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Life Currents
Home » Meyer Lemon Brûlée Tart

Meyer Lemon Brûlée Tart

February 21, 2016 by Debi 66 Comments

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Sweet and tart lemon filling all Brûléed on top with a nice sugar crust then, that sweet lemon is surrounded by a simple shortbread crust! And, OMG is this Meyer Lemon Brûlée Tart delicious! You’ll be impressed by this dessert!

I decided to make this tart with shortbread crust for the lemon dessert challenge I took on with some blogger friends. Check out below to see all the recipes that my friends have come up with! 

Table of Contents

Toggle
  • We appreciate your support
  • Lemon recipe sharing
    • Lemon desserts you’ll love!
  • About this tart recipe
    • Great for a special event
  • Lemon extract
  • Can I use regular lemons for this?
  • Check out my citrus board on Pinterest
  • Lemon Challenge
  • Let’s keep in touch
  • Recipe
  • Meyer Lemon Brûlée Tart with Shortbread Crust
    • Ingredients  1x2x3x
      • Shortbread Crust
      • Meyer Lemon Filling
    • Instructions 
      • While pie shell bakes, prepare filling
    • Notes
    • Nutrition

Meyer Lemon Brûlée Tart on a wooden background with a pie server.

We appreciate your support

Please let me know if you have any questions about this recipe. I read all the comments myself and I try to help as soon as I can. I have readers from all levels of comfort and experience in the kitchen on my site, and I’ve tried to answer some of your questions already in the post. But if I’ve missed anything, please feel free to leave a comment and ask.

Meyer Lemon Brûlée Tart with Shortbread Crust is a stunningly delicious little dessert. Sweet, but not too much. Light with citrusy lemon. Buttery shortbread crust. All topped off with a crispy caramel Brûléed sugar top. Oh, it's like heaven on a plate!

Lemon recipe sharing

I’ve teamed up with some amazing food bloggers to bring you some delicious lemon recipes!

You’ll find both savory and sweet recipes in this collection, just make sure to scroll down below the recipe to see all the other great recipes in this collection!

Lemon tart next to a tart pan with the rest of the dessert in the pan and a serving knife handle next to it

Lemon desserts you’ll love!

I love lemon. And lemon desserts are probably my favorite kind! If you love lemon like I do, you’re sure to want to check out these delicious treats!

Lemon Bars: these are the award winning best, and every time I bring them to a family gathering everyone asks for the recipe!
Lemon Poke Cake: a homemade from scratch moist lemony cake that’s the perfect balance of tart lemon and light sweet cake.
Grandma’s Lemon Custard Pie with Lemon Curd Topping: So good and so unusual, this easy to make pie will soon be your new favorite!
Lemon Souffle Magic Cakes: so much fun in a little cup, these cakes separate out into delicious layers!

Meyer Lemon Brûlée Tart on the metal springform plate.

About this tart recipe

This Lemon Tart with Shortbread Crust is a stunningly delicious little dessert.

Sweet, but not too much. Light with citrusy lemon. Buttery shortbread crust.

All topped off with a crispy caramel Brûléed sugar top. Oh, it’s like heaven on a plate!

Great for a special event

This tart would be great for a special meal like Easter or Mother’s Day. And, I’m looking forward in the year quite a bit.

But this would be so awesome for after a big heavy meal like Thanksgiving, since this tart is nice and light in flavor. I think all of my family will love this one!

the side of a lemon tart showing the crust.

Lemon extract

I suggest lemon extract for this dessert. I love using just a little bit of lemon extract in my lemony desserts. It brightens them ever-so-nicely.

But, if you don’t have any lemon extract, and don’t want to buy any, no worries, the dessert is lovely without the extract. I just think the extract makes it a little more special!

Can I use regular lemons for this?

Yes, you can use regular lemons for this dessert.

Meyer lemons have a more mellow and sweeter flavor than ordinary lemons.

Regular lemons can be used in place of Meyer lemons in this recipe, but keep in mind that they contain less sugar, more acid, and are more sour and thus have the tart will have a stronger, more powerful lemon flavor.

Meyer Lemon Brûlée Tart with Shortbread Crust is a stunningly delicious little dessert. Sweet, but not too much. Light with citrusy lemon. Buttery shortbread crust. All topped off with a crispy caramel Brûléed sugar top. Oh, it's like heaven on a plate!

