Pastéis de Nata
This Portuguese dessert builds puff pastry, whole milk and caster sugar into a proper meal you can have ready in about 65 minutes. Below: the ingredients split into pantry staples and a quick shopping list, a built-in serving scaler, and the method in 6 steps.
You'll mainly reach for oven and large pot. At medium difficulty across 6 steps, it's manageable with a little attention. As written, it's meat-free.
What you'll need
Shopping list (1)
Pantry staples (you likely have these)
🔁 Unit converter
How to make it
- Make a sugar syrup by heating the sugar, water, cinnamon stick and lemon peel until it reaches about 105°C and coats a spoon, then remove from the heat and discard the cinnamon and peel.
- Whisk the flour into a little of the cold milk to a smooth paste, heat the remaining milk until steaming, then whisk it into the flour mixture and cook gently until thickened into a smooth custard base.
- Slowly pour the hot syrup into the warm milk mixture while whisking constantly, then whisk in the egg yolks and vanilla off the heat and strain the custard through a sieve to keep it silky.
- Roll the puff pastry into a tight log, slice into 12 discs, and press each into the cups of a muffin tin with your thumbs to line the base and sides with a thin even layer.
- Fill each pastry case about three-quarters full with the custard and bake in an oven preheated to its highest setting, around 250°C, for 12 to 15 minutes until the pastry is crisp and the tops are blistered and caramelised in dark spots.
- Cool the tarts in the tin for a few minutes, then turn out and dust with ground cinnamon while still warm; serve the same day for the best contrast of crisp pastry and creamy custard.
You'll use: Oven · Large pot · Whisk · Steamer
Ingredient substitutions
- Milk
- any unsweetened plant milk · ½ cup evaporated milk + ½ cup water
- Lemon
- lime · 1 tbsp white wine vinegar per lemon
What to serve with Pastéis de Nata
Tips & common questions
How long does Pastéis de Nata take to make?
About 65 minutes from start to finish — an estimate based on the 6 steps and 10 ingredients. Times vary with your kitchen and how much prep you do ahead.
What can I use instead of milk?
Try any unsweetened plant milk. See the substitutions section above for more swaps.
Can I scale this recipe up or down?
Yes — use the servings control above the ingredients and every quantity rescales automatically (fractions included). Cooking times stay roughly the same; very large batches may need a little longer.
Is Pastéis de Nata vegetarian?
Its ingredients contain no meat or fish, so it's suitable for vegetarians. Check any cheeses for animal rennet if that matters to you.
Related recipes
Pastéis de Nata is an original Portuguese recipe developed in-house by Consomee. Photo: Madeira - Coffee and Pastéis de Nata custard tarts (33407953361).jpg by muffinn from Worcester, UK, CC BY 2.0 via Wikimedia Commons. We add the serving scaler, ingredient tools, timing and structure on top — how we source recipes.