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This Lemonade Tart is sunshine in dessert form, a buttery shortbread crust filled with a creamy, sweet-tart lemonade filling that tastes just like a frosty glass of lemonade. I whipped one up for a summer cookout and it vanished before the burgers were off the grill. If you love bright citrus treats, our lemon blueberry trifle is another must.
Made with frozen lemonade concentrate, this easy lemonade tart has the perfect creamy, tangy filling in a tender homemade crust.
Lemonade Tart Quick Look
- 🕒 Prep Time: 25 minutes
- 🌡️ Cook Time: 38 minutes
- ⏳ Total Time: 1 hour 3 minutes plus chilling
- 🍽️ Serving: 8 servings
- ⚡ Calories: 494kcal
- 🌶️ Flavor Profile: Bright, tangy, and creamy with sweet-tart lemonade flavor
- ✋ Difficulty: Easy, a simple make ahead dessert like our pistachio lush
Quick Answer
To make a lemonade tart, press a buttery shortbread dough into a tart pan and par-bake until golden. Whip cream cheese with sweetened condensed milk, beat in egg yolks, then stir in thawed frozen lemonade concentrate and lemon zest. Pour the filling into the crust and bake for 15 to 18 minutes until just set. Cool, then chill at least 4 hours before slicing and serving with whipped cream.
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Why This Recipe Works
Click to see the technique science
- Lemonade concentrate packs big flavor. Using frozen lemonade concentrate gives the tart a bold, sweet-tart lemonade flavor without needing to squeeze a pile of lemons.
- Condensed milk sets the filling. Sweetened condensed milk adds richness and helps the filling firm up into a smooth, sliceable custard as it bakes and chills.
- Par-baking keeps the crust crisp. Blind baking the crust before adding the filling prevents a soggy bottom and gives you a crisp, buttery base.
- Cream cheese adds body and tang. Whipping cream cheese into the filling makes it creamy and adds a subtle tang that balances the sweetness.
- Chilling makes clean slices. A few hours in the fridge lets the filling fully set so the tart slices into neat, beautiful wedges.
- It is a make ahead dessert. Since it needs to chill anyway, you can make this tart a day in advance, which is perfect for entertaining.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- It tastes like a frosty glass of lemonade in creamy, sliceable dessert form, perfect for warm weather.
- It is an easy make ahead dessert that looks bakery worthy, great alongside our lemon blueberry trifle at a summer party.
- The bright, sweet-tart filling and buttery crust are a refreshing change from heavy chocolate desserts.
Key Ingredients
A handful of simple ingredients make this bright, creamy tart. Here are the ones that matter most.
- Frozen lemonade concentrate: The secret ingredient that gives the filling its bright, sweet-tart lemonade flavor. Thaw it before using.
- Sweetened condensed milk: Adds rich sweetness and helps the filling set into a creamy, sliceable texture.
- Cream cheese: Whipped into the filling for a smooth, tangy, cheesecake-like body.
- Egg yolks: Help the filling bake up firm and custardy so it holds a clean slice.
- Butter and flour: Make the tender, buttery shortbread crust that holds everything together.
See recipe card for exact quantities.
Variations and Substitutions
This lemonade tart is easy to make your own:
- Use a different citrus: Swap the lemonade concentrate for frozen limeade or pink lemonade for a fun twist.
- Make it a pie: No tart pan? Press the crust into a 9-inch pie plate and bake the same way.
- Add fresh berries: Top with blueberries, raspberries, or strawberries for a pop of color, like our lemon blueberry pound cake.
- Garnish your way: Finish with whipped cream, lemon slices, or a dusting of powdered sugar.
How to Make Lemonade Tart
- Whip the softened butter with the powdered sugar until smooth, beat in the egg, then mix in the flour until the dough is crumbly but holds together when pressed.
- Press the dough evenly into the bottom and up the sides of a 9-inch tart pan, then freeze for 30 minutes.
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Poke holes in the crust, line it with parchment and pie weights, and par-bake for 20 minutes, then remove the weights and let it cool.
- Whip the cream cheese and sweetened condensed milk until completely smooth, beat in the egg yolks, then stir in the thawed lemonade concentrate and lemon zest.
- Pour the filling into the cooled crust, being careful not to overfill above the crust edge.
- Bake for 15 to 18 minutes until the edges are lightly browned and the center is just slightly jiggly. Cool 30 minutes, then chill at least 4 hours before garnishing with whipped cream and serving.
Recipe Tips & Tricks
- Thaw the lemonade concentrate before using so it blends smoothly into the filling.
- Do not skip par-baking, blind baking the crust keeps it crisp under the creamy filling.
- Use room temperature cream cheese, so the filling whips up smooth and lump free.
- Do not overfill the crust, keep the filling below the top edge so it does not spill as it bakes.
- Chill at least 4 hours, or overnight, so the tart sets firm enough to slice cleanly.
