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Close up overhead view of creamy whole lemon tart garnished with lemon slices and white blossoms

Creamy Whole Lemon Tart

A crunchy sweet shortbread pastry shell filled with a creamy, lemon custard.  This creamy whole lemon tart custard is made entirely in a blender.  Cream cheese is the secret to the creamy texture..
5 from 4 votes
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Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 50 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour
Servings: 10 Servings
Calories: 431kcal
Author: Pat Nyswonger

Ingredients

  • 11- inch par-baked shortbread pastry shell see recipe
  • 1-1/2 small-size lemons about 4 oz. each (see notes)
  • 3/4 cup butter 1-1/2 sticks
  • 4 eggs room temperature
  • 2 egg yolks room temperature
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
  • 1-1/2 cups granulated sugar
  • 8 ounces cream cheese softened

Instructions

  • Preheat the oven to 325°F Move the oven rack to the lower 3rd position.
  • Scrub the lemons under cold water, dry them and trim off the ends.  Cut the lemons in quarters and remove the seeds and any large pieces of pith in the center.  
  • Add the lemon chunks to a blender with the butter, eggs, egg yolks, salt, vanilla and the sugar.  Process for 2-3 minutes until it is a smooth purée.
  • Cut the cream cheese into 6-8 pieces and with the blender on low speed, add the cream cheese pieces, one or two at a time. When all the cream cheese has been blended, increase the speed gradually to medium high and blend for another 30 seconds. 
  • Pour the mixture into the par-baked shortbread pastry shell, place on a baking sheet and transfer to the lower 3rd rack of the oven until most of it is set but the center is still jiggly, about 35-40 minutes.
  • Turn the oven off, leave the tart in the oven for 10 minutes with the door cracked.
  • Remove the tart from the oven and cool completely on a wire rack then refrigerate until it is time to serve.

Notes

  • If possible choose medium-size lemons with thin skins.
  • If the lemons have very thick skins, remove some of the peel by slicing from top to bottom in several strips.
  • Meyer lemons can be substituted but they are smaller and you may need to increase the amount to 2-3. Also, Meyer lemons are sweeter with less lemon flavor as they are a cross between a lemon and a mandarine orange.
  • Pour the filling into the pastry crust carefully almost to the rim, if there is excess filling bake it separately in a small custard dish.
  • Cooling the tart in the oven for 10 minutes will prevent the tart from cracking on top.
  • To store in the refrigerator, cover the tart with plastic wrap tart will keep in the refrigerator 2-3 days. The tart can also be frozen for up to 3 months.

Nutrition

Serving: 1 | Calories: 431kcal | Carbohydrates: 46g | Protein: 5g | Fat: 26g | Saturated Fat: 15g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 9g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 175mg | Sodium: 293mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 42g