Vegan Lemon Tart with Coconut Whipped Cream is a fresh and vibrant spring dessert, perfect for Easter! This tart is made with a grain-free crust and a zesty lemon cashew filling.
| vegan + Paleo + gluten free + grain free + dairy free |
Well hello to one seriously decadent, creamy lemon tart!
I remember many things about Easter as a child, but one of my favorites was the Resurrection Cake my mom made on Easter Sunday. It wasn’t anything special – our favorite boxed yellow cake mix with chocolate fudge frosting, garnished with a cross fashioned out of sprinkles. These days I might be more inclined to break out the Meyer Lemon Bundt Cake with Almond Glaze! Or should we have Tahini Banana Cake? Orrrrrr maybe something rich and chocolatey, like a decadent no-bake Hazelnut Tart?!
Okay maybe I’ll just bake all the things this year.
Anyway, it wasn’t really ever about the cake. It was the meaning behind the Resurrection cake that I loved. As a family, we celebrated the fact that our Savior indeed had risen, not because we deserved it (clearly, we’ve proven that!) but because He so loved each and every one of us.
Easter causes me to reflect on myself and my actions. To know that Christ died for me, as undeserving as I am. I fail day after day, yet He picks me up, wraps me tight, and forgives each and every little thing. It is this kind of love that defines the word unconditional. It is relentless and bound by nothing.
“For God so loved the world…”
The Easter story is one of celebration and joy! God continues to transform my heart the more that I press into Him. I’ll admit that it’s easy to forget that I’ve done nothing by my own accord. Everything I have is from Him, a gift to be cherished even on my lowest of days.
So let’s celebrate!
Even though this Vegan Lemon Tart isn’t a Resurrection “cake” per se, it contains everything good about Easter. Bright lemon, a creamy cashew filling, a crisp almond crust, and my favorite coconut whipped cream!
It may seem just a bit time-involved, but if you prepare in advance, this Vegan Lemon Tart is actually pretty simple! And most definitely worth the little bit of elbow grease. You can also prepare this a day ahead of time, relieving some of the workload on the day you plan to serve it!
All in all, this Vegan Lemon Tart requires only a handful of ingredients, and it’s easier than it sounds at first. The thing I love about vegan baking is that you can completely transform a few ingredients into something marvelous, without using a ton of butter, heavy cream, or sugar. While technically sugar and flour are vegan, I wanted this dessert to be filled with natural, wholesome ingredients. Yes, the creamy filling is made from cashews, but you won’t even notice the difference. Josh’s coworkers (aka my official taste testers) couldn’t tell this tart wasn’t loaded with sugar!
How to make this Vegan Lemon Tart:
First you’ll want to make sure your coconut milk has been properly refrigerated overnight. I highly recommend either Aroy-D or 365 Organic after reading this post by Oh Lady Cakes! Your coconut milk can make or break it! Trader Joe’s brand is crap and you know it is.
The almond flour crust is the only piece of this recipe that requires an oven – just for 8-10 minutes. Your refrigerator will do the rest of the work for you.
The creamy cashew filling is up next. Before beginning, you’ll want to soak your cashews either overnight in cold water (in the fridge) or for 1-2 hours in boiling hot water. This softens them up and makes them perfect for blending. The rest of the ingredients are simple: maple syrup, coconut oil, and bright lemon flavor!
Toss the whole thing in the refrigerator to firm it up, and serve with freshly whipped coconut cream.
It seriously doesn’t get any better than that!
This tart is bursting with lemon flavor, but not so much that it’s overpowering the dish. The coconut cream is light and fluffy, balancing out the lemon. It all sits inside an almond flour crust for just the right amount of texture and crunch. My favorite part, though, is the creaminess of the lemon cashew layer! It’s seriously the best thing ever.
This Easter will be a little different for Josh and I. We’re headed to a Tigers baseball game with the family and I can’t wait! I’ve actually never been to a professional ball game, so I’m pretty excited to see what it’s all about! I can’t exactly bring a tart along with me, so let me know if you make this, okay?!
Celebrating Easter has never been more delicious.
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This easy Vegan Lemon Tart is just bursting with zippy lemon flavor! The cashew filling is decadent and creamy, and the tart is served with a fresh coconut whipped cream!
- 1 3/4 c. almond flour
- 3 pitted Medjool dates
- 3 Tbsp coconut oil
- 1 Tbsp lemon juice
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1 1/2 c. raw cashews, soaked overnight (or soak 1-2 hours in freshly boiled water)
- 1/2 c. full fat coconut milk
- Zest of 3 lemons
- 1/2 c. lemon juice
- 1/3 c. pure maple syrup
- 1/4 c. melted coconut oil
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1 14-oz. can full fat coconut milk, refrigerated overnight
- 1 Tbsp pure maple syrup
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The night before: refrigerate 1 can of coconut milk. Soak the cashews in cool water and refrigerate overnight. If you forget to soak the cashews, then on the day you're making the tart, bring a small pot of water to a boil. Remove from heat and pour the hot water over the cashews; soak 1-2 hours then drain.
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The day of: Preheat the oven to 350. To make the crust, place the almond flour, dates, coconut oil, lemon juice, and salt into a food processor. Pulse several times until the mixture resembles wet sand. It will be a bit sticky. Pour the crust mixture into a lightly greased tart pan, pressing firmly. Make sure to press some of the mixture up the sides of the pan. Using a fork, poke holes at least every square inch into the bottom of the pan. Bake at 350 for 8-10 minutes until fragrant. Remove and cool completely.
