Lemon Posset Tart

Creamy and vibrant sunshine on a plate.

Hi Bakers,

Today we have a Lemon Posset Tart for our third Countdown to Easter recipe. Lemon desserts make their rounds around the Easter table, and this eggless, no-bake filling is a surprising delight!

I am very excited to share this recipe. It is lemony and silky with a snappy crust. I was apprehensive about sharing such a simple recipe with you guys, but once it all came together, I knew you would love it both for its ease as well as its incredible flavor and texture.

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We spend most of the winter holidays back in Northern California where my husband and I both grew up. Here, my mom makes lemon posset every Christmas. She has a few lemon trees that always weigh heavy with more lemons than we know what to do with. 

Where mom’s trees are bursting with lemons at the turn of the year, we are lucky to enjoy citrus season up here in British Columbia all spring long. Come Easter, bright and zesty lemon desserts always make an appearance. 

For this recipe, I took mom’s lemon posset recipe and used it as tart filling. Lemon posset is a British dessert that has a similar texture to panna cotta.

It is silky but thick enough to slice into creamy, mouth-puckering wedges. Where a traditional lemon tart is made with eggs and baked until firm, lemon posset is made with just a few ingredients on the stove. 

The lemon posset filling is made with only 4 ingredients - heavy cream, sugar, salt, and lemons. It is a bit magical in the way that the lemon posset sets into a beautiful, thick custard without any thickening agents besides the natural pectin in the lemon juice. 

The custard is rich, so top the tart with fresh fruit instead of more cream. I like to rub together a bit of lemon zest with granulated sugar to sprinkle on top. The sugar will melt over time, so add just before serving. 

For the tart shell, I used basic sweet dough. This particular one is made with granulated sugar for a much snappy not sandy texture. I prefer a roll-out versus a press-in dough for even thickness, but you could sub in any of your favorite tart shell recipes here. Find more information about rolling pie dough and baking with pie weights in our Ultimate Pie Guide and Pie Week series.