A very gourmet pastry, emblem of Portugal: Pasteis de nata! Small flans with lightly caramelized eggs with their crispy puff pastry. Inside, a touch of lemon, cinnamon and vanilla give them this unique flavor, which takes us on a trip to Lisbon...
What you will like with these pasteis de nata
- flavors : the sweetness of a lightly caramelized egg flan, with a touch of vanilla, lemon and cinnamon, on pure butter puff pastry...
- Texture : crispy thanks to the puff pastry which rises in the oven and soft with this egg flan...
- Difficulty level : it's quite simple to make, like a classic flan. You will need to plan for a kitchen thermometer and if you want a result as close as possible to the Portuguese recipe, you will need pasteis de nata molds (failing that, a muffin tin of the same size).
How to make pasteis de nata at home?
- Roll out the puff pastry into a large rectangle
- Roll the dough into a sausage shape and cut small pieces of dough
- Darken the dough in each pasteis de nata mold
- Make a Sugar Syrup adding the lemon peel and cinnamon stick
- Whisk flour and milk then heat the mixture
- Drizzle the syrup and cool down
- Incorporate the egg yolks and vanilla then fill the molds
- Bake it! And enjoy your pasteis de nata...
NB: the detailed recipe with the ingredients is given to you at the bottom of the page.
My tips for a successful pasteis
- take the time to darken the dough well in your molds : little by little with the thumbs, we stretch the dough from the center to the edges of the mold. It becomes quite thin but it will still swell during cooking.
- to remove the lemon peel : use a knife to cut a nice ribbon all around the lemon. Then, with the knife, remove the underside of the peel which is white and very bitter.
- when pouring the batter into the molds with pasteis de nata : do not fill to the brim, but leave a slight space at the very top because the filling will swell during cooking.
How are pasteis de nata eaten?
The pasteis de nata can be eaten warm after coming out of the oven or cold. They can be eaten plain or sprinkled with cinnamon (as in Lisbon).
If desired, they can also be lightly coated with a syrup, made up of half powdered sugar and half water, which is brought to the boil before use.
Can pasteis de nata be kept?
Since it is puff pastry, you should know that pasteis de nata are better on D-Day when they have just been cooked in the oven. Their base is very crispy, and their heart very soft.
Nevertheless, you can keep them without problem at room temperature 1 or 2 days, or in the refrigerator. To make them smooth and crispy again for tasting, simply put them back in the oven for a short time.
Other recipes to try
If you like gourmet desserts like this, then I advise you to take a look at these other recipes from the blog:
If you make these pasteis de nata, please rate the recipe below and tag @liliebakery on Instagram so I can see your lovely homemade pasteis!
- 1 all-butter rectangular puff pastry
- 310 g semi-skimmed milk
- 35 g all-purpose flour
- 200 g granulated sugar
- 135 g water
- 1 organic yellow lemon
- 1 large cinnamon stick
- 5 egg yolks
- 0,5 cc natural vanilla extract
- Cinnamon powder optional
- or Syrup topping: 40g water + 40g powdered sugar optional
- Roll out the dough or unroll it on baking paper to obtain a 36 x 30 cm rectangle. Lengthwise, roll the dough on itself into a tight sausage. Just before reaching the end, coat the remaining edge with water with a brush, then finish the roll of dough.
- With a good knife, remove the uneven ends then cut logs 3cm wide. Place each log cut side up in 8cm diameter pasteis de nata molds (see my equipment above) or, failing that, in muffin molds.
- To spread the dough in each mold, crush the heart of the log with both thumbs then spread outwards little by little by rotating the mold. It is important not to puncture the dough. Place the filled mussels on a baking sheet and refrigerate for 30 minutes.
- Wash the organic lemon and remove its rind (without the white part below) in a wide ribbon.
- In a saucepan, bring the powdered sugar, water, cinnamon stick and lemon peel to the boil, until it reaches 106°, this takes several minutes.
- In another saucepan, pour the flour and 100g of cold milk. Whisk vigorously to avoid any lumps. Pour in the rest of the milk then heat over low heat, whisking constantly, until the mixture thickens. Then pour into a salad bowl.
- Pass the sugar syrup through a sieve to remove the bark and the cinnamon stick then pour this syrup in several times into the flour mixture, whisking well between each addition. Leave to cool to around 37°.
- Preheat the oven to 250 ° traditional heat.
- Incorporate the egg yolks and vanilla, whisking the mixture little by little so that it is homogeneous and without lumps. Pour the batter into a container with a spout (easier to fill the moulds).
- Fill each mold with the preparation, making sure to leave a small empty space at the top. When the oven is hot, bake for 15 to 16 minutes. The pasteis de nata should visibly swell and take on their characteristic hue.
- Take out of the oven, 3 options: taste them plain warm or cold, or sprinkled with a little cinnamon like in Lisbon, or coated with a sugar syrup (to do this: bring sugar and water to the boil), know that this 3rd option is the sweetest.
Tested this weekend and totally validated! They really look like those tasted in Lisbon
I made them using my homemade puff pastry
A delight
Thank you Christine! I'm really happy that you like these pasteis de nata! See you soon :)
Hello !
Thanks for the recipe ! Should we butter the molds?
thank you in advance
Hello Sandigliane, no it is not necessary to butter them knowing that the dough already contains a lot of butter. See you soon :)
Thank you very much, I will try the recipe today because I really wanted to after seeing the program on Channel 5 about Portugal and Portuguese recipes.
Hello Marie-Claire, you're right, it's the taste of Portugal that we're bringing back home with these Pasteis! See you soon :)
Hello
Delicious but the cream disappeared during cooking!! how come?
