Cool, creamy, and refreshing lemon blueberry tart comes together with 10 ingredients. The simple lemon filling sits in a flaky shortbread crust and is swirled with homemade blueberry sauce. After the first bite of this sweet, tangy, and buttery tart, it’s impossible to put your fork down. Enjoy this beautiful dessert for Mother’s Day, Father’s Day, spring or summer celebrations, and more.
I knew a tart or pie version of our beloved lemon blueberry cake would be a hit in my household AND with many of you reading this. I’m always dreaming up ways to use this unbeatable flavor combination such as lemon blueberry muffins or lemon blueberry cupcakes. A beautiful tart with tons of fresh flavor was definitely my imagination’s top choice. I cannot wait for you to try this one.
Lemon Blueberry Tart Details
- Texture: I went back and forth about which type of crust to use for this lemon tart, but shortbread seemed most fitting. It’s pleasantly crumbly with a flaky texture that melts in your mouth. The crust contrasts perfectly with the creamy and lush filling on top, making this one of our favorite spring dessert recipes.
- Flavor: If I were to describe the taste of pure sunshine, it would definitely be this lemon blueberry tart. The lemon flavor is delightfully fresh and bright, and there’s just enough tang to complement all the sweetness. You really only need a small slice since there’s such a strong punch of flavor, but honestly I’ve never witnessed anyone stopping at 1 serving. (HA!)
- Ease: There are 3 components to the tart and each must be prepared separately, but there’s nothing really complicated about the entire process. Take your time and read through the recipe before you start.
- Time: It only takes about an hour to prep and bake the tart. But you’ll want to cool and chill it before serving, so set aside a few hours to complete the entire recipe. It’s wonderful when made the day ahead, too! Lemon crumble bars are another excellent option for an even quicker lemony treat.
3 Parts to This Recipe
- Buttery Shortbread Crust: I make this shortbread crust with a lot of different desserts and it always reminds me of pie crust, but it’s so much easier. There’s no food processor or pastry cutter needed– instead simply combine melted butter with sugar, vanilla, salt, and flour and press into a tart pan or pie dish. You don’t even need to chill the dough before using. You’ll notice we use the same crust for our raspberry streusel bars, apple pie bars, and we double the recipe for our lemon bars. Keep in mind that these other desserts may require different oven temperatures and that’s because the desserts take longer, overall, to bake through. We bake the crust at 350°F (177°C) for this particular tart recipe.
- Lemon Filling: A lot of lemon tarts are prepared with a curd filling, but this one is thick, creamy, and rich. I use a similar lemon filling for our creamy lemon pie. I halved it for this tart, then cut down on the egg yolks. The egg yolks help the filling set, but I wanted the finished tart to remain soft. I think you’ll really love it. We’ll use only 1 egg yolk.
- Blueberry Sauce Swirl: You’ll enjoy pure blueberries without much else in the way. We hardly add any sugar to the blueberry sauce (some is needed to help them break down), so the natural flavor can really shine. Cook it on the stovetop for a few minutes, let it cool a little bit, then swirl some into the lemon filling. Feel free to strain it if you don’t want any blueberry lumps. You can use a toothpick or knife to swirl.
Can I Use a Graham Cracker Crust Instead?
A graham cracker crust will fall apart and crumble under this wet filling, so I suggest sticking with the shortbread crust for this recipe. If you wish to use a graham cracker crust, make these lemon blueberry cheesecake bars instead.
The shortbread crust dough is thick and a little greasy– don’t be nervous if it looks a little wet. Press it tightly into your pan and pre-bake it before adding the filling.
Creamy Lemon Tart Filling
You need one 14 ounce (weight) can of full-fat sweetened condensed milk, lemon juice and zest, and 1 egg yolk. That’s it. Fresh lemon juice is best. Here is a wonderful juicer if you don’t have one and if you need a recommendation for a zester, I use and love this one.
Spread the filling into the pre-baked crust.
I recommend making the blueberry sauce first so it’s ready when you need it. The recipe moves pretty quickly once you begin pre-baking the crust.
