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With a buttery, press-in crust and crumb topping (made from the same dough) and an easy lemon curd filling, this heavenly Lemon Curd Shortbread Tart is beyond delicious!
I'm pretty sure that this Lemon Curd Shortbread Tart is going to be my "go-to" recipe this year for spring entertaining. I say "pretty sure" because there's another recipe coming up with lemon curd (next week!), an easy lemon curd poppy seed cake, that could also be a rival. My husband is beyond crazy about this lemon curd tart but my granddaughter, Emmy, took the first bite of the poppy seed cake and declared "This is going to be my birthday cake!" (She's extremely particular about her birthday cake, usually deciding in December or January exactly what kind of cake she wants for a March birthday!) Such a dilemma; maybe they both will have to go on the "go-to" list!
The wonderful thing is that both of these recipes utilize our Ridiculously Easy Microwave Lemon Curd.
I shared the delicious lemon curd recipe in our last post and I know (from emails and comments) that some of you have already tried it. One email I received within just an hour or two of posting the recipe made me smile:
I made the curd right away and it is cooling now. However, I can't help sampling while it is on my cooling rack. Sooooo delicious!
Another was from halfway around the world:
Hello from Moorreesburg Cape Town South Africa,
Thank you for your always awesome recipes.
I was gifted a box of lemons and made Lemon Atchar but had half left. Needless to say I was absolutely delighted when I received your email containing a microwave version of Lemon Curd, I immediately tried it and what a HIT!!
Other than the bowl it requires to make the lemon curd, this Lemon Curd Shortbread Tart is a one-bowl, no-mixer recipe with just a few simple ingredients. The shortbread dough, made from butter, sugar and flour, is used for the press-in crust as well as the delicious crumb topping. Although I don't mind getting my rolling pin out for holiday or special occasion cookies, I love a press-in crust for a quick, easy dessert.
This Lemon Curd Shortbread Tart truly is a quick and easy dessert but, at the same time, it tastes like it came from a fine bakeshop. With a crisp, shortbread crust, a silky smooth lemony filling and a mound of buttery, melt-in-your-mouth crumbs, this sweet confection is about as good as it comes. There's a scoop of almond flour in the crust/crumb mixture that gives it, what I call, that really "fine" European flavor.
One last thing. This dessert is amazing on its own. It's crazy delicious served warm with a scoop of vanilla ice cream, but if you want to take it to a beyond delicious status, serve it either on a pool of our Ridiculously Easy Raspberry Coulis or drizzle it with the bright, fresh-tasting coulis.
As stated above, the Raspberry Coulis is one of our ridiculously easy recipes. It can be used in so many ways and adds a gourmet touch to desserts. Check out how simple it is to make:
I'm pretty sure you'll want this Lemon Curd Shortbread Tart on your "go-to" recipe list for spring entertaining. After all, spring and lemon seem to go together like peanut butter and jelly or mom and apple pie or milk and cookies... You get the picture, right? This dessert will be so lovely for brunch, lunch or dinner on the porch, patio, deck. I'm dreaming of those days now, how about you?
Café Tips for making this Lemon Curd Shortbread Tart
- Since this is a one-bowl, no-mixer crust/crumb recipe, you want your butter to be very soft. There are a number of ways to soften butter.
- In warm weather months, just let it sit out on the counter for a few hours.
- When it's cold outside and cool in the house, you can soften it in the oven or microwave with the light left on. (To leave the light on in a microwave, close the door partially with a small cloth over the door which will keep the door from closing all the way.)
- Microwave the butter on low power (10% on my microwave) for 1-2 minutes, depending on the power of your microwave.
- Microwave on high for 10-second increments, turning the butter after each increment. It will take 20-30 seconds to soften a stick of cold butter.
- Using a microwave-safe bowl, bring a cup of water to a boil. Place the cold butter in the microwave and shut the door. The warm, steaming environment will soften the butter in 10-15 minutes.
- You'll need to make the lemon curd a few hours ahead of making this tart. It should be cooled in the refrigerator for at least an hour before adding it to the tart.
