. Use a fork to prick holes into the dough before baking for 10 minutes or until the crust is golden brown.
- Allow the crust to cool completely before adding the filling.
- Place all ingredients for the filling, except the coconut oil, into a small saucepan and whisk them together. Add the coconut oil to the saucepan before placing the pan on the stove over low heat.
- Whisk the mixture continuously while it's over the heat. Once the coconut oil has melted, increase the heat to medium.
- Continue to whisk the mixture until it has thickened. It should take 10 to 15 minutes.
- Remove from the heat and strain the curd into a bowl. Do not skip this step! Straining will remove the lemon zest and any pieces of egg that may have cooked.
- Allow the curd to cool for 15 minutes before pouring into the tart crust. Place the tart in the refrigerator for about an hour to cool and set. If the curd does not jiggle when moving the pan, it's ready!
- Top with berries after the curd has set and just prior to serving or leave without a topping. Store the tart in the refrigerator.
Notes
Pin for later!
Sue
May 25, 2019 at 6:15 pmPer your suggestion I used 2 cups of almond flour and 1/2 cup of coconut oil for the crust for a 9″ round tart pan. It was buttery and delicious. The curd was cooked on the stove for 15 minutes and looked thick enough. I strained it into a bowl and cooled it before pouring it into the crust. Unfortunately it was still so soupy when I cut it after chilling it (with no fruit on it) that it poured all over the plate. It was perfectly tart and delicious but too loose. Suggestions?
Jennifer
May 28, 2019 at 9:11 amGlad to hear you enjoyed the crust! It’s a shame the lemon curd didn’t set for you. Did you use large eggs? If you did then the curd more than likely needed more time over the stove and/or more time in the fridge to set. When whisking it over the heat the curd should have had a subtle thickening and a slight change in color.
Kay
April 21, 2019 at 4:41 amWow this is such a simple, low ingredient but delicious tart! Thank you. I made this for my non paleo family who loved it so much. I greased the tray really well woth coconut oil and didn’t have any problems removing the tart. I was worried that the curd wouldn’t set but at the 11min mark – magic. Will definitely make this again
Tammy
April 13, 2019 at 1:13 pmI am making this as we speak . I’m actually making three of them. The first crust came out of the oven and I let it cool. When removing it from the pan a couple pieces on the sides broke off. Do you have any suggestions as to how into retrieve it form the pan without breaking? I would greatly appreciate it.
Tammy Hanlon
Jennifer
April 15, 2019 at 7:03 amI apologize for the late response, I took a little social media/website break this weekend so this suggestion is probably too late but you could try greasing the sides and bottom of the tart pan with more coconut oil. I’d also suggest placing the crust into the fridge for 20 to 30 minutes to help the crust harden up a bit before removing from the pan. Since almond flour has no gluten to help bind it together, baked goods are VERY fragile.
Ioana Covali
April 8, 2019 at 10:34 amMy third making it as we speak. Lovely recipe! Thank you!
Jenny
October 27, 2018 at 4:49 amCan I use frozen fruit?
Jennifer
October 29, 2018 at 5:25 amYou should be able to use frozen fruit to garnish the top of the tart.
Samantha
September 4, 2018 at 3:18 pmThis looks amazing! I think I am going to make this for my sister’s birthday, but I was wondering if I could make mini tarts (with a cupcake pan) instead of one big one? Thank you!
Jennifer
September 4, 2018 at 7:45 pmHi Samantha! Yes, you can totally make this as mini tarts! Just be sure to grease the cupcake tin really well so that the crust doesn’t stick. Hope you enjoy and that she has a happy birthday!!
Ping
August 21, 2018 at 5:10 pmThis looks beautiful, can’t wait to make it!
I like that it has simple ingredients that are always in our kitchen.
I’m just wondering… what should I do if my pan is not non-stick?
And can I use a glass pan?
Jennifer
August 27, 2018 at 7:32 amSorry for the late response..I’ve been out of town! Thank you so much for the kind words! If using a non-stick pan or a glass pan, I’d suggest greasing the bottom with some coconut oil! It should turn out just fine! Hope you enjoy!
