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Total Time: 55 minutes★★★★★32 ReviewsJump to Recipe
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Perfectly sweet and perfectly tart, this Shortbread Lemon Tart Recipe tastes like the best lemon bars in pie form.
You guys – I almost failed. Back in January, I claimed 2016 as the Year of Pie. I’m a bit pie obsessed, so I thought it would be fun to post a new pie every month. And it has been fun. I’ve made all kinds of pies, and have even found a few new favorites. I posted a new pie every month, and even two in November.
But then December hit. And I almost forgot. After 11 months, I almost failed on the 12th month. I was sitting down, going through my schedule, when I realized that I didn’t even schedule a pie for December. Oops.
So I went through my growing list of recipes that I wanted to try, and came across an eggnog pie that I’ve had bookmarked for some time now. I knew that it was late in the month, and that you all would probably be over Christmas recipes by this point, but I wanted to try it anyway. So I made it. It was at night, and in the middle of getting kids ready for bed. I made the filling, and put it in the refrigerator to cool while I put the kids to sleep. When I went to clean up the kitchen later, I noticed the bowl of gelatin on the counter that I was supposed to put in the filling. Big mistake.
So I decided to give it another try. I had enough ingredients, so I whipped up the filling again. And this time, I remembered the gelatin. It was getting late, so I put it into the fridge to cool. And then totally forgot about it. Until the next morning. At this point, the filling was too set up to actually put into the pie crust and make it work. Fail #2.
I’m not a quitter, and I really wanted to try to make this recipe work, so I set to try it for a third time. This time, I didn’t forget any ingredients. I didn’t forget to assemble the pie. But it was ugly. Like really ugly. And I know it’s not all about looks, but it was ugly. I had already decided not to post the pie, and when I sliced into it and took that first bite, I knew it was the right decision, because it wasn’t even good. After 3 attempts, the pie didn’t even taste good.
Good thing I knew that this Shortbread Lemon Tart Recipe was good. I actually made this back for Thanksgiving, with full intentions to photograph it and post it then. But then on Thanksgiving, I decided that I wanted to take the day off – no photographing, no working. So that’s what I did.
When the eggnog pie didn’t work out, I knew I had to make this lemon tart again.
If you are a fan of lemon bars, you will absolutely adore this tart. It tastes just like your favorite lemon bars, but in tart form. This is simple enough for a weekend dessert at home, but sophisticated enough for a holiday dessert. And I couldn’t keep my fork away. I could seriously sit and eat this whole tart myself – that’s how much I love it.
And there you are – 12 months of pie love. This has been so fun, and believe me – just because the year of pie is ending doesn’t mean that there won’t be more pies. I’m a true addict so there will definitely be more!!
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Shortbread Lemon Tart Recipe
- Author: Deborah
- Prep Time: 20 mins
- Cook Time: 35 mins
- Total Time: 55 minutes
- Yield: 10-12 servings 1x
- Category: Dessert
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Description
Perfectly sweet and perfectly tart, this Shortbread Lemon Tart Recipe tastes like the best lemon bars in pie form.
Scale
Ingredients
Lemon Filling:
- 4 large eggs
- 1/3 cup fresh lemon juice
- 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
- 1 tablespoon lemon zest
- 1 tablespoon orange zest
- 1/3 cup butter, melted
- powdered sugar, for topping
Shortbread Crust:
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1/2 cup powdered sugar
- 3/4 cup cold butter, cut into cubes
Instructions
Preheat the oven to 350ºF.
In a blender, combine the eggs, lemon juice, granulated sugar, lemon zest and orange zest. Process on high until smooth. Add the butter, replace the cover, and blend again on high until smooth. Set aside.
In a food processor, combine the flour and powdered sugar. Pulse a few times to combine. Add the butter and continue to pulse until the mixture looks sandy and the butter is fully incorporated into the flour and sugar.
Place an 11-inch tart pan on a baking sheet. Pour the crust mixture into the pan. Press the mixture firmly and evenly into the bottom and up the sides of the pan.
Pour the filing into the crust, then transfer the tart into the oven. Bake until the center is almost set, 30-35 minutes.
Cool the tart completely. When ready to serve, sprinkle powdered sugar over the top and cut into slices.
