Last Updated on 27 September, 2026 by Elby | The Tasteful Pantry
These lemon Portuguese tarts are crisp at the edges, creamy in the middle and properly, unmistakably lemony. The first bite cracks through layers of buttery puff pastry into smooth citrus custard, with those dark, blistered patches on top adding just enough caramelised flavour. They are very difficult to walk past once baked. I have tested this repeatedly.
Portuguese tarts also look far more complicated than they are. The pastry starts as a frozen sheet, the custard is made in one saucepan and the whole lot is baked in a regular muffin tin. Rolling the pastry into a log ensures every bit is used and creates all those beautiful flaky layers around the cases, without making puff pastry from scratch or hunting down specialist tart moulds.
These tarts are inspired by Portuguese pastéis de nata rather than pretending to be a traditional version. I love the contrast of crisp pastry, creamy custard and a deeply browned top, but here the lemon is pushed right to the front. Broad strips of peel infuse the custard as it cooks, then fresh zest goes in at the end for a brighter citrus hit that cuts neatly through the richness. For another buttery bake with a lemon-scented custard centre, try my Gâteau Basque.
Custard tarts are made for afternoon tea, parties and family gatherings, although I would not wait for an occasion. If lemon desserts disappear quickly in your house too, keep my no-bake lemon cheesecake and classic lemon meringue pie close by. The custard also leaves you with three egg whites for Place one pastry round cut-side up and roll it into a circle approximately 2 mm thick. Gently press it into a muffin hole, leaving the pastry rim visible above the tin. Repeat with the remaining rounds. If the pastry becomes very soft, refrigerate it for 10 minutes before continuing., so one batch of baking quietly creates an excuse for another. Very efficient.
A Lemony Twist On Pastéis De Nata
Pastéis de nata are small Portuguese custard tarts made with laminated pastry and baked at intense heat until the filling is marked with dark caramelised patches.
These lemon Portuguese tarts borrow the recognisable combination of flaky pastry and baked custard, then take an easier home-kitchen route. Traditional methods can involve making and rolling laminated pastry, preparing a sugar syrup and baking in specialised small moulds at temperatures many domestic ovens cannot comfortably reach. My version uses frozen puff pastry, a starch-thickened custard and a standard muffin tin.
So, are they traditional pastéis de nata? No. They are a bright, homemade variation designed to be achievable without special equipment or a small apprenticeship in Portuguese pastry. What matters here is the contrast: crisp pastry, creamy filling, sharp lemon and those browned patches on top.
Ingredients In The Lemon Custard Tarts?
The ingredient list for Portuguese tarts is short, which means the details matter. Nothing is especially difficult to find, and frozen pastry keeps the whole operation firmly within normal home-baking territory.
Egg yolks give the custard its colour, richness and soft set. Separate the eggs while they are cold, when the yolks are less likely to break, then let them lose a little of their chill before you begin if time allows. Keep the whites covered for another recipe rather than sending them down the sink.
Cornflour thickens and stabilises the filling. Whisk it thoroughly with the yolks and sugar before adding the liquid, as this is the easiest point to remove lumps. Cornflour is naturally gluten-free, although the completed tarts are not because ordinary puff pastry contains wheat.
Caster sugar dissolves readily and sweetens the custard without adding colour or a heavier caramel flavour. The filling needs enough sweetness to balance the lemon, but it should still taste fresh rather than sugary.
Full-cream milk and thickened cream work together to produce a custard that is creamy but not overly dense. Full-cream milk gives a better result than skim milk here. In Australia, thickened cream is the easy supermarket choice; pure cream should also work because the cornflour, rather than added gelatine, is doing the important thickening.
Vanilla extract rounds out the sharper edges of the citrus and makes the custard taste fuller.
Fresh lemon peel and zest provide two layers of citrus flavour. Use a vegetable peeler or small sharp knife to remove broad yellow strips, taking as little white pith as possible because the pith can make the custard bitter. The finely grated outer zest goes in after cooking. Wash and dry the lemon well before zesting, especially because the outside of the fruit is going directly into the filling.
