A maple-sweetened almond flour crust is paired with a bright and tangy filling in this wow-worthy lemon tart. Although it’s a lightened up recipe, you’d never guess it!
I’ll never forget the first time I made this lemon tart. It was spring break, my kids were at home, and our babysitter was sick. It’s a long story, but it ends with my son flipping a slice of tart while helping me with the photos, which then landed upside down in the tart pan. So much for those photos! The good news was that his oopsie meant I had to make it again a few days later so we could enjoy this lemon tart twice in one week. It all worked out in the end!
3 Elements That Make This Lemon Tart a Standout
While lemon tarts are a common dessert, this lemon tart is anything but ordinary!
- Creamy, not curd-y. A lot of lemon tarts are made with lemon curd, but this filling has more in common with my key lime no-bake cheesecake. Not only does this make the filling creamier than a typical tart, it’s also a cinch to whip up.
- Lightened up, but still rich and creamy. Rather than combining cream cheese with heavy cream as is usually the case with no-bake fillings, I use half cream cheese, half yogurt. It makes this tart feel indulgent without being heavy.
- Naturally sweetened. I use maple syrup in both the filling and the crust, meaning we can skip the refined sugar altogether!
- Gluten-free crust. The almond flour crust is tender, nutty, and so much easier to make than the traditional pastry crust.
What You’ll Need
This lemon tart recipe is made with simple, wholesome ingredients. Scroll down to the recipe card for exact measurements.
For the Almond Crust:
- Almond flour – Be sure to use almond flour, not almond meal; almond flour is more finely ground.
- Coconut oil – Helps bind the crust instead of butter.
- Maple syrup – For natural sweetness. Honey would also work as an alternative.
- Ground cinnamon – Adds a little bit of warmth reminiscent of a graham cracker crust.
For the Lemon Filling:
- Cream cheese – Be sure to let this soften; if you don’t, you’ll get little unmixed bits of cream cheese in the filling.
- Plain Greek yogurt – This adds a tart flavor that plays so well with the lemon!
- Maple syrup – Again, you can swap in honey if you’d like.
- Lemon – You’ll need the juice and zest.
- Vanilla bean paste – For pretty flecks of vanilla bean, but more importantly, to add a mellow, creamy flavor to balance the bright lemon.
How to Make This Creamy Lemon Tart
This recipe comes together in two parts: the crust and the filling.
Make the Almond Crust:
- Mix the crust. In a small bowl, mix all of the crust ingredients until moistened and a little bit sticky.
- Form the crust. Press the mixture evenly into the bottom and up the sides of a springform tart pan coated with cooking spray. (Lightly oil your hands if it sticks.)
- Dock the crust. Use a fork to poke holes along the bottom and sides to prevent bubbling.
- Bake. Bake at 350ºF for 12–15 minutes, until lightly golden. Let the crust cool.
Make the Filling:
- Blend the filling. Use a hand mixer to blend the cream cheese, Greek yogurt, maple syrup, lemon juice, lemon zest, and vanilla bean paste in a mixing bowl until smooth and creamy.
- Assemble the tart. Pour the filling over the cooled crust and spread evenly with a spatula.
- Add toppings. If desired, top with fresh lemon slices and raspberries.
- Chill. Refrigerate the lemon tart for 1–2 hours, or until the filling is set.
Variation Ideas
If you want to switch up this lemon tart recipe, here are a few ideas.
- Use a traditional crust. Feel free to swap in your favorite pastry crust or graham cracker crust if you’d like.
- Try another citrus fruit. Meyer lemon would be fantastic when they’re in season, or try this recipe with lime juice and zest.
- Get creative with the toppings. Serve with a dollop of whipped cream, swap the raspberries for blueberries or strawberries, add candied lemons instead of fresh, or plate the tart with raspberry sauce.
Storage
Store this lemon tart covered in the fridge for up to 4 days, or keep smaller portions in an airtight container. Keep the tart chilled until you’re ready to serve it.
