Oh, this lemon cream tart is something else! I think of it as a cross between a lemon meringue pie and a cream tart. It has the punch of the fresh lemons, but that punch is mellowed out so much with the cream.
This is a tart pie, don’t get me wrong, it’s just not as punchy as a pure lemon tart. It has a smooth lemon flavor that balances nicely with a dollop of fresh whipped cream.
As always this dessert is sugar-free, low carb, keto and ta-da: gluten-free. We have lots of bases covered here. At only 5.3 net carbs per slice, it makes for a nice occasional treat for when you want something sweet.
You could make this recipe dairy-free by using coconut cream, and coconut oil in place of the cream and butter, but I am going to tell you that it will change the flavor significantly. I don’t recommend it, but by all means, if you do try it with coconut milk and coconut oil, I would love it if you left a comment to tell us about your cooking adventure.
A lemon tart for an afternoon tea
This is a rich dessert, but not too rich. It has a dash of heavy cream and more than a bit of butter, but a small piece will do ya. The tartness makes it one of those desserts where a small piece will satisfy. Perfect with a spot of tea on a Sunday afternoon.
If you like lemon, lemon curd, lemon pie and everything else lemon I am sure you will love these. When this tart sets, it ends up being quite creamy and dreamy, with a really nice mouthfeel.
The crust is pretty amazing too, flakey buttery, and all things a crust should be. The crust also marries very well with this particular tart filling.
A bit about the flakey crust
So this crust works very well, but it does have the tendency to stick. I failed my first attempt precisely due to sticking. On my second attempt, I added a bit of parchment paper to the bottom and that problem was easily fixed, no more sticking.
This is a great pie shell to make in advance, too. It stores well pre-baked and stored in the fridge until you are ready to fill. You could also make tarts, or extra shells and place them uncooked into the freezer.
This tart is flakey, buttery, and does not get soggy. I am sure if you poured in a very wet filling, it would soak it up, the same as a pie crust, but with a pre-cooled filling, you should be good to go.
You can also make this as a savory crust by simply eliminating the sugar replacement and adding some herbs, spices, and a dash of salt.
A word about fresh lemons
Don’t even consider using bottled lemon juice for this recipe. That stuff is horrible (personal preference). It’s so incredibly sour, tart and bitter that it will absolutely ruin this tart. Fresh lemons have such a better flavour, so do yourself a favour and grab a few.
The other thing about fresh lemons is they range wildly with how tart and sweet they can be. You may need to add a touch more sweetener if your lemons are particularly sour.
A bit about the creamy lemon curd
So this lemon curd recipe has a touch of cream. This may sound like pure blasphemy to anyone who is a true lemon curd purist.
I like the addition of the cream! The cream mellows out the lemons and lets the flavour shine through.
This curd is still slightly tart and sour but it’s smoother, the addition of the cream really changes up the flavour in the most wonderful way.
If you want to skip the cream, you can omit it, and add a 1/4 cup of water instead of the 1/4 cup of cream.
what are the best sweeteners for this recipe?
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Use your favorite 1:1 sugar substitute.
Powered is preferred over granular, as it blends better and has a nicer texture. Erythritol and xylitol also tend to get grainy when cold, but I found the powdered versions to do it much less.
If you don’t have powdered erythritol or xylitol and only have granular, go ahead and give it a blast with a high-speed blender, or food processor. My favorite powdered sweetener by far is So Nourished Monk Fruit Blend, I find it has almost no aftertaste at all.
Swerve and stevia will work perfectly fine here as well as does any powdered erythritol or xylitol brand.
Just remember, xylitol is poisonous to dogs and cats, so if that’s your choice and you have little furry friends running around, be aware that it can be deadly for them.
How I got that pattern on the top of my lemon cream tart
I used a simple stencil and sprinkled over some powdered erythritol.
It makes for a pretty presentation, but boy did it also make a mess. You can pick up all kinds of stencils online, or if you’re lucky enough to have (or know someone who has) a Cricut or Silhouette you could make your own.
Another quick way to add some whimsy to the top of a pretty boring lemon tart is to add strips of paper across the tart, sprinkle the powdered erythritol, and remove the paper. Instant stripes!
If you want to stencil the top with powdered sweetener, I would advise doing that just before you serve the tart. The powdered sweetener tends to crystallize in the fridge, and the top of your lemon tart will be very sweet and crispy. It’s not a mouthfeel you want with this dessert. You want that powdered sweetener to melt in your mouth along with the creamy filling.
Storage and shelf life for your lemon cream tart
Eat this one the day you make it. It does last in the fridge for a few days, but after a day or two in the fridge, the erythritol crystals start to crystallize. If you use powdered erythritol instead of granular, you will be able to store your lemon tart longer.
This would be a fantastic dessert to serve cold after a spicy summer BBQ. That lemon is totally refreshing and a small piece will satisfy after a heavy meal.
Oh and it’s also great for breakfast, brunch, lunch and afternoon coffee break – you know, whenever.
Looking for more pie and tart recipes?
Lemon Cream Tart - It's So Good! (Low Carb & Keto)
A creamy lemon curd tart bursting with tartness and flakey buttery almond pastry crust. This dessert is low carb, sugar-free, gluten-free and keto-friendly.