How to Make Mini Lemon Blueberry Tarts
Try using this recipe for about 10 mini tarts in mini tart pans. I don’t recommend a muffin pan for turning this recipe into mini tarts. Divide crust mixture between each mini tart pan (bake these in batches if you have less than 10), press firmly into the bottom, and bake for 8 minutes to help set the crust. It’s usually easiest to bake mini tart pans on a larger baking sheet. No need to poke holes in the crust before adding the filling as directed for the full size tart below. Pour filling into warm crusts, drop a few tiny spoonfuls of blueberry sauce on each, then swirl as directed below. Bake for 9-10 minutes or just until the centers no longer jiggle. Cool completely, then chill for at least 1 hour before removing from tart pans and serving. (Or serve in tart pans.)
Lemon Blueberry Tart Variations
If you want to switch up some flavors, be our guest! Here are the variations we tested. We’re unsure of the results outside of these listed changes, so let us know if you try anything else.
- Lime Tart: Switch the lemon juice and zest for lime juice and zest. Feel free to keep the blueberry swirl or skip it. You could also use the strawberry, raspberry, or blackberry swirl.
- Strawberry Swirl: Replace blueberries with 1 cup chopped fresh or frozen strawberries. You can’t really detect the strawberry seeds in the baked tart, but feel free to strain the sauce through a fine mesh sieve before swirling into the filling.
- Raspberry or Blackberry Swirl: Replace blueberries with 1 cup fresh or frozen raspberries or blackberries and add 1 more teaspoon of sugar to the sauce (for a total of 3 teaspoons). Strain the finished sauce through a fine mesh sieve to remove the seeds before swirling into the filling.
- We haven’t tested other citrus besides lime or lemon. We do not recommend swapping the lemons for orange zest/juice because the tart will be very, very sweet. You really need the tang from lemons or limes. We haven’t tested this recipe with grapefruit.
See Your Lemon Blueberry Tarts!
Many readers tried this recipe as part of a baking challenge! Feel free to email or share your recipe photos with us on social media. 🙂
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Lemon Blueberry Tart
- Prep Time: 1 hour
- Cook Time: 35 minutes
- Total Time: 4 hours (includes chilling)
- Yield: serves 8-10
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Description
There are 3 parts to this creamy lemon blueberry tart and each are prepared separately before bringing them all together. For best success, take your time and read through the recipe before starting.
Ingredients
Blueberry Sauce
- 1 teaspoon cornstarch
- 2 teaspoons lemon juice (or water)
- 1 cup (190g) fresh or frozen blueberries (do not thaw)
- 2 teaspoons granulated sugar
Shortbread Crust
- 1/2 cup (115g) unsalted butter, melted
- 1/4 cup (50g) granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1 cup (125g) all-purpose flour (spoon & leveled)
Filling
- 1 (14 ounce weight) can full-fat sweetened condensed milk
- 6 Tablespoons (90ml) lemon juice (about 2 lemons)
- 1 teaspoon lemon zest (1 lemon)
- 1 large egg yolk
Optional Garnishes
- Lemon slices, blueberries, leftover blueberry sauce, whipped cream
Instructions
- Blueberry Sauce: Using a fork, mix the cornstarch and lemon juice together in a small bowl until the cornstarch has dissolved. Set aside. Warm the blueberries and sugar together in a small saucepan over medium heat. Stir occasionally for 3 minutes, mashing the blueberries as best you can against the bottom and sides of the pan to help break them up. Stir in the cornstarch mixture. Cook for 2 more minutes as the sauce thickens, stirring and mashing the blueberries to break them up as desired. Remove sauce from heat and set aside at room temperature until step 6. Makes about 1/2 – 2/3 cup blueberry sauce and you’ll use about half for the swirl. (Reserve extra for garnish/serving.)
- Preheat oven to 350°F (177°C).
- Crust: Mix the melted butter, sugar, vanilla extract, and salt together in a medium bowl. Add the flour and stir to completely combine. The dough will be a little greasy and very thick. Using a rubber spatula or your hands, press dough firmly into a 9-inch tart pan (no need to grease it), making sure the layer of crust is even on the bottom and all around the sides. It may seem like it won’t fit, but it will. You can use the bottom of a measuring cup to pack the crust in too, but sometimes it sticks.
- Bake for 15 minutes or until the edges are very lightly browned. Remove from the oven. Using a fork, poke a few holes all over the top of the warm crust (not all the way through the crust). This helps the filling stick.
