By: A friend brought back a box of warm pastéis from a Lisbon trip, and I ate three before she could finish her story. This Portuguese egg tart recipe (Pastel de Nata) is the version I worked out afterward, with a swirled puff pastry shell that shatters and a stovetop custard that blisters in a very hot oven.
Why This Portuguese Egg Tart Recipe Works
The shell is the whole point. Rolling puff pastry into a log, slicing it into coins, and pressing each one into the tin gives a Portuguese egg tart shell with hundreds of thin layers that crackle at the rim. The custard stays soft and barely set, eggy and lightly lemony, with cinnamon in the background.
Next to a Macau egg tart, with its smoother, paler top, this Portuguese egg custard tart recipe leans on a scorching oven for dark caramelized freckles. Two small saucepans and a muffin tin handle everything, so cleanup stays easy.
Pastry, Yolks, and a Cinnamon Stick
Most of this sits in a normal pantry. All butter puff pastry is the one place worth paying a little more.
- 1 sheet (10 oz / 285 g) all butter puff pastry, thawed: Shortening based pastry bakes greasy and flat, so check the label.
- 1 tbsp (14 g) unsalted butter, melted: Brushed over the rolled pastry so the layers stay separate when sliced.
- 1 cup (240 ml) whole milk: Skim makes a thin custard.
- 3 tbsp (24 g) all purpose flour: Thickens the milk base so the filling sets soft, never rubbery.
- 3/4 cup (150 g) granulated sugar and 1/2 cup (120 ml) water: Boiled into the syrup that sweetens and loosens the custard.
- 1 cinnamon stick and 2 strips lemon peel: Ground cinnamon turns the custard muddy, and white pith tastes bitter.
- 5 large egg yolks (about 90 g): They carry the color and richness. Save the whites for an omelet.
- 1 tsp vanilla extract and a pinch of salt.
- Ground cinnamon and powdered sugar, for dusting (optional)
Warm Oven, Cold Pastry
Thaw the pastry in the fridge for a few hours, or on the counter for about 30 minutes, until it bends without cracking but still feels cold. Grease a 12 cup muffin tin with soft butter. Set a rack in the upper third of the oven and preheat to 500°F (260°C) for a full 30 minutes.
Easy Swaps for the Shell and Custard
- Cornstarch for flour: I use 2 tbsp (16 g) for a glossier, silkier custard, cooked a full minute to lose any raw taste.
- Orange peel for lemon: Two strips give a rounder, softer perfume, which I like in winter.
- Evaporated milk: Replacing half the whole milk adds a deeper, faintly caramel note.
- Frozen egg tart shell: Fill store bought shells and bake at 400°F (200°C) for 20 to 25 minutes. They are less flaky, but handy on busy nights.
How to Make Portuguese Egg Tart, Start to Finish
Step 1: Roll, Chill, and Slice the Pastry
Roll the pastry into a 10 by 12 inch (25 by 30 cm) rectangle, brush with melted butter, and roll it up tightly into a log. Chill 30 minutes until firm like cold clay, then slice into 12 coins, about 3/4 inch (2 cm) thick. Use a sharp knife so the spiral stays neat.
Step 2: Press the Shells Into the Tin
Set each coin cut side up in a muffin cup. Dip a thumb in cold water and press from the center outward until the dough climbs the walls and sits just above the rim, about 1/8 inch (3 mm) thick. You will see the spiral stretch into fine ridges. Chill the tin while the custard cooks, since cold dough keeps the egg tart crust flaky.
Step 3: Cook the Syrup and Milk Base
Simmer sugar, water, cinnamon, and lemon peel without stirring for about 6 minutes, until slow glossy bubbles form and a thermometer reads 220°F (104°C). Meanwhile, whisk the flour with 3 tbsp cold milk until smooth, add the remaining milk, and cook over medium heat for 3 to 4 minutes, until it coats a spoon and holds a clean finger swipe.
Step 4: Finish the Egg Tart Filling
For this egg tart filling recipe, remove the cinnamon and peel, then whisk the hot syrup into the milk base in a thin stream. Cool 10 minutes until just warm, or the yolks will scramble. Whisk in the yolks, vanilla, and salt, then strain into a jug. It should pour like thin cream.
Step 5: Fill and Bake Hot
Pour custard into the chilled shells until about 3/4 full. Bake on the upper rack for 12 to 15 minutes, until the pastry is deep golden, the edges sizzle faintly, and the tops show dark brown blisters. The centers should still jiggle. A probed center reads about 175°F (79°C). Cool in the tin for 5 minutes, then lift out with a butter knife.
How to Cook Egg Tart in an Ordinary Home Oven
- Oven stops at 450°F (230°C): Bake on the top rack for about 18 minutes, then switch on the broiler for the last 1 to 2 minutes, watching closely until the blisters appear.