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Meet Deborah
Welcome to Taste and Tell. Here you will find easy, fast and family friendly recipes. I am a believer that anyone can cook and that dinner doesn’t have to be complicated. Come join me in my kitchen! Read More
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Comments
Jeanne says
This is so good I’ve made it twice this month! It’s perfection!!
By any chance have you ever made this with key limes? Would I just substitute the key limes for the lemons but keep the orange rind in?★★★★★
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Deborah says
I have never tried lime, but I think it sounds wonderful! You could either do all lime, or for some contrast, add in the orange as well. I’m so glad you’ve enjoyed the recipe!
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Judith says
Can leftover be frozen?
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Deborah says
Hi Judith, I have actually not tried freezing this tart, so I’m not sure how it would do. I’m guessing that it will freeze just fine, though.
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josie says
so easy it seemed too good to be true! loved this recipe. i wish i’d known it was for an 11-inch tart pan (not a 9-inch) before i started, but that was my mistake — either way, currently waiting for little muffin-sized tarts in the oven right now with the leftover batter and crust 🙂
★★★★★
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Anne says
I made this last night. I am a very experienced baker and the crust did not come together for some reason. I followed the recipe exactly. I added an egg yolk and it came together beautifully. The tart was EXCELLENT. Beautiful pure lemon flavour and perfect consistency. Will definitely make it again, with the added egg yolk.
★★★★★
Don man says
it so good
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Catherine says
This tasted good but the proportions seemed off. 2 cups of flour was way too much flour so I had to transfer that mixture to a different dish. The food processor method did not work for me so I switched the flour/butter to a pastry cutter but it seemed dry still. The liquid (lemon mixture) was also way too much for my tart pan. I had to cook it for 10-12 minutes longer than the recipe suggested. Everyone liked it but next time I would use more butter and may a little cold water in the dough and cut the flour down to 1.25 cups and I would use 2 eggs plus 2 egg yolks (instead of 4 eggs). I would also use less sugar, maybe 1 cup instead of 1.5 cups but that is a personal preference.
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Steph says
This recipe is fantastic and I will definitely make again!
Only change I made was to crust prep, I cut in softened butter with a pastry cutter, pressed into a pan and then refrigerated for a bit before pouring in the filling. Didn’t feel like dirtying the food processor.
★★★★★
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Jennifer says
Hi there ! I just tried this recipe and I’m excited to dig in ! If I made it to serve the next day, do I store it in the fridge ? Does it have to be sealed ? Thank you !
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IL says
I made this recipe once and like many comments the top turned brown but was very delicious. Please tell me did you use one packet of gelatin and what did you do with it? did you dissolve it in water and if so how much water did you use or did you just throw it into the mix? did you also cook the crust before putting the curd into it? if so for how long?
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Kari Stinton says
Yum! A definite keeper. I cooked for approx 5 minutes more and it was delish! Thank you.
★★★★★
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Darina Van says
I wanted to love this recipe since the ingredients were very simple and the process seemed straight forward. Unfortunately, this recipe didn’t turn out well for me. The crust was dry and thick. The filling baked with a crispy top and brown bubbles on the top. The filling was way too sugary (which I suspected would be the case when I was putting all the ingredients together). The sugar overwhelmed the entire dessert. I follow the recipe to the tee based on the glowing reviews. Sadly, I just wasted a bunch of ingredients on this!
★
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Charisa Lakin says
I absolutely love this tart. And it’s super easy to make.
★★★★★
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Ann Sullivan says
Can you use a regular deep pie dish ?
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Deborah says
I haven’t tried it myself, but a few commenters have and it has worked for them. (One made it in 2 pie dishes, the other just baked it longer.)
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Donna says
I’m a lemon fanatic and like to try out lemon recipes. I came across this one after making a similar tart a few weeks ago. LOVE this recipe – it is perfection! Since I really like tart desserts I reduced the sugar a bit, added extra lemon zest, and added a hefty pinch of salt to both the crust and the filling.
It set up perfectly and easily released from a common removable-bottom round tart pan. This is now my favorite lemon tart recipe!
Thanks Deborah! I’ll post a picture on Instagram and tag you★★★★★
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Jules says
FYI the filling does set up once you give it some time! I did add some corn starch though because I saw other people were concerned about it. I also had to add more butter to the crust. I used 2 sticks total. This might be because I used a pastry cutter not a food processor. Hope these tips help! Thanks for the recipe—it was delish!
