Vegan Lemon Tart with Fresh Berries

This vegan lemon tart with a simple cream filling is topped with fresh berries. The filling is bursting with bright, and tangy lemon flavor, while the gluten-free crust is crisp and slightly sweet! Topped with colorful fresh berries this is a spring and summer dessert you won’t want to miss!

I’ve been having fun this spring creating some pretty amazing plant-based desserts with lemon at the forefront! I’ve made my vegan lemon cupcakes, and vegan lemon loaf, and now I bring to you a light and refreshing vegan lemon tart! This also works perfectly for a Mother’s Day recipe!

Unlike my vegan lemon meringue pie, this recipe does not use a vegan lemon curd filling. Instead, it has a cheesecake-like filling. The tart base is gluten-free and made from almond flour. This recipe is free of coconut oil and doesn’t contain any vegan butter either. The recipe calls for organic cane sugar, but you could easily substitute it for maple syrup if you prefer.

The bright, fresh tang of lemon paired with fresh fruit in a creamy custard is just about as good as it gets during the warm months of spring and summer.

Jump to:

• 💗 Why You’ll Love This Recipe
• 🥣 Ingredients and Notes
• 📋 Step by Step Instructions
• ❓ FAQS
• 👩‍🍳 Serving Suggestions
• ❄️ Storage
• 💭 Expert Tips
• 😋 More Vegan Lemon Desserts!
• Recipe

💗 Why You’ll Love This Recipe

• Vegan and Gluten-Free
• Oil-Free
• Simple Ingredients
• No-bake custard filling
• Easy to make a gluten-free crust
• Top with your favorite fresh fruit!
• Light, bright, and refreshing!
• Serve all spring and summer!
• Makes an excellent Easter or Mother’s Day dessert showpiece!

🥣 Ingredients and Notes

Scroll to the bottom of the post to the recipe card for complete measurements.

For the Crust:

Almond Flour, Tapioca Flour, and Oat Flour: The crust is a blend of three gluten-free flours. Use blanched almond flour, not almond meal. It is very light, so it needs tapioca flour, and oat flour, to help create a substantial and crunchy crust.

Coconut Sugar: The coconut sugar gives the crust a touch of added sweetness, feel free to leave it out if you desire.

Salt: A pinch of salt is all you need!

Water: You only need about 5-7 tablespoons of water. Add three tablespoons of water at first, then add one additional tablespoon at a time pulsing in between so that you don’t add too much.

Lemon Custard Filling:

Vegan Cream Cheese: There are many different brands of vegan cream cheese out there. I recommend Miyokos. It is the most natural without any added gums! It’s made of cashews, water, coconut cream, sea salt, and cultures. If you don’t want to use vegan cream cheese, you can substitute it for one block of silken tofu.

Coconut Milk or Cream: You will need one can of full-fat coconut milk separated (not the water or liquid milk). When you buy a quality can of full-fat coconut milk, the coconut cream will rise to the top. Separate the solids from the water below, and use only that! I don’t recommend using almond milk, as it’s not rich or creamy enough.

Fresh Lemons: You need both lemon juice and lemon zest for this tart recipe. I used about 2 lemons for this recipe, plus an additional lemon for garnish. This was equivalent to 4 tablespoons of lemon zest, and half a cup of lemon juice.

Organic Powdered Sugar: I recommend using powdered sugar in this recipe so that you create a light and fluffy texture. You can use coconut sugar here also, but the custard may be a bit runny.

Pinch of Turmeric (for color): This is optional, but if you want a yellow custard to match your lemon tart, a little bit of turmeric will go a long way. It will create a bright yellow color, but you won’t be able to taste a thing!

📋 Step by Step Instructions

To Make the Gluten-Free Tart Crust:

Step 1: Preheat the oven to 325 F. In a food processor add almond flour, tapioca flour, oat flour, coconut sugar, and salt. Pulse a few times until combined.

Step 2: Add 3 tablespoons of water. Pulse again. If more water is needed add 1 more tablespoon at a time, pulsing in between each addition, until a round ball of dough forms in the food processor. It should be soft, not crumbly, but not too wet!

Step 3: Remove the dough from the food processor and transfer it to a large piece of parchment paper. Form a ball of dough with your hands. In smooth movements, roll the dough into a large circle until it’s about ¼ inch thick.

Step 4: Spray the bottom of your tart pan with cooking spray or line with parchment paper. Place the removable bottom, with the sprayed portion down on top of the rolled-out dough. Place the rest of the tart pan over top, and flip the dough so that it is now in the tart pan.

Step 5: Gently press the dough on the bottom, and up the sides of the tart pan. With a fork, puncture a few holes on the bottom of the crust. Bake for 20 minutes or until a light golden brown. Be careful not to overbake the crust. It can become tough if overbaked.

Vegan Lemon Tart Filling:

Step 6: While the crust is baking prepare the lemon cream filling. Wash and dry your food processor. Place the cream cheese, coconut cream, sugar, vanilla extract, lemon zest, and lemon juice in the food processor. Pulse until smooth and creamy. You may need to stop a few times to scrape the sides with a spatula to make sure all of the ingredients are fully combined.

Step 7: Add the corn starch and turmeric. Pulse a few times to combine. Place the custard in the refrigerator until ready to use.

Assembling the Vegan Tart:

Step 8: Allow the crust to cool completely. Pour the lemon custard into the center of the crust. Smooth with a spatula. Place in the refrigerator and allow to set for a minimum of 8 hours, but 12 hours is best.

Step 9: When ready to serve remove from the refrigerator. Top with your favorite fresh berries. Enjoy!

❓ FAQS

👩‍🍳 Serving Suggestions

Here are some of the best occasions to serve this beautiful lemon tart dessert.

Easter Brunch or Dinner: Make this fruity, and bright spring dessert for your Easter brunch or dinner dessert! It’s so refreshing and quite light!

Mother’s Day: This dessert would be perfect for a Mother’s Day treat!

Bridal Showers and Baby Showers: This dessert makes a beautiful presentation, and is such a fun dessert that brings joy to special occasions and celebrations!

❄️ Storage

Cover or transfer to an airtight container and store in the refrigerator for up 2-3 days after serving. Do not store at room temperature due to the cream filling.

You can also freeze this vegan lemon tart in the freezer for 3 months if covered and stored properly.

💭 Expert Tips

• There’s lots of lemon flavor in this tart! I used the juice of two lemons and zest of two. So, if you want a more subtle lemon flavor, you can cut that in half!
• If you have a small food processor you may need to work in batches, or use a large bowl and a hand mixer to whip the ingredients together.
• Use orange zest and orange juice to make an organge flavored tart! Or lime zest, and lime juice for a key lime pie like dessert!
• If your lemon custard filling has some lumps once it’s cooled down, use a whisk and beat vigorously until the lumps disappear.
• Add a ¼ cup of coconut flakes in your crust for an added tropical coconut flavor.
• Using a tart tin with a removable bottom makes releasing your tart SO much easier!
• For best results, roll the dough out on parchment paper. It’s easier to clean up, plus the dough doesn’t stick and makes it easier to transfer the crust to the tart pan.

😋 More Vegan Lemon Desserts!

Recipe