- Filling: Whisk all of the filling ingredients together until combined. Pour into warm crust. Stir up the blueberry sauce because it has likely thickened. It can still be warm when you use it in this step. If it’s too thick, warm it in the microwave for 5-10 seconds. Drop spoonfuls of blueberry sauce all over the top, using about half of the sauce. Reserve the rest of the sauce for serving. Using a toothpick or knife, gently swirl the sauce and filling together. Shimmy the pan back and forth 2-3 times to let the sauce and filling settle down into the crust a bit.
- Bake for 17-19 minutes, just until the center of the tart no longer jiggles when you give the pan a light tap. It will still be a little sticky on top. Avoid over-baking because the tart will taste rubbery. (Tip: Err on the side of under-baking because the filling also has a chance to set up in the refrigerator. You want a creamy soft filling.)
- Remove tart from the oven and place on a cooling rack. Cool completely at room temperature, then chill in the refrigerator uncovered for at least 2 hours and up to 1 day. If chilling for longer than 2 hours, cover it. After chilling, remove the sides of the tart pan if your pan has removable sides.
- Slice and serve with optional garnishes including any leftover blueberry sauce.
- Cover leftovers tightly and refrigerate for up to 1 week.
Notes
- Make Ahead & Freezing Instructions: You can bake, cool, and chill the tart 1 day in advance. See step 7. The filling must be poured on a warm crust so it will stick, so I don’t recommend pre-baking the crust ahead of time. You can prepare the filling and blueberry sauce in advance though. Cover both and refrigerate until ready to use. The blueberry filling will be quite solid after refrigerating, so warm it up on the stove or in the microwave until thinned out again. (It can be warm when you swirl it into the filling.) Baked and cooled tart freezes well up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator before serving.
- Tart Pan: A 9-inch tart pan with or without removable sides (it doesn’t matter) is ideal for this recipe. If you use other size tart pans, the bake times and thickness of the tart will differ. You can also use a 9-inch pie dish, but slicing the tart isn’t quite as neat. The bake times are the same. For mini tart pans, see post above. I don’t recommend a springform pan because the crust leaks. We haven’t tested this recipe in a round cake pan or as bars.
- Blueberry Sauce: If you don’t want blueberry lumps in your tart, feel free to run the blueberry sauce through a fine mesh sieve.
- Sweetened Condensed Milk: Make sure you are using sweetened condensed milk, not evaporated milk. There are no successful replacements for sweetened condensed milk in this particular recipe– it’s really the key ingredient. (Sometimes half-and-half or heavy cream works as a substitution, but then you’ll have to test with varying amounts of sugar since both are unsweetened.) Use one 14 ounce can full-fat sweetened condensed milk. Do not use fat free because the tart will not set. Keep in mind that 14 ounces is the listed weight on the can. 1 standard 14 ounce can is a little over 1 liquid cup.
Keywords: lemon blueberry tart
I now have to make this for every holiday I attend hahahaha. Everyone LOVES it. So lemony and delicious!
★★★★★
I have to do this for a food tech assignment, so I’m not worried about how it tastes but how it looks. after I cook it and say cool it for 10 minutes, can I skip the refrigeration part and just take it out of the cake tin…. and it will still be intact and look good/set/cooked – not crumble
Hi Jim, we don’t recommend that. For best results and for the tart to completely keep its shape/set, cool completely at room temperature and then in the refrigerator for at least two hours.
Will make again. Everyone liked it. I adjusted the dough amount as my pan is 11 inches. I was in a hurry so just added frozen blueberries into the filling.
★★★★★
I was in a hurry to get this done and forgot the egg yolk in the filling. I just pulled it out if the oven. Will it still be okay?
Hi Rita, the filling may not set as well without the egg yolk. Hope you still enjoyed the tart!
It came out good. We all loved it. I was in a hurry that day. I’m making another one today for my daughters engagement party tomorrow. This time I won’t forget the egg yolk. Lol
★★★★★
Can you make this with a sweet pastry crust with meringue on top?
Hi Mary, I’m sure that would be delicious. It’s a matter of swapping out the crust and adding a meringue on top. Let me know if you give it a try!