- This recipe calls for almond flour. Almond flour is simply finely ground almonds. Don't confuse it with almond meal which is also ground almonds, but a coarser grind. It won't give the same fine crust/crumbs as almond flour. Almond flour can be a bit pricey. I like to purchase it at Trader Joe's or online. If you don't use almond flour frequently, store it in the freezer. It will keep well for many months!
- The crust dough is the same as the crumb topping dough for this Lemon Curd Shortbread Tart. You'll use half of it for the crust and half for the crumb topping. Don't worry about being super accurate with this. If you're going to error on any side, I would error on using more of the dough for the topping.
- You won't use all of the lemon curd recipe for this tart. There are so many wonderful ways to use lemon curd though. Just check out the Ridiculously Easy Lemon Curd post for some ideas. Eating Well has some other great ideas in this post.
- When pressing the dough into the pan, I like to have a small bowl of flour nearby. I dip my fingers into the flour from time to time to prevent the dough from being sticky.
- This Lemon Curd Shortbread Tart calls for a 9-inch tart pan. You could also use a 9-inch cake pan, although it won't be quite as pretty a presentation. If using a cake pan, spray it well with baking spray and line the bottom with a round of parchment paper. I love these pre-cut parchment paper circles. A package will last forever and really speeds things up when baking cakes or tarts like this lemon curd tart.
- Be sure to use a sheet pan under the tart when baking as instructed in the recipe. This is a buttery crust and there can be a little leakage from the tart pan.
- I love to serve this tart warm with a scoop of vanilla ice cream or whipped cream and a drizzle of Raspberry Coulis.
- This dessert can be made 8-12 hours in advance. It can also be made and frozen after cooling. To serve after freezing, allow it to thaw, then warm for 10-12 minutes in a 300Ëš oven.
If you enjoyed this recipe, please come back and leave a star rating and review! It's so helpful to other readers to hear other's results and ideas for variations.
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Lemon Curd Shortbread Tart
Ingredients
- 8 ounces very soft butter
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- ÂĽ teaspoon salt
- 1 Âľ cups all-purpose flour
- Âľ cup almond flour
- 1 ÂĽ cups Ridiculously Easy Lemon Curd
Instructions
- In a medium-size bowl, whisk the soft butter until smooth and creamy. Add the sugar, vanilla and salt and whisk again until well combined. Add the all-purpose and almond flours and stir with a fork until the flour is incorporated and large crumbs start to form.
- Spray a 9-inch tart pan (or a 9-inch cake pan) with baking spray. (if using a cake pan, line the bottom with parchment paper for easy removal.) Press approximately one-half of the dough evenly up the sides and covering the bottom of the pan. Place the bowl with the remaining dough into the refrigerator.
- Position a rack in the middle of the oven. Place a sheet pan on the rack and preheat the oven to 325 degrees.
- Bake the bottom crust on the sheet pan for 10-14 minutes, until just beginning to firm and turn pale golden brown at the edges.
- Remove the sheet pan from the oven and allow the tart to cool for 10 minutes, then spread the lemon curd evenly over the bottom of the crust.
- Remove the remaining dough from the refrigerator. Grab a handful of the crumb mixture and gently squeeze it in your hand, then sprinkle it over the lemon curd, breaking it up into large crumbs as you go. Repeat until all of the crumb mixture is used up.
- Return the tart (on the sheet pan) to the oven and continue baking until topping is firm, crisp and lightly golden in color, about 25-30 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack and let cool to room temperature. Remove the outer ring from the tart pan and serve. Dust with powdered sugar before serving, if desired.
Notes
Nutrition
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Always a hit with my guests! Thank you for sharing.
Hi Terrie, Thank you for the great review! So glad to hear how much you and your guests enjoy these tarts - thanks for letting us know!
I made your Lemon Curd recipe this evening and can’t wait to make something with it. Unfortunately, I don’t have any almond flour.
Will it ruin this recipe if I use all purpose flour in place of the almond flour?
I have tried many of your recipes (so far, my all-time favorite is your one for Carrot Cake Scones) and have LOVED every one of them!!!
Thank you so much :-))
Hi Jan, thanks so much for your kind words, I’m so happy you’ve enjoyed our recipes!
Regarding your question, you can absolutely make this with 100% all-purpose flour. The flavor will be just a bit different, but it will still be very delicious! Enjoy!