Mayra
August 2, 2018 at 5:31 pmHi, this recipe looks so yummy and easy to make, but my niece is allergic to coconut and it’s so hard to find anything paleo coconut free. Do you know what other oil I can substitute for the coconut oil both in the crust and in the filling?
TIA
Marina
June 29, 2018 at 6:35 pmHello! My husband is allergic to nuts. Coconut is ok. What is the best flower to switch to and yet maintain the paleo? Thanks!
Jennifer
July 7, 2018 at 7:32 amThanks for stopping by Marina! Coconut Mama has a coconut flour crust recipe you can make. Then just fill it with the lemon curd! Hope that helps! https://thecoconutmama.com/coconut-flour-pie-crust/
Zoraida
June 14, 2018 at 9:39 pmHey! This recipe looks great and I’m excited to make it, I’m just wondering if I can make and store the lemon curd in the fridge a few days in advance? Just for about a day and a half, I was thinking of making the curd and making the crust in a day or so, will that work out?
Jennifer
June 15, 2018 at 8:57 amThanks for stopping by! You can make the curd a couple days ahead of time without a problem. I would just suggest waiting to fill the crust with the curd until the day you’re planning on serving it to prevent the crust from getting soggy.
Zoraida
June 15, 2018 at 10:13 amThat was the plan! Thanks so much for the advice! I’m excited to work on it today and tomorrow!
Jennifer
June 15, 2018 at 4:00 pmGreat! Hope you enjoy it!!
Jane
June 5, 2018 at 7:02 pmI made this recipe and it turned out great! My concern is with coconut oil. My cholesterol has gone up since using coconut oil in a lot of recipes. Any other oil I could use in its place? I am trying to do dairy-free so butter is really not an option.
Kellyann Sykora
May 9, 2018 at 1:23 pmHello! I want to make this for Mothers Day this weekend and curious if I could use already made lemon curd from my local health food store instead of making it. I’m just looking to save some time but still capitalize on the flavor. Thanks!!
Jennifer
May 10, 2018 at 8:18 amHi Kellyann, you can certainly fill the crust with store bought lemon curd! Hope you enjoy!
Megan
April 30, 2018 at 5:57 pmHi! I’m wondering if it would work to substitute the honey for monkfruit. I would live to hear your thoughts or other options instead of honey.
Thank you!
Jennifer
April 30, 2018 at 7:16 pmHi Megan! You could easily swap out the honey for maple syrup without an issue. I’ve not tried making it with monkfruit before but if you decide to experiment please come back to let us know how it turned out!
Casie
April 13, 2018 at 10:45 amThese are delicious! I have been making paleo treats for my hubby 2-4 times a month for the last three years. He said that he thinks this is the best one them all! Thanks for sharing!
Jennifer
April 13, 2018 at 2:50 pmYou’ve just made my day Casie! So glad to hear that he likes it!
Heather
April 5, 2018 at 2:27 pmLOVED this recipe! I’m always looking for Paleo desserts to take with me to dinners and potlucks. I used a larger pie plate and so I did 1.5 recipe and it was the perfect amount. I also ran out of honey for the curd and used agave instead. It turned out perfect! Thanks!
Jennifer
April 5, 2018 at 5:00 pmHi Heather! I’m so happy to hear that you made the recipe and enjoyed it =) Thanks so much for stopping by to let me know…I appreciate it!
Adrianna
March 26, 2018 at 11:54 pmhow. would you adapt the proportions for a regular round 8 or 9 inch tart pan?
Jennifer
March 28, 2018 at 8:13 amHi Adrianna! For the crust, you may want to increase the almond flour to 2 cups and the coconut oil to 1/2 cup. Leave the rest of the crust measurements the same! You should have enough lemon curd filling with the recipe as written. Hope this helps =)
lindsay
March 21, 2018 at 7:37 pmHello, thank you for the lovely recipe. My mixture is on the stove, I got to the increase heat to medium step and now it’s been 20 minutes and I have a not thickened, foamy mixture. It looks like the candy stage of soft candy. Any idea what went wrong?