Can I remove the blueberry swirl? I would just like the lemon tart alone I am just wondering if this would degrade or ruin the overall result?
You can leave it out!
Could this be made into lemon bars instead? I love this filling, but wanted to use a 9×13″ pan instead of a tart pan…should I double the filling, or would it be fine as-is?
Hi Erin, we haven’t tested this recipe as bars so we’re unsure of how it would turn out. They would likely be quite difficult to remove from the pan, but let us know what you try!
So I made them last night, using a 9-inch square pan instead. I used your shortbread wedges recipe for the crust (I used a little more than half, then used the rest to make regular shortbread in a 6″ round! Worked out perfectly). The filling was the perfect amount, and set up beautifully after baking for 17 minutes at 350 and chilling for two hours. I think the key was using parchment paper to line the pan, because it made it easy to lift the bars out in one piece and then cut them into squares! They taste wonderful!
★★★★★
I will be trying out this recipe as soon as I get my tart baking pans. Should I use pie weights for the crust?
Hi Julie, no need to use pie weights for this shortbread crust. Happy baking!
The crust is sooo buttery delicious that I’ve baked just the crust as shortbread cookies twice. Tastes great, but crumbles too easily. Can you suggest how to fix that so it still tastes the same, but holds together better like a cookie? 🙂
Hi Sam, for shortbread cookies, we recommend following this shortbread recipe instead. They bake in a round cake pan, but you can see the post for alternate ways of baking. Hope you enjoy them!
I am not a baker nor do I spend much time in the kitchen. I bravely attempted to make this delicious tart for my Churches fall dessert competition and won 2nd place! It was so easy to make and the taste was perfectly balanced.
I used freshly grated lemon and juice as well as fresh blueberries for the sauce. I topped each slice with the blueberry sauce and whipped cream and I couldn’t get enough of it. I will definitely make this again and will tray other variations.
It felt good to finally make a dessert that was family approved ♥️
★★★★★
Hi Sally,
I’m having a hard time finding a 14oz weight can of condensed milk. I’m in Canada and I think our measurements are slightly different packaging than yours. Can you just tell me exactly how much condensed milk is required. i.e. is it 1 cup plus 6 oz to equal 14oz? If so then I would need to buy two cans. Just want to make sure I have the right amount for the recipe. Thanks for any advice you can provide.
Hi Pamela, when poured into a liquid measuring cup, one 14oz can of sweetened condensed milk is 10 liquid ounces because of its density.
I’ve made this two times, once with blueberries and once with strawberry, and they both turned out incredible.
Any thought on how this would turn out if you used peaches?
★★★★★
Does the filling ooze after it’s cut?
Hi Jess, no, the slices cut neatly after the filling sets. The bake time and chill time in the refrigerator ensures this!
Awesome! Thanks, Lexi. Also, thanks for consistently putting out such great recipes. Your site always has information I know I can trust. I appreciate you!
Really fantastic tart. I have made this twice now. It is an easy recipe, but looks and tastes fancy. I got rave reviews both times!
★★★★★
Hi, I love this recipe so much, it is so delicious!
But the fillings seems so sweet since it used whole can of condensed milk, is there any possible alternatives or any methods that can reduce sweet taste?
★★★★★
I’ve made this twice, once using strawberries and once using blueberries and it was a big hit both times, and I loved how easy it was. Do you think a coconut version using sweetened condensed coconut milk would work? I’m trying to find more uses for my tart pan.
★★★★★
Hi Stephanie, we haven’t tried this with coconut milk but would love to hear how it turns out if you give it a try! And for more use of your tart pan, here are all of our tart recipes: https://sallysbakingaddiction.com/?s=tart Enjoy!
Hi, it’s not coconut milk. It’s sweetened condensed coconut milk, same consistency as sweetened condensed milk just with a taste of coconut. . I made it today with the sweetened condensed coconut milk and it turned out delicious!
I have sweetened condensed coconut milk I want to use up. Have you used it for this recipe yet? I’m going to try it!
Hi Carol, we haven’t tried this with coconut milk but would love to hear how it turns out if you give it a try!
This was an easy and delicious recipe! The tart came together with ease and was just the right amount of lemon flavor. All my guests loved it! I will be making this again with different fruit.
