Portuguese Custard Tarts Recipe | Food From Portugal (2024)

Written by Pedro BarbosaPublished on Updated onNovember 23, 2023

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Do you like traditional Portuguese recipes? Make these delicious, simple, creamy and homemade Portuguese custard tarts.

Portuguese Custard Tarts Recipe | Food From Portugal (1)

You don't need to leave the house to make homemade and traditional Portuguese custard tarts!
This delicious recipe is very simple to prepare. Mold small pans with puff pastry and fill with a delicious egg cream. Bake for about 15 minutes.
Sprinkle the Portuguese custard tarts with cinnamon powder and serve!

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TABLE OF CONTENTS

  • Ingredients
  • How to make
  • Tips
  • You may also like
  • Recipe video
  • Portuguese Custard Tarts
  • Nutrition facts

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Portuguese Custard Tarts Recipe | Food From Portugal (2)

INGREDIENTS FOR PORTUGUESE CUSTARD TARTS

Here you'll find all the ingredients needed to make this recipe:

  • Puff pastry
  • Maizena (corn starch)
  • All-purpose flour
  • Egg yolks
  • Water
  • Granulated sugar
  • Milk
  • Lemon peel
  • Cinnamon stick
  • Cinnamon powder

Below you’ll find the correct measurement of all ingredients and the step-by-step guide for this recipe.

HOW TO MAKE PORTUGUESE CUSTARD TARTS

Step 1:
For the syrup:
In a saucepan, add the sugar, water, lemon peel and the cinnamon stick. Stir well and boil on a medium-high heat for 1 to 2 minutes. Turn off the heat and set aside.

Step 2:
For the cream: In a saucepan, whisk the corn starch and the flour. Pour a little milk (about 100 ml) and mix well. Pour the remaining milk and stir. Heat on medium heat and stir until thickened. Turn off the heat. Gradually pour the sugar syrup and whisk. Let it cool.

Step 3: Meanwhile, roll the pastry from one end to the other and cut in round slices with 3 centimeters (1 1/4 inches). Place the slices within the muffin pans and press the center of the pastry with fingers until fill completely the muffin pans, set aside.

Step 4: Add the egg yolks into the cream saucepan and mix well (remove the lemon peel and the cinnamon stick).

Step 5: Preheat the oven to 200ºC (400ºF).

Step 6: Pour the cream into the muffin pans lined with the puff pastry and bake until the Portuguese custard tarts start to turn golden, about 15 minutes.

Step 7: Turn off the oven and let cool. Dust the Portuguese custard tarts with cinnamon powder and serve.

Portuguese Custard Tarts Recipe | Food From Portugal (3)

RECIPE VIDEO:

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Portuguese Custard Tarts

Portuguese Custard Tarts Recipe | Food From Portugal (4)

Do you like traditional Portuguese recipes? Make these delicious, simple, creamy and homemade Portuguese custard tarts.

Portuguese Custard Tarts Recipe | Food From Portugal (5)Portuguese Custard Tarts Recipe | Food From Portugal (6)Portuguese Custard Tarts Recipe | Food From Portugal (7)Portuguese Custard Tarts Recipe | Food From Portugal (8)Portuguese Custard Tarts Recipe | Food From Portugal (9)

4.43 from 7 reviews


PRINT RECIPE

    Category:Breakfast, Desserts, Recipes, Traditional Portuguese recipes, Videos

    Cuisine: Portuguese

    Difficulty: Intermediate

    Servings: 18 units

    Prep Time:

    15 m

    Cook Time:

    25 m

    Total Time:

    40 m

    Ingredients

    • 650 grams (1 1/2 pounds) puff pastry
    • 25 grams (about 2 tablespoons) Maizena (corn starch)
    • 25 grams (about 2 tablespoons) all-purpose flour
    • 6 egg yolks
    • 200 ml (1 cup) water to room temperature
    • 225 grams (1 cup) granulated sugar
    • 300 ml (1 1/3 cups) milk
    • Lemon peel
    • 1 cinnamon stick
    • Cinnamon powder for dusting

    Directions

    1. For the syrup:
      In a saucepan, add the sugar, water, lemon peel and the cinnamon stick. Stir well and boil on a medium-high heat for 1 to 2 minutes. Turn off the heat and set aside.
    2. For the cream:
      In a saucepan, whisk the corn starch and the flour. Pour a little milk (about 100 ml) and mix well. Pour the remaining milk and stir. Heat on medium heat and stir until thickened. Turn off the heat. Gradually pour the sugar syrup and whisk. Let it cool.
    3. Meanwhile, roll the pastry from one end to the other and cut in round slices with 3 centimeters (1 1/4 inches). Place the slices within the muffin pans and press the center of the pastry with fingers until fill completely the muffin pans, set aside.
    4. Add the egg yolks into the cream saucepan and mix well (remove the lemon peel and the cinnamon stick).
    5. Preheat the oven to 200ºC (400ºF).
    6. Pour the cream into the muffin pans lined with the puff pastry and bake until the Portuguese custard tarts start to turn golden, about 15 minutes.
    7. Turn off the oven and let cool. Dust the Portuguese custard tarts with cinnamon powder and serve.

    Portuguese Custard Tarts

    Nutrition facts

    Serves 18 units

    Per Serving:

    % DAILY VALUE

    Calories 282

    Total Fat 15.5 g(20%)

    Saturated Fat 4 g(21%)

    Cholesterol 71 mg(24%)

    Sodium 101 mg(4%)

    Total Carbohydrate 32 g(12%)

    Protein 4 g

2 Comments

  1. Portuguese Custard Tarts Recipe | Food From Portugal (10)

    Tami

    October 21, 2020 at 5:12 am·Reply

    I love Portuguese egg tart. I buy it from a Portuguese Import Store in Artesia, California. I have a question, do you use frozen puff pastry that contains butter or margarine? Does it matter.