Check out my citrus board on Pinterest

I’ve made a whole Pinterest board for Citrus! Come take a look, you’ll find my recipes, plus a whole lot more!

Follow Citrus and Light Recipes on Pinterest.

lemon tart on a wooden cutting board.

Lemon Challenge

Check out all the other lovely lemon recipes below from bloggers who took part in our 30 Day Lemon Challenge

  • Buttery Lemon Garlic Rice by Hot Eats and Cool Reads
  • Lemon Cardamom Scones by Manila Spoon
  • Lemon Garlic Chicken by Savory Experiments
  • Lemon Panna Cotta by Culinary Ginger
  • Noshing With The Nolands brings us Lemon Pie Bars
  • Lemon Pudding Cheesecake by Serena Bakes Simply From Scratch
  • No Bake Lemon Cheesecake by Num’s the Word
  • Mini Meyer Lemon Loaves by Liv for Cake
  • Zingy Lemon Chicken Wings by Lovefoodies

11 Freshly Squeezed Lemon Recipes from 11 fabulous bloggers! on Life Currents

Let’s keep in touch

If you like seeing my recipes subscribe via email in the upper right.
Or, connect with me on your favorite social media channel for recipes, photos, & much more:
Pinterest, Facebook, Instagram, YouTube and Twitter!
And find my shop on Amazon for recommendations on cool tools

If you try this recipe,
please come back & leave a comment below letting us know how it goes.
Share a picture & tag @lifecurrents on Instagram.
Or you can upload a “tried it” photo (I would love to see)
via the pin.

Meyer Lemon Brûlée Tart by Life Currents https://lifecurrentsblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/02/Meyer-Lemon-Brûlée-Tart-horizontalsPin.jpg

Recipe

A slice of lemon tart next to the pan for serving.

Meyer Lemon Brûlée Tart with Shortbread Crust

Debi
Meyer Lemon Brûlée Tart with Shortbread Crust is a stunningly delicious little dessert. Sweet, but not too much. Light with citrusy lemon. Buttery shortbread crust. All topped off with a crispy caramel Brûléed sugar top. Oh, it’s like heaven on a plate!
5 from 47 votes
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Prep Time 30 minutes mins
Cook Time 40 minutes mins
Resting time 2 hours hrs 45 minutes mins
Total Time 3 hours hrs 55 minutes mins
Course Dessert
Cuisine American
Servings 8 servings
Calories 452 kcal

Ingredients
  

Shortbread Crust

  • 1 ½ cups all-purpose flour
  • 1 cup powdered sugar
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • 3/4 cup cold butter cut in pieces

Meyer Lemon Filling

  • ½ cup heavy cream
  • 2/3 cup plus 1 tablespoon sugar divided use
  • 1 teaspoon finely grated Meyer lemon zest
  • ½ cup fresh Meyer lemon juice
  • ½ teaspoon lemon extract optional
  • 4 large egg yolks
  • 1 whole large egg

Instructions
 

  • Spray a 9-inch springform pan or tart pan with removable bottom with cooking spray. Line a cookie sheet with a silpat, parchment paper, or foil.
  • Place all crust ingredients in the bowl of a food processor. Pulse until dough starts to form clumps, about 30 seconds to a minute. Dough will be quite loose and dry at first, just continue pulsing until clumps form. Gather dough, and place in the springform pan.
    1 ½ cups all-purpose flour, 1 cup powdered sugar, ½ teaspoon salt, 3/4 cup cold butter
  • Press the dough with your fingers, evenly to the bottom and about 1 inch up the sides of the springform pan. Lightly prick bottom of the pie shell all over with a fork. Cover pie shell with plastic wrap, and let rest in refrigerator for 1 hour.
  • Put oven rack in middle position, and preheat oven to 425˚ F. Place pie shell on prepared cookie sheet, and bake for 10-12 minutes or until light golden brown. Remove pie shell and cookie sheet from oven and reduce oven temperature to 300° F.

