Lemon tart lovers, here is something wickedly delicious for you.
A perfect graham cracker crust, soft and crunchy at the same time, covered with not-too-sweet or bitter lemon custard. Heaven for your senses and palate.
With the abundant fresh lemons that my wonderful friends always give me, I was so excited to make this Lemon Tart.
As you can see from the recipe, there is nothing to it.
There are two steps to this tart: The graham cracker crust and the lemon filling.
Both are super easy to prepare.
In this Article
- What is Graham Crackers made of?
- A quick note about the sweetened condensed milk
- Here are a few helpful tips for the ingredients for the Lemon Tart
- Equipment needed
- Cooking tips and step-by-step instructions to create this excellent Lemon Tart
- Substitutions
- Storage instructions
- If you enjoy this delicious Lemon Tart, look at my other recipes.
- Lemon Tart
What is Graham Crackers made of?
A graham cracker is a sweet-flavored cracker made of graham flour that originated in the United States in the mid-19th century.
A combination of honey, cinnamon, and vanilla extract gives it that distinct signature flavor.
It can be enjoyed as a snack or in a recipe. Makes the best crust for custard pies.
I prefer to use my food processor to make crumbs from graham crackers. A personal choice, of course.
Your local grocery store may already have the graham crumbs in the baking aisle, which would work perfectly too.
A quick note about the sweetened condensed milk
You cannot replace sweetened condensed milk with evaporated milk.
They are not identical and cannot be used interchangeably in baking.
Even though they are both concentrated from milk products and have 60 percent of the water removed, the evaporated milk has no sweets added.
Enjoy this lemon tart with condensed milk.
Here are a few helpful tips for the ingredients for the Lemon Tart
This is a quick introduction; please read the recipe for complete instructions.
Graham crackers: use your favorite brand to make the crust.
Sugar: not too much is used, but you still need it to cut down on the bitterness of the lemons.
Maple syrup: adds another layer of sweetness and stickiness at the same time.
Unsalted butter: Be generous in evenly spreading the butter on the skillet. You will thank me later.
Sweetened condensed milk: brings the sweetness you need without the added sugar.
Lemons: Meyers lemons are the best, but any lemons will be perfect too.
Egg yolks: Solidify and give richness to this tart.
Vanilla extract: adds a layer of fragrance that marries well with the lemon and sweetened condensed milk.
Equipment needed
I only recommend what I use and love. To achieve this recipe, I used the following:
10-inch cast iron skillet Lodge is one of my favorites as it will bake this tart to perfection and evenly
food processor to create the crust by breaking down the graham crackers
lemon juicer is the star of this recipe
mixing bowls to work the lemon filling
aluminum foil to cover your tart base as to not burn it
pastry weights keeping the crust down from rising
Cooking tips and step-by-step instructions to create this excellent Lemon Tart
You can find the printable recipe with all the correct amounts at the bottom of this post.
- Use fresh lemons juice. The already squeezed for you at the store is not the same.
- The maple syrup with the regular sugar and the melted butter creates a delightful crust that will withstand the liquid poured over.
- When you are ready to fill the 10-inch cast iron, ensure that the bottom crust is even and that the corners between the bottom and the sides of the skillet are the same thickness. I made the mistake of not evenly distributing it, which was harder to cut.
- No need to have the crust brought up to the top of the skillet too. The custard will not rise; thus no concern of spilling over it.
- And yes, you will use the whole tablespoon of butter to grease the skillet. You do not want to miss this step or put less. You will need that extra protection to prevent burning and sticking to the skillet when making a huge slice.
- Aluminum foil with weights or uncooked rice to part bakes the crust. Let it rest and cool off before filling it with custard. I always use weights.
- Let the crust cool off before adding the filling.
- Combine all the ingredients and add them to the crust.
- The thin lemon slices are for decoration. Have fun with it and create your design.
Once out of the oven, let it rest, as it will solidify and not burn you, as the custard is pretty hot.
Substitutions
Graham crackers can be substituted with crispy cookies, ice cream cones, pretzels, cereal, and even coconut macaroons.
You can also replace the lemon juice with lime juice to make Lime Tart. Better yet, Key limes and you will never be the same.
Storage instructions
You can leave it at room temperature if it is not too hot in your room. Place in the refrigerator covered with plastic wrap when completely cooled off.
If you enjoy this delicious Lemon Tart, look at my other recipes.
Frullato di Fruttap or Italian Fruit Smoothie
Pumpkin Tiramisu – A no-bake dessert for you
Dulce De Leche Chocolate Mousse
Equipment and Products that I recommend and use to prepare this fabulous recipe.
Lemon Tart
Ingredients
GRAHAM CRACKER CRUST
- 1½ cups graham cracker crumbs
- 2 tablespoons sugar
- 1 tablespoon maple syrup
- 5 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
- 1 tablespoon unsalted butter, 1room temperature
Instructions
FOR THE CRUST
- Preheat the oven to 375F
- In a large bowl add the graham cracker crumbs and sugar and stir to combine. Add the maple syrup and the 5 tablespoons of melted butter and stir to thoroughly combine.
- Grease generously a 10-inch cast-iron skillet with a tablespoon of room-temperature butter. Pour the dough into the skillet and lightly press it into shape. Line with aluminum foil and fill with pastry weights or uncooked rice. Bake for 10 minutes.
- Allow cooling on a wire rack before filling.