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Holly Gregory says
Perfect pie every time! I have had to adjust the recipe to be dairy free and have used both ghee and margarine – didn’t affect the pie at all. Although I do think butter tastes best, we have a lactose intolerant family member who adores this pie.
My pie always browns slightly on top, it doesn’t set well if removed from oven too early and I often have to bake it at least 5 minutes longer than what’s called for. I just put lots of powdered sugar over it and it’s fine.
For the crust I place a piece of wax paper over the crust mix and use a very small Pyrex storage bowl to press it down. I use a pie plate since I don’t have a tart pan – could also be why mine needs to bake a little longer.
Hands down my favorite dessert recipe- and my family’s!
★★★★★
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Suzanne Neas says
My daughter made this for Easter dinner yesterday….absolutely awesome. I’ve copied it to my Pinterest and saving it for our next church event when we finally come out after this!
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Elizabeth A Weintraub says
I was a tad hesitant to make this recipe since some of the reviewers seemed to have difficulty; however, don’t let those comments stop you from making this fabulous lemon tart. Also, I do not own a food processor, so I was worried the crust would not turn out right. Well, one thing I recall from my 9th grade HomeEc classes is you’ve to keep your butter really cold and you should cut it into the flour. Nobody uses knives anymore like I learned how to do, apparently, but I do have a pastry blender. The way I altered the recipe to work with what I had was to cut the butter into cubes and put it back into the frig while I worked on everything else. Then I put the flour and powdered sugar into my KitchenAid mixer and turned it on low to mix. I added the cubes rather quickly but basically dropped then one by one into the flour / sugar mixture with the mixer on medium. Once all the butter cubes were in the bowl and mixing up (using the beater with all the wires), I turned it on high and kept watching it to make sure it didn’t turn into paste at higher speeds. It didn’t. And it turned out beautifully!!!!!! I am so thrilled. Thank you for posting this recipe.
★★★★★
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REHR says
Loved this lemon tart, it was just as described. My baking dish was a little smaller than the 11″ so I had to cook the tart an additional 5 min, It is simply delicious. I believe we have just started a new Easter tradition. Thank you.
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Choi Hazel says
Hi I was wondering if, is it possible to put the dough on the upside down cupcake tray and make it in mini lemon tarts by filling it and baking it after.
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Deborah says
I don’t think this crust recipe would work that way. Might be better to find a different crust recipe.
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MaryAnn A says
Made this yesterday. Followed the recipe exactly. While cooking, the top got very dark brown and formed a skin across the whole lemon part. I was able to easily remove it. But the lemon looked like it had almost curds like cottage cheese. The butter was liquid but wasn’t warm when I mixed it with the egg mixture, so it didn’t cook the eggs. Maybe the sugar wasn’t fully dissolved? It still tasted great, so I’m going to try making it again.
★★★★★
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Monica says
Does anyone know if I can double this and bake in a 9×13 pan?
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Joey says
I just doubled this recipe into a tart pan and 9inch pie plate. The tart pan was glass and it came out prettier but both taste lemony….so good!
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Lucy Sim Conway says
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Linda R. says
Made this for Memorial Day and it was a big hit! Followed the recipe exactly and it came out perfect.
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Holly Gregory says
I made this Lemon Tart for Easter dinner and it was a huge hit! I had to make mine Lactose-free though so I substituted Ghee for the butter and had no problems with consistency or taste. I also had to bake mine about 15 minutes longer to get it to set, it was browning on top so I just loosely tented a piece of foil over it and that did the trick.
This will become a new tradition for our family for Easter!★★★★★
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Deborah says
I am so glad to be a new part of your Easter traditions! 😉
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Bonnie says
This came out really well. I don’t have an 11 inch tart pan, so I made do with 2 pie plates. The ratio of crust to filling was still good! Cooked for the full 30 minutes exactly and filling was perfect. Covered with foil about half way through cook time.
★★★★★
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Tewwy says
Thee.absolute.best.tart.ever. So easy but soooooooooo amazing😋😋😋
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Iris Lynn Friesen says
This is excellent! So easy and delicious, My husband squeezed the lemons for me but he REALLY squeezed them and there was a lot of lemon pulp in the juice. It was/is the best lemon tart I’ve ever had!
