Simple Vegan Pistachio & Lemon Tart

5 from 24 votes
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This delicious vegan Pistachio & Lemon Tart is made up of a dairy-free lemon tart filling with a raw vegan pistachio tart crust. Perfect for impressing!

vegan pistachio & lemon tart topped with dragon fruit, roses and blueberries

This vegan lemon tart is a dessert of my dreams. the tart but lovely lemon flavor of the dairy-free filling along with the nutty, rich raw vegan pistachio tart base is a combination made in heaven. Plus, with this vegan lemon dessert being 100% dairy-free – there’s no fiddling with egg yolks or lemon curd involved here.

If you’ve meandered your way through my blog at all then you’ll probably know that I have a bit of an obsession with vegan tarts and dessert recipes. If you haven’t already seen my recipe for a strawberry & rose vegan tart using this delicious raw vegan pistachio tart base then check it out now!

vegan pistachio & lemon tart

However, if you’re in the mood for something with a bit more ZING then you’ve come to the right place with this Vegan pistachio & lemon tart. This dairy-free lemon tart is the perfect treat for impressing (or for a naughty treat!).

While this vegan lemon tart recipe calls for a simple round tart base, it’s worth noting that you can also use a rectangular pan and make these into a vegan lemon bar tray-bake dessert and even top it with coconut whipped cream and/or powdered sugar, depending on how indulgent you’re feeling. 

This vegan lemon dessert is not only perfect for a snack, but it’s also a great dessert for afternoon-tea, special events and can be great to serve at parties and gatherings.

How to Make this Vegan Pistachio & Lemon Tart

vegan pistachio & lemon tart topped with dragonfruit, roses, blueberries

Honestly, the process for making this tart couldn’t be much simpler!

In terms of the raw vegan base, you simply chuck all the ingredients into a blender and blitz till you have the right consistency. The dates are used as a ‘sticky’ agent to make this crust pliable still stick together – super simple!

Plus this raw vegan pistachio tart crust recipe can be kept and used for so many tart recipes as well as for the base of many raw vegan recipes such as the base of raw vegan energy bars etc.

For the dairy-free lemon tart filling, there is a bit more of a process to make it ‘just right’, however, I still think that it’s fairly simple. It’s really just throwing the ingredients into a pot and bringing to a boil, till the right consistency is achieved.

Using corn starch and agar agar powder instead of classic gelatin, you’re able to create a thick, stable vegan mix that will set without the use of any animal products.

The Vegan Lemon Tart Recipe How-To

The Ingredients

For the raw vegan pistachio Crust:

Lemon tart crust ingredients

  • Almond flour*, pistachios
  • Medjool dates, coconut oil
  • Cardamom, salt
  • Some Lemon Zest (optional)

Note* You can use store-bought almond flour. Alternatively, I sometimes use the leftover almond meal from making homemade almond milk to reduce waste and it works just as well. 

Lemon Tart Filling Ingredients:

Lemon tart ingredient

  • Coconut cream (make sure to use the thick cream and not coconut milk)
  • Lemon juice, maple syrup, vanilla extract, turmeric powder (will help with the colour, without affecting the taste)
  • Corn starch, agar agar, rose water (optional)

Decoration (optional):

  • a handful of blueberries
  • a handful of dragon fruit balls
  • chocolate hearts
  • edible flowers
  • or any of your favourite fruits or toppings including sweeter options like coconut whipped cream and confectioners sugar or even a vegan white chocolate drizzle. 

The How-To

To begin, you need to prepare the pistachio tart shell. Do this by blending the almond flour (either store-bought or leftover almond meal from homemade zero-waste Almond milk) and pistachios in a food processor/blender till a fine crumb. Add the rest of the crust ingredients and mix well until you obtain a uniform sticky mixture. 

Note* The dates are crucial to getting a lovely sticky result to your raw vegan pistachio tart base (which is needed as you’re not baking it). If your dates feel a little too dry then you can soak them in hot water for ten minutes before blending and this should help, so you don’t have to add an extra date. If using smaller dates you will need to use more though and the taste will vary slightly. 

raw vegan pistachio tart base

Add the crust dough to a tart tin (8″/20cm) and spread it evenly within the base. I like to use something with a flat base to press it down evenly, like a glass. Leave to chill in the fridge, while you prepare the filling.
Note* Alternatively, you can use a rectangle tin to make vegan lemon bar style tray-bake option.

To prepare the dairy-free citrus filling first heat up the coconut cream in a medium saucepan, stirring well till smooth and uniform.

Add the rest of the filling ingredients, including the corn starch and agar agar. While stirring continuously, bring to a slow boil and cook for a few minutes until the mix begins to thicken.

lemon tart mixture on hob

When the mixture thickens, remove from the heat and leave it to cool down for 10-15 minutes (it doesn’t have to be room temperature, as such, but not too hot that it will affect the tart crust ingredients). Then pour over the crust and leave it to cool completely.

Place in the fridge for a couple of hours at least, till the filling is completely set.

