No-Bake Strawberry Lemon Tart

Ingredient Notes

This strawberry lemon dessert has three components: the no-bake Biscoff cookie crust, the creamy lemon mascarpone filling, and the fresh strawberry topping. Here’s an overview of what you’ll need to make this fresh strawberry tart with lemon cream.

• Biscoff Cookies — I used spiced Biscoff cookies for the base of this tart, but you can use graham crackers if you prefer (regular or gluten-free). A sugar cookie or lemon cookie would also work if it has the same texture as a Biscoff cookie or graham cracker (i.e. crispy rather than soft). 
• Unsalted butter — The melted butter is what holds together the Biscoff crust without us having to bake anything.
• Mascarpone — An Italian fresh cheese that’s ultra thick, creamy, and spreadable. It contains roughly double the amount of fat as American cream cheese and is also more neutral in flavor (not tangy). If you don’t have mascarpone on hand, you may substitute cream cheese for the mascarpone. The lemon filling will be tangier in flavor but otherwise the texture will be similar. 
• Cream cheese — You want a foil-wrapped brick of cream cheese, not the whipped variety sold in a tub.
• Powdered sugar — Sweetens the filling without making it grainy.
• Lemon juice and zest — For a stronger lemon flavor, add more zest! Don’t add extra lemon juice because that will change the texture of the filling.
• Strawberries — Fresh berries are a must since they’ll be placed on top of the lemon filling.
• Optional garnishes — This strawberry lemon tart is beautiful as is, but if you want to make it even prettier you can garnish it with lemon thyme, fresh basil or mint leaves, and / or lemon zest.

Want to use another kind of fruit? Go for it! I recommend raspberries or blackberries (won’t need to slice them just arrange in a circle around the tart). You could also use this strawberry rhubarb compote or this blueberry sauce.

Step-By-Step Photos Showing How to Make This Strawberry Lemon Tart

This strawberry lemon tart with a creamy mascarpone filling requires some patience as the tart must chill for 4+ hours before being sliced and served. Otherwise it’s a straightforward recipe with minimal prep work. 

Make the Crust

1. Put the Biscoff cookies into a food processor and process until fine crumbs. 
2. Add melted butter to the cookie crumbs. Process for a few seconds until combined. 
3. Turn the cookie crumbs into a 20cm loose bottom tart pan, then use a spoon to push the crumbs into the base of the pan. 

Katie’s Tip: If you don’t have a food processor, put the Biscoff cookies into a ziplock bag and crush them up with a rolling pin or meat mallet. You may want to place the bag onto a cutting board before crushing the cookies; this will protect your countertop. 

Make the Filling & Add the Strawberries

1. Put the mascarpone, cream cheese and powdered sugar into a mixing bowl and use an electric mixer with a whisk attachment to beat together until smooth. 
2. Add the lemon zest, lemon juice and vanilla extract.
3. Transfer the lemon filling to the prepared crust. 
4. Put the tart pan into the refrigerator. It takes around 4 hours for the strawberry lemon cheesecake tart to set in the fridge. However, it is best to leave it overnight to get the cleanest slices!
5. When you’re ready to serve the tart, arrange the strawberry slices in a circular pattern on the tart. 

Tips for Making This Tart

• Use room temperature mascarpone and cream cheese — Cold mascarpone in particular tends to split if it’s mixed with room temperature ingredients. Set your dairy products on the counter 30 to 40 minutes before starting the recipe to ensure they’re at room temperature when they’re added to the filling. 
• Work from the sides to the bottom when making the crust — I find it easier to work the crumbs up the sides of the pan first and then concentrate on the bottom. You can cover the bottom of the crumbs with a piece of plastic wrap then pressing them down so the crumbs don’t stick to your hands.
• Arranging the strawberry slices —To decorate, I cut each strawberry into four equal slices (from top to bottom), then I used the larger slices for the first layer around the outside edge of the tart and worked my way in using smaller strawberries. This way, the layers of strawberry get progressively smaller until they reach the center. 

Make-Ahead Instructions

You can assemble parts of this recipe in advance to serve later. I recommend waiting to arrange the strawberry slices on top of the tart until you’re ready to slice and serve. 

• Cookie crumbs —Can be prepared up to 5 days in advance. Store in an airtight container until ready to use. 
• Cookie crust — Can be prepared up to 3 days in advance. Store at room temperature, wrapped in plastic wrap. 
• Strawberry slices — Can be prepared up to 2 days in advance. Refrigerate in an airtight container until ready to use. 
• Crust and filling — The filling can be turned into the crust, then wrapped with plastic wrap and refrigerated up to 2 days in advance. Wait to arrange the strawberries on top until ready to serve.