Vegan Lemon Tarts

Little vegan tartlets with a shortbread cookie base and lemon filling.

Course Dessert

Cuisine American, vegan

Keyword vegan lemon tartlets, vegan lemon tarts

Prep Time 5

Cook Time 30

Chill Time 3

Total Time 3 35

Servings

Calories 553kcal

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.
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.
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.

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.
Stir well until the starch is dissolved, then turn the heat to medium and simmer, stirring frequently, until the sauce thickens and bubbles. Simmer for 30 seconds after it boils while stirring constantly, then remove it from the heat.
Add 1 tablespoon of vegan butter and the zest of about 1/2 of a lemon. and stir well.
Allow the shortbread and lemon curd to cool for about 5-10 minutes, then pour the lemon curd into the tarts.
Place in the fridge to set for at least half an hour or up to 3 days.
Top with vegan whipped cream, vegan whipped cream frosting, lemon wedges, or fresh berries.

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.