    • Portuguese Custard Tarts Recipe | Food From Portugal (11)

      Pedro Barbosa

      October 28, 2020 at 4:17 pm·Reply

      Hi Tami,

      Good question Tami. We use frozen puff pastry that contains butter but, we think it doesn’t matter if you use with margarine.

Leave a Comment

Portuguese Custard Tarts Recipe | Food From Portugal (12)

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Portuguese Custard Tarts Recipe | Food From Portugal (2024)

FAQs

What is a famous custard tart in Portugal? ›

Pastéis de Belém

It's the most famous spot in Lisbon to eat pastéis de nata, and is an absolute must when you visit. Since 1837, locals and tourists alike have been lining up to snag a box of custard tarts to eat in the café or on the go.

What is the difference between a custard tart and a Portuguese custard tart? ›

British tarts use the less flavoursome shortcrust pastry, which doesn't provide as much textural contrast with the smooth custard. They are also topped with nutmeg, which fails to bring the custard alive as Portugal's cinnamon does. Worse, they are now almost all mass-produced with palm oil-based pastry.

What are Portuguese tarts called in Portugal? ›

Pasteis de nata, or Portuguese custard tarts, with their signature flaky crust and sweet custard filling are world-famous, and incredibly delicious.

Which country is famous for custard tarts? ›

Portugal & Macau

Outside Portugal, they are particularly popular in other parts of Western Europe, Asia and former Portuguese colonies, such as Brazil, Mozambique, Macau, Goa and East Timor.

What is the most famous Portuguese tart? ›

And soon, you may notice a few of the usual suspects that are always on display. The most popular sweet is Lisbon's pastel de nata, otherwise known as pastéis de nata or pastel de belém (or, as some foreigners simply call them: custard tarts in Lisbon).

What is the best Portuguese tart in Portugal? ›

Portuguese Custard tarts are available worldwide but to really try the best in the world (and there's very little debate about it once you try one), you need to pay a visit to Lisbon. The most famous place to buy them is Pastéis de Belém on Rue de Belém.

Do you eat Portuguese custard tarts hot or cold? ›

These tarts are best enjoyed warm, rather than hot, and eaten on the day they're made, though they do keep for a day or so (and will benefit from a quick crisp-up in the oven before serving).

Do you eat Portuguese tarts hot or cold? ›

They can be enjoyed warm or cold. If you've made a batch but don't want to eat them all they will freeze well. Just place a few in a tupperware box and freeze for up to 3 months. You probably won't need to though as they will all disappear pretty sharpish!

Does Costco sell Portuguese tarts? ›

Allie & Sara's Kitchen Portuguese Custard Tarts, 12 x 60 g | Costco.

What is the most famous Portuguese tart in Lisbon? ›

A specialty all over Lisbon, pasteis de nata are the famous Portuguese egg tart pastries. They have a flaky crust with a custard filling and are best enjoyed topped with a dusting of powdered sugar & cinnamon!

What do you drink with Portuguese tarts? ›

Pair with: Cream

Looking to neighbouring Portugal from Spains's sherry triangle provides a perfect pairing, CREAM or MEDIUM OLOROSO sherry with a gorgeous creamy eggy custard tart is the business!

Why are Portuguese tarts so good? ›

The Portuguese tarts rely more on egg yolks to impart richness, whereas a standard custard relies more heavily on milk or cream. Using that many egg yolks is what gives these little parcels their rich flavor and luscious texture.

What is a famous pastry in Portugal? ›

Pastel de Nata are the most famous Portuguese dessert. They are deliciously irresistible. The combination of blistered, caramelized custard and flaky golden brown puff pastry is a match made in heaven.

What is a famous egg tart in Portugal? ›

Portuguese egg tarts are a favorite Portuguese pastry. Originally discovered by Portuguese nuns at Jerónimos Monastery in Belém, the sweet treats soon became popular and spread across the world. Pastéis de Belém is the original place that started selling Portuguese egg tarts, dating back to 1837.

What is the iconic Portuguese pastry? ›

Perhaps the most famous Portuguese dessert, Pastel de Nata or Pastel de Belém is a custard tart pastry with a crisp, flaky crust and a creamy custard filling. This is a true icon when it comes to dishes to try in Portugal.

What is the most famous Portuguese pastry? ›

Pastel de Nata are the most famous Portuguese dessert. They are deliciously irresistible. The combination of blistered, caramelized custard and flaky golden brown puff pastry is a match made in heaven.

What is the most famous Portuguese egg tart? ›

Pastel de nata is a Portuguese egg tart pastry, common in Portugal. Those found at Pastéis de Belém have become legendary for their super secret recipe. Any day of the week, a line trails out the door waiting to savor one of tens of thousands made daily.

What is the best Portuguese egg tart in the world? ›

And my findings weren't that different to anybody else.
  • The top three pastel de nata in lisbon.
  • Pastéis de Belém. R. Belém, 1300-085 Lisboa. Open 7 days 8am to 11pm. ...
  • Pastelaria Aloma. R. Francisco Metrass 67, 1350 Lisboa. ...
  • Manteigaria Fábrica de Pastéis de Nata. Rua do Loreto 2, Lisboa. Open 7 days 8am to 12am.

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