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Deborah says
I’m so glad you loved it!
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Erin says
I made this yesterday and it came out amazing! I followed all directions exactly, except I used a 10-inch springform pan since I don’t have a tart pan. I ended up cooking my tart for around 37-38 minutes. At 30 minutes, it was really wobbly in the center. At 35, it had firmed up a little, but still too wobbly. A few more minutes and it was perfect. It might have been my oven, or maybe the pan I used. If yours isn’t done at 30 minutes, don’t be afraid to cook a little longer 🙂
★★★★★
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Deborah says
I’m so glad you made it and loved it!
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Julia says
The crust ingredients “like sand” are REALLY powdery – You really have to press into the pan as hard as possible. Also, I felt that for our family, there was a little more crust thickness compared to lemon filling. The filling is really delicious – tart and tangy. As others have said, I got a few bubbles on the top that browned a little bit, but it didn’t matter once the powdered sugar was added later.
★★★★
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Maryam Darjazi says
How can I incorporate blueberries into this tart? mix it with the filling or drop them on top of the filling before baking?
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Joanne says
My daughter made this in four mini tart pans and it came out perfectly. The Birthday Boy was thrilled!
★★★★★
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Cynthia says
Love.. love.. love this perfect and easiest lemon tart ever!!! Just baked! Thank for the recipe 🍋🍋🍋
★★★★★
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Deborah says
I do love this one so much – I’m so glad you loved it, too!
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Margaret says
Made this exactly as directed but was a bit concerned because I only had a mini food processor for the crust. Lesson learned – trust the recipe because it turned out perfectly! Will be saving this recipe for sure. My curd was quite dark as I used free range eggs. Thank you Deborah!
★★★★★
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Felysia says
So good! Just made this last night and will definitely come back to it again. Next time I think I will use a tad more lemon juice/zest and a little less sugar. I like my lemon treats to be a bit more sour than this turned out. Still delicious!
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Deborah says
I’m so glad you loved it!
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Lisa says
I just made this, and it’s amazing! This recipe is a keeper! Just the right amount of lemon/ tanginess/ sweetness. And it’s quick and easy. I’m taking this everywhere I go! I used a glass tart dish. Worked perfect. It was easy to cut and serve.★★★★★
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KiwiCat says
WOW – I was looking for a lemon tart that didn’t have too many eggs, too much sugar or butter and came across yours. Since I already had sweet, shortcrust pastry in the fridge, I decided to use it up. The lemon mixture was the quickest, easiest, yummiest lemon anything I have ever tasted!! I cooked the pastry for about 5 minutes before I took it out of the oven and filled with the lemon. I have no idea how long I cooked it, but wasn’t long and just watched it till it browned and I felt the topping to make sure it didn’t wobble too much. This is a winner for sure!! I have bookmarked the recipe and am going to pass it on. Thank you from New Zealand. Oh btw, somebody mentioned converting the measurements – I just used what you had here but with our measurements. e.g. 1/3c melted butter in America might be slightly less or slightly more than ours but all measurements together work like a dream.★★★★★
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Monalisa Abuere says
the color is amazing… I love Lemon tart. ^_^
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Elaine says
The amount of yellow in this recipe is mesmerizing! Must bean unbelievable delicious tart! Thank you so much for sharing the recipe Deborah!
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shealeigh says
The tart tastes delicious and the baking process was a treat! The lemon + orange zest smell so amazing.
My only issue is that mine came out so oily from all the butter. There were pools of butter as I brought it out of the oven and I baked it exactly 30 minutes, with the center almost slightly done (as per the instructions) but it was slightly browned and a bit crisp on top…
The only thing I didn’t do was use a blender (I don’t have one) so I whisked the batter until smooth; maybe this led to the butter not being incorporated enough? I used 1/3 cup of melted butter just like the recipe indicates. Has anyone else had luck with using less butter or altering the recipe slightly?★★★★
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Nickole says
As others said was super simple and its cooling now. I love the taste of the curd but will it firm up when cooled down? Cause taking it out of oven it was still quiet loose. Thanks! Hopes okay as made it for Hubby’s birthday tonight★★★★
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Julie Ann says
I’ve made this a few times and always turns out great! Everyone loves it. It was so easy making the curd in a blender, great idea. Last time I made them in individual tart pans (3″ size) I had enough crust for 7 and filling for 6, cut the cooking time down to 25 minutes. A huge hit! Thank You★★★★★
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Stuti says
How can I make smaller tarts with this recipe ?
