For this lemon tart with blueberries, creamy, sweet-tart lemon curd is poured into a sweet crust (pâte sucrée in pastry parlance) and topped with seasonal berries lightly coated with apricot jam. Ain’t spring grand? These also make lovely mini lemon tarts.
If you’ve never made one of Flo Braker’s recipes, you’re in for a treat. Her simple, comprehensive directions never lead you astray. And this blueberry lemon tart recipe is no exception. The fresh flavors of lemon and berries are at their best here in her easily assembled, elegant tart.–David Leite
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Lemon Tart with Blueberry FAQs
Can I use Meyer Lemons instead of regular lemons?
Yes, but keep in mind that Meyer lemons have a sweeter, more floral flavor than regular lemons – so your final results may be more sweet and a bit less tart. Still, Meyer lemons make a fantastic substitute for regular lemons in dessert recipes so feel free to swap them out when you can find them.
Why does the crust have to completely cool before the filling is added?
Allowing your crusts to cool will prevent them from becoming soggy, especially with shortbread-type pastries such as this one. This process is known as blind baking, and it seals the surface of the bottom crust so that when the liquid filling is added, the crust retains its texture.
How to make mini lemon tarts with blueberries
You’ll need to use mini tart pans for this recipe, as muffin tins can be difficult to work with. The number of mini tarts depends on their size. You can make ten 4-inch mini tarts or about twenty 3-inch mini lemon blueberry tartlets with the dough called for in the recipe.
- Divide the tart dough among the mini tart pans, pressing it firmly with your fingers to an even thickness. Using the back of your knife, cut off any dough that crests over the sides of the pans. Prick the bottoms with a fork. Chill for 30 minutes.
- Cut circles of parchment paper 2 inches larger than your tartlet tins. Line the shells with the parchment. Fill with sugar to weight down the dough.
- Place the mini tartlet pans on a baking sheet. Bake the shells at 350°F (180°C) for 15 to 25 minutes or until the shells appear golden, look done, and contract just a bit from the side of the pans. Remove the parchment and sugar.
- Spoon the lemon filling into the tartlet shells.
- Bake for another 10 to 15 minutes or just until the centers no longer jiggle.
- Transfer the mini lemon tarts in their pans to a wire rack to cool completely.
- Coat the blueberries, or berries of your choice, in the warm apricot glaze. Dot the top of the cooled mini lemon tarts with the berries. Remove the mini tarts from their pans and serve.
Lemon Tart Variations
- Lime Tart: Swap out the lemon juice and lemon zest for lime juice and zest. Blueberries
- Berry Topping: Lemon and blueberry are a classic combination. But if you love berries like I do, go wild. Try blackberries, raspberries, and sliced strawberries.
In this recipe
Lemon Tart with Blueberries
Equipment
- 9-inch tart pan with a removable bottom
Ingredients
For the sweet crust
- 1 cup Classic Sweet Pastry
For the lemon filling
- 2 large eggs
- 3/4 cup granulated sugar
- 6 tablespoons fresh lemon juice strained
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter melted
- 2 teaspoons lemon zest
For the berry garnish
- 3 tablespoons strained apricot jam
- 2 cups fresh blueberries
Directions
Make the sweet pastry
- Prepare the Classic Sweet Pastry as directed. Wrap and refrigerate for at least 1 hour.
- Parbake the tart crust according to the instructions in step 15 of the the Classic Sweet Pastry recipe.
Make the lemon filling
- Place the eggs in a small bowl and whisk just to combine. Pour in the sugar and whisk. Add the lemon juice, again whisking to combine. Add the cooled melted butter and lemon zest and blend.
Bake the tart
- At least 15 minutes before baking your tart, preheat the oven to 375°F (190°C) and adjust the oven rack to the lower third of the oven.
- Pour the filling into the partially baked and cooled tart shell. Bake for 16 to 18 minutes, or until the crust is golden and the filling is set. (The filling will begin to bubble toward the end of baking.) Place the tart pan on a wire rack to cool for 10 minutes.
