Today David shares one of my favorite Portuguese recipes ever — the famous pastel de nata recipe for Portuguese custard tarts!
Whenever I’m in Portugal, I know I’m coming back a few pounds heavier.
Aside from all of the delicious seafood dishes, bowls of rice, and endless glasses of wine, Portugal is also home to my waistline’s arch-nemesis: pastéis de nata (pastel de nata in the singular — but who stops at just one?)
These Portuguese custard tarts are dangerously delicious. You might think that one would be enough, but only if you’ve never tried one. Because there’s something addictive about the combo of blistered, caramelized custard and flaky golden brown puff pastry.
Try one, and you’re hooked for life!
The most famous custard tarts come from the town of Belém, just outside of Lisbon. Here, in the Jerónimos Monastery, the famous recipe was born!
The version below gives you as close a taste to the original as possible. For a real classic taste, serve the pastéis warm, dusted with cinnamon. I opted for pre-made puff pastry, but making your own from scratch is definitely an option too!
Read more: The history of the Portuguese custard tart
Pastel de Nata Recipe (Portuguese Custard Tarts)
Pasteis de Nata (Portuguese Custard Tarts)
Ingredients
- 1/3 cup all-purpose flour
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1 1/2 cups of whole milk
- 1 1/3 cups white sugar
- 1/3 cup water
- 6 large egg yolks
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 cinnamon stick
- 1 lemon peel only, cut into strips
- 1 sheet pre-rolled puff pastry
- Optional ground cinnamon for dusting on top
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 550°F (290°C), and lightly grease a 12-cup muffin tin.
- In a saucepan, bring to a boil the sugar, water, vanilla extract, lemon zest, and cinnamon stick. Cook until a thermometer reads a temperature of 220°F (100°C). Resist the urge to stir!
- Separately, whisk the milk, flour, and salt together very thoroughly. Cook over medium heat, whisking constantly, for about 5 minutes or until well combined and the milk is thickened. Take off the heat and let cool for 10 minutes.
- Once cooled, whisk in the egg yolks. Then add the sugar syrup (first removing the cinnamon stick), and mix until everything is well-combined. Strain into a measuring jug.
- Meanwhile, cut the puff pastry sheet into two pieces and place them on top of each other. Tightly roll the sheets into a log, from the short side. Next, cut the log into 12 evenly sized pieces.
- Place one piece in each of the 12 wells of the muffin tin. Dipping your thumb in cold water first, press your thumb down into the center of the dough piece and press outwards to form a cup with the pastry. The pastry cup should have its top edge just above the top of the well of the muffin tin.
- Fill each pastry cup 3/4 of the way to the top with custard.
- Put the tray in the oven and bake until the custard starts to caramelize and blister and the pastry goes golden brown (roughly 10-12 minutes).
- Serve warm, with powdered sugar and ground cinnamon (both optional, but delicious)!
Nutrition
Have you tried out my recipe for authentic pasteis de nata? Let me know if you got that blistered golden goodness that makes this pastel de nata recipe so good!
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These are delish! Made them for friends we met travelling in Portugal – BIG hit. They’re the typical teeth-aching sweet pastry. I’ll try reducing the sugar just a little next time. The instructions refer to adding cinnamon to the sugar syrup but the ingredients don’t list how much. I used a big pinch and it seemed fine. Can’t wait to make them again.
Hi Thad — it is a stick of cinnamon! I clarified in that step. But ideally you use the cinnamon stick and remove later in the recipe. Happy they turned out well!
There is no cinnamon in the ingredients list, but step 2 refers to cinnamon. Is it one cinnamon stick?
Hi Wade, there is a cinnamon stick in the ingredients, and I’ve clarified in the instructions as well. Happy baking!
Noticed the cinnamon thing too, but took Thad’s advice. Also, enough custard for two batches. My biggest problem was my oven only goes as high as 525 for bake. Anything else is broil. They are in the oven now and I’m going to start watching at the ten minute mark! Looks like 17 minutes at 525 degrees F. Wish I could post a picture!
Hope they came out great!
Just home from a trip to Portugal and I’m going to give this a try. BUT HOW MUCH CINNAMON?? Other recipes say to use a cinnamon stick and remove it once the syrup is ready so I’ll try that.
Hi Pamela – yes, exactly, that’s what this also refers to. A cinnamon stick that you remove before adding the eggs. And ground cinnamon on top later if that is your preference!
Made these at Verril Farm in Concord Ma with Chef Guida Ponte!
Hi
I buy these from a Portugese chap at my once monthly market in Frome, Somerset UK. He packs me 6 with happy pictures of the tarts on the box! However, they are not cheap at around £10..
I can’t wait to make these now… & they will be devoured whilst we watch the World Cup Rugby this week .. thank you & great recipes on your link too!
Jools
I
In Portugal…and addictive! They are 1 euro each in Belém and everywhere we have had them.
Jools
You can get these at Lidl in the bakery section. About 50p each.
These were amazing! The only advice I have is to specify the size of the puff pastry sheet. I am in NZ and used Edmonds pre-rolled puff pastry which are 150 g each. I initially cut it into 12 pieces, but these were way too thin so, if you’re using this recipe & the Edmonds pastry, I recommend cutting into 6 pieces per sheet. Overall, this recipe is easy to follow and the result is a smooth, caramelised, sweet treat!
Hi Amy, I’m also from NZ, and know the Edmonds sheets you are talking about, did you put 2 pieces together so it wasn’t so thin? I usually use the block that you roll out, how did this make?
Great recipe. I made them for my Portuguese partner and he Loved them. First batch last weekend were fab, if a little overfilled. This weekend I’m paying more attention to the note about 3/4 filling!
So happy they turned out well!
They were delicious and much easier to make than I would have thought. Thank you!
Hi could u please explain me the pastry part again Im in SA here we get today’s puff pastry. Do I open it up nd re roll it. Please advise
Yes. Today’s pastry works perfectly – 300g I think. It’s enough for 12 tartlets in a muffin pan
That calculates to 22grams of sugar per tartlet. Thats 5 teaspoons in each. I’ll just let that sink in.
Hi, I have just had these and they taste amazing. Mine were particularly burnt on top though, is 290c too hot, if it is a fan oven do you think? Should I reduce the temp? They taste great, but looked a but charred.
They are often quite burnt in pastry shops in Lisbon as well – some prefer this style, but yes, I would definitely lower by 10°C next time and also keep a close eye on them. If they start becoming too burnt again, cover with foil for the remaining oven time.