Vegan Lemon Tartlets (Gluten-Free)

These Vegan Lemon Tartlets are light and delicate desserts that burst with zesty lemon curd filling, nestled on top of nutty oat tart crusts. They’re the perfect treat for a party, dessert, or afternoon tea, and make an excellent gift too.

If you’re looking for a change from overindulgent sweet treats and desserts then these vegan mini lemon tarts may just be what you’re after!

These pretty citrus tartlets are made from wholesome vegan ingredients, are completely dairy-free and would look stunning on any dessert platter with a few fresh berries or whipped coconut cream as a garnish! 

INGREDIENTS FOR MINI LEMON TARTLETS

These vegan lemon curd tarts are easy to assemble and only require pantry-staple ingredients. Let’s take a look at what you’ll need before you begin (measurements in the recipe card below).

For the crust

• Raw almonds
• Raw cashews
• Shredded coconut
• Oats
• Sea salt
• Coconut oil
• Maple syrup
• Cold water

For the lemon curd

• Full fat coconut milk
• Lemon juice
• Maple syrup
• Cornstarch

BOTTLED LEMON JUICE VERSUS FRESH LEMON JUICE

While the ingredients list doesn’t specify to use the juice of a fresh lemon over bottled lemon juice, I almost always opt for the former – fresh lemon juice from the original source will always provide more flavor to the finished product. 

If you’re in a real pinch then you can use bottled lemon juice but otherwise fresh lemon juice from the citrus fruit itself is best!

HOW TO MAKE MINI LEMON CURD TARTS

Add almonds, cashews, coconut, oats and salt to a food processor. Process until it is roughly a flour consistency.

Then, while processing, slowly add the coconut oil, maple syrup and water.

Press the dough into silicone or regular (lightly greased) muffin molds, pressing it down to form cup shapes with your fingers.

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Bake at 350F / 175C for 10-12 minutes or until golden brown. Leave to cool completely before removing from the molds.

Add all the lemon curd ingredients to a saucepan and whisk well.

Bring to a simmer and let cook over low heat for 2-3 minutes or until thickened, whisking continuously.

Let cool before transferring to baked crusts.

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CAN I ADD A COCONUT CREAM LAYER TO MY CITRUS TARTLETS?

Absolutely! If you feel like getting a little fancy with a layer of whipped coconut cream as a topping to your mini lemon curd tarts, I suggest that you first chill the tartlets (without the cream topping) for a minimum of 15 minutes in the freezer.

This chill time will help to firm up the lemon curd filling so that when you add the cream layer, the two layers remain separate and don’t mix together. The firm curd will also make it far easier for you to spread your whipped cream over. 

TIPS FOR MAKING EASY LEMON TARTLETS

• Make sure that your crusts are completely cool before removing them from the muffin moulds. This will ensure that they keep their shape. If you’re in a rush, you could place the crusts in the refrigerator to speed up the cooling process. 
• If you’d like a strong lemon-yellow color to your lemon curd filling, simply add about ¼ teaspoon of turmeric to the mixture. As the curd cools, the color will intensify but the turmeric itself doesn’t alter the flavor of the curd at all. 
• I haven’t specified the type of maple syrup to use for this recipe. Go ahead and use golden maple syrup (for a lighter color) or any other pure maple syrup you have access to. 
• While I’ve used cornstarch as my thickening agent in the lemon curd, you could use arrowroot instead if you like. Cornstarch can sometimes lose its thickening ability when mixed with acidic ingredients although I was quite happy with how my curd turned out. 

HOW SHOULD I STORE VEGAN MINI LEMON TARTS?

These mini lemon tartlets can be stored in the refrigerator in an airtight container for up to 3-4 days. If you’re storing leftover tartlets that have been garnished with fresh fruit like berries, make sure to remove these from the tartlets. You can always add the fresh fruit garnish back onto the tartlets when you serve them again in the days to follow. 

I haven’t had the need to freeze these vegan tartlets before. Honestly, they’re so easy to enjoy without the heaviness of an overly indulgent dessert that I rarely ever have any leftovers to store for an extended period of time. In other words, you’re welcome to try freezing a tartlet and then let me know how it goes!

CAN I MAKE THIS VEGAN LEMON DESSERT AHEAD OF TIME? 

I recommend making these easy lemon tartlets the same day that you intend to serve them since the tart crust (while able to hold up better than a traditional flour-based crust) will certainly get softer the longer it sits in storage. 

If you are trying to prepare ahead of time for a party or holiday gathering, you could assemble and bake the tartlet crusts ahead of time, wrap them in plastic wrap and store them in the refrigerator once completely cool. 

Other Gluten-Free Vegan Desserts to Try:

• Lemon Cheesecake Bliss Balls
• Carrot Cake Cookies with Cream Cheese Frosting
• Sweet Potato Brownies
• White Bean Chocolate Chip Cookies
• Raw Lemon Slice

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