This is one of my favorite recipes for a dinner party. Last night I made this for a Paella party and it was a hit. And so easy to make. Your lemon curd recipe is spot on!
Thanks for the excellent review, Andrea! It's great to hear that you make these tarts regularly (and a Paella party is such a fun idea!). So glad to hear that they were a hit for the party - we appreciate you taking the time to let us know!
How do you store this, room temperature? Fridge? And for how long does it keep?
Just made it and it is amazing. No notes!
Hi Olivia, keeping it at room temp for up to 24 hours is fine. Beyond that I would refrigerate or freeze. It will keep well in the refrigerator for several days and for a month in the freezer.
Is this crust quite sweet? I would like to reduce the sugar, how much can I reduce it by without affecting the texture?
Hi Shika, it's not a super sweet crust. You could reduce the sugar a bit, but it does add the crisp texture so I don't suggest cutting down too much.
How can I adapt this for an 11 inch tart pan?
Hi June, I think you could make this in an 11-inch tart pan, it just wouldn't be as tall. You could also make 1.25 x the recipe for that size tart pan.
Between the sugar in the lemon curd and the sugar in the shortbread cookie, we found this recipe just too sweet. I loved the idea and it looks very nice, but I would cut back on the sugar. I topped it with a wild blueberry coulis.
This is one of my all time go to recipes for a dinner party. Everyone always asks for the recipe and they cannot believe how easy it is. Could I replace the flour with gluten free flour for my celiac/gluten free guests? And if so would it be the same amounts? Thank you.
That's great, Marjorie! We haven't tested this recipe with GF flour so we can't say for sure. Maybe other readers can chime in.
Hi! Making for easter ! Can I bake today and leave o at room temp all night for serving around 3:00 tomorrow? Or would u recommend baking the crust today and then the curd and topping tomorrw? Thanks !!
Hi Melanie, either one would work. However your crumble will be a little crisper if you bake the crust today and finish tomorrow.
I know what I'm going to be doing with all those lemons on my lemon tree come net February. DEEEE-LICIOUS!
Thanks, Judy!
Absolutely love this recipe. I have made it three times in the past few weeks as it is very quick to whip up. I always have an abundance of lemon butter/lemon curd in the freezer as we have a great lemon tree that produces so much fruit. Lemon butter keeps so well when frozen. This is a quick and reliable recipe - great to share with friends. I do put the pressed pastry tin into the fridge for 30 minutes before the first bake as I found it is so buttery that it tends to slide down the sides of the fluted pan - but that doesn’t detract from the deliciousness of this dessert. Have pinned the recipe and look forward to reading more from your blog.
Thanks for your review, Katrina!
Dear Chris,
This is a 10 star recipe! Everyone loves it and I cannot tell you how much enjoyment that
you've brought to my guests. I am on my second notebook of your recipes...all rated 5 stars by my family. Thank you for all of your recipes.
Wonderful! Thank you for the review, Sandy!
Hi Chris, Thanks for this wonderful recipe! My family just loved it and it’s so easy to make! That could be dangerous! I have enjoyed many of your recipes and always look forward to each new recipe you post. I also love to read the powerful Scripture verses with each recipe! Thank you! Blessings to you and your family.
Thank you for the kind comment, Karen!
I made this and was delicious. I would love more curd in it. Do you know if that would change anything with cooking time? Thank you for a great recipe!
Hi Ann, I haven't tested the recipe with more curd so I can't say for sure. I would guess that it might add a little extra time.
Hi, I'm really looking forward to making this beautiful tart. I do have a question, for the almond flour could you use slivered blanched almonds & will them up?
Hi Susie, that will work fine as long as you grind them very fine.
Debe ser esquisita ,donde encuentro la receta de la cuajada de limon Gracias por la receta!!!
Hi Veronica, here is the link to the lemon curd- https://thecafesucrefarine.com/ridiculously-easy-microwave-lemon-curd/
This was good, but I used store bought lemon curd and the whole thing came out a bit too sweet. Will definitely try again using your lemon curd recipe. It was super easy and looked great too.
Thanks for sharing your review, J.
