Lemony Cheesecake Tart with Pistachio Crust
This cheesecake tart recipe is the best! It's easy to make and tastes gourmet. The lemony flavor and pistachio-oat crust make it extra special.
Posted by Kathryne Taylor on February 13, 2025
I’m so excited to share this cheesecake tart recipe with you today! The inside is creamy, lemony, sweet yet tangy, and luscious. The press-in crust is tender, lightly buttery, and punctuated with tiny bits of pistachios. (It happens to be gluten-free, too.)
The combination yields a special-occasion tart that is bright and decadent but not overwhelmingly so. Unlike a giant slice of cheesecake, this cheesecake tart has a low profile and reasonable proportions.
It took me nine tries to perfect this recipe, but it’s an absolute winner—and it’s straightforward to make! Trust me, you can do this.
This cheesecake tart recipe was inspired by my favorite local dessert, the goat cheese and pistachio tart at French Market. I’ve always wanted to recreate it.
This recipe is not an exact copy—it’s more lemony and made with cream cheese instead of goat cheese—but it’s an equally satisfying homemade alternative. My family adores it, toddler included, and my in-laws were thrilled to inherit several iterations.
This tart would be the perfect dessert for any special occasion, including Valentine’s Day, Mother’s Day, and Easter. I might even request it for my birthday this year. Why not?
Before You Get Started
Required equipment
To make this recipe, you’ll need a 9-inch tart pan with a removable base, a food processor for the pistachio-oat crust, and a hand mixer for the filling (if you don’t have a hand mixer, you can probably use a stand mixer, food processor, or immersion blender).
Don’t let it stick to the pan
To ensure that your tart doesn’t stick to the pan, heavily grease your tart pan with butter and cut a round of parchment paper to fit neatly inside the base.
Chill before serving
Once baked, you’ll need to let the tart chill before slicing. If you try to cut it too soon, the filling won’t be fully set. This is a great recipe to make the night before or several hours in advance.
How to Make Cheesecake Tart
You’ll find the full recipe below. Here’s a brief preview, plus a step-by-step video.
1) Make the crust
I’m delighted with how the crust comes together in the food processor. First, you’ll process old-fashioned oats into flour, then add pistachios and process until the mixture looks sandy. Pour this mixture into a bowl, then combine softened butter and sugar and process until the sugar has dissolved into the butter. Pour the pistachio-oat mixture back in and process until combined.
2) Bake the crust
Pour the dough into the tart pan and press it evenly across the base and sides. Prick the bottom all over with a fork to prevent it from bubbling excessively in the oven. Bake until firm.
3) Make the filling
Use an electric mixer to whip cream cheese, sugar, lemon zest and juice, vanilla, and salt until it’s smooth and fluffy. Mix in the egg, then pour the mixture into the cooled tart crust.
4) Bake, then cool
Bake until the tart is set around the edges and slightly wiggly in the center. Let it cool at room temperature, then transfer it to the refrigerator to chill thoroughly.
Watch How to Make Cheesecake Tart
More Creamy Desserts to Try
If you love this tart, you’ll also enjoy these dessert recipes:
- Foolproof Basque Cheesecake
- Lemon Posset
- No-Bake Greek Yogurt Tart
- Pots de Crème
- Pumpkin Cheesecake Cups
Please let me know how your tart turns out in the comments! I hope you love it as much as I do.
Lemony Cheesecake Tart with Pistachio Crust
This cheesecake tart recipe is the best! It’s easy to make and tastes gourmet. The homemade pistachio-oat crust happens to be gluten free. Recipe yields one 9-inch tart, enough for 8 medium slices.
