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
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!
Finally I decided to make this tart and I have no idea what took me so long. Maybe the patience part intimidated me a little.
It turn out delicious! I used butter for the crust since I’m not a fan of coconut oil on too many things. I didn’t have a non stick pan so I used a very well buttered glass pie and I’d got stuck anyways, I’m not sure now if it’s crumbling because of the butter or the pan! Also the curd it’s not the pretty pale yellow color you have on the picture but more orange, but the flavor was amazing!!!!!
Thank you.
Great to hear you enjoyed the flavor of the tart!
Hey ! I just find this recipe and tried it. My curd was so oily and when I strained it , the oil got separated from the curd so i was straining the oil. Do you have any suggestions on how to make it better ? Thank youu
When you stirred the curd did the oil incorporate back into it? I haven’t had this happen to me so I’ll need a few more details from you! Did you make any changes to the ingredients or the directions? Did you use coconut oil or sub a different oil? Did you use large eggs? The more detailed info you provide the better chance I can help you figure out what went wrong.
I didn’t substitute any ingredients and used large eggs but the oil stayed separated when i stirred the curd. Yesterday i made these again but i only used 2 tbsp of oil for the curd and it turned out perfect. Thank you for the recipe my family loved it !
Hi! Just wondering if I can use egg substitute for this. Thanks!
I haven’t tried it with an egg substitute so I’m not sure. If you decide to test it out I’d love to hear how it turned out!
Will do 🙂
Per 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?
Glad 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.
Wow 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
I 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
I 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.
My third making it as we speak. Lovely recipe! Thank you!
Can I use frozen fruit?
You should be able to use frozen fruit to garnish the top of the tart.
This 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!
Hi 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!!
This 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?
Sorry 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!
Hi, 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
Hello! My husband is allergic to nuts. Coconut is ok. What is the best flower to switch to and yet maintain the paleo? Thanks!
Thanks 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/
Hey! 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?
Thanks 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.
That was the plan! Thanks so much for the advice! I’m excited to work on it today and tomorrow!
Great! Hope you enjoy it!!
I 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.
Hello! 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!!
Hi Kellyann, you can certainly fill the crust with store bought lemon curd! Hope you enjoy!
Hi! 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!
Hi 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!
These 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!
You’ve just made my day Casie! So glad to hear that he likes it!
LOVED 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!
Hi 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!
how. would you adapt the proportions for a regular round 8 or 9 inch tart pan?
Hi 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 =)
Hello, 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?
Hi 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!
Great 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!
I’m so happy that you tried the recipe and enjoyed it!! Thanks so much for stopping by and sharing with us your results =)
Is 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!
Hi 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
I 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.
Hey 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!
Hi! I made my crust. And it seems a bit soft. But it’s golden brown. Should the crust be softer or more crisp?
Hi Alexis! The crust is going to be on the softer side. If it’s golden brown I would take it out of the oven.
Help 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.
Hi 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.
So 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
How 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.
This 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.
I’m so glad! A raw peach pie sounds wonderful! Make sure to come back and let me know how it turned out 😊