More Lemon Treats to Try
Creamy Lemon Tart with Almond Crust
- Prep Time: 1 hour
- Cook Time: 15 minutes
- Total Time: 1 hour 15 minutes
- Yield: 10 1x
- Category: Dessert, Gluten Free, Kid Friendly, Holiday
- Method: Oven
- Cuisine: American
Description
This creamy lemon tart is lightened up with Greek yogurt and naturally sweetened, but it tastes rich and indulgent. Perfect for parties!
Ingredients
For Almond Crust:
- 2 cups fine unblanched almond flour
- 1/3 cup coconut oil, melted
- 3 tablespoons maple syrup
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
For Filling:
- 8 oz softened cream cheese
- 1 cup plain greek yogurt
- 3 tablespoons maple syrup
- 2 1/2 tablespoons lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon vanilla bean paste
- 1 teaspoon lemon zest
Instructions
Almond Crust
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
- Spray a 10″ spring form tart pan with cooking spray.
- In a small bowl mix together almond flour, coconut oil, maple syrup and ground cinnamon. Mix until all the ingredients are combined and the mixture is somewhat sticky.
- Add almond crust mixture to the spring form pan. Spread the mixture out evenly along the bottom and up the sides. Pressing into the pan. (if the mixture sticks to your hands just add a little oil to your hands)
- Poke the crust with a fork all over the bottom and a few times on the sides. This will prevent the crust from bubbling up.
- Place pan in the oven and bake for 12-15 minutes, until the crust is lightly browned. Remove from oven and let cool.
Cheesecake Filling
- To a medium bowl add cream cheese, greek yogurt, maple syrup, lemon juice, lemon zest and vanilla bean paste.
- Using a hand mixer, blend until the mixture is smooth and there are no lumps.
- Pour the cheesecake mixture over the almond crust and evenly spread to cover the entire bottom with a spatula.
- Top the tart with slices of fresh lemon and fresh raspberries.
- Let chill and set for 1-2 hours. Serve.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 slice
- Calories: 294
- Sugar: 10 g
- Sodium: 102 mg
- Fat: 23 g
- Saturated Fat: 9 g
- Carbohydrates: 17 g
- Fiber: 3 g
- Protein: 9 g
- Cholesterol: 14 mg
17 comments on “Creamy Lemon Tart”
Dear Krista,
I was super excited to bake this delicious tart, but something went really wrong even though I followed all the steps as written and bought all the listed ingredients. The crust fell apart and got a bit burnt, and the cream was not thick enough, I couldn’t put it on top because it kept overflowing. Could you please help me find out what went wrong? I would love to try this again…
Hey Andrea, It’s hard to tell without being there. But if the crust fell apart I’d add a little bit more coconut oil so that it holds together better. And if your filling came out to liquidity I would use a little less yogurt (maybe 1/2 cup) so that you still get the thickness from the cream cheese.
This recipe is so easy, yet the result is delicious! Light and much healthier than traditional tarts. I’ll make this again and take a photo before it gets eaten up! My husband and daughter and I loved it.
awesome I’m so glad to hear that Melissa!
This recipe is just what I am looking for! We are celebrating our friend’s 70th birthday and I wanted to contribute the dessert. Our strawberries are going off right now, and this is the perfect complement. I have a question, how many does it serve? I want to make sure I bring enough (maybe need to make two). Thanks for your help and this lovely recipe.
Well it depends on how big you cut the pieces… wink wink. It should serve 12. So if it’s a larger party I’d make two of them.
This is such a gorgeous dessert!
A really delicious and easy to make tart! Me ,my family and our friends loved it!
This recipe is truly perfect! Thank you, Krista, for your efforts. I couldn’t stop eating the curd while waiting for the crust to bake. Luckily some still left)))
hahaha… I totally did the same thing!
This is such a pretty dessert! It’s perfect for the upcoming holidays, Easter and Mother’s Day!
Ooh these look amazing! Can’t wait to try these
This is such a stunning dessert! Saving it for Easter!
Thanks! Enjoy Alyss!
This will be so wonderful for our get together for Easter. I know everyone is going to love it!
Lemon desserts are just so perfect for spring! So light and delicious.
This looks amazing! But I was wondering if you can substitute vanilla extract for the paste?