Hello Florence, no idea because it has never happened to me! If you look at my second photo in the article, you can see the cut of the pasteis de nata as you should get it: you can clearly see the layer of creamy filling and the puff pastry around it. You have to check your quantities of ingredients and their quality. In any case, a filling cannot disappear, it must have gone somewhere :) See you soon
Excellent recipe. Thank you so much.
Thank you very much Maggy for your feedback! See you soon :)
Hello, thanks for the recipe! However mine remained puffy, they looked like muffins. Do you have any idea what could have happened? I used the right dosages and put my oven in traditional mode. I don't know what could be causing it...
Hello Cindy, the pasteis de nata swell during cooking, this is normal because of the eggs they contain. However, out of the oven, they deflate by themselves to take on their characteristic appearance (which you can see in my photos). I don't see why yours stayed swollen... It's a mystery! Maybe the molds were too full? See you soon :)
The recipe is excellent! My husband loved it and we had never tasted these little wonders before
A very nice discovery!!
Thanks for the recipe
Thank you Myriam for your feedback! See you soon :)
Very good recipe!
Is it possible to prepare the flan on D-1 and assemble it on D-day?
Thanks for the recipe
Hello Manon, thank you for your feedback! I advise you to do everything on the same day to get optimal results. They keep well for 2 days. See you soon :)
A very nice and good recipe. To make the recipe easier for me I used a fresh pasta rolling mill like Marcato to roll the pasta. Faster than with your fingers and more precisely for the thickness at 5 the dough is quite thin
Thank you Didier for your feedback! See you soon
Thank you for this lovely delicious recipe.
After tasting…..my god it’s too sweet I’m thinking of dividing it by three at least….
Hello Alexandra, in my recipes, I adjust the sugar as best I can so that it is not too sweet. If you are very sensitive, you can indeed slightly reduce it, but be careful: the sugar contributes to the melting of the pasteis and the final taste. If you reduce it too much, you will have less melting and a stronger egg taste. See you soon :)
beautiful and good, unmold easily ....... but too much washing up lol. see you soon
Thanks Chantal, baking involves a lot of washing up afterwards - that's the case for all recipes in general! :)
Hello, do we really have to cook at 250 degrees?
Hello, you must respect the temperature given in the recipe for the very golden effect on top. See you soon :)
Very good recipe!
However, I was not completely able to remove the lumps.
Does this happen often?
Thanks Oleesha! For the lumps you have to follow the recipe carefully by putting a little milk first, then the rest, whisking vigorously above all. If you still have trouble with the lumps, next time, put less milk at the start (just enough to dilute the flour) and add the rest afterwards. See you soon :)
Hello, can we frozen them?
Hello Anne-Marie, I do not recommend freezing because it will be less good once defrosted (taste and texture) than if you eat them freshly made. It would be a shame ! See you soon :)
Great recipe. Thank youiiiiii. I've made it several times and each time it's a delight. I just reduced the sugar so I was able to add a little syrup at the end of cooking without it being too sweet. I added a touch of salt which is naturally a flavor enhancer. I recommend this
recipe.
Thank you very much Lisa! I'm glad you like the recipe. Salt is very good to bring out the taste, as is a hint of vanilla (I use it very often in baking). See you soon :)
Thank you for this beautiful recipe made twice but with the same problems:
The device overflows and boils and I have not browned the small flans after 15 minutes, they remain desperately pale. I tried with the rest of the device in a small ramekin just 15 minutes and grill just after and it was better. But not perfect!
I think I'll try 50 minutes at 180° like a flan in France... :-) When I make them it's perfect.
On the other hand, it is excellent in taste...
Thank you again, I will continue my tests.
Hello Vincent, what you are describing to me is a problem related to cooking in your oven. They are all different, and we cannot give a universal cooking time. I always advise adapting cooking times to your own equipment. If the taste is excellent then I am delighted! See you soon :)
Hello,
Great, I just got back from vacation in Portugal and I had to inaugurate my little pasteis de nada molds with your recipe. This is the second recipe I've made from you and it's magical. With your explanations, I never miss a recipe. A big thank you!
Oh great Myriam! Glad you like these little pasteis de nata like in Portugal :) See you soon
Hello, I end up with too much cream, can I keep it in the fridge until the next day, otherwise thank you it's too good, Michel
Hello Michel, I advise you to use the filling the same day, it must remain at room temperature before being poured into the pastry bases. See you soon :)
Recipe already made twice and just as successful each time.
Made in muffin tins, will try again with real tins next time.
Thanks Perrine for your feedback! Glad you like them so much! See you soon :)
Hello, can we do it in a large cake-style mold? Thank you, see you soon
Hello Jade, I only recommend the mussels specified in my recipe. See you soon :)
Very well detailed and successful recipe! I validate 100%. I usually don't post any comments but here it was necessary because the recipe is so good. A big thank you!
Thank you very much Andrea, I'm really glad you like these homemade Pasteis! See you soon :)
Great recipe!
I also had some leftover mixture so I mixed it with the 5 egg whites, the bottoms of a packet of almond and hazelnut powder, a little sugar, flour and melted butter, in a round mold and voila! Pasteis de nata and giant financier I don't see how we're going to manage to eat all that but it's a treat!
Thank you!
Thanks Elise for your feedback! See you soon :)
Thank you for this recipe
Detailed explanations +++
Thank you Myriam! Glad you like my recipe. See you soon :)
Thank you for your very detailed recipe, EXCELLENT result, however can we divide the sugar dose by 2?
Hello Michel, you should never reduce the sugar in a recipe so much otherwise it will be a disaster in terms of texture. Less 20% maximum... See you soon :)
Thank you for this lovely recipe. I tried it yesterday with homemade puff pastry and a 12-tartlet silicone mold. It was perfect; I just increased the baking time by 5 minutes.
Thank you so much, Claudine! See you soon :)