A gorgeous Lemon Tart recipe with a buttery, rich Macadamia Nut Crust. Decorate the top of this pretty tart with some homemade Whipped Cream. Don’t forget to make your own Lemon Curd!
Fellow lemon lovers, have you tried my Lemon Crunch Cookies yet? I could eat them constantly. Or give our delicious Lemon Cupcakes a try soon!
Why this Recipe Works
This lemon tart recipe is impressive enough for a special occasion AND easy enough that anyone can make it. No pastry expertise required!
- A macadamia nut crust gives the tart a rich nutty flavor. It’s the perfect complement to tangy lemon curd.
- You’ll love the contrast of textures in this lemon tart: crisp crust, a soft center and fluffy whipped cream.
- Use store bought lemon curd or homemade!
- Lemon tart looks gorgeous on any table.
No need to visit France to enjoy this delicious French dessert recipe.
Ingredient Notes
- Lemon curd. I use my Easy Homemade Lemon Curd Recipe for the lemon tart center. You’re welcome to use your favorite store bought version instead.
- Vanilla sugar. You can use granulated sugar instead but I promise you won’t regret making a batch of Vanilla Sugar. It’s a delicious way to add more dimension to all your baked goods.
- Unsalted butter. Make sure to use very cold butter for the crust.
- Macadamia Nuts. The perfect salty complement to the sweet crust. Swap them out for cashews or pecans if you can’t find them!
Easy Instructions
Lemon tart consists of three parts: crust, filling and topping.
To make the crust:
- Pulse the nuts with sugar until fine. Add salt and flour then pulse to combine. Pulse in the butter a little at a time to form a sticky dough.
- Press the dough onto the bottom of a tart pan. Bake for 15 – 18 minutes. Let cool on a wire rack.
For the filling:
- Spoon prepared lemon curd over the cooled crust.
To make the whipped cream topping:
- Use an electric mixer to beat heavy whipping cream with vanilla sugar on high until stiff peaks form.
- This takes 2 – 3 minutes depending on the strength of your mixer.
To serve:
- Pipe whipped cream onto the tart.
- Use frosting bags fitted with tips to create your desired patterns.
Recipe FAQs
Cashews would be delicious in this crust. Almonds and pecans sound like great choices too.
You can definitely use store bought whipped cream if you’re in a hurry. However, it won’t have quite the same richness and freshness as homemade.
You can use either regular granulated sugar or powdered sugar as a substitute for the vanilla sugar.
More Lemon Desserts
- Lemon Cheesecake Cake
- Lemon Brownies
- Lemon Ricotta Cookies
- Lemon Meringue Pie
- Lemon Bars
- Lemon Cheesecake
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Ingredients
For the Crust:
- 2 Tablespoons light brown sugar packed
- ½ cup macadamia nuts
- ¼ cup granulated sugar
- 1 ¼ cup all purpose flour
- 7 Tablespoons unsalted butter cold
- ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
- 2 cups lemon curd
For the Whipped Cream:
- 1 cup heavy cream
- ⅓ cup vanilla sugar or granulated sugar, if desired
Instructions
- In a food processor, pulse brown sugar, nuts and granulated sugar until finely crushed. Add flour and salt and pulse to combine. Add butter, one tablespoon at a time. Should form a sticky dough.
- Press dough into bottom of a 9-inch tart pan (or use a springform pan). Bake in a 375 degree oven for 15-18 minutes. Remove from oven and cool on wire rack for 10 minutes. Remove from pan and cool completely.
- When cooled, fill tart with lemon curd.
- For the whipped cream, beat heavy cream with vanilla sugar on high for 2-3 minutes until soft peaks form. Pipe onto tart. ENJOY.
Notes
- Lemon curd- use store bought or make homemade lemon curd using my delicoius recipe!
- Vanilla Sugar- You can use powdered sugar if desired, or use my homemade vanilla sugar recipe!
- Tart pan or spring form pan. A tart pan might be the traditional choice but a regular spring form cake pan works too! Line the bottom of the pan with the crust dough, gently pressing it a little up the sides.
- Storing. Keep lemon tart refrigerated until ready to serve. If not enjoying right away, wait to add the whipped cream to the tart until just before serving.
- Use cold butter. Place your butter in the freezer for 5 – 10 minutes before adding to the crust. Super cold butter helps create a flaky tart crust texture.
- See blog post for more recipe tips and tricks.
Nutrition
Raise your hand if you want a slice of homemade Lemon Tart! With macadamia nut crust and vanilla whipped cream, this divine dessert will have everyone begging you for the recipe!
Oh wow! Such a pretty and scrumptious treat! A huge hit here and I can’t wait to make this again! My daughter and I loved making this treat together!
This turned out perfect! So delicious! The lemon flavor is so delicious!
I once made an apple pie with walnuts baked in the crust and it was amazing. I lost the recipe and couldn’t recreate it, so imagine my joy when I found your macadamia nut crust recipe. It is delicious! Thank you so much!
This looks AMAZING!! I love making tarts.. and lemon curd is one of my go to recipes!
I will DEFINENTALY make this this summer!!!
nice you ricipe
It’s looks like so delicious. Great recipe, thanks for share.
It looks good, can be for a birthday celebration . thank you
cake recipes interesting 🙂 maybe next time we can implement a snack for children
your recipes make me hungry, i want try these at my home
Yummy , so eager to taste . This new display, especially when the truth 🙂 Thanks
I never made this one and now ur inspiring me to try… Thanks:)
I love lemon too…
Oh my this homemade lemon curd sounds good and looks so yummy…
I knew you had something fabulous up your sleeve when I saw the lemon curd recipe yesterday. I am especially in love with this macadamia nut crust Aimee!
I love lemon curd 🙂
LEMON LUSCIOUSNESS….PERFECTED!….
I absolutely adore this pairing (with macadamias/lemon)…Alas…ONE…I recently had a nut allergy testing and the only one to stay clear of’!…You guessed it…MACADAMIAS!…and TWO…Here in France they are virtually impossible to come by….
Question…could I possibly use pistachios here without damaging the integrity of your gorgeous offering?….Thanks so much for any insight!
You can certainly try pistachios. That actually sounds quite lovely!
Thanks for the inspiration to make my own lemon curd. I need a good spring dessert for Easter dinner that I’m hosting.
Any thoughts on whether or not this crust would work with gluten free flour?
Hello, can I use other type of nuts instead macadamia? Its very difficult to find it in Indonesia. Btw, its very very pretty tart and looks taste delicious also. I want to try it. Thanks for the great recipe and idea.
You sure can. Almonds would be delicious!! Or almond/pecan mix would be great too! ENJOY!
Oh what a tease this is right now!! Haven’t eaten lunch and love lemon and lemon curd. Yum !! I will make this with Almonds because my son can only eat a few nuts and I think this would go well. Thankyou for sharing
I love anything lemon… and homemade lemon curd, OMG! Love it!!
Thanks Meghan!! Homemade lemon curd is just so delicious. I’m a big fan now!
Love macadamia cookies, great idea to use it as a crust!! It sounds fantastic!
Thanks Jessica!!
macadamia nut crust?! you SLAY me. if i made this, it’d probably be one of the best pies/tarts ever!! omg, this looks and SOUNDS amazing!
Awww thanks Julie!! If you love lemon curd, and macadamia nuts then you need this in your life.
Actually I love lemon, but as I kid I remember having some lemon bars which were terrible, and then again the first time I met my mother in law she made some boxed lemon bars for dessert, so of course I had to eat one – blech!!! Ever since, I’ve steered clear of lemon desserts. Until now! I’ve got my ingredients ready to go!