Ingredients
Pistachio-oat crust
- ¾ cup (75 grams) old-fashioned oats (certified gluten-free if necessary)
- ¾ cup (100 grams) raw pistachios or hazelnuts
- Scant ¼ teaspoon fine salt
- 6 tablespoons (85 grams) unsalted butter, cut into 1-inch pieces and softened to room temperature
- 3 tablespoons (38 grams) sugar
Filling
- 8 ounces (226 grams) cream cheese, softened to room temperature
- ¼ cup (50 grams) sugar
- 1 tablespoon lemon zest (from about 1 medium lemon)
- 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
- ¼ teaspoon vanilla extract
- ⅛ teaspoon fine salt
- 1 large egg
Instructions
- To make the crust: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Use butter to heavily grease a 9-inch tart pan with a removable base. Line the base of the pan with parchment paper cut into a circle to fit.
- Pour the oats into a food processor and process until the oats are ground so finely that they look like fine sand. Add the pistachios and salt. Process the mixture until the pieces resemble coarse sand. Pour the mixture into a bowl for the time being.
- Combine the butter and sugar in the food processor and process until the butter is smooth and the sugar has dissolved, about 30 seconds. Pour the flour mixture back into the food processor and process just until blended, about 30 seconds to 1 minute.
- Scoop the dough into your prepared tart pan and fold in any crumbs remaining in the food processor. Press the dough into the tart pan evenly, using the heel of your hand to press the bottom smooth, which will help push the crust up the sides. Aim for even thickness across the bottom and up the edges. Prick the base of the crust all over with a fork. (If the dough isn’t cooperating, set the crust in the refrigerator for 10 minutes to firm it up before baking.)
- Bake the unfilled tart crust for 10 to 14 minutes, until the center is firm to the touch. (The sides won’t look as neat and tall as before baking, but don’t worry.) Place it on a cooling rack until cooled, about 30 minutes.
- While the shell cools, make the filling. In a large bowl, combine the cream cheese, sugar, lemon zest and juice, vanilla, and salt. Use an electric mixer to whip the mixture until it’s smooth and fluffy, about 3 to 4 minutes. Add the egg and continue mixing until it’s completely incorporated, scraping down the sides of the bowl with a spatula if needed. Gently tap the bowl on the counter a few times, then stir the mixture a few times to release any remaining air bubbles.
- Pour the mixture into the crust, smooth the top and bake for 15 to 20 minutes, until it’s set around the edges and slightly wiggly in the center.
- Let the tart cool to room temperature on a baking rack, then transfer it to the refrigerator to cool completely (if you try to slice it before chilling, the filling will be too soft). When you’re ready to serve, remove the outer ring. Slice with a warm knife, wiping the knife with a damp towel in between cuts for the tidiest slices. Serve cold or at room temperature. This keeps well in the fridge, covered, for up to 4 days.
Notes
Recipe inspired by French Market in Kansas City. The filling was adapted from Yossy Arefi’s Lemon Cheesecake Tart and the crust was adapted from my Gluten-Free Apple Tart.
Nutrition
The information shown is an estimate provided by an online nutrition calculator. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice. See our full nutrition disclosure here.
I want to make this and don’t have the pan. Could I make it in an 8×8 pan and have it as a square? Would that work?
Hi Anne, I think you could. I would line it neatly with parchment paper so you can lift the whole tart out and slice it when it’s done. The baking time may vary slightly since the pan size has changed, so keep an eye on it and use your best judgment.
I bought a tart pan to make this recipe which worked out great! The flavors were amazing especially the pistachio crust.
This recipe was outstanding! Easy to put together and it tasted AMAZING! My cheesecake loving niece LOVED it! Thank you for another great recipe Kate. Every recipe from you is a winner.
Thanks for adding metric! I will certainly make this recipe – looks delicious.
You’re welcome! I’m trying to do that more.
Finally, a recipe for actual food.
As I live in England, I really appreciate you including the weight (in grams) of the ingredients. This looks perfect for a lemon tart that my husband has requested for his birthday, but will it work with the tubs of (soft) Philadelphia that are all that is available here?
