Hello there, fellow food lovers! Ever wanted to bring a little bit of Portugal into your kitchen? Today, I’m going to guide you through making one of my absolute favorite treats: Classic Pasteis de Nata. These little custard tarts are truly magical, with their flaky crust and creamy, caramelized custard filling. Trust me, once you try making them at home, you’ll be hooked!
Why You Will Love This Recipe
This recipe for Classic Pasteis de Nata is special because it’s designed to be easy and approachable for home bakers of all levels. We’re going to break down each step to make sure you feel confident and can create these delicious Portuguese custard tarts without any stress. What’s great is that you don’t need to be a pastry expert to get that signature flaky crust and perfectly set custard. Plus, there’s nothing quite like the smell of freshly baked homemade Pasteis de Nata filling your kitchen. Get ready to impress your friends and family (and yourself!) with these authentic and utterly delicious treats. You’ll love how simple it is to create something that tastes like it came straight from a Portuguese bakery.
Ingredients
Here’s everything you’ll need to make your own batch of delicious Classic Pasteis de Nata:
- 1 roll of store-bought puff pastry (usually around 14-16 ounces)
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1 cup water
- 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
- 2 cups whole milk
- 1 cinnamon stick
- 1 lemon peel (a strip about 2 inches long, peel only the yellow part)
- 6 large egg yolks
- Powdered sugar and ground cinnamon for dusting (optional)
Step-by-Step Instructions
1. Get Started with the Sugar Syrup
First, we’re going to make a simple sugar syrup. In a saucepan, mix together the sugar and water. Place it over medium heat and stir until the sugar dissolves. Once it’s dissolved, stop stirring and let it come to a boil. Let it boil for about 5 minutes, or until it thickens slightly and looks syrupy. Take it off the heat and set aside to cool a bit.
2. Make the Flour Mixture
In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour and about 1/2 cup of the milk until it’s smooth and there are no lumps. This is important to make sure your custard is silky.
3. Infuse the Milk
In another saucepan, pour in the remaining 1 1/2 cups of milk, the cinnamon stick, and the lemon peel. Heat it over medium heat until it just starts to simmer – you’ll see tiny bubbles forming around the edges. Take it off the heat and let it sit for about 5 minutes to let the milk get flavored by the cinnamon and lemon. After 5 minutes, remove the cinnamon stick and lemon peel.
4. Combine Milk and Flour
Pour the hot infused milk slowly into the flour mixture, whisking constantly to make sure it stays smooth. Once it’s all mixed, pour this mixture back into the saucepan.
5. Thicken the Custard Base
Place the saucepan over medium-low heat and cook, stirring constantly, until the mixture thickens to a pudding-like consistency. This will take about 5-7 minutes. Keep stirring so it doesn’t stick to the bottom of the pan.
6. Temper the Egg Yolks
In a separate bowl, lightly whisk the egg yolks. Tempering means slowly raising the temperature of the yolks so they don’t scramble when you add hot liquid. Take a spoonful of the hot custard mixture and slowly drizzle it into the egg yolks while whisking constantly. Do this a few more times, spoonful by spoonful, until the egg yolks are warmed up.
7. Finish the Custard
Now, pour the warmed egg yolk mixture into the saucepan with the rest of the custard base. Stir everything together and cook over low heat for another 2-3 minutes, stirring constantly, until the custard is smooth and slightly thicker. It should be thick enough to coat the back of a spoon. Take the saucepan off the heat and stir in the cooled sugar syrup. Mix well to combine everything.
8. Prepare the Puff Pastry
Preheat your oven to 450°F (232°C). Lightly flour your work surface. Unroll the puff pastry. If it’s a square, fold it in half. If it’s a long rectangle, roll it up tightly from the long side, like a jelly roll. Cut the roll into 12 equal pieces (about 1-inch thick).
9. Shape the Pastry Shells
Place each pastry piece cut-side up in a muffin tin. Use your thumbs to press the pastry out from the center and up the sides of each muffin cup to form a thin shell. You want to make sure the pastry covers the bottom and sides evenly. Don’t worry if they look a little rough – they’ll bake up beautifully.
10. Fill the Pastry Shells
Pour the custard mixture evenly into each pastry shell, filling them almost to the top.
11. Bake to Perfection
Bake in the preheated oven for 20-25 minutes, or until the pastries are golden brown and the custard is nicely caramelized on top with some dark spots. Keep an eye on them as ovens can vary. You want that signature dark, slightly burnt top – that’s where a lot of the flavor comes from!
12. Cool and Serve
Once baked, carefully remove the muffin tin from the oven and let the Classic Pasteis de Nata cool in the tin for a few minutes before transferring them to a wire rack to cool slightly more. They are best served warm.