FOR THE LEMON TART
- Preheat the oven to 325F.
- In a medium bowl, combine the condensed milk, lemon juice, egg yolks, and vanilla.
- Working with the crust in a 10-inch cast-iron skillet, pour the filling into the crust. Top with very thin slices of lemon. Arrange them as you wish.
- Put the skillet in the oven and bake for about 15 to 20 minutes, until the liquid has set into a soft custard.
- Remove the skillet from the oven and allow to cool completely before serving.
Notes
Nutrition
Giangi’s Kitchen provides nutritional information, but these figures should be considered estimates, as a registered dietician does not calculate them.
- Course: Desserts
- Cuisine: American
- Occasion: Easter, Mother’s Day
- Season: Spring
Did you make this?
Leave a comment below and tag @giangiskitchen on Instagram
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Sue
Outstanding! This tart is simple yet elegant. A must try for any lemon lover.
Giangi Townsend
Sue, You will love it. Super easy to make it and so yummy!
Enjoy!
Kayla DiMaggio
This lemon tart is gorgeous! It was bursting with flavor and was so bright and refreshing!
Giangi Townsend
Thank you Kayla! Perfect when you have lemons in the house and want something different to end a perfect meal.
Enjoy!
Gina Abernathy
You had me at lemons and sweetened condensed milk. I love those two ingredients together. I am certainly going to make this soon. I’m pinning this recipe, too!
Giangi Townsend
Thank you so much Gina! You will enjoy it and so easy to make.
Lindsay
This was amazing, can’t wait to make it again for Mother’s Day!
Giangi Townsend
Wonderful! Enjoy!
Jessica Formicola
I made this lemon tart for Valentine’s Day last night and oh my goodness was it delicious! My husband loved it too!
Giangi Townsend
Thank you for your feedback.
Elizabeth
This tart looks so tasty and fresh for spring. Just looking at it makes me feel cheerful – I need to try it.
Giangi Townsend
Enjoy!
Dee
Lemon tarts will never go out of style! I love your recipe! Saving for later.
Giangi Townsend
Always been a favorite. Enjoy!
nancy
i love lemon tarts but never was able to nail the recipe at home. thanks for your tips
Giangi Townsend
The pleasure is all mine, Enjoy!
Claire
An amazing tart!!
I made this last weekend for my son’s birthday and everyone loved it. The filling was tart and sweet at the same time and worked so well with the hint of cinnamon in the crumb.
My kids loved it and my hubby said it was the best dessert I have made!!
Giangi Townsend
I am so please that everyone enjoyed it. Thank you for your feedback.
Lindsey
This tart was fab! I’d never had maple syrup in my graham cracker crust before so I pushed aside my usual recipe to try yours and I am so happy I did! It was perfect with the tart lemon filling! 10/10 from me!
Giangi Townsend
Thank you, Lindsey, I am so glad you give it a try.
Enjoy!
Vladka
Lately, I’ve only been making unbaked tarts, they’re healthier and faster and the kids like them. And this lemon one is simply flawless.
Giangi Townsend
Thank you!
Elizabeth S
This was so good! I cannot believe how easy it was to make. I did a design with the lemon slices and it turned out so cute. Will definitely make this again.
Giangi Townsend
I am happy you enjoyed it.
Gen
This was not only incredibly delicious but so beautiful, too! This was a real showstopper. Everyone was impressed, and I’m not that confident with desserts, so that says a lot! Can’t wait to wow some new guests with this one.
Giangi Townsend
Gen, I am so happy you tried making this Lemon tart and you love it. Thank you for your feedback.
Enjoy!
Gloria
I am a lemon dessert lover. This tart is right up my alley. Simple and so delicious.
Giangi Townsend
Thank you!
Sean
This lemon tart was everything I was looking for. A great lemon flavor and it tasted amazing.
Giangi Townsend
I am so happy you enjoyed it.
Thank you!
Enriqueta E Lemoine
My lemon tart is in the oven. I love everything citrus, and you got me with your easy-to-follow instructions. Thanks for sharing!
Giangi Townsend
The pleasure is all mine and thank you for making my lemon tart.
Enjoy!
Lauren Michael Harris
What a beautiful tart! Lemon desserts are my favorite (after chocolate) and I think this will be just perfect for an upcoming party we are having!
Giangi Townsend
Thank you and enjoy!
MSL
We are big lemon fans here so when I saw this I knew I had to make it! I used a store bought graham cracker crust and followed the rest of the instructions. Came out great!
Giangi Townsend
So happy you like it.
Thank you!
Carrie Robinson
This is such a great dessert idea for summertime! 🙂 I am all about anything lemon right now.
Giangi Townsend
One of our favorite.
Enjoy!
Moop Brown
I’m a big fan of lemon desserts and lemon tart is such a classic treat that always tastes good. Thanks for sharing
Giangi Townsend
The pleasure is all mine, Thank you for stopping by my corner of the web.
Enjoy!
Dennis
What a perfectly delicious lemon tart! It was easy to make and everyone loved it!
Giangi Townsend
Thank you!
Loreto and Nicoletta
This tart would be the perfect end to an outdoor summer meal. It screams sunshine, texture and flavor. Great tips on the condensed milk, and that custard looks divine! Well done!
Giangi Townsend
Thank you so much for your kind compliments. Summer in a dish, that is what we all call the Lemon Tart.
Enjoy!