Vegan Lemon Meringue Tarts w/ Graham Cracker Crust

These vegan meringue lemon tarts are so elegant and scrumptious! It’s hard to believe how simple and quick these delicate tarts come together.

 

Using graham crackers for the crust is the perfect shortcut. It’s actually my favorite part as the graham crackers perfectly balances the tartness of the lemons. It also helps that it’s so easy and simple – there’s no kneading or rolling involved! Just add a bit of oil and maple syrup to crushed graham crackers and watch it become crunchy and crispy in the oven.

Veganizing lemon curd was challenging because eggs help bind the structure while butter makes the texture light and creamy. I thought about replacing those two ingredients with other fats like vegan butter or coconut milk but ultimately felt the idea of eating lemon flavored fats wasn’t appetizing. 

Luckily, I discovered agar agar flakes as they have expanded my ability to veganize a variety of baked goods without compromising structure and texture.

Agar agar flakes is the vegan version of gelatin – it’s flavorless and used to thicken and texturize. If you’re a fan of delicate Asian desserts, chances are you’ve had these flavorless flakes. Or you might have seen little packets of them at your local Asian grocery store or at the seaweed section at Whole Foods Market. Even though they come in small quantities, they last for multiple years as a little goes a long way. 

I was able to make 6 beautiful vegan lemon meringue tarts with only 1 teaspoon of flakes!

If you want to make these tarts extra fancy, try whisking a few tablespoons of aquafaba, the liquid from a can of chickpeas, to create a beautiful, silky meringue. Aquafaba contains several similar properties to an egg and is commonly used as a natural vegan egg substitute. It can also be added in vegan baked goods, like in my Oil-free and Refined Sugar-Free Vegan Chocolate Cake!

Enjoy these amazingly sweet and creamy vegan meringue lemon tarts!! It will definitely be a big hit among friends and loved ones as well as your taste buds!!

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quick notes

• As mentioned above, agar agar flakes is a vegetable gelatin derived from a variety of different seaweeds. They’re flavorless and used to thicken and texturize puddings, custards, desserts, etc.
• For the optional vegan meringue, aquafaba is used in place of egg whites. Aquafaba is the liquid your beans and legumes have been soaking and cooking in. The liquid absorbs the different starches, proteins and other plant properties from the beans, giving it several “egg-like” properties, such as binding, emulsifying, and thickening properties. Typically, 3 tablespoons of aquafaba is used to substitute 1 egg in vegan baking.
• For the graham cracker crust, I make them one at a time by pulsing 3 graham cracker sheets with ½ tbsp of oil and maple syrup to ensure an equal, even crust on all the tarts. There may be 1-2 tablespoons of graham cracker bits leftover on each tart, which I discard but feel free to snack on them as you wait for the crust to bake.
• When shaping the graham cracker crust, make sure to press down on the bottom and sides. This is important because the crust needs to be secure and solid or else the lemon curd will seep through.
• Before pouring in the lemon curd, make sure the crust is completely cool.

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VEGAN LEMON MERINGUE TARTS

Serves 6 tarts

Graham Cracker Crust

• 18 graham cracker sheets
• 3 tbsp neutral tasting oil (I used grape seed oil)
• 3 tbsp maple syrup

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees.

In a food processor, roughly break down 3 graham cracker sheets with ½ tbsp of oil and ½ tbsp maple syrup. Pulse until graham cracker is roughly chopped and damp. Transfer the graham cracker bits to a tart pan and begin pressing the sides and bottoms to shape into a crust. Make sure the crust is pressed down on the bottom and sides. Set aside.

With any remaining graham cracker bits, discard or transfer to another plate to snack on and roughly wipe down food processor with a paper towel.

Then add in 3 more graham cracker sheets with ½ tbsp of oil and ½ tbsp maple syrup and mold into tart pans, roughly wiping the food processor down after. Repeat this process with the remaining ingredients and tart pans.

Transfer the tart pans into the oven and bake for 8-10 minutes until it begins to brown. Set aside and let it cool completely. 

Lemon curd

• ½ cup (69g) cashew, soaked for at least 6 hours or soaked in boiling water for 15 minutes
• 1 ½ cup non-dairy milk (I used soy milk)
• 2 tbsp maple syrup
• 1 tsp agar agar flakes
• ¼ tsp salt
• Pinch of turmeric (for color)
• 1 tsp arrowroot flour w/ 1 tsp water

In a blender, add soaked cashews and soy milk and blend thoroughly. Transfer mixture into a pot and stir in maple syrup, agar agar flakes, salt, and turmeric. Bring pot to boil and then simmer for 10-12 minutes, making sure to stir every minute so bottom does not burn.

While mixture is simmering, mix together arrowroot and water until arrowroot is fully dissolved. Pour in arrowroot mixture into the pot and stir for another 5-7 minutes. The mixture should start to thicken. Then let the mixture cool down.

Lemon flavor

• ¼ cup lemon juice (~3-4 lemons)
• 3 tbsp of lemon zest

Once the mixture has cooled, whisk in lemon juice and lemon zest until fully incorporated. Pour the mixture into your cooled crust and let it set in the fridge for 3-4 hours.

Meringue (Optional)

• ¼ cup aquafaba (liquid from chickpea can)
• ¼ tsp cream of tartar
• 3 tbsp powdered sugar

Once the tarts have completely set, preheat your oven to broil (top burner) at 450 degrees and set your oven rack as close to the top of the oven.

With a hand mixer, whisk aquafaba and cream of tartar together until it starts becoming stiff. Add in 1 tbsp of sugar at a time, whisking for a minute in between until stiff peaks. Process should take about 5 minutes. Taste and add more sugar for more sweetness.

Carefully place the tarts on the top rack and broil for 2-4 minutes, or until they start to brown. Enjoy!

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p.s. If you like this recipe, click the icons below to share and leave a comment below! Make sure to tag me @girlmeetsradish & #girlmeetsradish so I can see what you are making!