Ingredients
Almond Crust
- 2 cups almond flour
- 3 Tbsp coconut flour
- 4 Tbsp unsalted melted butter
- 1 large egg
- 4 Tbsp powdered erythritol
Lemon Tart Filling
- 4 large eggs
- 4 large egg yolks
- 1 cup of lemon juice (fresh)
- 1/4 cup heavy cream
- 1 cup of butter cubed
- [1 1/4 cups powdered erythritol (test your lemons if they are very tart, add more sweetener)
Instructions
Almond Tart Crust
- Preheat oven to 350F
- Blend almond flour, coconut flour, powdered erythritol, and melted butter in a food processor.
- Add 1 egg and blend until the mixture starts to pull away from the side of the food processor bowl.
- You may need to add a Tbsp of water, depending on the dryness of your almond flour. If the mixture is not coming together, add the water.
- Form the tart crust into a disc and place it in the fridge for about 30 minutes. This makes it easier to handle.
- Roll out the dough between two sheets of parchment paper, adding a touch more almond flour if it starts to stick.
- Spread the tart dough out in your tart pan ( 9 inch round, 8-inch square, or 4.5x 14 rectangle) making sure to press into the side of the pan, and cover any holes that form while you're pressing. This takes a bit of patience, just keep pressing and spreading until your tart crust is spread evenly with no breaks.
- Pierce the crust with a fork and bake for 10-12 minutes until golden. Keep an eye out because almond flour tends to darken very quickly.
- Let the crust cool.
Lemon Filling
- Pour an inch of water into the bottom of a medium-sized saucepan and heat to a low simmer.
- Add eggs, egg yolks, lemon juice, powdered erythritol, and heavy cream into a separate heat-safe bowl.
- Place the bowl over the pot of simmering water and cook until the mixture coats the back of a spoon. This can take up to 15 minutes. Use a whisk and stir constantly while cooking to avoid burning.
- Once the mixture thickens, add the butter in cubes one at a time and whisk until fully melted.
- Add the filling to the cooled tart crust.
- Cool the dessert to room temperature.
Notes
Nutritional information for the recipe is provided as a courtesy and is approximate only. We cannot guarantee the accuracy of the nutritional information given for any recipe on this site. Erythritol carbs (and sugar alcohols) are not included in carb counts as it has been shown not to impact blood sugar. Net carbs are the total carbs minus fibre.
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Nutrition Information:
Yield: 12 Serving Size: 1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 354Total Fat: 34.1gSaturated Fat: 15gTrans Fat: 1gUnsaturated Fat: 20gCholesterol: 197mgSodium: 225mgCarbohydrates: 7.5gNet Carbohydrates: 4.7gFiber: 2.8gSugar: 1.4gProtein: 8.2g
If you add vegetable glycerin to the filling (or any other filling or sauce made with erythritol) it will keep the filling smooth and the erythritol will not re-crystallize. About a tablespoon for most recipes.
Hi Mary, I’ve tried glycerin myself with mixed results. Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn’t and I am sure it is based off % of total erythritol in the recipe by volume of the total recipe (which I have not figured out despite many tests).
While I was experimenting I found the addition of glycerin in some recipes made them gummy, or slimy. Not always, but enough that experimenting with it was ruining too many recipe attempts so I stopped working with it. On one hand, it did stop the crystallization but on the other, it often changed up the texture of the final product too much.
But, it is absolutely worth a try – especially one like this where the texture is like curd or pudding. I’ll try your recommendation of 1 TBS the next time I make this tart and add my results to the post.
Thanks for the comment!
Laura, this looks amazing! I’ve never met a dessert with lemon in that I didn’t love so I have to try this. As an alternative to sugar, I’ve been using Truvia and it’s taken me a while to figure out how to adapt “normal” recipes, it’s definitely a learning curve, but I’m getting there 🙂 I’m still new to low carb and trying to understand it really, it isn’t at all what I’d imagined and I’m so happy I can still make treats like this and stay low carb. I hope you don’t mind, but I’ve pinned this to my recipe board on Pinterest, I hope that’s ok? Thank you for sharing, sending hugs x
Hey Rosie, thanks for the pin, and the comment! I tend to fall into the camp that believes that having access to a little low carb treat now and then is better than falling victim to those office donuts. I hope you like the tart!
Hi there-
This looks amazing and I can’t wait to make it- I have a real rookie question- the tart crust is the only thing that is baked, correct? The filling simply cools and then it’s done and ready for what goes on top right?
Thanks in advance!
Kati
Hi Kay, you got it right. The crust gets baked and cooled. The filling is added to the cooled crust. Cheers!
Thank you so much for answering that question! I am also a novice when it comes to baking and I had read all the directions through a few times which I tend to do with new recipes and usually again before I go to make it like today. I read this and my next thought was okay how long does it bake after you put the filling in? I’m just so used to putting things in the oven. But I get it now the eggs cook in the bowl over the steam. One question I have is should the water touch the bottom of the bowl or is it just the steam that’s heating it?