Hi there! I just made this and can't WAIT to try it! One question: how do you store leftovers? In the fridge? I'm hoping it doesn't make the crumble on top soggy. :-/ Thanks!
Hi Michelle, it's fine at room temperature for a day. If it will be longer than that, I would freeze it.
Thanks, Chris. I let it cool completely and then stuck it in the fridge with no cover. I don't want it to get soggy, but I'm hoping it doesn't dry out either. I had to make it early today because of my schedule, but I'm not serving it until tomorrow afternoon...that would be more than 24 hours. I think I will take it out of the fridge mid-morning to come to room temp before I serve. Unless you have a better idea? I've not had this before, so I'm not sure what to expect, but it smells DIVINE.
Next time I'll make it day-of because it was not difficult AT ALL.
I think it will be great! Hope your guests enjoy it!
Can the tart crust be made in advance and frozen?
Thanks!
Hi Donna, yes, you could definitely do that!
I made this today, because, well, I just felt like baking - and I LOVE anything lemon. I made the lemon curd yesterday which was a breeze to make. This tart turned out so good, all I can say is wow! So glad I made it! Will be making it again for a dinner with friends next month.
Wonderful! Thanks for letting us know, Donna Jo!
This was pretty easy and turned out so beautifully! I love anything lemon and chose this to make for my birthday lemon dessert! So happy it used a good amount of almond flour as I can get it very easy ( I'm in California where they grow!} and it just makes the crust taste so delicious! The recipe also makes plenty of crumb...I love lots of crumb!
Thanks, can't wait to try many more of your lovely recipes!
Beverly
So happy you enjoyed this, Beverly!
The curd was very easy to make and it was delish! I didn’t have lemon juice so I used fresh lime juice. My daughter said it was like a short bread crust key lime pie! We will definitely be making this again.
Thank you!
Thanks for letting us know, Nancy!
Going to make the tart but have made the lemon curd! Delicious’. Please send the labels for the lemon curd. Thank you nnn
Sure, Linda! Enjoy!
Question - have you tried making with gluten free flour? Any recommendations to make gluten free?
Hi Katie, I haven't tested this recipe with GF flour so I can't say for sure.
Fantastic! Came out very pretty! This lemon tart is a show stopper. What are the free printable labels?
Wonderful! Thanks for letting us know, Jamie. Some of our recipes have free printable labels so you can give them as gifts. We're happy to email them to you, we just ask that you leave a comment on each post.
Please send this lovely label. Thank you!
Hi Claire, we do not have labels for this recipe at this time.
Hi,
I’m so excited to try this recipe for lemon curd. I already ordered nice jars to gift it . Now, if you could please send the pdf for the labels my gifts will be complete. Thank you
Sure, Patti!
Turned out beautiful. I did strain my curd to make sure it was velvety smooth and added some of the lemon zest to the shortbread crust
Thanks for letting us know, Ellise!
The recipe looks delightful! If I am preparing this for a group that may have nut allergies, would I simply add 3/4 cup more of flour to replace the almond flour? Thank you.
Yes, that will work perfectly, Cindy! Enjoy!
Have you ever tried making a shortbread crust using shortbread cookies like you would graham crackers just wondered what it would turn out like
I have tried that and it's delicious! This is one recipe I've used - it has coconut but you could skip that: https://thecafesucrefarine.com/key-lime-crunch-tart/comment-page-1/#wprm-recipe-container-25299
This is one of my faves. I took the left over egg whites and made a quick meringue for the top. Definitely keep stored in the fridge.
That's great, Karen! Thanks for letting us know!
Am a new subscriber and looking forward to try this « delicious lemon curd », as testified by all the comments. I live in Mexico at 5,000 ft altitude. Do you have recipes adapted to this altitude, with proper measurements, as I find trying to adjust recipes time consuming. Thank you so much
Hi Christiane, welcome to The Café! I live at 2600 feet in the mountains of North Carolina and this recipe works well. I don't have the opportunity to test recipes at a different altitude so I can't give you specifics on this.
Brought this to a dinner party last night …it was a hit! I did not have a tart pan and used a pie pan. The lemon curd could not have been easier to make and it was excellent. Don’t skip the raspberry coulis - it puts this dessert over the top. Finished with powdered sugar and whipped cream. So so good.
