Mini Keto Lemon Tarts

Prep: 50 min Cook: 12 min Total: 62 min Servings: 44
Annie Lampella @ Ketofocus

By Annie Lampella, Pharm.D.

Published June 20, 2023 • Updated July 7, 2023

Reader Rating
5 Stars (3 Reviews)

This post may contain affiliate links. See my disclosure policy.

These mini keto lemon tarts use real lemons to make the creamy, buttery lemon curd that is nestled within a flaky crust. With only 0.5 g of carbs per bite, this summertime dessert offers a guilt-free way to satisfy those cravings for lemon flavored treats!

These keto lemon tarts are the perfect blend of sweet and tangy flavors. They begin with a delicate, flaky low-carb crust made from almond flour, coconut flour and few extra ingredients to make this recipe one that no one will believe is keto! Just like my lemon bars, they are full of lemon flavor. In fact, that is the star of this tart recipe is the creamy, buttery keto lemon curd that is made with the zest and juice of fresh lemons to give the curd its signature tanginess. A close up of the flaky crust surrounding a lemon tart topped with berries. Since these are made as bite sized treats, they are easy to portion control and each mini tart has only 0.5 carbs! So you can enjoy 1, 2 or 4 and still stick to your goals.

How to make mini lemon tarts

  1. Make keto crust – Using almond flour, coconut flour, xanthan gum, salt, butter, cream cheese, egg and rice vinegar, make a flaky keto crust and roll out to 1/2 centimeter thick.
  2. Punch out circle shapes – Use a 2″ biscuit cutter to punch out circle crust shapes. Then plate each circle in a cavity of a mini muffin tin.
  3. Bake the crust at 350 °F for 5-7 minutes. Remove from the oven and let cool.
  4. Zest 4 lemons.
  5. Juice 4-5 lemons until you have 1/2 cup of fresh lemon juice.
  6. Make keto lemon curd by heating the lemon zest, lemon juice, sweetener, salt and egg yolks in a saucepan over medium heat until it thickens. Stir in butter and refrigerate to thicken further.
  7. Pipe or spoon lemon curd into the crust of each keto lemon tart.
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Mini Keto Lemon Tarts

5 (3) Prep 50m Cook 12m Total 62m 44 servings

Keto Crust Ingredients

Keto Lemon Curd Ingredients

  • 5 lemons
  • 1 cup powdered allulose
  • pinch of salt
  • 5 egg yolks
  • 8 tablespoons unsalted butter, cubed

Step by Step Instructions

Step by Step Instructions

1
Prepare muffin pan

Preheat oven to 350 °F and spray a mini muffin pan with cooking oil. Set aside.

A 12 cavity mini muffin pan.
2
Make pie crust: dry ingredients

In a food processer, pulse together almond flour, coconut flour, xanthan gum and salt.

A food processer filled with dry ingredients.
Tip If you don't have a food processor, you can combine using a whisk.
Ingredients for this step
  • 1 cup almond flour
  • 3 tablespoons coconut flour
  • 1 teaspoon xanthan gum
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
3
Make pie crust: cut in butter

Add cubed, chilled butter and softened cream cheese. Pulse until coarse crumbles form. Do not over mix. Butter needs to stay cold and chunky in order to get flaky crust.

Coarse crumbled texture of butter cut into dry ingredients in a food processor.
Tip If you don't have a food processor, use a pastry blender or a fork to cut the butter into the flour mixture.
Ingredients for this step
  • 1/2 cup unsalted butter, cubed and chilled
  • 1 oz cream cheese, softened
4
Make pie crust: finish the dough

Add egg and rice vinegar. Pulse until dough comes together. Do not over mix. You want chunks of butter.

Finished pie dough in a food processor.
Tip If you don't have a food processer, use a pastry blender or fork to cut the remaining ingredients into the dough.
Ingredients for this step
  • 1 egg
  • 2 teaspoons rice vinegar
5
Roll out dough

Lay down a damp paper towel on the counter. Place a sheet of parchment paper on top of the towel. (This will keep the paper from sliding as you rough out the dough). Place the dough ball on the sheet of parchment followed by a second sheet of parchment paper on top. Using a rolling pin, roll out the dough in between the two sheets of parchment paper until dough is about 1/2 centimeter thick. Remove the top sheet of parchment paper.