Hi Leanne, I always just let the steam warm the bottom and go from there. You want to cook the filling slowly, so it doesn’t goop up, or create overcooked chunks in your filling. I hope you enjoy it!
Hi! How do we store this long term? Fridge? Room temp? Thanks!
Hi Ginny, the last paragraph in all my posts talk about storage, freezing, and serving. For this one, you will need to eat it the same day you make it. It’s best that the first day. If you store it in the fridge the lemon filling (and if you put the powdered sugar on top) will crystallize. This recipe was one of my first ones and one that I created before I was introduced to Allulose. If you make this recipe you can sub out the erythritol or xylitol for Allulose the lemon tart can be stored in the fridge without the crystallization of the filling. Cheers!
Hi Laura, do you know if it would work to substitute coconut milk ( from a can…not the thinner stuff from the refrigerated section) for the heavy cream?
Hi Shannon, yes, canned coconut milk can replace the heavy cream, it will slightly alter the flavor, but personally I love coconut and lemon together! Cheers.
Made this today for Easter and turned out lovely. Did everything to the recipe. The crust was amazing! But the pudding filling. Ooooh!
Will try next time adding some desiccated coconut as I think it would go really nice. Pinned and saved. Thank you
Question, you don’t melt the butter first when making the crust?
Hi MJ, yes you used melted butter. I updated the recipe card to make that clearer. Cheers!
Thank you! I made it last night and it was delicious. Did not miss my usual recipe which uses a lot of sugar
Oh, I am SO happy you liked it MJ, thanks so much for leaving a comment!
Hi
I would love to try this recipe as lemon tarts are a favorite. In the comments you said Allulose could be substituted. Is this something you would recommend? Would it be the exact same amount? By using Allulose would this recipe be ok to make the night before eating the next day?
Thanks
Lisa
Hi Lisa. When I first made this recipe, I could not get my hands on Alulose up here in here Canada, since then I have made this recipe with allulose and I find it is far better! If you make it with allulose you can substitute it 1:1 in this recipe, and yes you can make it the night before. No crystallization with the allulose in the filling even with refrigeration. If you decide to add the powdered sugar topping, that will crystalize further in the fridge, so I recommend leaving it off or dusting it prior to serving. Cheers!
So happy I found this recipe as I have a bumper crop of lemons on my two trees! This is the perfect recipe to showcase my lemons. The variety I grow is called Lemon Drop and they are sweeter and less bitter than store bought. I’ll end up freezing some of the juice for the summer months so will be able to serve this wonderful tart next summer. Thanks for a lovely recipe. Definitely checking out your other recipes now!
SO jealous about your lemon tree! I wish we had the climate to grow lemons and limes. I am so glad you liked the tart. Freezing the lemon juice is such a great idea. I do that in the spring when I can get Myers lemons. the less bitter the lemons the better the lemon filling. Thanks for leaving such a thoughtful comment too, totally appreciated.
I’m definitely a newbie and not much of a baker/dessert maker . My question is…can I substitute half n half for the heavy cream ? My daughter made this for her church group and everyone loved it . So I can’t wait to try it …
Thanks, Sandy
Hi Sandy, yes in this recipe you can replace the heavy cream with half n half if you want. So glad to hear your daughter’s church group liked this recipe, it’s one of my personal favorites so that always makes my day to hear others enjoyed it too. Cheers!
Hi Laura, love this recipe, just wondering can you substitute the almond flour with just coconut flour? It’s all I have in my cupboard at the moment.
Best,
Chanel
Hi Chanel, swapping out almond flour for coconut flour isn’t as straight up as it seems the liquid ratio needs to be changed as well. Instead of using this almond crust recipe, you could use an all coconut crust like in this recipe https://sugarfreesprinkles.com/fresh-fruit-custard-tarts/ . Cheers!
I saw this recipe on Pinterest, and just made it; it’s out on the counter cooling. I haven’t sampled the crust, but the filling is absolutely delicious! I added a bit of grated lemon peel (just because, well, it’s lemon). For anyone who doesn’t have a double boiler, I used my microwave at 40% power, whisking every 30 seconds until the mixture thickened. It works great. Thank you so much for a wonderful Spring/Easter dessert!
Josie
Hi Josie, thank you so much for the wonderful comment, I am so glad you enjoyed the filling, I hope you like the crust! I also really appreciate you leaving the comment about the microwave. I know readers appreciate those kinds of tips!
Hello! This looks delicious and I can’t wait to make it. I have a question…is the 1 cup cubed butter in the filling salted or unsalted butter?
Thanks in advance!
Hi Maria, it’s unsalted. But I am going to tell you that if you only have salted to use it, the little bit of salt that might be in the butter will not alter the filling significantly. Considering some of the replacements readers use, this one is a minor one. I will adjust the recipe though to make it clearer. Cheers and I hope you enjoy the tart!
I made this today, followed the recipe to a t and my filling did not set up after coming to room temp. So, we had lemon pudding with crust! Taste was delicious.
Hi Theresa, the filling is curd-like, a little stiffer than pudding, but not like thick either. Not sure why it didn’t set and it stayed like pudding but I am glad you enjoyed the taste at least.