Pastel de Nata (Custard Tarts)

The recipe, step by step

I have always had a soft spot for custard, and pastel de nata are one of the finest ways to enjoy it. Crisp, buttery pastry holds a smooth egg custard with dark caramelised patches on top. They look rather special, but they are far more manageable at home than many people expect.

These little Portuguese tarts are closely associated with Lisbon and have roots in eighteenth-century monastic baking. What I love most is the contrast between flaky pastry, softly set custard, lemon, cinnamon and a final brush of caramel syrup. Serve them slightly warm while the pastry is still crisp.

I use ready-made puff pastry here to keep the recipe practical. When I have more time, I make my own flaky pastry; it gives excellent layers without the work of traditional puff pastry.

Contents

• Recipe Highlights
• Ingredients
• How to Make
• Recipe Tips
• Variations
• Storage and Freezing
• Frequently Asked Questions
• Nutrition
• Tools You’ll Need
• Recipe Card

Recipe Highlights

• Classic contrast: crisp pastry shells with creamy lemon, cinnamon and vanilla custard.
• Practical pastry: ready-made puff pastry keeps preparation to 30 minutes.
• Caramelised finish: 15 minutes baking and 2 minutes under the grill give the tops their colour.
• Small batch: the recipe makes 10 tarts, best shared while fresh.
• Total time: 47 minutes from start to finish.

Ingredients

The full quantities are in the recipe card, but these are the three parts you will prepare.

• Custard: 180 ml milk, 120 ml double or heavy cream, rind from 1/2 an unwaxed lemon, 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract or 1/2 teaspoon vanilla paste, 1 cinnamon stick, 20 g butter, 3 medium egg yolks, 80 g caster sugar, 2 tablespoons cornflour and 1 pinch fine sea salt.
• Caramel syrup: 80 g caster sugar and 40 ml water.
• Pastry: 275 g ready-made puff pastry.

Use an unwaxed lemon because the rind infuses directly in the milk and cream. Cornflour thickens the custard without making it heavy, while the cinnamon and salt round out the sweetness. Keep the pastry chilled until shaping; cool pastry is easier to handle and bakes more cleanly.

How to Make

Make the custard. Place the milk, cream, lemon rind, cinnamon stick and butter in a saucepan and heat until almost boiling. In a large bowl, whisk the egg yolks, 80 g caster sugar, salt and cornflour into a smooth paste. Pour over the warm milk mixture, then sieve everything back into the pan. Heat gently, stirring for 3–4 minutes, until it reaches the consistency of double cream. Remove from the heat and cover the surface with heat-resistant clingfilm while it cools.

Shape the pastry shells. Roll the pastry sheet into a log about 2.5 cm thick, then cut 10 slices, each about 1.5 cm wide. Place one in each greased muffin-tin hole. Wet your fingers with cold water and press the pastry up the sides. Alternatively, cut 10 discs from pre-rolled pastry and work them into the tin in the same way.

Bake. Preheat the oven to 200°C fan / 425°F / Gas 7. Fill the shells with cooled custard and bake in the middle of the oven for 15 minutes.

Make the caramel syrup. Put 80 g caster sugar in a heavy pan and stir over a medium heat for 5 minutes, until you have a light caramel. Take the pan off the heat and carefully pour in 40 ml water. Return it to a low heat until the sugar has melted again into a syrup.

Finish under the grill. After 15 minutes, turn the oven to its grill setting and move the tarts to the top shelf. Grill for 2 minutes, until the custard begins to caramelise. Brush with a little caramel syrup, then cool slightly in the moulds before transferring to a rack.

Recipe Tips

Cool the custard first. Warm custard softens the pastry. I press clingfilm directly onto the surface to stop a skin forming.

Do not over-thicken it. Stop when it resembles double cream; it continues setting in the oven.

Keep the pastry cold. If it softens while shaping, refrigerate the tin briefly.

Use damp fingers. A little cold water stops sticking and helps you press the pastry evenly.

Watch the grill. Two minutes is enough in my oven, but grills vary and caramelisation happens quickly.

Variations

Berry tarts: Add a few blueberries or raspberries to each pastry shell before the custard. Keep the amount modest so the fruit does not release too much juice.

Chocolate tarts: Add a few dark chocolate chips beneath the custard for a richer variation.

Storage and Freezing

To serve: These are best on the day they are made, while the pastry is crisp and the custard slightly warm.

To store: Keep them in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. The pastry will gradually soften.

To refresh: Warm them briefly in the oven, then let them stand before eating because the custard heats quickly.

To freeze: Freezing is possible, but both custard and pastry lose some texture, so I recommend serving them fresh.

Frequently Asked Questions

Do I need a special pastel de nata tin?

No. A standard muffin tin works well in an ordinary home kitchen.

Can I use ready-rolled puff pastry?

Yes. Roll it into a log and cut 10 slices, or cut 10 discs and press them into the tin.

Why is my custard lumpy?

The heat may have been too high or the mixture was not stirred continuously. Sieving it back into the pan helps remove small lumps.

Why did my pastry turn soft?

The custard may have been warm when added, or the tarts may have been stored for a while. They naturally soften in the fridge.

Nutrition

Serving: one custard tart

Nutritional information is provided as a guide only. Values may vary depending on the exact ingredients, brands and serving sizes used.

Tools You’ll Need

• Standard muffin tin
• Medium saucepan
• Heavy-based saucepan
• Large mixing bowl
• Whisk
• Fine sieve
• Rolling pin and sharp knife or pastry cutter
• Cooling rack

Recipe Card

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