Awesome! Thank you for taking the time to leave a review, Beth!
Has anyone tried using a 1 for 1 gluten free flour in lieu of the all purpose flour?
I have not tested this, Eugennie, but maybe others have.
I used GFJules flour which is my favorite GF 1 for 1 flour. It can be found in your local natural foods store or online. The dough was a little dry to spread and didn’t brown at all and then I realized I mistakenly used only 1 stick (1/2 of recipe) of butter! Even so it was still so delicious!!! A new favorite. Making it again this weekend with 2 sticks of butter!
Thanks, Natalie!
This was sooo good! My husband won’t stop eating it!
Question: could it be made with just almond flour for Passover?
Thank you!
Hi Michelle, I haven't tested this with almond flour so I'm not sure. I would guess it would be fine, perhaps a little heavier though.
I made the lemon curd and everyone at the cookie exchange was appreciative. I made a double batch so I was thinking of making this tart for Christmas eve. The only issue is I have someone coming with a nut allergy. Can I replace the almond flour with regular flor and maybe a little bit more vanilla extract? Thanks.
Sorry if I missed this: does it matter if I use unsalted butter or salted for the shortbread crust?
You can use either, Gretchen. If you use unsalted, just add a tiny pinch of salt to the recipe.
I use your lemon curd recipe all the time and I just love it. I freeze it in small jars and it freezes beautifully, ready to defrost when I need some:) Can't wait to try this tart recipe and your poppyseed cake. Your photography is the most beautiful of all the food websites I belong to and you scripture with recipes make me feel blessed. I often share them with my son who is in recovery. Thank you.
Thank you so much, Deborah, for your kind words. đź’• I love that the Scriptures have been a blessing to you. That is my prayer! So happy you have enjoyed the lemon curd. What a great idea to freeze it and have it available anytime!
Thanks for taking the time to leave a comment.
Tart was award winning! I used store-bought lemon curd to simplify.
Thanks so much, Nina!
I have an abundance of lemons so I made the lemon curd. It is perfection! So easy and so delicious! Wow!
Awesome! Thanks so much for letting us know, Debra!
I made this today using 3/4 cup whole wheat pastry flour and 1 tsp of almond flavoring (in lieu of the almond flour), and turbinado sugar, we loved it-it’s definitely easy and a go-to recipe..thank you!
Thanks for sharing your results, Dawn!
Oh my!! Made this lemon curd shortbread tart this morning. (Made the lemon curd a couple of days ago). As advertised, it was quick
and easy and terribly hard to wait for it to cool enough to cut into. I admit mine was still slightly warm when we just had to have a small
piece. The lemon flavor is strong but not overpowering. If you're a lemon lover, this is the dessert for you! My tart pan is 11", so I opted to use an 8" cake pan instead. OK, so mine isn't as pretty as Chris' but I bet it's just as tasty. I can always count on your recipes to be just the way
you say. I really appreciate the easy instructions, the common ingredients and the always great taste!
Yay, I'm so happy you had great results! Thanks so much for sharing, Susan!
Just a couple of quick questions......
Instead of the 9" tart pan I would like to use 6 4" individual tart pans, how much additional crust mixture should I make? Also , I made a double recipe of your lemon curd yesterday, delicious!, about how much will each tart need? Thank you in advance!
Hi Nancy, since I haven't tested the recipe with 4-inch pans, I can't say for sure.
That being said, the square-inch diameter of a 9-inch round pan is 64-square inches. Each 4-inch pan is 12.5. So 6 4-inch pans would be 75-square inches.
I would probably 1.5X the crust recipe and you should have plenty. As I said, I haven't personally tried this but that would be my best guess, using the math. Hope that helps!
Another winner!! Elegant enough for a dinner party or weekday treat. So easy and quick to prepare. Had a stash of lemon curd waiting to become this wonderful tart. This recipe is a keeper! Thank you Chris! Blessings!
Your welcome, Denise! Thank you, for taking the time to share your review!đź’•
You can make your own almond flour by whizzing raw or roasted almonds in a food processor. With the almond skins on, the pastry comes out a darker colour - but its still delicious!
Thanks!
