DELICIOUS PORTUGUESE PASTEL DE NATAS

Hands down one of my favorite sweet things to eat to this day, Pastel de Natas are the perfect dessert: light and delicate but also filling and truly, truly delicious!

Pastel de Natas, also known as Portuguese custard tarts or pasteles de Belém, are small, delicious egg tarts with light, flakey pastry, often served with a light dusting of cinnamon.

The History of the Pastel de Nata

They originate from Portugal and were created by Catholic monks just before the 18th century. Today, most people flock to Portuguese cities such as Lisbon and Porto to sample this mouth-watering delicacy. However, Pastel de Natas are also found in other countries across Europe.

For this recipe, we have bought you a truly traditional, authentic Pastel de Nata recipe. We cooked it ourselves in a quiet little cooking class just off of the busy streets of Lisbon.

Ben and I are currently on our adventure around the world and I wanted to take him to Lisbon. I wanted to show him the beauty, food and landscape of this stunning city. After a busy week it was nice to take an evening to relax and cook some tasty Portuguese delicacies!

Our Cooking Class Experience

We had such a lovely time at the Compadre cooking class in Lisbon! We spent two hours in the evening cooking Pastel de Natas with two chefs who really knew their stuff! They were so passionate about cooking and the history of Portugal. It was a delight to be in their company and a lovely way to round off our two weeks in Lisbon.

We booked the cooking class through Airbnb experiences. It was our first time using them and they did not disappoint. Booking the class was quick, easy and we were contacted immediately by the hosts, thanking us for booking. It was a thoroughly enjoyable experience from start to finish. If you find yourselves in Lisbon any time in the future, check them out here!

We hope you enjoy these gorgeous little custard treats! Let us know in the comments if you made them and what you thought, I’d love to hear of any alterations or additions to the recipe! Pastel de natas can be eaten hot or cold, but we would recommend storing them at room temperature and consuming them within two days, otherwise they tend to go slightly chewy!

For a quick, simple and flavourful midweek dinner, why don’t you check out my Healthy 30-Minute Chicken Laksa?

Without further ado, here is the delicious recipe for traditional Pastel de Natas for you to wow your family and friends at home!

You could even say that you learned it yourself with the help of José and João in Lisbon…we promise we won’t tell!

— Aria

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