This Meyer Lemon Tart is a sugar-free, vegan dessert that you can make and assemble in less time than it takes to watch an entire Bridgerton episode. It’s the perfect treat for those who are looking to reduce their sugar intake and go plant-based. This Meyer Lemon Tart was one of my most favorite dessert recipes which was featured in Thrive Magazine (The Recipe Issue, Volume 23). Aside from some pre-preparation– soaking cashews and refrigerating coconut cream overnight– the assembly takes no time. You may need to get some agar-agar, a seaweed gelatin substitute that helps set the tart, otherwise it may get mushy and won’t slice well.
If you love lemony desserts, this will definitely make your list of sweet lemon treats. Meyer lemons in particular are what I love for their soft skins and sweet scent, but if you can’t find them, don’t worry. Any sort of lemon is absolutely fine to use in place of Meyer lemons.
The crust is made from almond flour, cashews, dates, lemon juice, lemon zest, coconut oil, and monkfruit. While maple syrup is also a good alternative to sugar, granulated monkfruit looks like sugar, and, believe it or not, tastes much sweeter. I wanted to make a vegan dessert that cuts out sugar without it tasting dietary awful. The lemons are used in the crust as well as the filling.
I finished it up with a rich coconut whipped cream that’s totally decadent and garnish with mint leaves.
A slice of this light and lemony tart will have you swooning over sugar-free sweets.
Ingredients:
Makes one tart pan size (or two small)
Crust
1 3/4 cups almond flour
3 pitted Medjool dates
1/2 cup raw cashews
3 tbsp coconut oil
1 tbsp lemon juice
1 tbsp lemon zest
pinch of sea salt
Filling
1 1/2 cups raw cashews, soaked overnight (or soak 1 hour in hot water)
1/2 cup full-fat coconut cream
3 Meyer lemons, zest and juice
1/2 cup granulated monkfruit sugar (or pure maple syrup)
1/4 cup coconut oil, melted
1 tsp agar-agar (seaweed-based gelatin)
1 tsp ground turmeric powder (for color)
pinch of sea salt
Coconut Whipped Cream
1 (14oz) can full-fat coconut cream, refrigerated overnight
2 tbsp monkfruit sugar (or maple syrup)
Garnish:
very thin lemon slices
fresh mint leaves
Method:
The night before: Refrigerate one can of coconut cream. Soak the cashews in filtered water and refrigerate overnight.
Heat oven to 350F.
Crust:
In a food processor, blend the almond flour, dates, raw almonds, coconut oil, lemon juice, zest, and sea salt. Pulse several times until it resembles wet sand. The dates and coconut oil will make it all stick together and form a crumble.
Pour the crust mixture into a lightly greased tart pan with removable base, pressing firmly with the heel of your palm. To form the edges, press some of the mixture up the sides of the pan and pinch together with your thumb and index finger around the entire circle of the tart pan.
Using a fork, poke holes all around the bottom of the crust. Bake at 350F for about 8-10 minutes (you don’t need to bake it for too long). Remove from oven and let cool.
Filling:
Place the cashews, coconut cream, lemon zest, lemon juice, monkfruit (or maple syrup), coconut oil, agar-agar, turmeric, and sea salt into a high-speed blender or food processor.
Blend until creamy. Scrape sides down if necessary and continue to blend.
Pour the filling into a saucepan and whisk to combine. Heat on medium-low just to boil.
Once boiling, reduce heat and simmer a few minutes until the mixture thickens. Turn off flame and remove from heat. Once slightly cooled down, pour filling into crust. Allow to cool to room temperature, then place in refrigerator to set for approximately two hours.
Coconut Whipped Cream:
Scoop the solid coconut cream out of the can of refrigerated coconut cream. Place it into a. mixing bowl and blend using a hand mixer (or stand mixer). Add a little of the coconut water if needed to make the cream smooth. Add the monkfruit sweetener or maple syrup, to taste.
Tart:
Spread a generous amount of coconut whipped cream over the top of the tart. Garnish with thin lemon slices and mint leaves. Chill until ready to serve.