Serving Suggestions
These delightful Classic Pasteis de Nata are wonderful enjoyed in so many ways! For a truly authentic Portuguese experience, serve them warm with a strong espresso or a milky coffee for breakfast or an afternoon treat. A sprinkle of powdered sugar and a dash of cinnamon on top just before serving is the classic way to present them and adds a lovely touch of sweetness and spice. They’re perfect for a special brunch, a delightful dessert after dinner, or even as a star treat at your next party or gathering. Imagine serving these at a weekend brunch – your guests will be so impressed!
Storage and Reheating
If you happen to have any leftover Classic Pasteis de Nata (though they are usually devoured quickly!), you can store them at room temperature for up to a day in an airtight container. For longer storage, keep them in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
To reheat, the best way to bring them back to their warm, flaky glory is in the oven. Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C) and bake them for about 5-10 minutes until they are heated through and the crust is crisp again. You can also use an air fryer at 300°F (150°C) for about 5 minutes. Avoid microwaving them as it can make the pastry soggy.
Key Details
Prep time: 30 minutes
Cook time: 30 minutes
Total time: 1 hour
Servings: 12 pastries
Equipment you’ll need:
- Saucepan (2 medium)
- Whisk
- Mixing bowls
- Muffin tin (12-cup)
- Measuring cups and spoons
- Lemon peeler or vegetable peeler
- Wire rack
And there you have it! You’ve just made your own batch of Classic Pasteis de Nata. Enjoy the process and the delicious results. Happy baking!
Classic Pasteis de Nata
Ingredients
- 1 roll of store-bought puff pastry usually around 14-16 ounces
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1 cup water
- 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
- 2 cups whole milk
- 1 cinnamon stick
- 1 lemon peel a strip about 2 inches long, peel only the yellow part
- 6 large egg yolks
- Powdered sugar for dusting optional
- Ground cinnamon for dusting optional
Instructions
- First, we're going to make a simple sugar syrup. In a saucepan, mix together the sugar and water. Place it over medium heat and stir until the sugar dissolves. Once it's dissolved, stop stirring and let it come to a boil. Let it boil for about 5 minutes, or until it thickens slightly and looks syrupy. Take it off the heat and set aside to cool a bit.
- In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour and about 1/2 cup of the milk until it’s smooth and there are no lumps. This is important to make sure your custard is silky.
- In another saucepan, pour in the remaining 1 1/2 cups of milk, the cinnamon stick, and the lemon peel. Heat it over medium heat until it just starts to simmer – you’ll see tiny bubbles forming around the edges. Take it off the heat and let it sit for about 5 minutes to let the milk get flavored by the cinnamon and lemon. After 5 minutes, remove the cinnamon stick and lemon peel.
- Pour the hot infused milk slowly into the flour mixture, whisking constantly to make sure it stays smooth. Once it’s all mixed, pour this mixture back into the saucepan.
- Place the saucepan over medium-low heat and cook, stirring constantly, until the mixture thickens to a pudding-like consistency. This will take about 5-7 minutes. Keep stirring so it doesn’t stick to the bottom of the pan.
- In a separate bowl, lightly whisk the egg yolks. Tempering means slowly raising the temperature of the yolks so they don’t scramble when you add hot liquid. Take a spoonful of the hot custard mixture and slowly drizzle it into the egg yolks while whisking constantly. Do this a few more times, spoonful by spoonful, until the egg yolks are warmed up.
- Now, pour the warmed egg yolk mixture into the saucepan with the rest of the custard base. Stir everything together and cook over low heat for another 2-3 minutes, stirring constantly, until the custard is smooth and slightly thicker. It should be thick enough to coat the back of a spoon. Take the saucepan off the heat and stir in the cooled sugar syrup. Mix well to combine everything.
- Preheat your oven to 450°F (232°C). Lightly flour your work surface. Unroll the puff pastry. If it's a square, fold it in half. If it's a long rectangle, roll it up tightly from the long side, like a jelly roll. Cut the roll into 12 equal pieces (about 1-inch thick).
- Place each pastry piece cut-side up in a muffin tin. Use your thumbs to press the pastry out from the center and up the sides of each muffin cup to form a thin shell. You want to make sure the pastry covers the bottom and sides evenly. Don’t worry if they look a little rough – they’ll bake up beautifully.
- Pour the custard mixture evenly into each pastry shell, filling them almost to the top.
- Bake in the preheated oven for 20-25 minutes, or until the pastries are golden brown and the custard is nicely caramelized on top with some dark spots. Keep an eye on them as ovens can vary. You want that signature dark, slightly burnt top – that’s where a lot of the flavor comes from!
- Once baked, carefully remove the muffin tin from the oven and let the Classic Pasteis de Nata cool in the tin for a few minutes before transferring them to a wire rack to cool slightly more. They are best served warm.