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Place the cashews, coconut milk, lemon zest, lemon juice, maple syrup, coconut oil, and salt into a high-powered blender. Blend, scraping down the sides as needed, until creamy. Pour this mixture into the cooled crust, spreading evenly with a spatula. Refrigerate 2 hours or until set.
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To make the coconut whipped cream, scoop the hardened coconut cream out from the can of refrigerated coconut milk. Place it into a bowl with the maple syrup. Blend using a hand mixer. You can add a little of the leftover coconut water if needed to help the mixture come together. Only add a tablespoon at a time.
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When the tart is set, gently spread the coconut whipped cream over top. Garnish with lemon zest. Chill until ready to serve.
*Note: prep time includes soaking the cashews the day of making.
That is one beautiful looking lemon tart, and that coconut whipped cream is callling my name! thanks for the great recipe 🙂
Oh of course! 🙂
How did the tart go so yellow!? I would have thought adding lemon and zest and juice would not change the colour. It’s so beautiful.
The yellow color definitely has a little to do with post-processing in photo editing, but if you want a really bright yellow color, you could possibly add just a couple drops of food coloring!
Perfect recipe! What size of the pan did you use!
Hi Olga! I just used a regular 11″ tart pan!
First off, this is beautiful! Second off, it looks so good and perfect for a summer dessert.
Thank you! And yes, totally appropriate for summer!
Thank you for your testimony! Christ is risen, He is risen indeed (beautiful song of the couple Getty)
And the recipe is tremendous!!
Can this be made a day or two ahead or will crust get soggy?
I personally haven’t tried it, but if you do, let me know! You could always try keeping the crust separate from the filling until you’re ready to assemble.
Could I use another type of oil to substitute the coconut oil? for both the crust and the filling…
Although I haven’t personally tried it, you might be able to substitute another neutral-flavored oil. Let me know if you try it!
Hi! The cream gets stiff by adding the coconut oil, right? There’s no agar agar or any other gelatine to keep the filling together?
TIA
Hi! The coconut cream after refrigeration is usually very hard; once beaten, it will help things stay stiff yet soft. No gelatin 🙂
I made this dessert! So so delicious but the filling does not come out as yellow as the photos show… but yummy none the less.
Glad you liked it! Yes, there’s always a bit of editing involved when tweaking photographs in post-processing. You could try a little food coloring!
You mentioned the Tigers are you from the Detroit area?! Making this today, can’t wait!
I actually live on the other side of Michigan! Originally from Saginaw 🙂
Can cashews be substituted with another type of nut?
I’m afraid not. Cashews are a little special because they can be soaked to create a very creamy product!
Hi! You could try this with macadamias?? I always find that yhey are nice and creamy!
I haven’t tried it so I can’t really say for sure! If you give a try let me know how it turns out!
The coconut milk has to be just refrigerated or semi frozen? Great recipe, can´t wait to try it!
Just refrigerated overnight!
Can I use condensed coconut milk instead of normal one?
I haven’t tested it, but if you do try, let me know how it turns out!
Could you tell me the size of the tin you used please?
Mine’s a 10-11″ tart pan!
Hey awesome cake!, one question; can you make the tart the day before and put it in the refrigerator or fridge? 😀
Yes, you sure can!
Looks amazing!!
Have you tried substituting the lemon for lime? I’m really in the mood for a key lime pie 🙂
Ooh I have not, but if you try it, I’d LOVE to hear about it!!
Can maple syrup be substituted with something? In my country it’s very difficult to find it and it’s too expensive.
Maybe honey?
You should be able to substitute honey just fine. You could also try agave if you have that!
This tart looks wonderful! I plan to take it to our family Easter dinner tomorrow. Do you think it would work to make it in a springform pan with removal sides? I am thinking I would just put the crust on the bottom and not up the sides then.
In theory it should work because the tart pan I used has a removable bottom… Let me know!
I made this yesterday for a family dinner – what a beautiful, elegant recipe! It was easy to make, took very little time, and the proportion of lemon “zing” to sweetness was perfect! I didn’t make any adjustments to the recipe. Can’t wait to make this again – will be adding this to my rotation of go-to desserts! Thank you so much for a ridiculously delicious recipe!!
Oh gosh Erika, that totally made my day!! Thank you SO much for your sweet comment! So glad you loved it! 🙂
How is your cashew cream yellow? I made mine and it’s a pale cream colored as the cashew! Also what is a high power blender I own a kenwood and the result is sandy. Also your measurements for the crust are wrong.they need to be doubled to cover the whole base
Hi Laura, we may be using a different sized tart pan if that’s the case? I added a few drops of food coloring only to turn my filling a little more yellow for the photos. I also use and love a Vitamix blender for desserts like these.
I’m planning on making this tomorrow but do you have conversions from cups to grams? Thank you
Oh sorry, unfortunately I don’t! A quick Google search might help!
What a beauty!
My mom made it for my birthday yesterday. It’s amazing, thank you!! Just wondering if one could freeze it or would it be ruined?
Oh so glad!! I haven’t tried freezing it – not sure how it would turn out. Coconut milk generally doesn’t freeze very well, but if it’s mixed into a tart it may. Let me know if you give it a try!
For the whipped topping.your recipe say use coconut milk! That didn’t work for me! What did I do wrong.
The tart wais delicious .
Yes, but only use the hardened coconut cream that floats to the top of the can after you refrigerate it overnight!