Frozen puff pastry is the sensible shortcut. Choose a good-quality butter puff if you like, but standard supermarket puff pastry still makes crisp, flaky cases. One Australian square sheet is enough for twelve tarts using this shaping method. Let it thaw only until it can be rolled without cracking; soft, warm pastry is harder to handle and will not puff as neatly.
Cornflour
Egg Yolks
Caster Sugar
Lemon
How Do You Make Lemon Portuguese Tarts
The job falls into two parts: cook and cool the custard, then shape the pastry cases. Read through the process before starting so the pastry does not sit warming on the bench while you are occupied with the saucepan.
Step one: prepare the oven and tin.
Heat the oven to 200°C conventional or 180°C fan-forced. Lightly grease a standard 12-hole muffin tin, paying attention to the upper edges as the pastry may rise against them. Position a shelf in the upper half of the oven, where the custard has a better chance of developing those desirable browned spots.
Step two: begin the custard while everything is cold.
Place the egg yolks, cornflour and caster sugar in a small heavy-based saucepan. Whisk until completely combined. It will initially look thick; that is normal. Gradually add the milk, cream and vanilla, whisking between additions until the mixture is smooth. Adding the liquid slowly is the best defence against small stubborn pockets of cornflour.
Step three: infuse and thicken.
Add the broad strips of lemon peel and place the pan over medium heat. Stir constantly, reaching into the edges and across the base of the saucepan. The mixture will stay thin for a while and then thicken fairly quickly. Once it resembles a thick custard, remove it from the heat. Do not walk away during this stage.
Stir in the finely grated lemon zest. Press a piece of baking paper directly onto the surface to stop a skin forming, then set the custard aside to cool until it is warm rather than hot. The filling does not have to be completely cold, but spooning very hot custard onto puff pastry will soften the butter layers before they reach the oven.
Step four: make the pastry log.
Place the thawed but still cool puff pastry on a clean work surface. Cut the square in half to make two rectangles, then place one rectangle directly on top of the other. Starting at a short edge, roll the stacked pastry away from you into a firm log. Keep the roll snug so there are no large gaps, but do not crush the layers.
Starting from the short edge creates a shorter, thicker log, which is exactly what you want. If the pastry has become floppy or greasy, place the log in the fridge for ten minutes before cutting. Chilled pastry is easier to divide and keeps its layers in better shape.
Step five: divide and roll.
Mark the log into twelve equal portions before cutting all the way through. This small pause prevents the final tart from receiving a rather mean scrap of pastry because the first eleven slices became progressively generous.
Cut through the marks with a sharp knife. Place one round cut-side up and roll it into a thin circle, roughly two millimetres thick and wide enough to line a muffin hole. Press it gently into the greased tin, easing it against the base and sides without stretching it aggressively. Repeat with the remaining pieces. The circles do not need to be mathematically perfect.
Step six: fill without flooding.
Lift the paper from the custard and remove the broad strips of lemon peel. Give the mixture a gentle stir. Divide it among the pastry cases, filling each to the top edge of the pastry but not above it.
The exact capacity can vary with the depth of the muffin tin and how widely the pastry has been rolled. If you have a small amount of custard left, put it into a ramekin and chill it rather than overfilling the tarts.
Step seven: bake until properly coloured.
Bake for approximately 25-35 minutes. Start checking through the closed oven door at about 20 minutes, but avoid opening it repeatedly because the sudden temperature drop works against crisp pastry. The cases should be deeply golden and puffed, and the custard should have browned or blistered in places.
Pale pastry will remain soft, so colour is what you’re looking for. If the cases look cooked but the tops need more browning, move the tin up a shelf for the final few minutes and watch closely.
Step eight: wait before eating.
Leave the Portuguese tarts in the tin for about five minutes, then carefully transfer them to a wire rack. Allow at least another ten minutes before serving. The filling is extremely hot and still loose when it first leaves the oven; cooling gives it time to settle into a soft custard rather than escaping at the first bite.
