Mini Lemon Curd Tartlets with Buttery Crust

These no-bake mini lemon curd tartlets are sweet, sharp, buttery, and wonderfully easy to make. With a crisp biscuit base and a smooth lemon curd filling, they are a simple dessert that looks elegant without needing any baking.

Made with lemon curd, crushed biscuits, and melted butter, these mini lemon tarts are ideal for summer gatherings, afternoon tea, or a light dessert after a family meal. They can be prepared ahead of time, and the biscuit bases need only a short chill before being filled.

These little lemon curd tartlets are pretty, dainty, and full of bright citrus flavour. Serve them with fresh seasonal berries and a spoonful of thick cream for a dessert that feels special but takes very little effort. They look as though you have spent hours in the kitchen, yet the hands-on preparation time is only about 10 minutes.

👩‍🍳 If you enjoy easy lemon desserts, these tartlets are a lovely way to use lemon curd in a quick, no-bake recipe.

✔️ Why should you try it?

• Easy no-bake dessert with no oven required.
• Made with only 3 main ingredients: lemon curd, biscuits, and butter.
• The biscuit bases can be made up to 2 days ahead, making them perfect for entertaining.
• They are lemony, tangy, sweet, and buttery in every bite.
• A great way to use lemon curd, whether homemade or shop-bought.
• Simple enough for family desserts but attractive enough for guests.

🥘 Ingredients

• Lemon Curd – Homemade lemon curd gives the best flavour, but a good-quality jar from the supermarket will also work well.
• Butter – Use unsalted butter, melted, to bind the biscuit crumbs together and create a firm base.
• Biscuits – A mixture of digestive biscuits and ginger biscuits works beautifully. The ginger adds warmth and pairs especially well with lemon.
• Optional toppings – Fresh summer berries, thick cream, clotted cream, or a light dusting of icing sugar are all delicious for serving.

🔪 Instructions

The recipe card with ingredient quantities and detailed instructions can be found at the bottom of the post.

1. Place the crushed biscuits in a mixing bowl. A food processor is the quickest way to make fine, even crumbs.
2. Pour in the melted butter and mix with a spoon until the crumbs begin to clump together.
3. Divide the biscuit mixture between 4 mini tart tins with removable bases. The tins should be around 8cm wide. Press the crumbs down firmly with the back of a spoon so the bases are compact and hold their shape.
4. Chill the tart bases in the fridge for at least 1 hour, or make them up to 48 hours in advance. If you are short on time, place them in the freezer for 30 minutes instead.
5. Carefully remove the biscuit bases from the tins and place them on a serving platter.
6. Spoon lemon curd into each tartlet just before serving. Add cream and fresh berries if liked.

💭 Top tips

• Use homemade lemon curd if you can. It usually has a fresher, brighter flavour than shop-bought versions.
• Make sure the biscuit crumbs are pressed down firmly. A compact base is less likely to crumble when removed from the tin.
• If you do not have mini tart tins, use cookie cutters of a similar size. Place the cutters on a tray or serving platter, press the biscuit mixture firmly inside, and chill until set. Lift the cutters away carefully before adding the lemon curd.
• Add the lemon curd shortly before serving to keep the biscuit bases crisp.

🍴 Serving suggestions

Serve these mini lemon curd tartlets as a no-bake dessert, a sweet treat for afternoon tea, or a simple make-ahead pudding for summer meals. They are lovely with raspberries, strawberries, blueberries, or blackberries. A spoonful of thick cream or clotted cream makes them feel extra indulgent, while a light dusting of icing sugar gives them a pretty finish.

Because the tartlets are small and neat, they are easy to serve at parties or family gatherings. Arrange them on a platter with fresh berries scattered around the edges for a bright, colourful presentation.

📖 Variations

• Use different biscuits for the base. Digestives, ginger biscuits, shortbread, or Biscoff-style biscuits all work well.
• Top the tartlets with baked mini meringues to turn them into little lemon meringue pies.
• Serve with fresh berries such as raspberries, strawberries, blueberries, or blackberries.
• Swap the no-bake biscuit bases for store-bought mini pastry cases if you prefer a pastry tart.
• For a different flavour, try using another citrus curd if you already have one available.

🥡 Storage

The biscuit bases can be made up to 48 hours before you need them. Store them in the fridge until ready to fill. For the best texture, add the lemon curd no more than 1 hour before serving, as the biscuit base can soften if it sits with the filling for too long.

The biscuit bases can also be frozen for up to 3 months. Lemon curd can be frozen too, so this recipe is easy to prepare in stages if you want to get ahead.

❓ FAQs

😋 Related recipes

More delicious lemon recipes to try:

Easy Lemon Biscuits

Lemon Blueberry Polenta Cake

Lemon Drizzle Muffins

Yogurt and Lemon Curd Fool

Microwave Lemon Sponge Pudding

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