Gluten-Free Lemon Tartlets

These bite-sized gluten-free lemon tartlets are filled with a bright and citrusy vegan lemon curd.

There’s something about lemon desserts that always says springtime to me.  From the sunshine-like color to the bright and tangy taste, lemons have a way of livening up any sweet treat they meet, and these little gluten-free lemon tartlets are no exception.

Filled with zesty citrus flavor, the two-bite treats are like little bites of sunshine.

Regardless of the season, these classic treats make an excellent addition to a brunch or dessert table.  The miniature tarts feature a tender shortbread crust with a tart lemon curd filling, and their diminutive size means no forks necessary!  They’re the perfect contrast of sweet and tart, crisp and creamy and everything a good lemon dessert should be.

How to make gluten-free lemon tartlets:

1. The shortbread crust is based on this recipe and it couldn’t be easier.  No need to roll it out, it’s one of those you just press into the pan with your fingers. 
2. Speaking of pan, I’ve used a mini-muffin pan to make bite-sized tartlets but you could easily make slightly larger ones using a regular muffin pan.  As with many tart recipes you can make the shells ahead of time (store the baked shells in an air-tight container at room temperature for a few day) and just fill the shells with the lemon curd when you’re ready to serve.
3. The curd comes together rather quickly and easily in one saucepan.  And since there are no eggs or dairy in this recipe there’s isn’t any need to worry about your curd scrambling.  Best of all the vegan lemon curd filling is just as rich and tart as the traditional kind!
4. The secret is arrowroot and a pinch of agar to give the filling the same heft and soft wobble as the egg thickened kind.  There’s also lots of fresh lemon juice and zest for loads of bright and zingy flavor. 

And because these are gluten-free, grain-free, paleo, and vegan, these lemon tartlets will suit just about everyone’s diet! The toughest part is waiting for the filling to set before popping one in your mouth!

More bite-sized tartlets:

Mini Blueberry Tarts

Mini Strawberry Jam Tarts

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Yield: 12 tassies

Gluten-Free Lemon Tartlets

Prep Time: 30 minutes

Cook Time: 15 minutes

Total Time: 45 minutes

These bite-sized gluten-free lemon tartlets are filled with a bright and citrusy vegan lemon curd.

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Ingredients

For the Crust:

• 2 Tablespoons/30ml maple syrup
• 2 Tablespoons/36g palm shortening 
• 1 ¼ cups/140g almond flour
• ¼ cup /36g arrowroot 
• Pinch of sea salt
• 1-2 teaspoons/5-10ml of filtered water

For the Lemon Curd:

• ¼ cup/60ml fresh lemon juice
• The zest of ½ a lemon
• ¼ cup/60ml maple syrup
• ½ Tablespoon/5g arrowroot 
• ¼ teaspoon agar powder 
• 1 Tablespoon/15ml coconut yogurt  or coconut cream 
• 1 ½ Tablespoons/27g palm shortening 

Instructions

Make the Crust:

1. In a large bowl cream together maple syrup and palm shortening until smooth. Add almond flour, arrowroot and salt and work into the mixture with a fork adding 1 teaspoon of water until a soft dough forms.
2. Pinch and press dough firmly across the bottom and halfway up the sides of a greased 12 cup mini muffin pan with your fingers. Prick bottom of dough with a fork and place pan into freezer 10 minutes to chill or in fridge until needed.
3. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Bake shells for 10-12 minutes or until golden around the edges. Set on a wire rack to cool completely. Meanwhile make the filling.

Make the Lemon Curd:

1. Whisk together lemon juice, lemon zest, maple syrup, arrowroot and agar powder in a small sauce pan over medium heat. Whisk continuously until mixture starts to thicken. Turn off heat and whisk in coconut yogurt and palm shortening.
2. Pour warm lemon curd into cooled shells. Let set until firm and serve. Refrigerate leftover curd and/or tassies in an airtight container.

Recommended Products

As an Amazon Associate and member of other affiliate programs, I earn from qualifying purchases.

• 
  Nutiva Organic Shortening, Original, 15 oz
• 
  Now Foods Agar Pure Powder

Nutrition Information:

Yield:

12

Serving Size:

1
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 118Total Fat: 9gSaturated Fat: 4gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 5gCholesterol: 0mgSodium: 9mgCarbohydrates: 8gFiber: 1gSugar: 6gProtein: 2g

Nutritional information for recipes contained on this website, such as calories, fat, carbs, etc. are only estimates and are not guaranteed to be accurate.

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Sylvie

Sylvie Shirazi is the recipe developer and food photographer behind Gourmande in the Kitchen. For the last 10 years she's been making eating more healthfully easy and accessible with gluten-free, grain-free, paleo and vegan recipes that are free from processed ingredients.