Classic Lemon Tart Recipe with Fresh Lemon Zest and Juice
A perfectly balanced Lemon Tart Recipe - not too tart and not too sweet. I use whole lemons, sans the seeds, in this recipe so the powerful flavor of the zest shines through in the tart. The recipe produces a classic lemon tart and does not require making a curd for the filling.

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This lemony tart is great anytime of the year but I especially like it during the spring and summer months. I also am a fan of anything lemon with fresh, seasonal berries - so when serving consider some raspberries or strawberries to add to the dessert plates.
Tips for Making the Classic Lemon Tart Recipe:
- Bake the tart in a sweet dough recipe (aka Pate Sucree) but you can use any recipe you like or a store-bought crust. The tart shell does not need to be par-baked.
- Just a few ingredients are needed to make the filling for this pie: one lemon, granulated sugar, an egg and an egg yolk, cornstarch and melted butter.
- One medium-sized lemon is needed for the recipe. Wash the lemon, slice thinly and remove any seeds. Add the lemon slices and the granulated sugar to a food processor and puree well. Pour into a bowl.
- Add the remaining ingredients to the lemon/sugar puree in the following order, whisking between each addition:
- One egg and one egg yolk (save the egg white to add to your next omelet!).
- Cornstarch
- Melted and slightly cooled butter
- Pour filling into the pie shell and bake at 350° F for 35 to 40 minutes. The top of the pie will be a light brown and bubbling.
- Cool the tart completely before serving. The tart is best served the day it is made.
Please check out my easy Key Lime Pie recipe if you are a citrus lover - another refreshing pie!
Lemon Tart
Equipment
- Food Processor
- 9" Tart Pan
Ingredients
- 9" Tart Pan with Sweet Dough
- 1 Medium Lemon Washed, sliced thinly (with peels on) and seeds removed
- 250 Grams Granulated Sugar (1 ¼ Cups)
- 1 Large Egg
- 1 Large Egg Yolk
- 2 tablespoon Cornstarch
- 115 Grams Butter, melted (4 Ounces / 1 Stick)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°
- Slice the lemons thinly - do not peel lemons. Remove seeds.
- Placed sliced lemons and granulated sugar in the bowl of a food processor. Blend until thoroughly processed. Scrape side of food processor bowl as needed.
- Place lemon/sugar mixture in a bowl.
- Add egg yolks and egg and whisk until combined.
- Add cornstarch and whisk until combined.
- Add melted butter and whisk until combined.
- Pour filling into unbaked pie shell.
- Bake for 35 - 40 minutes. The top of the pie will be a light brown and bubbling.
- Cool completely on a rack before serving.
Marilyn says
This lemon pie recipe worked well for me. I made another recipe several days ago and it was too sour. This one is tangy with the right amount of sweetness.
Jayleen K says
Super simple recipe! Lemony but not too tart.
Christine says
Such a classic recipe! Thanks for sharing
HannaB says
Oh my - this is so good. I served it with a side of berries and sweet whipped cream. I need to get a tart pan - so I used a big pie tin.
JoLynn says
The perfect amount of lemon in this tart. At first I thought just one lemon wasn't going to be enough.