There are desserts that look impressive and taste fine. And then there are desserts like these Vegan Mini Lemon Tarts — the kind that come out of the oven with buttery golden shells and a filling that is so intensely, vibrantly lemony and so perfectly set — silky and glossy and just barely trembling at the center — that every single person at the table picks one up and bites into it and goes completely quiet for a moment before saying something along the lines of how is this vegan. This is that dessert. The one that looks like it came from a French patisserie. The one that tastes of pure sunshine and butter and lemon in a ratio that is so perfectly balanced it seems impossible that it was made without eggs or dairy. The one that earns a permanent place at every dinner party, every celebration, every occasion where the dessert table is meant to be the final word.
This recipe fills crisp, buttery vegan shortcrust pastry shells with a smooth, tangy vegan lemon curd that sets to a firm yet yielding, creamy consistency in the oven — delivering exactly the glossy, golden, deeply citrus filling that makes lemon tarts one of the most beautiful and most satisfying desserts in existence. Finished with a curl of candied lemon peel or a scattering of fresh berries and a dusting of icing sugar, each tart is as gorgeous to look at as it is extraordinary to eat.
What makes this recipe so outstanding is the double-thickening method — using both cornstarch and coconut cream in the curd — which produces a filling that sets firmly enough to hold a clean slice but remains luxuriously smooth and creamy rather than starchy or stiff, delivering the precise consistency of a classic French lemon tart without a single egg yolk.
This recipe is 100% vegan, naturally dairy-free, ready in about 55 minutes plus chilling time, and produces lemon tarts so elegant and so deeply delicious that they work as a dinner party showpiece, a celebration dessert, or an afternoon tea treat that requires absolutely no justification.
Recipe Information
| Prep Time | Cook Time | Chill Time | Total Time | Servings | Calories |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 25 mins | 25 mins | 60 mins | ~110 mins | 12 tarts | ~195 kcal |
Ingredients
For the Vegan Shortcrust Pastry
- 1½ cups (180g) all-purpose flour
- 2 tbsp icing sugar (powdered sugar)
- ¼ tsp salt
- ½ cup (113g) cold vegan butter, cubed
- 2–3 tbsp ice cold water
For the Vegan Lemon Curd Filling
- ½ cup (120ml) fresh lemon juice (about 3–4 large lemons)
- 1 tbsp finely grated lemon zest
- ½ cup (100g) caster sugar (superfine sugar)
- 1 can (400ml) full-fat coconut cream (chilled overnight — use the thick cream only)
- 3 tbsp cornstarch
- 2 tbsp vegan butter
- Pinch of turmeric (for color — completely optional but gives the classic golden hue)
For Topping
- Icing sugar for dusting
- Fresh raspberries or blueberries
- Thin lemon slices or candied lemon peel
- Fresh mint leaves
Instructions
- Make the pastry. Combine the flour, icing sugar, and salt in a large bowl. Add the cold cubed vegan butter and use your fingertips to quickly rub it into the flour until the mixture resembles fine breadcrumbs with some small, pea-sized butter pieces remaining. Add ice cold water one tablespoon at a time, mixing with a fork just until the dough comes together — do not add more water than necessary and do not overwork the dough. Shape into a flat disc, wrap in cling film, and refrigerate for 20 minutes.
- Preheat and prepare. Preheat the oven to 375°F (190°C). Lightly grease a 12-hole mini tart tin (each hole about 8cm in diameter) or 12 individual mini tart cases.
- Line the tart cases. On a lightly floured surface, roll the chilled pastry to about 3mm thickness. Using a round cutter slightly larger than your tart holes, cut 12 circles and press each gently into the prepared tins. Press the pastry firmly into the edges and up the sides. Trim any overhang with a sharp knife. Prick the bases several times with a fork. Return the lined tins to the refrigerator for 10 minutes.
- Blind bake the shells. Cut small squares of parchment paper and press them into each pastry case. Fill with baking beans or uncooked rice. Bake for 12 minutes until the edges are just set. Remove the parchment and baking beans and bake for a further 5–8 minutes until the pastry is golden and cooked through. Remove from the oven and allow to cool in the tins.
- Make the lemon curd filling. In a small saucepan, whisk together the lemon juice, lemon zest, caster sugar, cornstarch, and coconut cream until completely smooth with no lumps. Place over medium heat and cook, whisking constantly, until the mixture thickens significantly and begins to bubble — about 5–7 minutes. Once it is thick enough to coat the back of a spoon heavily, remove from the heat. Add the vegan butter and whisk until melted and fully incorporated. Add the pinch of turmeric if using and stir to combine. The filling should be smooth, glossy, and a beautiful deep lemon yellow.
