All About These Vegan Lemon Tartlets
- Flavor: These tarlets are a serious triple threat! First, they have an indulgent, bright and fresh lemon vegan mascarpone filling. We use a mixture of fresh lemon, lemon extract, and vanilla extract to get the perfect flavoring. And let me tell you, it is just that – Perfect! Paired with the buttery (without the butter!) shortcrust shell and a light as air dairy-free whipped cream that you really can’t beat. To quote Michael, “You would never know these were vegan.” I mean, music to my ears!
- Texture: These tartlets have a perfect soft and chewy texture thanks to the luxuriously creamy lemon filling, light as air whipped cream, and buttery soft shortcrust shell. May be showing my obsession here, but you look forward to every bite of these tartlets with the feels so good biting in kind of texture. I’m a big texture person, so I’m happy to say these passed the test!
- Ease: These tartlets are super easy to make. There are a few basic kitchen tools like a blender for the filling, food processor for the crust, and stand mixer for the whipped cream that help with the ease of the recipe. The only thing that I wouldn’t think the home chef may have in their kitchen is a tartlet pan. This one is similar to my favorite pan and the one pictured, but if you don’t want to fool with buying one you can always use a muffin tin! While they may seem a bit more challenging to make, a beginner can easily master this recipe by following my detailed instructions below.
Frequently Asked Questions
What are tartlets made of?
Tartlets are usually made with a shortcrust pastry dough and a sweet filling. This recipe is just that, but gluten-free, dairy-free, and refined-sugar free!
How do tart and tartlets differ?
Tartlets are just mini tarts! They can usually fit in the palm of your hand. Very dainty and cute.
Can you freeze homemade lemon tarts?
Tarts are best when eaten fresh due to the crust, but you can definitely freeze them if you prefer. For best results, wrap the tarts in plastic wrap or a freezer bag and place in an air tight container before placing in the freezer. Can store in the freezer for up to about 3 months. Let them come to room temperature (takes about 30 to 60 minutes) before serving.
Ingredients
To make these cookies, you will need the following ingredients. See the full recipe card at the end of this post for detailed amounts and instructions!
- Almond flour – This is our base for the shortcrust pastry.
- Flaxseeds – We will be making flax eggs as our binder for the shortcrust pastry shell in this recipe. Flax eggs are made by combining flax meal (ground up flax seeds) and warm water. Let it sit for a few minutes and you will get a gel like consistency that is not only a great binder, but also extremely good for your health! You can buy packaged flax meal or choose to grind up your own flax seed. I just toss some flaxseeds into our NutriBullet for a few seconds and it works perfectly.
- Maple syrup – Our sweetener of choice for these tartlets! I love the full flavor that maple syrup gives to baked goods. Plus, it’s a good way to avoid using refined sugar while still getting the sweetness. You can try honey or another sweetener if you prefer, but this is definitely my number one pick.
- Coconut oil – Melted coconut oil is our fat in this recipe, replacing the butter you find in traditional tarts.
- Cashews – The base for our vegan mascarpone! It is best to use raw cashews for this recipe, but I have used roasted and salted before when it was all I had and it turned out just as good. We will soak these in hot water for at least 20 minutes to allow them to get nice and tender before blending. This is how we get that luxurious creamy texture for our vegan lemon mascarpone!
- Vanilla and lemon extract – Some vanilla and lemon extract for the best flavor!
- Lemons – We use the zest and juice of about 2 regular sized lemons in this recipe.
- Salt – Just a bit to help bring out all of our flavors. I use a fine pink Himalayan salt here.
- Coconut cream – This is our base for the whipped cream! If you’ve made any kind of homemade whipped cream before it’s pretty much the same process. You want it to be really cold for the best result, so make sure you chill the cans in the fridge for at least 2 hours. Overnight is best if you have the time!
How to Make These Vegan Lemon Tartlets
To make these tartlets, simply:
- Make flax eggs.
In a small bowl, combine 1 tablespoon flax meal with 1 tablespoon warm water. Stir until combined and set aside.
- Make the shortcrust pastry.
Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Place almond flour, salt, coconut oil, maple syrup, and the flax egg mixture into a food processor and pulse until mixture comes together. You should be able to pinch a bit off and form it without crumbles to know it’s ready.
- Bake.
Press the dough into the bottom of a lightly greased (I use a little bit of coconut oil) tart pan or muffin tin. You want it pressed tightly so the crumble is minimal when removing from the pan. Bake at 350 degrees for about 10 minutes or until edges get slightly golden brown. Remove from oven and let cool completely while preparing the filling and whipped cream.
- Make the lemon filling.
Place the soaked cashews, maple syrup, melted coconut oil, vanilla extract, lemon extract, lemon zest and juice, and salt into a blender. Blend mixture on high until fully combined. Mixture should be creamy and smooth. Set in fridge to chill until ready to assemble.
- Make the whipped cream.
Once your coconut cream has chilled in the fridge, carefully spoon out the coconut cream from the can (don’t use the coconut water that will be left in the bottom of the can) into the bowl of a stand mixer. With the whisk attachment, beat the coconut cream on high speed until the cream forms peaks. Slowly add in the maple syrup and extracts until combined. Set in freezer to chill until ready to assemble.
- Assemble.
Once tart shells have fully cooled, place a small scoop of the lemon filling into the tart shell and smooth out. Top with the whipped cream and a sprinkle of lemon zest.
- Chill.
Once assembled, pop finished tarts into the freezer for about 10 minutes so the whipped cream and lemon filling can really set shape and then move them over to the fridge until ready to serve.
To store: These tartlets are perfect to make ahead or store leftovers. Store them in an air-tight container in the fridge for up to 4 days. I assure you they won’t stick around for four days though!
To freeze: These tarts are best when eaten fresh, but if you prefer to freeze them wrap the tarts in plastic wrap or a freezer bag and place in an air tight container before placing in the freezer. Can store in the freezer for up to about 3 months. Let them come to room temperature (takes about 30 to 60 minutes) before serving.
Tips For the Perfect Vegan Lemon Tartlets
- Give the flax eggs time to come together. This usually only takes about 5-10 minutes. You want them to be jelly like before you toss them in.
- Make sure your crust is fully combined. You can’t really overwork this shortcrust dough, so don’t be shy when it comes to combining your ingredients. It will look a bit crumbly, but once you start handling it and patting it down in the tins it comes together nicely.
- Use a small cookie scoop. Using a small cookie scoop to place your lemon filling helps give your tartlets the best uniform shape and makes it super easy to divvy it up.
- Pipe the whipped cream. I love using a star frosting tip to pipe my whipped cream onto these tarts. Even if it softens up a little as it sets, it’s such a cute touch!
- Freeze to hold shape. Pro tip! Always pop your finished tarts in the freezer for about 10 minutes so the whipped cream and lemon filling can really set shape and then move them over to the fridge until ready to serve.
Variations
This tartlet recipe can easily be altered based on what you have on hand or prefer! Some great variations include:
- Swap the lemon for lime or grapefruit
- Sprinkle with some coconut flakes
- Top with berries
- Top with a bit of jam
More health focused recipes you’ll love!
- Healthy Oatmeal Raisin Cookies
- Vegan Snickers aka Chocolate Covered Dates
- Quick & Healthy Berry Crisp
- The BEST Gluten-Free Blueberry Muffins
- Healthy Pumpkin Bread
- Mango Spinach Smoothie
- Vegan Shortcrust Pastry with Almond Flour
- Strawberry Rhubarb Lemon Tart
Vegan Lemon Tartlets (Sugar-free, gluten-free, dairy-free!)
- Total Time: 30 minutes
- Yield: 24 1x
- Diet: Vegan
Description
Looking for a recipe for some absolutely delicious Vegan Lemon Tartlets? Look no further than this lemon tartlet recipe that has completely won us over! I would put them up against any tart out there, vegan or not. They are soft, chewy, creamy, and basically everything you could ever want in a tart! Made with a gluten-free shortcrust pastry, creamy vegan lemon mascarpone filling, and topped with dairy-free whipped cream; you seriously won’t believe how heavenly these taste. Oh, and they’re extremely cute!