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Sarah of Lawlor says
I just found your blog and I’m sad I missed the year of pies! I’ve got some catching up to do! This one looks ahmazing and I’m trying it tonight. My 6 year old has been begging me to make a pie and I’ve wanted lemon bars so I’m thinking this is a good compromise.
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Lola says
Was invited to a friend’s house for Easter dinner. Followed recipe, was so easy to make. And received lots of oohs and aahs at party! Was excellent, the right about of tartness to sweetness. The crust was delicious.
Thank yo!
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Deborah says
I’m so glad it was a hit!
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Kim says
How much does this pie serve?
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Caeli says
Hi! This looks wonderful and I plan on making it for Easter! I was just wondering why you cook the curd in the oven instead of pre-baking the crust and doing the curd on the stovetop?★★★★★
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Tara says
Do you think this would work with a premade pie crust and then sprinkling powdered sugar on top?
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M shehadah says
Hello! Do these have to be refridgerated afterwards?
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Deborah says
I did keep it in the refrigerator.
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ANGELA says
Just made this tart and it is just cooling down. Smells amazing! Just wanted to know if anyone else’s filling bubbled and if it created a crispy top? Not sure what is happening underneath yet as I haven’t cut I to it.★★★★
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Mitch says
Yeah I had this too. The taste was great though, it did not ruin anything except the look. It was a pain converting the American weights and stuff, but after eating I can say that it was definitely worth it!★★★★
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MaryAnn says
I’m making it now and 10-15 minutes into cooking I have brown crunchy looking spots on top. I’m at normal elevation and followed the recipe exactly. I have the tart pan on the rack just below middle, as middle rack in my oven causes oven causes the top to be done before the bottom on things. So it’s on the 2nd from the bottom rack. We’ll see how it turns out.
★★★★
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Latona says
We made your tart tonight. It was easy, beautiful, and tasted scrumptious. My entire family loved it. Thank you.★★★★★
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Sara says
I’ve tried this recipe over and over again but it doesn’t work out. The filling stays raw. There is too much butter. It doesn’t cook properly. What can I do?
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Deborah says
Hi Sara, I’m not sure why it’s not setting up properly for you. I’ve made this several times and haven’t had an issue with the filling setting up. You’re just using the 1/3 cup of butter for the filling, correct? I’m not even sure what could be causing it to not set up. I’m sorry!
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Shea says
I followed the directions exactly as well and it did not set up for me either.
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Cyndie says
What a great recipe! I was looking for something fruity and summery to make for the adults at my daughter’s bday party (the kids had a chocolate chip cookie cake) and this was a huge hit with everyone. My sister in law liked it so much that I made it the next week at her request for her bday celebration!
Both times it came out beautifully, especially the filling, but I did a better job the second time around with the crust. You really need to press it down hard, and make sure to press extra hard around the outside edges and up the sides.
I’m
Not sure why some people had trouble. Maybe climate or altitude makes a difference. It was simple to make with my nonstick 11” tart pan, blender, and food processor. It was done in 30 minutes, and even though it didn’t look slightly underdone in the center like the directions said, the filling was set perfectly. This will be made many times!★★★★★
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Deborah says
I’m so glad it was a hit and that you even made it twice!
Pugliese says
These look unreal!! Love the way these sound.★★★★★
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Monica says
This recipe is awesome. So quick and easy to make. I even missed the part about adding the butter later to the blender and ended up blending it with the other ingredients. I used mini tart pans. The pastry looks like very light fine sand and it’s very easy pressing it into the pans and comes out beautifully later (doesn’t get stuck). I had to bake them for around 20 minutes or so. For those who have trouble with it setting try baking it without the baking sheet below or else bake it for longer. Or try baking it in smaller tart pans. This was absolutely delicious. Hubby loved it too. And the quantity was so much that I have 4 mini tarts in the freezer. Will see how they did with freezing. Thanks for the yummy recipe!
★★★★★
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