Decorate with blueberries, dragon fruit balls and edible flowers or with your favourite toppings. This tart can be dressed up or down depending on what you want it for. For a super decadent version then decorate with some coconut whipped cream and vegan white chocolate drizzle and/or even some confectioners sugar.

vegan pistachio & lemon tart topped with dragonfruit, roses, blueberries  

Other Dessert Recipe You May Like

I already mentioned above how I’m a fit on a Vegan tart fanatic so I thought I’d share some other vegan tart recipes that you might like. For example, how about this Earl Grey & Blueberry tart, or for something a little lighter how about this two-layer strawberry tart.

Alternatively, for something sinfully delicious you might like the look of this Black Forest (Chocolate & Cherry) Tart

I have a few other tart options on my blog, as well as other vegan desserts like cheesecakes etc. too, so feel free to meander through my dessert tab. 

If you give this recipe a go then please let me know your thoughts in the comments below and/or tag your creations @AlphaFoodie on Instagram.

Vegan Pistachio and Lemon Tart

5 from 24 votes
By: Samira
This delicious vegan Pistachio & Lemon Tart is made up of a dairy-free lemon tart filling with a raw vegan pistachio tart crust. Perfect for impressing!
Prep Time: 30 minutes
Total Time: 30 minutes
Servings: 12

Ingredients 
 

For the raw vegan pistachio Crust:

  • 1.5 cup almond flour or almond meal
  • 0.5 cup pistachios
  • 2-3 dates
  • 1.5 Tbsp coconut oil
  • 0.5 tsp ground cardamom powder
  • tsp salt

Filling:

 Optional Toppings:

  • a handful of blueberries, dragon fruit (or any other fruit), edible flower, chocolate hearts

Instructions 

  • To begin, you need to prepare the pistachio tart shell. Do this by blending the almond flour (either store-bought or leftover almond meal from homemade zero-waste Almond milk) and pistachios in a food processor/blender till a fine crumb.
  • Add the rest of the crust ingredients and mix well until you obtain a uniform sticky mixture.* 
  • Add the crust dough to a tart tin (8"/20cm) ** and spread it evenly within the base. I like to use something with a flat base to press it down evenly, like a glass. Leave to chill in the fridge, while you prepare the filling.
  • To prepare the dairy-free citrus filling first heat up the coconut cream in a medium saucepan, stirring well till smooth and uniform.
  • Add the rest of the filling ingredients, including the corn starch and agar agar. While stirring continuously, bring to a slow boil and cook for a few minutes until the mix begins to thicken.
  • When the mixture thickens, remove from the heat and leave it to cool down for 10-15 minutes (it doesn't have to be room temperature, as such, but not too hot that it will affect the tart crust ingredients). Then pour over the crust and leave it to cool completely.
  • Place in the fridge for a couple of hours at least, till the filling is completely set.
  • Decorate with blueberries, dragon fruit balls and edible flowers or with your favourite toppings. This tart can be dressed up or down depending on what you want it for. For a super decadent version then decorate with some coconut whipped cream and vegan white chocolate drizzle and/or even some confectioners sugar.

Video

Notes

* The dates are crucial to getting a lovely sticky result to your raw vegan pistachio tart base (which is needed as you're not baking it). If your dates feel a little too dry then you can soak them in hot water for ten minutes before blending and this should help, so you don't have to add an extra date. If using smaller dates you will need to use more though and the taste will vary slightly. 
** Alternatively, you can use a rectangle tin to make vegan lemon bar style tray-bake option.
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American
Freezer friendly: No
Shelf life: 5 Days

Nutrition

Serving: 1slice, Calories: 252kcal, Carbohydrates: 14g, Protein: 5g, Fat: 21g, Saturated Fat: 11g, Sodium: 26mg, Potassium: 194mg, Fiber: 3g, Sugar: 6g, Vitamin A: 21IU, Vitamin C: 9mg, Calcium: 47mg, Iron: 1mg

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

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5 from 24 votes (22 ratings without comment)

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8 Comments

  1. F Naim says:

    5 stars
    Delicious and original recipe

    1. Support @ Alphafoodie says:

      Thank you for your comment. 🙂

  2. Anne says:

    5 stars
    Hi! I am looking forward to trying this recipe. Can this be set out on the counter or does this need to be refrigerated? I am hoping to make it for an event and there will not be a fridge available. Thank you!

    1. Support @ Alphafoodie says:

      Hi Anne,
      Sorry for replying so late. It’s best to keep the tart in the fridge, though it would be OK to keep it on the countertop for a couple of hours.

  3. PK says:

    Hi, can I use a 11×34 cm rectangular tart pan for this? I reckon I’ll need to increase the recipe but not sure by how much

    1. Support @ Alphafoodie says:

      Hi PK,
      Yes, you can use a 11x34cm rectangular pan. Its surface area is just a bit bigger than the suggested 20cm circular pan. If you don’t increase the ingredients, the crush would be a little thinner, which I think will be OK. Otherwise, you could increase the ingredients by about 25% but this seems more of a hassle. 🙂

  4. Arefeh says:

    Hi,
    I can’t find agar agar powder, where I live. If I had to use gelatin. How much should I use and do I have to take the corn starch out too.

    1. Alpha Foodie says:

      I’ve never tried the recipe using gelatine. I know with the little packs of ‘veggie gel’ it tells you how much powder you’d need to use vs ml of mix. Yes, i’d leave out the corn starch too 🙂 Let me know how it goes!