This recipe has been on my to do list for such a long time. In my carb eating days a lemon tart was my go to treat to have with coffee at a cafe. My husband and I would share a slice in an endeavour to be a little bit healthy. Well there is no sharing required for this delicious Low Carb Lemon Tart. It also tastes as good as any lemon tart I have ever eaten. Now that is what I call a win win situation!
Making the Pastry
Getting the pastry just right for this recipe took many attempts. Trying to emulate a traditional sweet pastry is pretty difficult if you aren’t using sugar and flour. The end result though was worth all of the trials. If you use blanched almond flour then the end result is pretty close to the traditional sweet pastry recipe. It has a bit of crunch to it, holds together brilliantly and also has a similar look as well. I still occasionally use almond meal as well, which is coarser and more mealy, as it has with bits of almond skin in it. Your pastry will look more like a whole meal pastry than a traditional white sweet pastry.
If you ever over work the pastry, you may have to refrigerate it to firm it up as the butter in it will make it harder to work with if warm. Through experimenting, I have found a combination of rolling and using your fingers is the best way to create your tart base. If you ever tear your pastry, simply press the dough back into shape using your fingers. It is pretty forgiving. The pastry base makes a generous amount of pastry. If you wish to make a thinner tart, simply use less of the pastry. Leftover pastry can be frozen for use at another time but will also keep in the fridge for a couple of days.
The Filling
My preference is for a tart lemon tart, so if you prefer it less tart try using only half a cup of lemon juice. Bear in mind that you will end up with less filling unless you switch it out for more cream. Vary this recipe up by adding 1/2 a cup of fresh or frozen blueberries or raspberries. There’s no need to alter the recipe in any way if you do this and the end result is delicious.
The filling will firm up as the tart cools. It might still be jiggly in the middle when you remove it from the oven. This is fine just as long as the tart is setting around the edges. Allow to refrigerate for a couple of hours before serving.
To Serve
Dust the top of this delicious Low Carb Lemon Tart with low carb confectioners sweetener. Serve simply with a dollop of fresh cream. If you haven’t added berries to the filling, it is also delicious topped with some fresh raspberries or blueberries.
I’m looking forward to hearing your thoughts on this recipe. Hopefully you will love it as much as I do. If you love lemony recipes, make sure you check out these other delicious recipes.
Tart Base
- 1 cup almond flour/almond meal
- ⅓ cup coconut flour
- 1 teaspoon psyllium powder
- ½ teaspoon xanthan gum
- 1 teaspoon stevia blend sweetener optional
- 100 gms butter cut into chunks at room temperature
- 1 tablespoon cream cheese cut into chunks at room temperature
- 1 egg
- A pinch of salt
Filling Ingredients
- 5 large eggs
- ¾ cup lemon juice
- ⅔ cup pure cream/ heavy cream
- ½ cup erythritol or 2 tablespoons of a stevia/ monkfruit blend
- The zest of one lemon
To make the tart base
- Place all ingredients in a food processor and blitz until blended. Alternatively combine dry ingredients and mix well. Rub the cream cheese and butter through the dry ingredients with your fingers. Once rubbed in, add the egg and beat until combined. If mixture is soft refrigerate until it firms up. Knead the dough quickly to form a smooth ball.
- Line a 20-25 cm pie dish with the dough. Either roll out the dough with a rolling pin between 2 sheets of baking paper or use your fingers to line the sides and base of the dish with the dough. If the dough tears use your fingers to patch it. Create a nice line along the edges by using your fingers to shape it.
- Use a fork to prick the base all over. Bake at 165C/ 330 F fan forced for 20 minutes. Cover with foil after the first 10 minutes to prevent the base browning too much. Allow to cool for a few minutes on the bench while you prepare the filling.
To make the filling
- Whisk the eggs until smooth. Beat in the sugar, lemon juice and cream. Pour into the slightly cooled tart base.
- Bake at 165 C / 330 F fan forced for 20-25 minutes or until the edges have set. The centre can still be a little jiggly and will firm up once it cools.
- Refrigerate for a couple of hours before serving. Dust with low carb sweetener. To serve top with a dollop of fresh whipped cream. Fresh berries are the perfect garnish.
