These Lemon Raspberry Tarts are the perfect balance of tangy and sweet, with a delicate buttery crust.
Table of Contents
Now that April is here, it’s time to start thinking about Easter.
For me, as an adult, Easter means brunch and endless mimosas. As a kid, it used to mean a fun new dress and an Easter egg hunt. In reality – I’d like a fun new Easter dress, but it’s still too cold to actually wear one.
I’d also like to hunt for Easter eggs, if they had prizes inside like a bottle of rosé or a voucher for the spa… I’d totally go for that.
I’m going to up my game this year though. I’m highly contemplating actually coloring some Easter eggs after being inspired by these. Ditching the basic mimosas for these Blackberry Bellinis, and baking up these lemon curd tarts.
Are these not totally adorable and perfect for Easter?
I’d almost forgotten that I had these mini tart pans in my cupboard from making these Caramel Apple Tartlets. How could I forget? Those tartlets come to my mind very often – I mean, the spiked salted caramel sauce is amazing, and the buttery crust, with just a hint of almond flavoring is so perfectly crumbly and delicious.
In all reality though, those apple tarts are a bit of a pain to assemble. It takes time to make those apple slices look like a rosebud, and while it’s totally worth it for special occasions, I’m not making those every day. And… that’s probably why these tart pans have been forgotten.
Forgotten no more! I’m using that same recipe for the buttery crust, with a hint of almond in this lemon raspberry tarts recipe. Because, why mess with perfection?
Ingredients needed
- Butter
- All Purpose Flour
- Granulated Sugar & Powdered Sugar
- Egg
- Vanilla & Almond Extract – Or, you can use just vanilla extract. I love making homemade vanilla extract sous vide!
- Salt
- Heavy Cream
- Cream Cheese – You can use full fat or low-fat cream cheese.
- Lemon Curd – I love this brand.
- Fresh Raspberries – You can also make this recipe with fresh blueberries or strawberries.
How to make the filling
- The filling for these raspberry lemon tartlets is super simple and no-bake. Just combine some cream cheese, powdered sugar, lemon zest, and lemon curd, and then fold in some whipped cream. Dollop some into each tart shell, top with a few raspberries, and you’re set.
How to make the tart shells
- Make the dough – Cream together the butter, sugar and salt in a large mixing bowl. Add the egg, vanilla and almond extract and mix well. Slowly add in the flour and mix until just combined.
- Chill the dough – Roll the dough into a ball and place on a sheet of plastic wrap. Flatten the ball into a disc, wrap with the plastic wrap, and place in the fridge for 30 minutes to firm.
- Roll the dough – When ready to use, unwrap your dough and place it on a lightly floured surface. Roll the dough to a thickness of ⅛ inch. Using your tart tins as a guide, cut circles that are about 1 inch wider than the tins (I used a small mixing bowl to make the cut). Press the dough into your tart tin. Pass your rolling pin over the top of the tin to trim the extra dough.
- Bake – Preheat your oven to 400 degrees. Place the tart shells in the freezer for 15 minutes while your oven preheats. Using a fork, poke holes in bottom of the tart shells. Place on a baking sheet and bake for 7-10 minutes. Reduce the heat to 350 degrees and bake for an additional 5-7 minutes, until golden brown. Remove from the oven and let cool before filling.
Tip: No rolling pin? You can skip the rolling pin and simply press the dough into your tins. If using this method, you can skip placing the dough into the fridge for 30 minutes to firm it up first.
Want to make one large tart?
If you’d like to make one large tart, instead of mini tarts, simply follow the method and baking instructions as written, except use one large removable bottom 9-inch tart pan rather than the mini tart pans.
How to store
- Store these lemon curd tarts in the refrigerator, loosely covered, for up to three days.
Erin’s wine pairings
- Look for a sweet wine with a bit of acidity, like a late harvest Riesling.
- Or, try them paired with this Limoncello Spritz cocktail!
More dessert recipes
Did you try this raspberry lemon tart recipe?
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Have extra lemon curd on hand? Try out one of these 30+ Lemon Curd Recipes!
Full Recipe
Lemon Raspberry Tarts
Equipment
Ingredients
Pastry Dough
- ½ cup unsalted butter
- 1¾ cups flour
- ¼ cup sugar
- 1 large egg
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- ¼ teaspoon almond extract
- pinch of salt
Filling
- 1/2 cup heavy cream
- 4 ounces cream cheese (I used low-fat)
- 2/3 cup powdered sugar
- 3 Tablespoons lemon curd
- Zest of one lemon
- Half-pint raspberries (for garnish)
Instructions
- In a large mixing bowl, cream together the butter, sugar and salt. Add the egg, vanilla and almond extract and mix well. Slowly add in the flour and mix until just combined.
- Roll the dough into a ball and place on a sheet of plastic wrap. Flatten the ball into a disc, wrap with the plastic wrap, and place in the fridge for 30 minutes to firm.
- When ready to use, unwrap your dough and place it on a floured surface. Roll the dough to a thickness of ⅛ inch. Using your tart tins as a guide, cut circles that are about 1 inch wider than the tins. I used a small mixing bowl to make the cut. Press the dough into your tart tin. Pass your rolling pin over the top of the tin to trim the extra dough. Alternatively, you can skip the rolling pin and simply press the dough into your tins (skip the fridge if using this method).
- Preheat your oven to 400 degrees. Place the tart shells in the freezer for 15 minutes while your oven preheats. Using a fork, poke holes in bottom of the tart shells. Place on a baking sheet and bake for 7-10 minutes. Reduce the heat to 350 degrees and bake for an additional 5-7 minutes, until lightly golden. Remove from the oven and let cool.
- For the filling: Whisk the heavy cream until stiff peaks form. Set aside.
- Mix together the cream cheese, powdered sugar, lemon curd, and lemon zest. Once well combined, gently fold in the whipped cream.
- Spoon the lemon mixture into each cooled tartlet, and garnish with raspberries. Serve immediately, or refrigerate until ready to serve.
Notes
- Store these lemon curd tarts in the refrigerator, loosely covered. They will last for three days.
Nutrition
This lemon raspberry tarts post was originally published in 2016. It was updated in 2019 to add new photographs, and again in 2023 to add new content. The original raspberry lemon tart recipe remains the same. Enjoy!
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