Peeling back parchment paper to reveal pie crust with chunks of butter in the dough.
Tip If at any point the dough is getting too soft, put it in the refrigerator for 5-10 minutes. The will help it stiffen up and keep it from sticking to the parchment paper.
6
Cut out circles

Using a 2- inch biscuit cutter, punch out circles from the dough and place each circle into the cavity of the muffin pan. Press the dough into the cavity using your fingers or a blunt object like a pestle.

Holding onto a muffin pan filled with mini unbaked pie crusts.
7
Bake the crust

Bake in a 350 °F for 5-7 minutes or until the crust starts to turn golden brown. Let cool for 5 minutes in the muffin tin before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.

Hands pulling out baked mini pie crusts from a muffin pan and placing them on a wire cooling rack.
Tip Chill remaining dough if cooking in batches.
8
Zest & juice

Using a zester or cheese grater, zest 4 of the lemons. Using a hand juicer squeeze the juice from 4-5 lemons until you get 1/2 cup lemon juice.

Hands zesting a lemon with a zester.
Tip Remove seeds and pulp from the lemon juice by passing it through a strainer.
Ingredients for this step
  • 5 lemons
9
Make low-carb lemon curd

In a medium saucepan, add allulose, salt, lemon zest, lemon juice and egg yolks. Stir to combine. Heat over medium heat, stirring constantly until mixture thickens enough to coat the back of a spoon. Remove from the heat. While mixture is still hot, stir in cubed butter adding 2 tablespoons at a time until incorporated. Refrigerate curd for 2 hours. The lemon curd will continue to thicken as it cools.

A spoon showing the thick consistency of lemon curd right after it is pulled from the stovetop.
Tip Be careful not to overcook the lemon curd mixture or else the egg yolks can curdle. If this happens, just strain them out.
Ingredients for this step
  • 1 cup powdered allulose
  • pinch of salt
  • lemon zest
  • 1/2 cup lemon juice
  • 5 egg yolks
  • 8 tablespoons unsalted butter, cubed
10
Assemble

Using a spoon or piping bag, fill the mini pie crusts with enough lemon curd to fill the top. Top each keto lemon tart with berries, powdered sweetener or a dollop of whipped cream.

Filling baked mini crusts with thickened lemon curd.
Tip Lemon curd will continue to set over several hours but you can still enough them right away.
Nutrition Per Serving 1 lemon tart
65 Calories
6.3g Fat
1.1g Protein
0.5g Net Carbs
1.1g Total Carbs
44 Servings
Nutrition disclaimer

The nutrition information provided is an estimate and is for informational purposes only. I am a Doctor of Pharmacy (Pharm.D.); however, this content is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always consult your physician or other qualified health provider before making any lifestyle changes or beginning a new nutrition program.

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Top down view of bite sized lemon tarts topped with berries with leaves and berries scattered around.

Lemon Curd

Inside every lemon tart is a creamy, silky curd filled with zesty, buttery notes. The vibrant citrus tang comes from the zest and juice from the fresh lemons. The creamy texture is achieved by using egg yolks which slightly thickens as it cooks. Lemon curd will continue to solidify as it cools making it a refreshing treat you’ll want to eat by the spoonful from the jar.

Can I use a different sweetener?

Instead of sugar, a powdered alternative is used called allulose is used to sweeten the sugar free lemon curd. Powdered or confectioner’s sweetener is used since it dissolves readily into the mixture without leaving a grainy texture. Allulose is preferred over other sugar free sweeteners since it doesn’t crystalize when it cools unlike some sweeteners that contain erythritol.

Can I use bottled lemon juice instead of fresh juice?

Freshly squeezed lemon juice will give the best and most pronounced lemon flavor. However, bottled lemon juice can be used if you don’t have access to fresh lemons or don’t want to mess with zesting or juicing a bunch of lemons. For more intense lemon flavor, add a few drops for 1/2 teaspoon of lemon extract in place of the lemon zest.

What to do with leftover lemon curd

If you end up with more lemon curd than you need, here are some ideas of how you can use it:
  • Spread it on bread or muffins – Lemon curd has a texture similar to jelly and can easily spread on toast, bagels or muffins. You can even use it as a filling for donuts or Danishes.
  • Cake or cupcake filling – Inject lemon curd into the middle of a cupcake or spread it as a filling in between the tiers of a layered cake. Or use it as a filling layer for a summer trifle.
  • Topping for pancakes or waffles – Instead of syrup, add a dollop of curd on your next stack of pancakes or waffles.
  • Ice cream or yogurt topper – A couple spoonfuls can add a fresh, tangy finish to vanilla ice cream or yogurt.
  • Enjoy by the spoonful!
Mini lemon tarts filled with creamy curd and topped with raspberries, blueberries and mint leaves.