Hi Helen, this is new information to me! I’ve been Googling for solutions. Perhaps you can find Longley Farm Full Fat Yorkshire Cream Cheese, which one person suggested is more like ours. I also found a suggestion on Reddit that you can mix some tub cream cheese with soft mascarpone soft cheese to achieve the fat level of blocked cream cheese. Since mascarpone has about 41% fat and tub cream cheese has about 20%, you can mix them to equal the 30% of the block cream cheese. Please report back if you give it a try!
This recall does not include:
Quaker Oats
Quaker Instant Oats
Quaker Grits
Quaker Oat Bran
Quaker Oat Flour
Quaker Rice Snacks
Hello from Texas. Thank you for your mostly healthy, from-scratch recipes.
My question is: What can I substitute for the oats called for in the gorgeous lemon tart? I don’t want to use such a highly processed ingredient, especially not one that was recalled in 2024 along with many other processed oat products.
I am eager to make the lemon tart, so I hope you can tell me what to substitute for the oat flakes. Thank you again for your great recipes.
Hi Sally, that’s an interesting question. I’ve never classified old-fashioned oats as a highly processed ingredient. They are flattened oats. I wasn’t aware of the recall, but it looks like Quaker oats were specifically recalled recently, so other brands would be safe. I always choose organic oats to avoid glyphosate. I have not tested this tart with alternatives. I think you could use 75 grams whole wheat flour instead, which would be about 2/3 cup.
This looks yummy. Wondering what you might recommend as a substitute for egg, as I don’t eat eggs. Maybe a flax egg? That seems too fibrous.
Thanks!
Hi Amy, I haven’t tried it without egg, but I wouldn’t try a flax egg. It might work without an egg, since there’s just one. The filling probably won’t set as solidly without the egg, so it would likely be softer with less clean slices along the edges. Please let me know if you try it!
This sounds delicious. Would roasted hazelnuts work? Probably need raw ones I guess.
Yes! I tried it with hazelnuts once and it was lovely. My hazelnuts were raw.
Tried the Lemony Cheesecake Tart. Admittedly I bought a ready made crust – lazy. The filling was so easy to make, and delicious.
Awesome! Thanks, Maria!
When and how do you remove the parchment from bottom of pan?
Hi Jim, I just transferred the tart (paper included) to a serving tray and sliced it. Then used a pie server to slide between the slice and the paper, and served it.
This is straight forward and would be easy. Although I do love lemon I was thinking ahead about substituting orange or lime for a different taste. Have you ever tried those 2 flavors?
Hi Charlotte, I’ve not tried those flavors yet, but I imagine they would be fantastic. Please report back if you try it!
As I am reading this, I see the original recipe that you adapted is made with goat cheese. Since I am lactose intolerant, I would like to go back to the goat cheese. Would the substitution be the same amount, 8 ounces. I can use the lactose free butter instead of regular butter.
Hi Bobbi, yes, I would use an equal amount of goat cheese. Please let me know how it turns out if you try it!
Can goant cheese be substituted for cream cheese?
Hi there, I haven’t tried, but I suspect goat cheese would work well in equal amounts. Please let me know if you try it.
This looks so dreamy! Would it work if I used coconut oil instead of butter?
Hi Karen, I haven’t tried coconut oil, but I think it would work. Use room temperature oil if you can, or if it’s solidified, just barely warm it.
Do you think this tart crust could be made into cookies? It looks so good and I may not want to make the tart.
Thank you!
Hi Evy, I hadn’t thought of that! It might make a nice shortbread-like cookie. I think you would need to press the cookies into your desired shape before baking. Please report back if you try it.
Can you make this without eggs?
Hi Michelle, I haven’t tried. The filling probably won’t set as solidly without the egg, so it would likely be softer with less clean slices along the edges. Since there’s just one, it may still work out. Please let me know if you try it!
I made this yesterday and it turned out well. I thought I had enough pistachios when I started but was 70 grams short! I subbed almond flour for the rest, but the dough was way too sticky so I added a 1/4 all purpose flour and it was perfect. Very easy to make and delicious.