★★★★★
Love this recipe! Easy and delicious. I made it last weekend when my sister-in-law was visiting. Big hit. Gave a leftover piece to a friend, and she asked for the recipe. Making it again this weekend when we have a few friends over. Thank you!
★★★★★
Can I use a springform pan rather than a tart pan?
Hi Jan, we don’t recommend a springform pan because the crust leaks. See recipe notes for details on pan options.
Trina — my tart pan is 12” (not 9”). Can I make this recipe in the larger pan or should I use a 9” glass pie pan instead? If I can use the 12” tart pan, how do I adjust the cooking times? Thank you!
Hello,
Awesome recipe!
Any tips as had a very difficult time cutting through the crust?
Was very difficult,
Rose
Hi Rose, this crust can be a bit tricky to cut, but a super sharp knife should help. Also feel free to let it sit at room temperature for a few minutes to soften it up before cutting. Thanks for giving this recipe a try!
Can I use a ginger crust?
Hi Lydia, a crust made with gingersnap cookies would be fun – let us know if you give it a try!
Do you think this will taste just as good if the shortbread crust is made with almond flour? I’m looking for gluten free desserts.
Hi Barbara, we haven’t tested this recipe with swapping the flour for almond flour, but we do have another tart recipe that is made with it and is gluten-free, so you could try making this crust and then making the rest of the lemon blueberry tart recipe to go in it. Let us know how it turns out! See the recipe here: chocolate coconut almond tart.
I made this recipe with King Arthur Flours 1 to 1 gluten free baking substitute and it came out perfect! My gluten free friend said it was the best dessert she’d ever had!
Is there any way to prepare this gorgeous dessert WITHOUT using egg? Have had great success with all your recipes! Thank you.
Hi Frannie, we haven’t tested this recipe to be egg-free. Sorry we can’t help more!
I’ve made this recipe three times now and every single time people take a bite and then say “Oh. Oh myyyyy”. Followed by comments like “fantastic”, “amazing” etc.
My husband is a chocolate lover but has labeled it his favorite dessert ever. Will continue making it! Thanks for another delicious recipe Sally!
★★★★★
This was incredible. So much so I made a second tart the next day. Everyone loved it. Easy. Use freshly squeezed lemon juice. The overwhelming taste is lemon. Just the right of tartness. It is a very special dessert. Simple but very elegant.
★★★★★
Can I use fresh strawberries instead of blueberries?
You bet! See the section of the blog post titled “Lemon Blueberry Tart Variations” just above the recipe and reader photos for details.
I loved this recipe! The filling is absolutely delicious. The only thing I have a question about is the shortbread crust. I’ve noticed that the bottom of the crust is very greasy. Is it something that I am doing wrong? When it says melted butter I used melted butter but am I supposed to let it cool down before making the crust?
★★★★
Hi Terri, so glad you love this recipe! You don’t need to let the butter cool down. Shortbread is very butter heavy. You can add more flour, but then the crust could taste dry.
This tart is sooo delicious! I will be making another one! I made it and froze it and it let it sit over night in the fridge before serving.
★★★★★
I wanted to love this spring time tart as O love Sally’s recipes. But I was disappointed. It was overwhelmingly tasting like condensed milk rather than a light lemon filling. WS hoping for m[re of a fresh lemon custard. Was disappointing.
★★★
I’ve made this many times and it is very lemony and delicious! My recommendation is to make sure you are using the fresh squeezed lemon juice and be sure you are using enough!
fully agreed! I had to remake it with a tried and true lemon filling. Very disappointing. If you are a fan of rich and creamy, it might work for you! Unfortunately, I didn’t find that to be the case for me. Big fan of Sally’s, though!
★★
This was a HUGE HIT! I’ve made it twice & about to make it again. The taste was incredible & it looks beautiful!!
Felt like a pro!
Did you skip the zest and fresh lemon? This recipe is amazing.
★★★★★
Can this be served warm/hot?
Hi Matt, it’s best to allow the tart to come to room temperature and then fully chill for at least two hours, so that the filling completely sets. You could microwave the individual slices if you wanted, but it’s really best enjoyed cold.
To be extra I applied a thin layer of the blueberry compote and then added the lemon mix so there is 2 layers of blueberry
★★★★★