Lemon Cheesecake Tarts and tartlets have a bright lemon flavor and delicious lemon zest crust. This vibrant dessert is the perfect cross between decadent, creamy cheesecake, and the classic lemon tart. Our recipe can made as a single large tart, or split into adorable mini lemon cheesecake tarts that are perfect for individual servings.

Lemon cheesecake tarts have a creamy texture that pairs beautifully with the vibrant, citrus notes of fresh lemon juice. Our delicate sugar crust is made with fresh lemon zest for added flavor and a soft cookie like crunch.

We enjoy these lemon cheesecake tarts with our scratch made strawberry rhubarb sauce, raspberry sauce, and blueberry reduction sauce. You can also top these with sugared cranberries, seasonal fresh fruit, even a finishing topping of our decadent lemon curd.

What is a lemon cheesecake tart?

This bright dessert is essentially a lemon cheesecake made in the form of a single tart, or an assortment of mini tarts, topped with your choice of sauce or left plain for a delicious treat. These tarts are lighter than a traditional cheesecake so they bake and set much faster making them a wonderful option for beginner bakers who might not be familiar with cheesecakes.

These tarts can be made with or without a crust depending on your preferences and dietary needs. The crustless tarts provide an excellent low carb and gluten free option.

Do tart crusts need to be pre baked?

For these lemon cheesecake tarts we do recommend pre baking, also known as blind baking, the crust before adding the cheesecake filling. This crust is made from flour, eggs, and coconut oil so it does need to bake before the liquids are added to avoid saturating it through. This would prevent it from baking fully.

Blind baking is a quick process, only taking about 12 minutes at 350 degrees F for this recipe. Once the cookie crust has partially baked you can add the filling without worrying about an uneven bake or raw tart crust.

Is cheesecake a tart?

Though some would argue that they are different, the overall consensus is that cheesecakes would be considered at the very least a form of tarts. They are made with a thick, custard like filling and can be baked either with or without a crust. Cheesecakes are most often baked in a graham cracker base crust, but some have more of a cookie or pastry type crust similar to pies and tarts.

Because these two desserts are so similar, they pair beautifully well which is why cheesecake tarts are a thing! We love cheesecake around here, and tarts are another favorite, so bringing these two together just made sense.

How do you serve cheesecake tarts?

The wonderful thing about mini tarts is that they are small and easy to serve at holidays and events of any occasion. Large tarts can be used as a centerpiece for a dessert table at a luncheon or evening dinner party. Both styles of tarts will present a sophisticated aesthetic, and can be enjoyed alongside an array of other desserts, or featured as the main focus.

Here are some ideas for how you can present, serve, and garnish a full sized tart, or a selection of mini lemon tarts.

• Top with seasonal fruits that accompany the lemon flavor
• Dust with powdered sugar
• Dollop with a sweet whipped cream
• Garnish with sugared lemon twists
• Swirl in raspberry, strawberry, or a sweet rhubarb sauce before baking to elevate the flavors and create a splash of color
• Top with a meringue and toast for a traditional lemon meringue look
• Finish with a strawberry rhubarb, raspberry, or blueberry sauce

Lemon Cheesecake Tarts Recipe

Making tarts is fun and pretty easy considering they bake and set much faster than a traditional cheesecake, and don’t require a water bath for even baking.

We recommend using a baking sheet to set the tartlets while in the oven, and the larger tart in by itself. They came out beautifully with only minimal cracking, but do be careful of the temperature and cook time as they are prone to sinking.

About the baking…

Predictably, the mini tarts take less time to bake than the larger tart. We we baked a batch of minis, we did 20 minutes and the pulled them out. They seemed pretty done and golden, but they did collapse, so keep an eye on them. They may need a bit longer than you think!

The larger tart was done in about 35 minutes. Again, use your experience to determine if they are perfectly done. If you don’t have experience with cheesecake tarts, cook them until they are golden brown, and not jiggly. Tarts set up completely in cooking, unlike a larger, deeper cheesecake that has a bit of jiggle in the middle when done and sets completely after a lengthy cooling in the refrigerator.

Here is the Printable Recipe:

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