- Run a knife along the edge before removing the tart pan ring for a clean release.
Serving Ideas and Suggestions
This lemonade tart is best served chilled, topped with a swirl of whipped cream and a thin lemon slice. It is a refreshing finish to a summer cookout or barbecue, especially after grilled mains.
Serve it on a dessert table with other bright treats like our lemon lime angel food cupcakes, pina colada poke cake, and a pitcher of our frosted lemonade.
Add a handful of fresh berries on top for color, or dust with powdered sugar. Leftover tart keeps beautifully in the fridge, so it is a great dessert to make a day ahead for parties.
Lemonade Tart FAQs
A lemonade tart has a buttery shortbread crust and a creamy filling made from cream cheese, sweetened condensed milk, egg yolks, frozen lemonade concentrate, and lemon zest. The lemonade concentrate gives the filling its signature sweet-tart flavor, while the condensed milk and cream cheese make it rich, smooth, and sliceable once chilled.
Yes, a lemonade tart is a perfect make ahead dessert. It needs to chill for at least 4 hours after baking, so you can easily make it a full day in advance. Keep it covered in the refrigerator and add the whipped cream garnish just before serving so it looks fresh and pretty.
A tart pan with a removable bottom gives the prettiest fluted edges, but you do not have to have one. You can press the crust into a 9-inch pie plate or a springform pan instead and bake it the same way. The flavor will be just as delicious, even if the shape is a little different.
Store a lemonade tart covered in the refrigerator for up to four days. Because of the dairy and egg filling, it should always be kept chilled. For longer storage, you can freeze the baked tart, well wrapped, for up to a month, then thaw it in the refrigerator before serving.
Frozen lemonade concentrate is what gives this tart its distinctive lemonade flavor and the right level of sweetness, so it is hard to replace exactly. If you only have fresh lemons, a classic lemon tart or lemon bar recipe with fresh juice and more sugar would be a better fit than swapping it directly into this recipe.
If your lemonade tart filling is not setting, it usually needs more chill time, since the filling firms up as it cools in the refrigerator. Make sure you baked it until the edges were set and only the very center was slightly jiggly, and that you used full fat cream cheese and real sweetened condensed milk, which help it set properly.
Craving more bright citrus desserts? Try our lemon blueberry trifle and lemon blueberry pound cake next.
Best Lemonade Tart Recipe (Easy Summer Dessert)
Ingredients
For the crust:
- 5 tablespoons salted butter softened
- 1/4 cup powdered sugar
- 1 large egg
- 1 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
For the filling:
- 8 ounces cream cheese softened
- 14 ounce can sweetened condensed milk
- 3 large egg yolks
- 1 cup frozen lemonade concentrate thawed
- zest of 1 lemon
- whipped cream for garnish optional
Instructions
- In a large bowl, whip the butter until smooth with the powdered sugar.5 tablespoons salted butter, 1/4 cup powdered sugar
- Add the egg until fully combined.1 large egg
- Add the flour until well combined with no dry patches; the mixture will be crumbly, but when you press it together, it will form a dough.1 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
- Press the dough mixture evenly into a 9-inch tart pan on the bottom and up the sides.
- Place in the freezer for 30 minutes.
- Preheat the oven to 350°F.
- Poke holes all over the crust with a fork.
- Add a piece of parchment paper and add pie weights or dry rice like I use.
- Par bake for 20 minutes. Lift off the paper with the weights and allow to cool while you make the filling.
- In a large bowl, whip together the cream cheese with the sweetened condensed milk with an electric hand mixer until completely smooth.8 ounces cream cheese, 14 ounce can sweetened condensed milk
- Add the egg yolks and mix to combine.3 large egg yolks
- Stir in the lemonade and lemon zest, mix to combine, scrape down the sides as needed.1 cup frozen lemonade concentrate, zest of 1 lemon
- Add the filling to the crust; there might be a little left over. Do not add filling over the top of the crust.
- Bake for 15-18 minutes; the center may be slightly jiggly and lightly browned along the edge.
- Allow the cool on the counter for 30 minutes, then place in the fridge to chill for 4 hours or up to overnight.
- Garnish with whipped cream, slice and serve.whipped cream for garnish
Notes
- Room Temperature Butter: Let it soften so your butter mixture is smooth, not lumpy—crumbly texture, yes; mess, no!
- Poke the Tart Shell: Use a fork on that 9-inch pan bottom to stop it puffing up like a balloon.
- Pie Weights Hack: No weights? Dry rice on parchment paper works great for the crust bakes.
- Mix It Right: Whip that lemon mixture in a large bowl till it’s silky—no clumps allowed!
- Zest Smart: Just the yellow part of the lemon—skip the bitter white for the best lemon flavor.
- Chill Out: Give it 4 hours in the fridge. Patience makes it slice like a champ!
Nutrition
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