This Paleo Lemon Tart has a soft almond flour crust that's filled with a thick and creamy lemon curd. Top this easy dessert with fresh berries and enjoy a healthier sweet treat! The recipe is SCD, paleo, gluten free, grain free, dairy free, and refined sugar free.
I don't know if anyone else is a fan of The Great British Baking Show, but I'm obsessed!
One of the episodes had the contestants making lemon tarts, and they looked so good that I knew I had to make a healthy version!
This paleo lemon tart is simple to make and is a perfect dessert to serve after a heavy meal.
The soft crust is made almond flour while the luscious dairy free lemon curd filling is made with a combination of honey, coconut oil, and eggs!
The almond flour lemon tart is topped with fresh berries for the prettiest little dessert you ever did see!
Almond flour crust ingredients
- Blanched Finely Ground Almond Flour
- Honey
- Coconut Oil
- Lemon Juice
How to make the almond flour crust
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!
Add the ingredients to a large bowl and mix until well combined.
The dough will resemble damp sand but should stick when pressed together.
Grease your tart pan well then place the dough in the center of the pan and evenly press the dough into the bottom and up the sides.
Use a fork to gently prick holes into the crust.
The almond flour crust bakes for just 10 to 12 minutes or until the crust is a golden brown.
Allow the crust to cool completely before adding the lemon curd.
How to make the paleo lemon curd
This lemon curd is sooooo 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 does require 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!
Begin by pouring freshly squeezed lemon juice, lemon zest, eggs, and honey into a small saucepan.
Whisk until everything is combined and smooth.
Add the coconut oil to the saucepan and place the whole thing over low heat on the 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 then the mixture will turn into scrambled eggs!
Once the coconut oil has melted into the mixture, increase the heat to medium-high and continue to whisk.
And whisk.
And whisk.
Remember, patience!
Pay close attention while whisking and you'll be able to notice a subtle thickening of the curd. It will also turn slightly lighter in color.
It will take anywhere from 10 to 15 minutes for this to happen.
At this point the curd will 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.
Use a fine mesh sieve to strain the curd into a bowl, what you'll be left with is a smooth lemon curd!
Allow the curd to cool for about 30 minutes before pouring it into the almond flour tart crust.
Transfer the tart to the refrigerator and allow to set for two to four hours.
Give the tart a little jiggle, if the curd doesn't move then it's set and ready to be enjoyed!
What can I use to decorate the top of the tart?
This dessert is tasty without anything on top, but if you want to get a little fancy here are some options;
- fresh berries
- Whipped Coconut Cream
- Honey Italian Meringue
Now, if you'll excuse me, I'm going to enjoy a large slice and the next episode of the Great British Baking Show!
How do I store the tart?
Cover leftovers with plastic wrap and store in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
Here are more healthy tarts and pies for you to try!
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NOTE: If following the SCD diet, I suggest contacting the company to verify ingredients before using any prepackaged products.
Please note that if following the specific carbohydrate diet (SCD), I highly suggest reaching out to the companies to confirm ingredients before using any prepackaged products.
Updated on 3/1/18 to refine the directions!
Recipe
Paleo Lemon Tart
Ingredients
Crust
- 1 ½ cups almond flour
- ¼ cup coconut oil, melted but not hot
- 2 Tablespoons honey
- 1 Tablespoon fresh squeezed lemon juice
Lemon Curd Filling
- 2 Tablespoons lemon zest (about 2 lemons)
- ¼ cup fresh squeezed lemon juice (about 2 lemons)
- ½ cup honey
- 2 large eggs (room temp)
- ⅓ cup coconut oil
Topping
- fresh berries optional
Instructions
Crust
- Preheat oven to 350F. Grease the sides and bottom of a tart pan with coconut oil.
- Place the crust ingredients into a small bowl and use a rubber spatula to mix and press the dough, ensuring that all of the almond flour is damp.
- Use your hands to evenly press the dough into the bottom and up the sides of the tart pan. Use a fork to gently prick holes into the dough.
- Place the tart pan on the center rack of the oven and bake for 10 to 12 minutes or until the crust is golden brown.
- Allow the crust to cool completely before adding the filling.
Lemon Curd Filling
- Place all ingredients for the filling, except the coconut oil, into a small saucepan and whisk until well combined.
- Add the coconut oil to the saucepan and place 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-high.
- Continue to whisk the mixture until it has thickened, which should take anywhere from 10 to 15 minutes.
- Remove from the heat and use a fine mesh sieve to 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 30 minutes before pouring it into the tart crust.
- Place the tart in the refrigerator for 2 to 4 hours to cool and set. If the curd does not jiggle when moving the pan, then it's ready!
- If desired, decorate the lemon tart with fresh berries just prior to serving and enjoy!
Notes
- Make sure to whisk the entire time your filling is over the heat or you'll end up with scrambled eggs!
- Cover leftovers with plastic wrap and store in the refrigerator.
- Whipped Coconut Cream or Honey Italian Meringue are both great toppings for the tart too!
Nutrition
Ioana Covali
My third making it as we speak. Lovely recipe! Thank you!
Jenny
Can I use frozen fruit?
Jennifer
You should be able to use frozen fruit to garnish the top of the tart.
Samantha
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!
Jennifer
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!!
Ping
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?
Jennifer
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!
Mayra
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
Marina
Hello! My husband is allergic to nuts. Coconut is ok. What is the best flower to switch to and yet maintain the paleo? Thanks!
Jennifer
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/
Zoraida
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?
Jennifer
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.
Zoraida
That was the plan! Thanks so much for the advice! I’m excited to work on it today and tomorrow!
Jennifer
Great! Hope you enjoy it!!
Jane
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.
Kellyann Sykora
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!!
Jennifer
Hi Kellyann, you can certainly fill the crust with store bought lemon curd! Hope you enjoy!
Megan
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!
Jennifer
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!
Casie
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!
Jennifer
You've just made my day Casie! So glad to hear that he likes it!
Heather
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!
Jennifer
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!
Adrianna
how. would you adapt the proportions for a regular round 8 or 9 inch tart pan?
Jennifer
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 =)
lindsay
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?
Jennifer
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!
Risa
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!
Jennifer
I'm so happy that you tried the recipe and enjoyed it!! Thanks so much for stopping by and sharing with us your results =)
Gina
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!
Jennifer
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://thehealthierbite.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
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.
Jennifer
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!
Alexis
Hi! I made my crust. And it seems a bit soft. But it’s golden brown. Should the crust be softer or more crisp?
Jennifer
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.
Cat
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.
Jennifer
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.
Cat
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
Jennifer
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.
Fernie
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.
Jennifer
I'm so glad! A raw peach pie sounds wonderful! Make sure to come back and let me know how it turned out ?