Crust alternatives

If you don’t want to make the pie crust as written in the recipe above, here are some alternatives you can try:
  • Simple keto pie crust – This pie crust is easy because you don’t have to worry about keeping the pie crust chilled to prevent the butter from melting. Everything is mixed together and pressed into the pie pan, or in this case, mini muffin pan. Bake for the same temperature and time as above.
  • Shortbread cookie crust – Instead of traditional pie crust. Use cookie dough for the crust. A simple shortbread cookie crust is ideal since it doesn’t involve a lot of ingredients or any eggs.
  • Replace the coconut flour – Even though the cream cheese in this lemon tart recipe helps to neutralize the coconut flavor from the flour, you can substitute the coconut flour for more almond flour. Add in 6-8 tablespoons of additional almond flour to the crust.

Storage information

Both the components of this tart recipe and the tart itself can be stored in the refrigerator and freezer for later use.

Store in the refrigerator

The unbaked pie crust can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. Keto lemon curd can be stored for about a week in the refrigerator. Once assembled, the tarts can keep in the fridge for 7 days.

Store in the freezer

Store unbaked pie crust in a ball or rolled out in a freezer safe bag and keep in the freezer for 3 months. Lemon curd can be stored separately in a freezer safe container or bag for up to 3 months as well. These mini lemon tarts can be frozen individual and stored upright in a freezer safe container or bag for 1 month.
Mini Keto Lemon Tarts

Frequently Asked Questions

What is xanthan gum and is it necessary?

Xanthan gum helps to hold the dough together and helps keep the dough from sticking to the parchment paper when you roll out the crust. If you choose to omit it, you might have a harder time unpeeling the dough from the parchment paper. It might be better to pinch off dough and press it into the muffin pan with your fingers.

What is the consistency of the lemon curd when it's done and how do I know it's ready to come off the heat?

The lemon curd is done when it has thickened to the point where it can coat the back of a spoon. When you dip a spoon into the curd and lift it out, the curd should cling to the spoon instead of immediately dripping off. Sugar free lemon curd will continue to thicken as it cools, so it doesn't need to be extremely thick when it comes off the stove. Just remember to stir it continuously over medium heat to prevent it from burning or turning into scrambled eggs.

Can I use a regular sized muffin pan?

Yes! You will need to cut out larger circles. Try cutting out 3 inch circles.

About the Author
Annie Lampella, Pharm.D.

Annie Lampella, Pharm.D.

Annie is a Doctor of Pharmacy, mom, and the recipe creator behind KetoFocus. With a B.S. in Genetics from UC Davis, she has over 14 years of experience developing family-friendly keto recipes based on the science of human metabolism.

Learn more about Annie View My Cookbook

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Reviews 9
5 Stars (3 Reviews)
  1. H
    Harper D. Mar 26, 2025

    I used apple cider vinegar instead of rice vinegar and it still turned out delicious. The crust was surprisingly flaky and the lemon curd had the perfect balance of tart and sweet. Great keto treat to keep in the fridge.

    Reply
  2. P
    peachy Aug 11, 2023

    The nutrition information is for 44 tarts. Does this recipe make 44 tarts? If not, how many does it make?

    Reply
    1. Annie Lampella
      Annie Aug 13, 2023

      Yes, it makes 44 tarts if using a mini muffin tin.

      Reply
  3. J
    Janice Jul 19, 2023

    Looks amazing! However, Coconut flour is high fodmap and bothers my stomach. Can I replace it with something else?

    Reply
    1. Annie Lampella
      Annie Jul 19, 2023

      Try replacing it with more almond flour. Maybe 3/4 cup more of almond flour. Also, oat fiber might work. I'm not sure what is considered low fodmap.

      Reply
  4. J
    Jenny Jul 18, 2023

    Made these and they came out wonderfully! the lemon curd is to die for! I’m excited to try more of your recipes!

    Reply
  5. J
    Jenny Jul 18, 2023

    Made these and they came out wonderfully! the lemon curd is to die for! I’m excited to try more of your recipes

    Reply
  6. L
    Linda Ponzetto Jul 7, 2023

    Can I substitute the rice vinegar with something else???

    Reply
    1. Annie Lampella
      Annie Jul 9, 2023

      Any vinegar will work. White vinegar or apple cider are fine too

      Reply

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