That’s great! I’m so glad you adjusted and it still turned out well.
How do you get a tan crust from green pistachios?
I can’t wait to make this recipe! Sounds like my kind of dessert!
How would you recommend making it without a tart pan (while understanding it won’t look as pretty)?
Thank you!
Hi Acayla, you may be able to use a 9-inch cake pan or square baker. I would try to neatly line the whole thing with parchment paper so you can lift it out once baked. The baking times may be slightly different, so use your best judgment. It may be worth buying a tart pan—I use mine more than I thought I would!
Delicious! I was eager to try this recipe as I love lemon desserts. This recipe definitely hit the mark! The pistachio-oat crust was tasty and an interesting take on a lemon tart crust, or on any crust for that matter. I will definitely be making it again.
My only problem was that the outer ring would not release. Perhaps I didn’t butter the ring enough. I did carefully run a knife between the crust and the outer ring before I put it in the refrigerator to cool. To serve the cheesecake, I simply cut a slice with the outer ring still on, and the slice came out just fine.
Thank you, Mary! I’m sorry to hear you had trouble with the outer ring. Once heavily buttered and baked, I had to use a little force to pop up the tart. Or it could be that my pan is more non-stick than yours. I’m so glad it turned out well regardless!
Thank you for replying, and the suggestions. I will definitely try this and let you know the result
First, I want to thank you for your lovely recipes.they are always a success.
I tried this today. The cheese cake was very delicious and the lemon flavor was wonderful. My husband, who doesn’t like cheese cake, commented that this was the best cheesecake he has ever had.
When is your next cookbook coming out? I love your first one.
I have a question prior to trying this recipe- is the filling a little low? I see the original recipe on NYT had 2x the amount of filling and other cheesecake tarts I see also use 16oz cream cheese and twice the amount of sugar and eggs. Is there a reason this recipe uses half and has anyone increased the filling? I’m planning to make this for my husband’s birthday dinner at a party and I’d like to figure out if I should increase based on others’ experiences.
My tart pan is standard, maybe an inch deep? I also thought it might not be the right amount but it did indeed fit perfectly, came just below the crust line. Currently cooling on the counter looking pretty.
The reason I chose to make this was actually because there was only one pkg of cream cheese when other recipes call for 2 or more. That’s part of what makes it less indulgent and more accessible.
This was absolutely delicious. My guests loved it. Had to share the recipe. I followed the recipe exactly as written. I was going to add fruit on top, but decided not to. This recipe stands on its own and needs no embellishment.
Crust sounds fantastic! Can you use roasted pistachios?
Rebecca, I used roasted pistachios. I rinsed the salt off and fully dried them before using. Turned out great but can’t compare to raw since I only made this once so far. I will use raw next time – just didn’t want to go to the store when I thought to make the recipe
Thanks for sharing that tip!
WOW!!!! This was insanely delicious. Wow
I made this exactly as written. It looked amazing and tasted even better. Will definitely make it again. We love lemon cheesecake, and appreciate this lighter, less dense version.
How did you get a light brown crust from green pistachios?
Recipe was perfect. Absolutely delicious for us lemon lovers. Came together very easily to take to an evening dinner party. My husband wants to try this again with orange juice and orange zest (I think secretly so he can add a touch of chocolate as a garnish…LOL) Beautiful recipe thank you!
So delicious. Love the pistachio crust. I used pandan (the green colored one bc I can’t have vanilla ☹️. Next time I’ll try it with orange blossom water. I used mini tart pans. So cute. Another amazing recipe. Thanks!
I wanted to come back and give my feedback after making this for my husband’s birthday. It was absolutely delicious and will be put into the “make this again” file. For the most part I followed the recipe and directions, but with a couple changes- I made 1.5 times the filling (used 2 eggs) and it was the perfect amount. I wanted a full tart and this was just right. I increased the lemon juice to 5 TBSP (for the 1.5 amount) for a more pronounced lemon flavor. I didn’t chill the crust and wish I had- it was hard to get into the tart pan, very moist and gooey, but it did bake up well and after it was fully cold (a couple of hours) it came out of the pan well.
