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Inspired by Pastéis de Belém 🇵🇹 Lisbon, Portugal Kid-friendly

Pastéis de Nata (Portuguese Custard Tarts)

Shattering pastry, silky custard and blistered tops, the way Lisbon loves them

Prep
40 min
Cook
12 min
Total
1 hr 22 min
Yield
12 tarts
Level
Intermediate
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The legend behind it

Pastéis de nata come from the Jerónimos Monastery in Belém, on the edge of Lisbon. The monks are said to have used egg whites to starch their habits, which left a steady supply of yolks for custard. After the Liberal Revolution, Portugal's religious orders were dissolved in 1834, and the monks reportedly sold their tart recipe to a nearby sugar refinery.

In 1837 the refinery's owners opened Fábrica de Pastéis de Belém next door to the monastery. They still make the tarts there, selling thousands every day under their own name, pastéis de Belém. The recipe is kept in a locked room the bakery calls the Oficina do Segredo, and only a few master bakers have ever known it. People line up for the warm tarts, which are dusted with cinnamon and powdered sugar at the counter.

This recipe is our home version inspired by Pastéis de Belém, not their secret formula. Rolling puff pastry into a tight spiral gives the flaky, layered shell. The other key is heat: turn your oven as high as it goes so the custard blisters and chars in spots before it overcooks.

This is our own home recipe inspired by the dessert served at Pastéis de Belém. It is not the official recipe and we are not affiliated with Pastéis de Belém.

Tips for success

  • Keep the pastry cold. Warm pastry is hard to shape and will not puff into crisp layers.
  • The dark, blistered spots are what you want, not a mistake. They give the caramel flavour these tarts are known for.
  • Pastéis de nata taste best the day they are baked. Warm leftovers in a 400°F (200°C) oven for 4 minutes to crisp the pastry again.
  • Keep the leftover egg whites for macarons or a pavlova.

Pastéis de Nata (Portuguese Custard Tarts)

An easy pastéis de nata recipe inspired by Lisbon's Pastéis de Belém: crisp spiral pastry, cinnamon-lemon custard and blistered tops from a very hot home oven.

Prep
40 min
Cook
12 min
Total
1 hr 22 min
Yield
12 tarts
Calories
~215/serving

Ingredients

For the pastry

For the syrup

For the custard

To serve

Instructions

Shape the shells

  1. On a lightly floured surface, roll the pastry into a rectangle about 12 x 16 inches (30 x 40 cm). Starting from a short side, roll it up very tightly into a log.
  2. Trim the ends and cut the log into 12 even rounds, about 3/4 inch (2 cm) thick. Set one round, cut side up, in each cup of a standard 12-cup muffin tin.
  3. Dip your thumbs in cold water. Press down into the center of each spiral, then push the dough up the sides so it comes just above the rim, thinner at the base than at the top. Chill the tin while you make the custard.

Make the syrup

  1. Combine the sugar, water, cinnamon stick and lemon peel in a small saucepan. Boil without stirring until the syrup reaches 220°F (104°C), about 3 minutes, then turn off the heat.

Make the custard

  1. Whisk the flour with 60 ml (1/4 cup) of the milk until smooth. Heat the rest of the milk in a saucepan until steaming, then whisk in the flour mixture and cook, whisking, until it thickens slightly, about 1 minute.
  2. Take out the cinnamon and lemon peel, then pour the hot syrup into the milk mixture in a thin stream while whisking. Let it cool for 10 minutes, until warm rather than hot.
  3. Whisk in the egg yolks and vanilla, then strain the custard into a pouring jug.

Bake

  1. Heat the oven to its highest setting, ideally 550°F (290°C), with a rack in the upper third. Fill each pastry cup about three-quarters full.
  2. Bake for 8 to 12 minutes, until the pastry is deep golden and the custard has puffed and blistered with dark spots. If your oven runs cooler, switch on the broiler for the last minute and watch closely.
  3. Let the tarts cool in the tin for 5 minutes, then lift them onto a rack. Serve warm, dusted with cinnamon and powdered sugar.

Tools we use

Recipe from Miss Confection · https://missconfection.com/recipe/pasteis-de-nata-portuguese-custard-tarts

Questions, answered

What is the difference between pastéis de nata and pastéis de Belém?

They are the same kind of tart. Pastéis de Belém is the name the original Belém bakery uses for its own tarts, which are made to a secret recipe. Pastéis de nata is the general name used everywhere else.

Can I use store-bought puff pastry for pastéis de nata?

Yes. A good all-butter puff pastry rolled into a tight spiral gives a crisp, layered shell that works very well at home.

Why didn't my custard tarts get dark spots?

The oven was not hot enough. Bake at the highest setting your oven allows, and run them under the broiler for a minute at the end if needed.

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