Portuguese Milk Tarts, Queijadas de Leite, are a traditional Portuguese dessert made with pantry staple ingredients. They are creamy on the inside and crispy on the outside!
Portuguese Milk Tarts (Queijadas de Leite) Recipe
These tarts are creamy and custardy in the middle and crispy on the outside. A must try... but be warned, they are highly addictive!
Growing up my Mom made these for special occasions, holidays and birthdays. Everyone would always get even more excited for a gathering knowing there would be queijadas de leite. This is my Moms famous family secret recipe!
What are Queijadas de Leite?
You may be familiar with Portuguese Egg Custard Tarts - Pastel de Nata, which has a flaky crust on the outside and a creamy egg custard filling. These are the most famous dessert of Portugal. They have a pastry crust with an egg custard filling. Queijadas de Leite, Portuguese Milk Custard Tarts, are another delicious variation of custard tarts!
Queijadas de Leite do not have a pastry crust. They are a milk custard made with 5 pantry staple ingredients - milk, flour, butter, sugar and eggs. When baked the custard forms its own crust which become crispy. The centers are ooey gooey and oh so creamy!
More Portuguese Recipes!
- Caldo Verde (Portuguese Kale Soup)
- Shrimp Mozambique (Portuguese Shrimp)
- Seafood Rice
- Fish Fillets
- Bifanas (Portuguese Pork Sandwiches)
What is in Portuguese Milk Tarts (Queijadas de Leite)?
- My favorite kind of desserts are ones that I can whip up in a flash with only a few pantry staple ingredients. This is one of those great recipes that only needs 5 ingredients - milk, eggs, flour, butter and sugar. The cinnamon is optional but highly recommended.
How to Make Portuguese Milk Tarts (Queijadas de Leite)
Full Printable Recipe Below
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Generously grease muffin tins with nonstick cooking spray (recipe will fill 18 cups of a muffin tin).
- In a large bowl beat the eggs, sugar and melted butter with a fork or whisk until smooth.
- Add in the flour and mix until smooth.
- Add in the warm milk and mix until smooth. The batter will be very thin and runny.
- Pour into greased muffin tins filling each cup ¾ of the way full.
- Bake 20 - 30 minutes, or until golden brown, on the middle rack of oven. Note: while baking the tarts will puff up and while cooling they will sink.
- Remove from oven. Sprinkle cinnamon on top of each tart (optional).
- Allow tarts to cool in pan for 5-10 minutes and then carefully remove from pan. Use a knife or cake spatula to loosen the edges of the tart from the pan to remove.
- Serve and enjoy!
Tips for the best Portuguese Tarts
- Ingredients - for best results we recommend using regular all purpose white flour and granulated white sugar. The tarts will not turn out the same if using a sugar substitute such as stevia or coconut sugar. This recipe will not yield the best results if using a flour substitute such as coconut flour or almond flour.
- Batter Preparation - the recipe steps must be followed in order for the tarts to turn out perfect. Some notes for the ingredients, the eggs must be at room temperature, the butter must be melted and the milk must be warmed in the microwave for 30 seconds (or stove top). All of the cold ingredients need to be warm or else the batter will be lumpy. For the batter you must mix the room temperature eggs, sugar and melted butter until evenly combined. Then stir in the flour until evenly combined and lastly add in the warmed milk.
- Baking - when baking the tarts will puff up and then deflate. This is completed normal and exactly what you want to happen. The tarts will them start to brown on the edges but the centers will remain a light golden yellow color. This is normal. You want the tarts edges to be crispy and the centers to be nice and creamy. After baking top the tarts with cinnamon and allow them to cool.
FAQ
Queijadas de Leite can be served warm, at room temperature, or chilled. After allowing the cooked tarts to cool, they can be enjoyed warm. Serving them at room temperature is the most common way to serve these tarts. Leftovers can be stored at room temperature or in the fridge and served chilled.
If you would like to serve the tarts warm, you can air fry them for 2-3 minutes at 350°F or pop them in the oven on a cookie tray at 350°F for 4-5 minutes, or until warmed through.
Store in an air tight container or a tray covered tightly with plastic wrap at room temperature for 2-3 days, or in the fridge for 3-4 days.
Yes, these tarts can be made up to 2 days in advance. For best results we do recommend baking the tarts the same day as serving.
These tarts are freezer friendly but the texture of the tart does change slightly.
This recipe works best with regular white granulated sugar or granulated cane sugar. We do not recommend making this recipe with sugar substitute such as coconut sugar, stevia, erythritol sugar, or other sugar substitutes.