Ingredients
SHORTCRUST
- 2 cups almond flour
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 tablespoon maple syrup
- 2 tablespoons coconut oil, melted
- 1 tablespoon ground flaxseed (mixed with 1 tablespoon warm water)
VEGAN LEMON MASCARPONE
- 2 1/2 cups raw cashews, soaked about 20 minutes in hot water then drained
- 2/3 cup maple syrup
- 2 tablespoons coconut oil, melted
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon lemon extract
- Zest & juice of two lemons
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 2 cans coconut cream, refrigerated at least 2 hours (the longer the better)
- 2 tablespoons of maple syrup
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
- 1/2 tablespoon lemon extract
Instructions
- Make flax eggs. In a small bowl, combine 1 tablespoon flax meal with 1 tablespoon warm water. Stir until combined and set aside.
- Make the shortcrust pastry. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Place almond flour, salt, coconut oil, maple syrup, and the flax egg mixture into a food processor and pulse until mixture comes together. You should be able to pinch a bit off and form it without crumbles to know it’s ready.
- Bake. Press the dough into the bottom of a lightly greased (I use a little bit of coconut oil) tart pan or muffin tin. You want it pressed tightly so the crumble is minimal when removing from the pan. Bake at 350 degrees for about 10 minutes or until edges get slightly golden brown. Remove from oven and let cool completely while preparing the filling and whipped cream.
- Make the lemon filling. Place the soaked cashews, maple syrup, melted coconut oil, vanilla extract, lemon extract, lemon zest and juice, and salt into a blender. Blend mixture on high until fully combined. Mixture should be creamy and smooth. Set in fridge to chill until ready to assemble.
- Make the whipped cream. Once your coconut cream has chilled in the fridge, carefully spoon out the coconut cream from the can (don’t use the coconut water that will be left in the bottom of the can) into the bowl of a stand mixer. With the whisk attachment, beat the coconut cream on high speed until the cream forms peaks. Slowly add in the maple syrup and extracts until combined. Set in freezer to chill until ready to assemble.
- Assemble. Once tart shells have fully cooled, place a small scoop of the lemon filling into the tart shell and smooth out. Top with the whipped cream and a sprinkle of lemon zest.
- Chill. Once assembled, pop finished tarts into the freezer for about 10 minutes so the whipped cream and lemon filling can really set shape and then move them over to the fridge until ready to serve.
Notes
- To store. These tartlets are perfect to make ahead or store leftovers. Store them in an air-tight container in the fridge for up to 4 days. I assure you they won’t stick around for four days though!
- To freeze. These tarts are best when eaten fresh, but if you prefer to freeze them wrap the tarts in plastic wrap or a freezer bag and place in an air tight container before placing in the freezer. Can store in the freezer for up to about 3 months. Let them come to room temperature (takes about 30 to 60 minutes) before serving.
- Give the flax eggs time to come together. This usually only takes about 5-10 minutes. You want them to be jelly like before you toss them in.
- Make sure your crust is fully combined. You can’t really overwork this shortcrust dough, so don’t be shy when it comes to combining your ingredients. It will look a bit crumbly, but once you start handling it and patting it down in the tins it comes together nicely.
- Use a small cookie scoop. Using a small cookie scoop to place your lemon filling helps give your tartlets the best uniform shape and makes it super easy to divvy it up.
- Pipe the whipped cream. I love using a star frosting tip to pipe my whipped cream onto these tarts. Even if it softens up a little as it sets, it’s such a cute touch!
- Freeze to hold shape. Pro tip! Always pop your finished tarts in the freezer for about 10 minutes so the whipped cream and lemon filling can really set shape and then move them over to the fridge until ready to serve.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 10 minutes
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 tart
- Calories: 232
- Sugar: 8.5 g
- Sodium: 154.4 mg
- Fat: 10.7 g
- Carbohydrates: 14.8 g
- Fiber: 0.9 g
- Protein: 3.9 g