- Fill and set. Pour the warm lemon curd into the cooled pastry shells, filling each to just below the rim. Tap the tin gently on the counter to release any air bubbles and settle the filling level. Allow to cool to room temperature for 20 minutes, then refrigerate for at least 1 hour until the filling is fully set and firm.
- Finish and serve. Once set, carefully remove the tarts from their tins. Dust lightly with icing sugar. Top with fresh berries, a twist of lemon, or a small mint leaf. Serve immediately or keep refrigerated until ready to serve.
Pro Tips
- Chill the coconut cream overnight — refrigerating the can overnight ensures the thick coconut cream separates from the liquid and is easy to scoop out. Only use the thick cream, not the watery liquid below — the liquid will make the filling too thin to set properly.
- Keep the pastry cold at every stage — cold butter, cold water, chilled dough, and a second chill after lining the tins. Every stage of keeping the pastry cold is what produces a crisp, flaky, short texture rather than a tough, dense one.
- Whisk the cornstarch in cold — always dissolve the cornstarch into the other cold ingredients before applying heat. Adding it to a warm liquid causes immediate lumping that is very difficult to remove.
- Whisk constantly while the curd cooks — the curd thickens very quickly once it reaches the right temperature and will scorch on the bottom of the pan if left unstirred. Constant gentle whisking produces a perfectly smooth, lump-free result.
- Allow the filling to cool slightly before pouring — if the curd is too hot when poured into the shells, it can soften the pastry. Allow it to cool for 5 minutes off the heat before filling.
The Art of the French Lemon Tart
The lemon tart — tarte au citron — holds a specific and revered place in French patisserie as one of the great test pieces of a pastry chef. Its apparent simplicity is deceptive: achieving the precise balance of bright acidity, restrained sweetness, silky texture, and crisp pastry that distinguishes a great lemon tart from a merely good one requires a combination of technique, judgment, and good ingredients that takes years to master at the professional level. The classic version is built on a pâte sablée — a rich, crumbly, sweet shortcrust — and a crème au citron made with eggs, butter, lemon juice, and sugar cooked gently together until thick and glossy and then baked briefly in the pastry shell until just set. The vegan version translates this method faithfully, replacing the eggs with coconut cream and cornstarch to achieve the same glossy, set, creamy curd — and in many ways it improves on the original by amplifying the bright coconut note that complements lemon so beautifully, producing a filling that is arguably more interesting than its traditional counterpart.
Flavor Variations
- Lime Tarts: Replace the lemon juice and zest with lime juice and zest for a slightly more tropical, more intensely sharp version that pairs beautifully with fresh mango and coconut.
- Lemon Lavender Tarts: Add ½ teaspoon of culinary dried lavender to the curd while cooking and strain it out before filling — the result is floral, fragrant, and extraordinary.
- Lemon Raspberry Tarts: Spread a thin layer of raspberry jam across the blind-baked pastry shell before adding the lemon curd for a fruit-layered version with beautiful color contrast.
Nutritional Highlights (Per Tart)
| Calories | Protein | Carbs | Fiber | Fat |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ~195 kcal | 2g | 24g | 1g | 10g |
Storage
- Refrigerator: Store assembled tarts in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. The pastry will soften slightly over time but the tarts remain delicious.
- Pastry shells only: Blind-baked unfilled pastry shells keep in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days — fill them the day of serving for the crispest result.
- Lemon curd only: The vegan lemon curd keeps in a sealed jar in the refrigerator for up to 5 days and can be made ahead.
- Freezer: Freeze filled, set tarts (without toppings) on a tray until solid, then transfer to a freezer bag for up to 1 month. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator before serving.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I make one large tart instead of mini tarts?
Yes — press the pastry into a 23cm (9-inch) loose-bottomed tart tin, blind bake for 15 minutes with weights and 8–10 minutes without, then fill and chill as directed. The large tart will need at least 2 hours to set fully.
Why did my filling not set?
The most common causes are using the liquid from the coconut cream instead of the thick cream, not cooking the curd long enough for the cornstarch to fully activate, or not chilling long enough. Ensure the curd is very thick — like a thick custard — before pouring, and allow at least 1 hour of refrigerator time.
Can I use store-bought pastry?
Yes — good-quality vegan shortcrust pastry (check the ingredients for dairy-free status) works perfectly as a time-saving shortcut. Roll, cut, line, and blind bake as directed.
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