- Carefully place the tart pan on a narrower elevated surface (such as a wide tin can), so the bottom of the tart pan is supported and the metal rim can slip off. Cool to room temperature.
Prepare the berry garnish
- Heat the apricot jam just until melted but not bubbly hot, about 30 seconds. Pour into a medium mixing bowl. Pour the blueberries into the warm preserves and toss gently with a rubber spatula briefly to coat most of them. Spread over the tart, leaving a 3-inch center portion of lemon filling uncovered. Serve the same day for best flavor.
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Recipe Testers’ Reviews
This light and luscious lemon tart with berries is a delicious summer treat. The sweet crust is fabulous and the fresh uncooked blueberries coated with apricot jam take this classic dessert to a whole new level. The lemon curd filling is perfect: tart, creamy, and a beautiful color. I made this into four lemon blueberry tartlets because I love all things “mini”– somehow calories don’t count when you eat mini anything! My daughter and I loved these even more after they were refrigerated overnight; we felt like we had just made a stop in a Parisian bakery!
Summertime is abundant with fabulous blueberries. Pair them with lemon and a cookie crust, you have a very tempting lemon blueberry tart.
The classic sweet pastry is buttery and sweet and fairly simply to put together. The food processor does the hard work of integrating the butter into the dry ingredients, the rest is just fun!
I refrigerated the disk for an hour (as the recipe stated) and it was too firm. I would consider 30 minutes so you don’t have to let it soften up in order to roll it out. In addition, the recipe said to use 1 cup of dough. I feel using 1-1/3 cups would be better so that the crust is a touch thicker, especially on the bottom.
Once I put the dough in the tart pan, I popped it in the freezer for 15 minutes before blind baking as I find this works with the pie weights to keep it from shrinking. I prepared the filling while blind baking. The baking times indicated in the recipe were right on target and the cue about the filling beginning to bubble near the end of baking was also helpful.
Well, aren’t these little babies a bundle of joy, absolutely lovely. I tested the mini lemon tart variety, and I much prefer it to a large tart. I think you get to experience all of the flavors equally in each bite when served on a smaller scale.
The sweet, vanilla-y pie crust played perfectly with acidity of the lemon filling. The crust was oh so flakey and light, with a perfect crunch to combat the creaminess of the lemon filling. The lemon filling itself was simple but boasted a bright lemon flavor that I’m craving in a lemon tart. The apricot coated blueberries really rounded out this tart for me. They elevated the tart to another level, aesthetically and in regard to the balance of flavors, and with such a simple add.
As with any tart, plan some time for the laminating of dough, some resting, all the rolling, then filling, baking, you know the drill. I actually prepped my pastry dough the day before, refrigerated it (tightly wrapped) overnight, then rested it on the counter for one hour before rolling it out. Perfect for a brunch or a sweet treat, these little lemony lovelies deserve a spot on your spread.
Originally published April 05, 2003
Elegant, delicious and easy! What could be better? The curd turned out luscious and I loved how easy the pastry was to work with; the apricot jam added the perfect final touch to the blueberries.
So glad you enjoyed this tart, Sasha. Lemon, blueberries, and apricot jam—there is no bad there!
How wonderful, Sasha!
Oh boy. This tart was pure lemon perfection! Perfect for anytime of year I am sure, but nice in the winter to brighten up any menu. Easy to make, I really enjoyed the added touch of the apricot jam with the blueberries here.
Thanks, Anna! We’re so pleased that you enjoyed it. It is like a little ray of sunshine in the midst of winter. Thanks so much for taking the time to let us know.
I’m so happy to see this recipe getting some love on LC. It was the very first recipe I ever made from your site so many, many years ago. (What? Something like 20 years?) I made this a ton of times over the ages, but I’ve forgotten about it. Gotta make it again. It’s excellent.
Tuck, yes, it’s been 19 years–19!!!–since we posted our first recipe. That’s something like 10 million years in technology years. And I agree: the tart is simple and straightforwardly delicious. Enjoy.