Jennifer
March 21, 2018 at 7:57 pmHi Lindsay, it’s a very subtle thickening. If you dip a spoon into the curd and it coats the back of the spoon (some of it can drip off)…it’s ready. Take it off the stove and follow the rest of the directions. It will continue to thicken as it cools. Hope this helps!
Risa
March 16, 2018 at 11:39 amGreat recipe! I loved this tart, the texture was great as well as the flavor. I followed the recipe exactly and had no issues like I read in some of the other comments.
I used a metal pie pan and I did not oil the pan or use parchment and my crust stuck a little so next time I will do that. I also would like to try this with a coconut whipped cream on top next time to add a creamy flavor to balance the tangy lemon filling, but it was really good as is! Also, The Great British Baking Show is what made me search for a paleo tart recipe, I love the show too, 😀! The recipe is wonderful thank you!
Jennifer
March 17, 2018 at 10:40 amI’m so happy that you tried the recipe and enjoyed it!! Thanks so much for stopping by and sharing with us your results =)
Gina
February 3, 2018 at 8:51 pmIs the crust dough supposed to be runny before baking? Trying to figure out how to “press” it in the pan and poke with a fork!
Jennifer
February 3, 2018 at 9:16 pmHi Gina! It should not be runny. You can go to my Pear and Havarti Tart recipe to see pics of how the crust should look prior to baking. If it’s runny, you may want to double check that you’re using the correct ingredients and measurements! https://www.alifeofhappenstance.com/pear-and-havarti-tart-with-cinnamon-honey-drizzle/
You can also go to my facebook page for a video of the lemon tart being made! https://www.facebook.com/alifeofhappenstance/
Hope that helps!
Jen
Courtney Thompson
November 22, 2017 at 3:44 pmI made this for Thanksgiving (tomorrow) and my filling is really dark in color as opposed to your very light/creamy looking filling and tastes very strongly of honey. Is that how it is supposed to taste/look? I have no idea what I did wrong.
Jennifer
November 22, 2017 at 8:30 pmHey Courtney! The type of honey used (lighter, darker) is going to have an impact on the color of the curd. I wouldn’t worry too much about that. The curd should have a tangy lemon flavor, although you can still taste some honey. If you’d like it to be less sweet then I suggest adding a little more fresh lemon juice. Using fresh lemons is really important for this recipe. I’m currently vacationing in the mountains and reception is spotty but I’ll try to check back to see how it went!
Alexis
October 28, 2017 at 1:55 pmHi! I made my crust. And it seems a bit soft. But it’s golden brown. Should the crust be softer or more crisp?
Jennifer
October 28, 2017 at 4:53 pmHi Alexis! The crust is going to be on the softer side. If it’s golden brown I would take it out of the oven.
Cat
August 17, 2017 at 7:22 pmHelp please! I made this tonight and the lemon filling will not thicken! I’m not sure what went wrong. It also isn’t as light colored as yours. Any input? It’s in the fridge cooling now but when I strained it, it was about the consistency of like half and half.
Jennifer
August 17, 2017 at 7:43 pmHi Cat! Give it a little time in the fridge to see if that helps. The final product should be similar to a Greek yogurt consistency. If it’s still not thickened then it may have needed a bit more time on the stove. Keep me posted.
Cat
August 18, 2017 at 12:27 pmSo I refrigerated it over night and the coconut oil completely separated and was on top. Should I put it back on the stove and use a bit higher heat? I did med low for 15 mins
Jennifer
August 19, 2017 at 9:44 amHow odd. I’ve made the recipe at least 10 times & it’s never done that. You can certainly try putting it back on the stove. I’ll be posting a video by the end of the weekend on making the recipe.
Fernie
July 20, 2017 at 12:08 pmThis looks so yummy and GF that I am going to make it this week. I love lemons. And when my Colorado peaches get here I am going to make raw peach pie with your crust recipe. Thank You for the recipe.
Jennifer
July 20, 2017 at 3:10 pmI’m so glad! A raw peach pie sounds wonderful! Make sure to come back and let me know how it turned out 😊