This lemon tart makes a bright finish to a meal and works well as a light, creamy dessert. This tart combines citrus and coconut, giving it a fresh, clean flavor, while the gluten-free quinoa nut crust adds texture and richness. It stays fully vegan while accommodating gluten-free diets. The tart suits dinners, celebrations, or any time you want a make-ahead dessert that slices neatly and serves a group.
The crust blends quinoa or oat flour with pecans, flax, and a little syrup to hold everything together. The filling mixes coconut cream and lemon juice for a smooth, sharp center, finished with desiccated coconut on top. One interesting ingredient here is kuzu, a starch made from the root of the kudzu plant. It works as a natural thickener and helps the filling set with a clear, smooth texture.
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In her cookbook Go Vegan, Marlene Watson-Tara includes this tart as an example of whole-food baking that relies on simple ingredients. Serve it chilled and cut into neat slices.
Lemon tart method
Try this lemon tart for a bright vegan dessert with a gluten-free quinoa nut crust and a creamy coconut and lemon filling. Kuzu helps the filling set smoothly, and the tart works well as a make-ahead dessert for sharing.
Ingredients
Oat or quinoa nut crust
- 1 cup oat or quinoa flour
- 2 cups pecans
- 2 tbsp ground flax
- ½ tsp ground cinnamon
- ¼ tsp sea salt
- ¼ cup brown rice syrup
Filling
- 8 oz can unsweetened organic coconut cream (1 cup or 240 ml)
- â…“ cup fresh lemon juice
- ½ tbsp lemon zest
- 1 cup maple syrup or rice syrup
- ½ tbsp agar flakes
- 2 tbsp kuzu mixed into ¼ cup filtered water
- Desiccated coconut
Instructions
Oat or quinoa nut crust
Preheat the oven to 180°C (350°F), gas 4.
Put 2 cups of pecans into a food processor and process until they start to clump, and oils start to release.
Transfer the pecan mixture into a large bowl and mix with the rest of the ingredients, except the rice syrup.
In a small saucepan, warm the brown rice syrup to reduce its viscosity. Pour into the mixture and mix well.
Using your hands, squeeze the dough over and over to combine. You should be able to form a ball with it. If it’s too dry, add a little water.
Transfer the pecan dough into a 9-inch push-up fluted flan dish and smooth out evenly. Press down firmly with your fingers, bringing it up along the sides and pressing as firmly as you can.
Prick the dough with a fork to make a cross.
Bake for 10–12 minutes until slightly golden. Remove from the oven and allow to cool on a wire rack.
For the lemon and coconut filling
Whisk the coconut cream, lemon juice, zest, maple syrup and agar flakes together in a saucepan.
In a small bowl, mix the kuzu and water to form a paste. Add the kuzu mixture to the pan and heat on a low flame until slightly simmering, stirring constantly to avoid lumping.
Once the mixture has thickened, take off the heat and leave to cool for 1–2 minutes, then pour into the prepared tart base.
Sprinkle with desiccated coconut and leave to cool. Once at room temperature, cover and place in the fridge for at least 2 hours, or until ready to serve. Or leave overnight.
Cut into slices and serve as is or with some fresh sweet strawberries, in season.
Makes 8 servings.
Republished with permission from Go Vegan: A Guide to Delicious, Everyday Food – for the Health of Your Family and the Planet by Marlene Watson-Tara, published by Lotus Publishing, 2019.
Marlene Watson-Tara is a plant-based nutrition educator, author, and co-founder of the Human Ecology Project. Her forthcoming book, Macrobiome: How the Planet Governs Human Ecology and a Healthy Microbiome, is scheduled to launch at the Oxford Literary Festival in March 2026. See their upcoming lecture at Oxford here, and learn more on their website MACROVegan.
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