I made this yesterday, to share Covid-19 style with another couple: outside, sitting six feet apart.
Making it fit nicely into my work day (we have home-based cottage business), since the recipe lends itself to making in separate little efforts throughout the day. I made the lemon curd in the morning after breakfast; my husband picked a bucket of raspberries, which came in the back door just as I finished making the lemon curd. I quickly prepared the raspberry coulis and popped it into the fridge with enough extra berries to garnish the top of the dessert. The shortbread and tart assembly went together really fast after lunch.
Bob said it was the best dessert he had ever eaten!
It sounds beautiful and delicious, Nancy! Thanks for taking the time to share your lovely review!
I have made this twice now and it has been a hit twice. Both times people have wondered what made the crust so good. My husband, who isn't a huge fan of lemon even commented on how good it is. I will be making this often.
That's awesome, Cyndi! Thanks for sharing your results đź’•
Delicious! Made as directed in springform pan, filled with some lemon curd I already had then layered sweetened raspberries on top, then added half of the remaining crumble on top. This is a keeper! Excited to try other recipes on the site!
Thanks for sharing your results, Heather! I'm so happy you enjoyed it. Welcome to The Café!
Thanks, Heather! Sounds delicious!
This was so good and easy to make. It's the first time I've ever made lemon curd and that alone was so delicious. It reminded me of lemon meringue pie so I was looking forward to making the tart . I made the tart at night and when I woke up the next morning my son had already eaten two slices. Will definitely make this again. Thank you.
Haha! It sounds like a wonderful breakfast to me!
I'm so happy you enjoyed this dessert, Karen. It's one of our favorites!
Can you use regular flour but add some almond extract in lieu of almond flour? The pickings are slim at the grocery store these days 🙂
Yes! It will still be delicious! When all this is over, try it with the almond flour but you will love it, even with 100% all-purpose flour. đź’•
Can you use all regular flour instead of both?
You definitely could but you will lose some of the flavor.
Oh my goodness! This was wonderful! My husband and I made it together, and it was so hard to wait for it to cool!
Thank you Chris for another great recipe! I have made so many of yours, and they never disappoint!
Thank you, Lynda đź’• How fun to make it together!
Hi Chris,
I’m about to make this. It sounds so delicious. I am a little worried about getting the tart out of the pan without breaking it. Any tips on how to do this? I purchased the pan you recommended with the removable bottom. Thanks!!
That's a great question, Linda! If you let it cool a bit and then get a large can (tomatoes or anything else that comes in a can about 28-ounces in size). Set the tart centered on the can. The outside ring will fall off and, voila... a perfect tart! Just transfer the tart to your serving platter with a large spatula and you'll be good to go.
Thank you sooo much!! One more question/request!!! I also would love to make your poppyseed cake with lemon curd for my Bunco groom thts Monday! Any chance you’ll post that recipe before then?? No pressure of course! Ha! Thanks again, Lynda
Haha! You really trust me, Linda! đź’• I'm planning on posting the poppyseed cake on Saturday so hopefully, that will work for you
Saturday will be perfect! Sorry for all the misspelled words! I was trying to hurry to walk my dogs. It is beautiful here in Texas today! Thank you so much!
Lynda
When looking over the directions for this beautiful lemon tart, I was reading the instructions for softening butter. Following is one of the suggested ways: "Microwave on high for 10-second increments, turning the butter after each increment. It will take 20-30 minutes to soften a stick of cold butter." Did you mean 20-30 seconds? Thank you and I look forward to trying the recipe.
Yes! That's exactly what I meant. Thanks for catching that, Ginny. I'll correct it now. I love having extra "eyes" out there!
So beautiful Chris! I'm all about the lemons these days and this one is going on my list of must make recipes. Pinned!
Thanks, Tricia!
What a beautiful tart and so perfect for Spring entertaining! And I can't wait for the poppy seed cake, as well. I say don't decide. Have both 🙂
Haha! Agreed, Jennifer!
Can’t wait to make this lovely tart! Can I ask the height of the sides of your tart pan?
Thank you!
Hi Helen, the sides of my tart pan are 1 inch. If using a cake pan I would use one with sides at least 1½-inch high sides.