While pie shell bakes, prepare filling

  • Whisk together cream, 2/3 cup sugar, zest, juice, extract, yolks, and whole egg until combined.
    ½ cup heavy cream, 2/3 cup plus 1 tablespoon sugar, 1 teaspoon finely grated Meyer lemon zest, ½ cup fresh Meyer lemon juice, ½ teaspoon lemon extract, 4 large egg yolks, 1 whole large egg
  • Place tart shell (while still in the pan) and cookie sheet on the oven rack with the rack extended, and carefully pour filling into pie shell, then carefully slide rack into oven. Bake tart at 300° F until custard is set but still wiggles in center when gently shaken, 25 to 35 minutes (tart will continue to cook as it cools on the counter). Remove tart from cookie sheet, and cool in springform pan on a cooling rack 30 minutes, then remove springform ring, and cool tart to room temperature, about 1 ¼ hours.
  • Before serving, sprinkle remaining tablespoon of sugar evenly over top of tart. Move blowtorch flame evenly back and forth just above top of tart, avoiding crust, until sugar is caramelized and slightly browned. Store tart in an airtight container in the fridge.

Notes

Meyer lemons have a more mellow and sweeter flavor than ordinary lemons. Regular lemons can be used in place of Meyer lemons in this recipe, but keep in mind that they contain less sugar, more acid, and are more sour and thus have the tart will have a stronger, more powerful lemon flavor.
The tart, without the Brûléed top, can be baked then refrigerated in an airtight container, 1 day ahead. Very gently blot any moisture from surface of tart with paper towels before sprinkling with sugar and caramelizing top.

Nutrition

Calories: 452kcalCarbohydrates: 51gProtein: 5gFat: 26gSaturated Fat: 15gCholesterol: 184mgSodium: 316mgPotassium: 74mgFiber: 1gSugar: 32gVitamin A: 910IUVitamin C: 6mgCalcium: 33mgIron: 1mg

Nutritional information is based on third-party calculations, and should be considered estimates. Actual nutritional content will vary based on brands used, measuring methods, portion sizes, and more.

Keyword lemon, tart
Tried this recipe?Mention @LifeCurrents or tag #LifeCurrents!

Meyer Lemon Brûlée Tart with Shortbread Crust is a stunningly delicious little dessert. Sweet, but not too much. Light with citrusy lemon. Buttery shortbread crust. All topped off with a crispy caramel Brûléed sugar top. Oh, it's like heaven on a plate! http://lifecurrentsblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/02/Meyer-Lemon-Brûlée-Tart-pin.jpg
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Filed Under: Desserts, Mother's Day Tagged With: Cooking, desserts, Food, lemons, recipe, shortbread, vegetarian

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about debi

ABOUT DEBI

Hello! I’m Debi, the girl behind Life Currents where I write about mainly healthy vegetarian dishes. My husband eats meat, so occasionally I share some of his dishes as well. And, I’ll share tasty treats and projects that we do. Read more...

Previous Post: « Baked Meatballs in Balsamic Tomato Sauce
Next Post: Cream of Mushroom Casserole »

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Sue

    December 5, 2023 at 11:04 am

    5 stars
    This was absolutely delicious! The brulee topping was a perfect complement to the tart lemon!

  2. d

    February 29, 2024 at 6:45 am

    5 stars
    This is delicious, and comes together quickly. It looks impressive and gets lots of compliments. I like to add a teaspoon of chopped fresh thyme to the filling to change it up a bit. 10/10

  3. Elena

    June 22, 2024 at 6:05 pm

    5 stars
    Came out great! I did blind baking the shell. Yummy

  4. Carolyn

    November 11, 2024 at 8:06 am

    I am looking forward to making this dessert for an upcoming dinner party. Can it be made the day before or the morning of the party? I love the sound of this tart but hope it’s a dessert that can be done in advance. Kindly advise. Thank you!

  5. Debi

    November 11, 2024 at 9:51 am

    Carolyn, yes, the tart, without the Brûléed top, can be baked then refrigerated in an airtight container, 1 day ahead. Very gently blot any moisture from surface of tart with paper towels before sprinkling with sugar and caramelizing top. Brulee it right before serving.

  6. Jennifer

    January 31, 2025 at 9:13 am

    5 stars
    I have made this multiple times. I add a little lemon zest to the crust & cut the powder sugar a bit. I also add more zest to the filling. Thank you for this recipe

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5 from 47 votes (4 ratings without comment)

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Hi! I’m Debi, the girl behind Life Currents, where I write about mainly healthy vegetarian dishes with some great desserts and other goodies mixed in! Read More >>>

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