- Macau egg tart style: Bake at 425°F (220°C) for about 22 minutes for a smoother, lightly browned top with fewer blisters.
- How to make egg tarts in bulk: Cut the log into 24 thinner coins, press into a mini muffin tin, and bake 8 to 10 minutes.
What to Serve With Portuguese Egg Custard Tart
I usually set a few warm tarts on a board with coffee and call it dessert, though a bit of fruit or a small glass of something fortified makes it feel like a proper finish.
- Espresso or cortado – Pour a short cup and set it beside the warm tart, alternating bites and sips while the shell still crackles.
- Cinnamon and powdered sugar – Dust the tarts through a fine sieve just before serving, cinnamon first and sugar second, so the blisters stay visible.
- Fresh strawberries – Toss sliced berries with a squeeze of lemon and spoon them beside, not on top, so the juice never softens the pastry.
- Tawny port – Serve about 2 oz (60 ml) in a small glass with one tart on a side plate after dinner, sipping between bites.
Hard Won Fixes for Crisp Shells and Silky Custard
- Soggy egg tart crust: Warm dough melts its butter before it can puff. Keep shaped shells chilled until filling and bake on the upper rack so the bottoms set fast.
- Pale tops with no blisters: The oven is not hot enough. Preheat a full 30 minutes, and if tops are still pale at 12 minutes, broil for 60 seconds while watching.
- Grainy or scrambled custard: Yolks cook on contact with a base that is too hot. Cool it 10 minutes, until a finger can rest in it, then whisk in the yolks and strain.
Keeping Leftover Tarts Crisp
How long egg tart last around here is mostly a theoretical question, but I keep any survivors loosely covered in the fridge and eat them within three days. Reheat them on a rack at 350°F (175°C) for 5 minutes so the edges crackle again; the microwave only turns the shell soft. For a head start, freeze the sliced pastry coins and press them into the tin once they soften for 10 minutes.
Portuguese Egg Tart Recipe (Pastel de Nata) at Home
Description
Crackling swirled puff pastry shells filled with a lightly lemony, cinnamon scented stovetop custard and baked in a very hot oven until the tops blister dark brown. A practical home version of the classic Lisbon pastry.
Ingredients
Pastry
Custard
To finish (optional)
Instructions
Roll and Chill the Pastry Log
Roll the thawed puff pastry on a floured counter into a 10 by 12 inch (25 by 30 cm) rectangle. Brush with the melted butter, then roll up tightly into a log. Chill for 30 minutes until firm. Start preheating the oven to 500°F (260°C) with a rack in the upper third during the last 30 minutes.
Slice and Press the Shells
Grease a 12 cup muffin tin. Slice the chilled log into 12 coins about 3/4 inch (2 cm) thick and place each cut side up in a cup. Dip a thumb in cold water and press from the center outward until the dough climbs the walls and sits slightly above the rim. Chill the tin until filling.
Simmer the Syrup
Combine the sugar, water, cinnamon stick, and lemon peel in a small saucepan. Boil over medium heat for about 6 minutes without stirring, until the bubbles turn slow and glossy and a thermometer reads 220°F (104°C). Remove from heat and keep warm. Stirring can cause the sugar to crystallize.
Thicken the Milk Base
Whisk the flour with 3 tbsp of the cold milk in a saucepan until smooth, then whisk in the remaining milk. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, for 3 to 4 minutes until it coats the back of a spoon. Whisk hard to smooth out any lumps before removing from the heat.
Finish and Strain the Custard
Remove the cinnamon and lemon peel from the syrup, then whisk the syrup into the milk base in a thin stream. Cool for 10 minutes until just warm. Whisk in the egg yolks, vanilla, and salt, then strain through a fine sieve into a pitcher for a silky filling.
Fill and Bake Hot
Pour the custard into the chilled shells until about 3/4 full. Bake on the upper rack for 12 to 15 minutes, until the pastry is deep golden and the tops show dark brown blisters. Centers should jiggle slightly and read about 175°F (79°C). If tops stay pale, broil for 60 seconds while watching.
Cool and Serve
Rest the tarts in the tin for 5 minutes, then loosen with a butter knife and move to a wire rack. Dust with cinnamon and powdered sugar if you like. Serve warm within an hour for the crispest shell, since the custard keeps setting as it cools.
Nutrition Facts
Servings: 12 ServingCalories:230kcalTotal Fat:12gSaturated Fat: 6gCholesterol:95mgSodium:110mgSugars: 14gProtein:4gCarbohydrates: 26g
Note
- Use all butter puff pastry for the best flavor and flakiest layers.
- Ovens that top out at 450°F (230°C) need about 18 minutes plus a short broil at the end.
- For mini tarts, cut 24 coins and bake 8 to 10 minutes in a mini muffin tin (about 115 kcal each).
- Sliced pastry coins can be frozen; let them soften 10 minutes before pressing into the tin.