It was the the right amount of sweet/tart/creamy and the flavor of the crust was delicious. Will make again!
This is a really delicious dessert! Thank you Kate!
A couple of comments about the crust:
– when making the crust, it’s important that the butter is completely incorporated into the oat & nut mixture, otherwise small blobs of butter will melt away when baking.
– I found it difficult to shape the oat/nut/butter recipe into the pie pan. Just too sticky. I used a piece of parchment and used it to press the mixture into the pan and that did the trick.
– Finally, the “rim” of the crust kind of melted down during baking and didn’t hold its shape. It kind of didn’t matter because the filling is thick enough that I could just bring it to the edge. But still, the crust recipe needs a little tweeking.
Hi Paul, thanks for your notes! Your crust may have turned out a little different from mine due to slight variations in measurements. I tested this recipe nine times to get it right. Perhaps yours needed a bit more oats.
Hi Kate! How are you? What do you think about key lime? I’m hesitant to muddle with this recipe but if you have any suggestions about making anything key lime- pie, cookies, cheesecake…. Would love to know if you have a healthier version with more nutritional redemption than traditional recipes.
Hi Ramona, thank you for your note! I think key lime would be stellar in this tart. You might also like my lemon posset or honey lemon curd with key lime. I’m a fan of creamy desserts in small quantities, and citrus goes a long way. :)
Can I make these in my 2 bite mini cheese cake pans ( Amazon,) The pan looks like a small cupcake pan but not as small as a mini (2 bites) and the bottoms push out for each one like a spring form pan.
How would you adapt the cooking time? I hope to make them tomorrow for a wedding shower this weekend. Thank you!
Hi Jeanne! That’s a great question and I’m hesitant to offer timing for an important event without making it myself. They would be really cute in mini form! You’d need to reduce the baking time for the crust and the tarts quite a bit and follow the visual cues provided to know when they’re done. Please let me know if you try it!
hi. was wondering your thoughts on using coconut sugar instead of white. Thank you
Hi Wanda, I try to keep my use of white sugar to a minimum, so when I specify it in a recipe, it really does make a difference in the final results. You could try coconut sugar, but it is going to have a more brown sugar flavor that might compete with the lemon flavor and because it is darker, the finale cheesecake would be more brown. If you do substitute it, do so by weight — coconut sugar is lighter than regular brown sugar, so it will need more. I hope this helps.
THE best dessert I’ve made in recent years! Delicious and super easy to put together. A perfect dessert for Mother’s Day.
Hi there,
First time to comment. Have made many of your recipes and enjoy them all.
I would very much like to make this dessert for my future daughter in law as she loves anything lemon.
But she has nut allergies – what substitute can I use for the pistachios in the crust.
Thank you Kate!
Hi Louise, I haven’t experimented to find a nut-free alternative. You could try and oat flour shortbread if you needed to keep it gluten free. If you wanted some texture, you might try pumpkin seeds. If she loves lemon flavors, you might like my lemon posset recipe for special dessert.
Thank you for your quick reply. I may try pumpkins seeds as you suggest. I have not yet tried the posset, but it is on my list :). Have a wonderful day!
This is divine for a lemon lover – so, so good! I used pistachios in the crust. Absolutely amazing! I used a glass pie pan, and it worked smashingly.
Thanks so much for reporting back, Tess! I’m glad to hear that you enjoyed the tart. I’m craving a slice as I type this!
Do you think this would work for a key lime pie by switching the lemon for lime ingredients? I love the lemon version, but I have a ton of limes sitting on my counter!
Hi Tess, I think it would have definitely key lime pie flavors if you substituted with limes. Orange would be great, too.