This recipe works best with white all purpose flour. We do not recommend making this recipe with flour substitute such as coconut flour, almond flour, or other flour substitutes.
Looking for More Simple Sweets?
Try some of my favorite simple dessert recipes:
- Banana Bread - super moist texture, rich banana flavor it is a must try. This recipe is so simple and only needs a few pantry staple ingredients.
- Rice Pudding - sweet and creamy rice pudding topped with a pinch of cinnamon is the perfect after dinner treat!
- Mini Berry Dutch Babies - so quick and easy to make using a blender and muffin tin!
Enjoy!
- Sab
Disclosure: I only recommend products I would use myself and all opinions expressed here are my own. This post may contain affiliate links that at no additional cost to you, may earn me a small commission.
Portuguese Milk Tarts (Queijadas de Leite)
Equipment
Ingredients
- 2 cups sugar
- 2 cups milk (warm, microwave 30 seconds)
- 3 tablespoon butter (melted)
- 3 eggs (room temperature)
- ⅔ cups flour (all purpose)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Generously grease muffin tins with nonstick cooking spray (recipe will fill 18 cups of a muffin tin).
- In a large bowl beat the eggs, sugar and melted butter with a fork or whisk until smooth.
- Add in the flour and mix until smooth.
- Add in the warm milk and mix until smooth. The batter will be very thin and runny.
- Pour into the greased muffin tins filling each cup ¾ of the way full.
- Bake 20 - 30 minutes, or until golden brown, on the middle rack of oven.
- Note: while baking the tarts will puff up and while cooling they will sink.
- Remove from oven. Sprinkle cinnamon on top of each tart (optional).
- Allow tarts to cool in pan for 5-10 minutes and then carefully remove from pan. Use a knife or cake spatula to loosen the edges of the tart from the pan to remove.
Video
Notes
Nutrition
Vanessa says
Can I put the mixture in puff pastry and bake it?
Donna Height says
Ohhh my gosh I remember having these when I was younger and never could remember the name of them. I'm soo happy I finally found this recipe. I'm making them now as I type lol
Monique Brown says
Sab, can these be frozen? If not, how long could you store/refrigerate them for? Thanks!
fedbysab says
Hi Monique, I would not recommend freezing them. You can store them in the fridge for up to 3-4 days. My mom has been making them for years, this is her recipe, she has not tried freezing them but they do last in the fridge. When they are stored in the fridge they do not stay as crispy but you can warm them up in the oven before serving them again 🙂
Ruthann RICHARDS says
Do you serve them with added jam on them or chocolate?
fedbysab says
Traditionally they are just served with cinnamon sprinkled on top.
Frank says
I made these last night and they were a hit. They were great plain, with a dusting of cinnamon, with a dusting of powdered sugar and with a mixed berry compote we made. Easy, easy, easy and delicious. Going in my dessert rotation. Thank you for recipes that regular people can make and feel good about.
fedbysab says
Hi Frank, we are so glad to hear you enjoyed this recipe! This is one of my families favorite treats. Thanks for sharing!
Tiffany says
I'm making this recipe for the second time tonight. They're addictive!
fedbysab says
Hi Tiffany, I am so happy to hear you have enjoyed the recipe!
Deb says
Can you use a sugar substitute?
fedbysab says
Hi Deb, I have not tested making these with a sugar substitute.
beth Pietlicki says
Oh, my heavens, I lived in Granja, Portugal and we always went to the city to get these delightful treats, and cappacino. These tarts are in every bakery, on every corner, and in most resturants. How delighted I am to see your recipe and finally make them. Everything is ready for me to start. Thank you so much. Oh, how I love and miss Portugal. We adopted our first born daughter from OPorto. <3
Julie says
Mine came out super good and this was really easy to make. We are Portuguese and I love to learn how to make the things I ate growing up. The taste is similar to natas. I did leave mine in for an extra 10 min so that they could get more golden. They are a hit!
Sandy Fernandes says
This is a wonderful recipe that I’ve made several times. The last time they were difficult to pull out of the muffin tin. Would I be able to use cupcake liners?
Mel says
Can I reduce the sugar without ruining the recipe?
fedbysab says
The recipe will not turn out the exact same if the sugar is reduced.
Sandy Fernandes says
I have made this many, many times and now have a friend that’s requests these regularly for her family parties.
Such any easy recipe and the tarts turn out amazing every time.
I do have to cook mine for longer than the recipe states 28-30 minutes.
I also dust them with icing sugar and cinnamon once cooled.
Catherine says
These are so delicious