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French

Tarte au citron (French lemon tart)

Contains egg (no meat or fish)

Tarte au citron

A thin, crisp almond pâte sucrée filled with a sharp, silky lemon custard baked until it barely wobbles.

Tarte au citron (French lemon tart) is a French pastry from France, ready in about 3 hours 55 minutes and made with all-purpose flour, egg and lemon. It serves 8 and is rated intermediate to cook.

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Elegant lemon tart garnished with dried citrus slices and mint on a black surface.
Photo: Daniel & Hannah Snipes / Pexels · Pexels License
Prep
30 min
Cook
55 min
Rest
2 h 30 min
Total
3 h 55 min
Serves
8
Level
Intermediate
Calories
426

Ingredients

8 servings

Pâte sucrée

Lemon filling

Equipment

Method

  1. Step 1

    Pulse the flour, butter, icing sugar (opens in a new tab) and almond flour (opens in a new tab) to fine crumbs, add the egg (opens in a new tab) and pulse until it just clumps. Flatten into a disc, wrap and chill 1 hour.

  2. Step 2

    Roll out to 3 mm between sheets of baking paper and line a 23 cm loose-bottomed tart tin (opens in a new tab). Chill 20 minutes. Heat the oven (opens in a new tab) to 180 °C (fan 160 °C).

    Dough being rolled out with a rolling pin
    How it looks · Photo: Katerina Holmes on Pexels

  3. Step 3

    Blind bake with paper and baking beans for 15 minutes, then without for 8–10 minutes until evenly golden. Lower the oven (opens in a new tab) to 150 °C (fan 130 °C).

  4. Step 4

    Whisk (opens in a new tab) the eggs (opens in a new tab) and sugar (opens in a new tab) until smooth (not frothy), then whisk in the lemon (opens in a new tab) zest, juice and cream. Strain and skim off any foam.

    Eggs being whisked in a bowl
    How it looks · Photo: Kampus Production on Pexels

  5. Step 5

    Set the tart case on the oven (opens in a new tab) shelf and pour in the filling. Bake 25–30 minutes until set with a slight wobble in the centre. Cool on a rack, then chill at least 1 hour before slicing.

About this dish

Origin
France · Commonly attributedAlso popular in United KingdomMore food from France
Dish
Dessert · Pastries · Desserts
Cooking method
Oven-baked
Taste
citrusy, sweet & sour, buttery
Diet
Vegetarian (lacto-ovo)
All labelsVegetarian (lacto-ovo) · Eggetarian · Pescatarian · Flexitarian-friendly · Alcohol-free · Pork-free · Beef-free · Low-sodium
Worked out from the ingredients. How labels work
Good for
Make-ahead
Cook more with
All-purpose flour · Egg · Lemon · Unsalted butter · Icing sugar · Almond flour
Techniques
Baking · Stock making

Allergens

  • Contains: Milkfrom unsalted butter, heavy cream
  • Contains: Eggsfrom egg
  • Contains: Tree nutsfrom almond flour
  • Contains: Wheatfrom all-purpose flour
  • Contains: Glutenfrom all-purpose flour

Based on typical versions of these ingredients and not verified allergen-free. Brands differ and cross-contact happens, so always check labels. For severe allergies, follow your clinician’s advice.

Nutrition

426 kcal per serving

Estimated

1 serving ≈ 161 g · recipe makes 8

Where the energy comes from

  • Protein 8%
  • Carbohydrate 47%
  • Fat 45%
Nutrition per serving and per 100 g
NutrientPer servingPer 100 g*
Energy426 kcal265 kcal
Protein8.3 g5.2 g
Carbohydrate51.9 g32.3 g
Net carbohydrate49.7 g30.9 g
Sugars29.2 g18.2 g
Added sugars27.3 g17 g
Fibre2.2 g1.4 g
Fat21.9 g13.6 g
Saturated fat11.8 g7.3 g
Trans fat——
Cholesterol164 mg102 mg
Sodium53 mg33 mg
Salt equivalent0.1 g0.1 g
Vitamins & minerals per serving
Potassium
170 mg
Calcium
55 mg
Iron
2.1 mg
Magnesium
23 mg
Vitamin A (RAE)
213 µg
Vitamin C
23 mg
Vitamin D
0.9 µg
Vitamin B12
0.3 µg
Folate (DFE)
95 µg

How these numbers were made

  • Calculated from USDA FoodData Central (SR Legacy) per-100 g values and the listed quantities.
  • *Per 100 g of combined raw ingredients; the cooked dish may weigh more or less.
  • Almond flour: Blanched almonds; finely ground almond flour has the same composition.
  • “—” means the value isn’t known for enough of the ingredients; it is never zero by default.
  • Values are estimates for guidance, not for medical dosing. U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service. FoodData Central, 2019. fdc.nal.usda.gov.

Good to know

Tips

  • Dust with icing sugar and caramelise with a blowtorch for a brûléed top.

Storage

  • Keeps 2 days in the fridge.

Original editorial recipe · FriendsPantry editorial · Not yet independently reviewed · Added · Updated

Recipe DNA

How this dish is built

Built from the recipe’s own sections. Each band’s width is its share of the dish by weight. Choose a component to see what it does.

What goes inside

Lemon filling

Used in steps 1, 4

Reviews & corrections

Reviews come from signed-in cooks and appear after a moderator checks them. We never show made-up ratings.

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