Homemade puff pastry shines in these otherwise simple Portuguese egg tarts with flaky buttery crusts and a rich custard filling.

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Happy Pi Day! To celebrate I made mini pies! I think technically tarts are pastries not pies but they are still round and acceptable for pi day.
I went a little outside of my comfort zone with these Portuguese egg tarts. I have had and enjoyed them before but I am pretty sure this was the first time I have made my own puff pastry before, even a rough puff.
I contemplated using store-bought instead to make my life easier, but egg tarts already have such simple ingredients I thought it was the perfect time to show off a homemade flaky, buttery, crust – and I was right.

You really can’t beat the buttery goodness of homemade puff pastry. I get it if you don’t want to deal with all the chilling, folding, and rolling but I promise it pays off and will be worlds better than store-bought puff pastry.
The part of this recipe you can skip out on is the special little fluted tart molds . While yes I bought some just to make this recipe, you can just use a standard cupcake pan.

What is the difference between Chinese and Portuguese egg tarts?
Chinese egg tarts usually have a crust more similar to traditional pie with a less sweet custard filling, while Portuguese egg tarts are a more flaky crust filled with a richer custard.
I can’t speak for what happens when you bake the Chinese version but these Portuguese egg tarts look like little balloons ready to pop in your oven – I promise they won’t. Continue baking until the custard gets a little golden and they are done. Serve warm or as soon as they cool to enjoy the flaky buttery-ness in it’s prime.
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Four years ago: Irish Cream Pie with Pretzel Crust & Whiskey Caramel
Six years ago: Lucky Lemon Cream Pie
Seven years ago: Coconut Chess Pie
Eight years ago: Shepherd’s Pie Pizza
Nine years ago: Shepherd’s Pie Potato Skins
Ten years ago: Coconut-Pistachio Pie
Eleven years ago: Crustless Ginger Blueberry-Pear Pie
Twelve years ago: Banana Pudding Pie
Thirteen years ago: Flower Bouquet Cake Pops
Fourteen years ago: Cookies and Cream Peanut Butter Pie
Source: Adapted slightly from Food52’s Genius Desserts Cookbook.