Vegan Lemon Tarts

Name: Vegan Lemon Tarts
Prep time: 5 min
Cook time: 30 min
Total time: 215 min
Ingredients: 2 cups flour; 1 cup vegan butter; 1/2 cup sugar; 1/2 cup lemon juice; 1/2 cup sugar; 2 tablespoons cornstarch (or potato starch ); 1/3 cup plant milk ((Soy, oat, or coconut are the creamiest)); 1 dash turmeric; 1 tablespoon vegan butter ((optional)); 1 teaspoons lemon zest ((optional)); 1/4 cup powdered sugar

by Monica Davis on April 4, 2026 2 comments

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5 from 1 rating

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These pretty little vegan lemon tarts are the perfect dessert for spring or summer. They’re fresh and lemony with a shortbread cookie base and a silky lemon cream center. Plus, they’re made with simple ingredients that you probably already have at home.

Four vegan lemon tarts with fresh lemons on the side.

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Why make this recipe

These dairy-free lemon tarts are perfect for your next dinner party, Easter dinner, or Mother’s Day brunch. The individual-sized lemon tartlets make for a fancy presentation without much fuss.

Ingredients and substitutions

For the tart shell

Flour – for the base of the shortbread. You can use a grain-based gluten-free flour mix if needed.
Vegan Butter – you can use any store-bought butter, or you can use the stick version of my homemade vegan butter recipe.
Sugar – for a touch of sweetness.

For the lemon filling

Lemon Juice – for flavor. Freshly squeezed has the best flavor, but you can also use bottled lemon juice.
Sugar – for sweetness. Feel free to adjust to your taste. You can swap this out for maple syrup or agave nectar if you wish.
Cornstarch – to thicken the lemon filling. You can also swap this out for an equal amount of potato starch. You can also swap it out for double the amount of arrowroot starch.
Plant-Based Milk – Coconut milk or coconut cream gives the tarts a rich, creamy texture, but if you don’t want the coconut flavor, use soy or oat milk for a creamy consistency.
Turmeric – just a dash for a yellow color or a drop of vegan food coloring. (optional)
Vegan Butter – (optional) for a little extra creaminess.
Lemon Zest – optional for extra zesty lemon squares. It’s too strong a flavor for my kids, so I leave it out.
Toppings – use vegan whipped cream, lemon wedges, fresh raspberries, blueberries, strawberries, or other fresh fruit to decorate the top.

Helpful tools

Tart Pans – you can use any size you want. I like to use these 4-inch tart pans, but you can also use smaller ones or use one large tart pan and slice it into pieces for serving.

How to make vegan lemon tarts

A full printable version of this recipe with ingredient measurements is available at the bottom of this post.

Step 1 – Preheat your oven to 350° F.

Make the shortbread tarts

Step 2 – Combine 1 1/2 cups of flour, 3/4 cup of softened vegan butter, and 1/3 cup of sugar in a mixing bowl, then work it together with a pastry cutter or fork until you have a soft dough.

Butter, sugar, and flour to make a shortbread tart base. — Add butter, sugar, and flour to a bowl.

The vegan shortbread mixed with a pastry cutter. — Add butter, sugar, and flour to a bowl.

Step 3 – Fill your tart pans with the crumbly dough and use your thumbs to press the dough into the pans, spinning it in a circle as you work, until you have a 1/4-inch layer of dough on the bottom and around the edges. Pierce them with a fork a few times to keep them from puffing up during baking.

Step 4 – Place the tarts on a cookie sheet and bake for about 15 minutes at 350° F. Then take them out of the oven and let them cool for about 15 minutes before adding the lemon layer.

Vegan shortbread pressed into the bottom of tart pans. — Press the dough into the bottom of the tart pans and pierce with a fork.

Vegan tarts after baking. — Press the dough into the bottom of the tart pans and pierce with a fork.

Make the vegan lemon curd filling

Step 5 –While the shortbread base is baking, prepare your lemon curd. Add 1/2 cup of lemon juice, 1/2 cup of sugar, 2 tablespoons of cornstarch, 1/3 cup of vegan milk, and a dash of turmeric to a small saucepan.

Step 6 – Stir well until the starch is dissolved, then turn the heat to medium and simmer, whisking frequently, until the sauce thickens and bubbles. Simmer for 30 seconds after it boils while stirring constantly, then remove it from the heat.

Step 7 – Add 1 tablespoon of vegan butter and the zest of about 1/2 of a lemon. and stir well.

Vegan lemon curd before cooking. — Add lemon juice, sugar, cornstarch, milk, and turmeric to a saucepan.

Vegan lemon curd after simmering with butter and lemon zest added. — Add lemon juice, sugar, cornstarch, milk, and turmeric to a saucepan.

Step 8 – Allow the shortbread and lemon curd to cool for about 5-10 minutes, then pour the lemon curd into the tarts.

Step 9 – Place in the fridge to set for at least half an hour or up to 3 days.

Decorate the tarts

Step 10 – Top with vegan whipped cream, vegan whipped cream frosting, lemon wedges, or fresh berries.

Six vegan lemon tarts on a marble countertop.

Pro Tips

To make these lemon tartlets super quick and easy, you can use premade shortbread tarts, philodough cups, or puff pastry cups.
You can use any plant-based milk that you want. I find that coconut milk gives the creamiest texture, yet it has a slight coconut taste. For a more neutral flavor, oat milk or soy milk also works well.

Storage

Refrigerate: These lemon tarts will keep well in the fridge for about 3 days in an airtight container. You can also make the shortbread tarts a day or two ahead, and make the filling about 1 hour before serving.

Note: If you are going to store them for longer than a few hours, cover the tops with plastic wrap so the air doesn’t dry them out.