Pastel de Nata is the most famous dessert in Portugal. It was created in Lisbon and today it is loved across the whole country. It is a small tart with a crisp, flaky pastry shell and a creamy egg custard filling. The top is slightly caramelized and often dusted with cinnamon. In Portugal, people usually eat it warm with coffee. The original recipe is still made in Belém, but this version is adapted for easy home baking.
😌 Difficulty: Medium
⏱️ Preparation time: 20 minutes
🔥 Cooking time: 20 minutes
⏳ Total time: 40 minutes
👥 Servings: 12 tarts
Ingredients
- 1 sheet ready-made puff pastry (about 275 g)
- 250 ml whole milk
- 150 g sugar
- 2 tablespoons flour
- 3 egg yolks
- 1 small cinnamon stick (or ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon)
- 1 strip lemon peel (no white part)
Typical serving:
- Ground cinnamon for dusting
- Strong espresso coffee
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 250°C. It must be very hot to create the traditional browned top.
- Roll the puff pastry tightly into a log. Cut into 12 equal pieces.
- Place each piece cut-side down into a muffin tin. Press the dough with your thumbs, pushing from the center outward to form thin pastry cups. The edges should be slightly higher than the center.
- In a saucepan, mix sugar and flour. Add milk slowly while stirring to avoid lumps.
- Add cinnamon stick and lemon peel. Heat gently while stirring until the mixture thickens slightly. Remove from heat and remove cinnamon stick and lemon peel.
- Let the mixture cool for 5 minutes. Add egg yolks and whisk until smooth.
- Pour the custard into the pastry shells, filling about ¾ full.
- Bake for 15-20 minutes until the tops are golden with darker brown spots.
- Let cool slightly before removing from the tin.
- Serve warm, dusted lightly with cinnamon.
SpinThatCuisine Tip 💡
The oven must be very hot. High heat creates the small dark caramelized spots on top, which are a key part of the authentic look and flavor.