Top Tips For Making The Best Portuguese Custard Tarts
Keep the pastry cool. Puff pastry relies on distinct layers of dough and fat. If the sheet becomes very soft while you are shaping it, refrigerate it briefly.
Stir the custard continuously. Use a whisk at the beginning and switch to a flexible spatula if it helps you reach the base and corners of the saucepan. Constant movement reduces the chance of scorching and helps the filling thicken evenly.
Stop cooking at a thick pouring consistency. The custard should leave visible trails for a moment when stirred, but it should not become a solid paste. Remember that it will cook again in the oven and firm further as it cools.
Avoid the white pith. Broad strips of yellow peel add aroma without leaving shreds in the filling, but a thick layer of white pith may introduce bitterness. Peel lightly.
Do not overfill the cases. More custard does not create a more generous tart if half of it bubbles onto the tin. Keep the filling within the pastry rim.
Let the tops brown. The darker patches are a feature – you haven’t ruined dessert. The contrast between the caramelised surface, tender filling and crisp pastry is a large part of their appeal.
Give them time to cool. This is partly about setting the custard and largely about retaining the roof of your mouth. Fifteen minutes is the minimum; slightly warm or room-temperature tarts are both excellent.
Flavour Changes And Practical Substitutions
The lemon is central to this version, but the same basic recipe leaves room for a few simple changes.
For orange or mandarin custard tarts, replace the lemon peel and zest with the same style of peel and finely grated zest from another citrus fruit. Orange will be softer and sweeter; mandarin gives a fragrant result. Avoid adding a large quantity of juice to the existing custard, as the extra liquid and acidity can alter how it sets.
For a warmly spiced version, add a small cinnamon stick with the citrus peel, then remove it before filling the cases.
For plain vanilla custard tarts, leave out both forms of lemon and slightly increase the vanilla if desired. They will not have the exact flavour or method of traditional pastéis de nata, but they will still be excellent little puff pastry custard tarts.
Shortcrust pastry can be used, although it changes the character of the recipe and loses the crisp laminated layers. If you prefer a firmer, biscuit-like shell, press thin rounds of shortcrust into the tin and keep a close eye on the base to ensure it cooks through.
Gluten-free pastry and cornflour can make a gluten-free version, provided every packet is labelled gluten-free and suitable for your needs. Gluten-free puff pastry brands behave differently, so follow the thawing instructions and expect the texture to vary from standard pastry.
A dairy-free adaptation is less straightforward because both the filling and pastry rely heavily on dairy-style richness. Plant-based milk, plant cream and dairy-free pastry may work, but I have not tested that combination and would not promise the same set or flavour without a trial batch.
Make Use Of The Leftovers
Three leftover egg whites are an opportunity, not an administrative burden. Keep them in a clean, covered container in the fridge and make meringue kisses, add them to an omelette or freeze them individually for later. Label the container with the number of whites; six weeks from now, “clear mystery freezer cube” will not be especially informative.
The zested lemon still has plenty to offer. Juice it for salad dressing, freeze the juice in an ice-cube tray or add it to sparkling water.
Any small quantity of leftover custard can be chilled and served with berries, banana or stewed fruit. If you enjoy making custard desserts from scratch, my crème pâtissière and custard-filled doughnuts take the idea in two very delicious directions.
Portuguese Tarts FAQs
Are these traditional Portuguese custard tarts?
They are inspired by pastéis de nata rather than an authentic version. Traditional Portuguese custard tarts use particular pastry and custard techniques and are baked at very high heat. This easier home recipe uses frozen puff pastry, cornflour-thickened custard and extra lemon for a fresh citrus variation.
Why did my custard turn lumpy?
The heat may have been too high, the mixture may not have been stirred continuously, or the cornflour may not have been fully combined before cooking. Whisk the yolks, sugar and cornflour thoroughly, add the liquids gradually and keep reaching across the base of the saucepan as it heats. If you notice only a few small lumps, push the warm custard through a fine sieve before adding the zest.
How thick should the custard be before it comes off the heat?
It should look like a thick pouring custard and briefly hold the trail made by the whisk or spatula. It needs enough body to sit in the pastry cases but should not be stiff enough to hold a mound. It will thicken further in the oven and while cooling.
Can I make lemon Portuguese tarts ahead?
They are best baked on the day you plan to serve them (and slightly warm – not hot – is my favourite way to eat Portuguese lemon tarts). The custard can be prepared earlier and refrigerated with baking paper pressed directly onto its surface. Shape and bake the tarts closer to serving so the pastry stays crisp.
Why is the pastry soft underneath?
The oven may not have been fully heated, the custard may have been too hot when added, or the tarts may simply need longer to colour. Keep the puff pastry cool, cool the custard until warm rather than hot, preheat the oven properly and bake until the pastry is deeply golden rather than merely beige.
Can I use lemon juice instead of zest?
I would not swap the zest for lemon juice in this recipe. Juice adds extra liquid and acidity, which may affect the texture of the custard. Lemon peel and zest provide plenty of flavour without changing the balance of the filling.
Do I need a special Portuguese tart tin?
No. A standard 12-hole muffin tin works well and is part of what makes this recipe so manageable at home. The cases will be a little deeper than some traditional pastéis de nata, but the pastry-to-custard balance remains very good.
Can I use homemade puff pastry?
Certainly, if making puff pastry is how you would like to spend the day. A ready-rolled frozen sheet is quicker, reliable and gives the tarts plenty of crisp layers, so homemade pastry is not necessary.
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Lemon Portuguese Tarts
*Note: Adjusting servings will not adjust the ‘light grey’ quantities
Ingredients
Filling
- 3 egg yolks
- 25 grams cornflour - approx. 2 tablespoons
- 105 grams caster sugar - approx. ½ cup
- 200 ml milk - full cream
- 180 ml cream - thickened
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 3 broad strips of lemon peel - approximately 1cm wide and the length of the lemon, with minimal white pith
- 2 tsp lemon zest - finely grated
Assembly
- 1 sheet frozen puff pastry - thawed until pliable but still cold
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 200°C conventional or 180°C fan-forced. Lightly grease a standard 12-hole muffin tin.
Filling
- Place the egg yolks, cornflour and sugar in a small heavy-based saucepan. Whisk until completely combined; the mixture will be very thick.
- Gradually whisk in the milk, cream and vanilla until smooth. Add the broad strips of lemon peel.
- Place the saucepan over medium heat and stir continuously, reaching across the base and into the edges of the pan, until the mixture thickens to a thick custard consistency.
- Remove from the heat and stir in the finely grated lemon zest. Press a piece of baking paper onto the surface and set aside until the custard is warm rather than hot.
Assembly
- Place the thawed puff pastry on a clean work surface and cut it in half to make two rectangles. Stack one rectangle directly on the other.
- Starting from a short edge, roll the stacked pastry into a snug log.
- Mark the log into 12 equal portions, then cut through each mark with a sharp knife.
- Place one pastry round cut-side up and roll it into a circle approximately 2 mm thick.
- Gently press it into the bottom and sides of a muffin hole. Repeat with the remaining rounds. If the pastry becomes very soft, refrigerate it for 10 minutes before continuing.
- Remove and discard the baking paper and broad strips of lemon peel, then gently stir the custard. Divide it among the pastry cases, filling only to the top edge of the pastry.
- Bake for 25-35 minutes, until the pastry is deeply golden and the custard is browned and blistered in places. Check through the closed oven door from about 20 minutes, as oven times vary.
- Leave the tarts in the tin for 5 minutes, then carefully transfer them to a wire rack. Cool for at least another 10 minutes before serving, as the custard will be extremely hot and soft straight from the oven.
Notes
Nutrition
*Nutrition and calorie figures are estimates only.
So good. I forgot to add the grated lemon rind, but they were still great.
The best Portuguese tarts I’ve eaten. Made them for a party and there were none left :)
yum!