Portuguese Milk Tarts {Queijadas de Leite}
Portuguese Milk Tarts, Queijadas de Leite, are a sweet, creamy, traditional Portuguese dessert recipe made with simple ingredients.
Portuguese Milk Tarts {Queijadas de Leite}
Portuguese Milk Tarts {Queijadas de Leite}With the holidays quickly approaching I wanted to share a traditional Portuguese dessert that you’ll find at every family gathering. Queijadas de Leite, or Portuguese Milk Tarts. These sweet treats are made with a few simple ingredients, eggs, milk, butter, flour and sugar, and they bake up into creamy little tarts that practically melt in your mouth.
I was lucky enough to be invited to attend the NY Dairy Tour sponsored by The American Dairy Association North East. It was three amazing days of visiting local dairy farms and learning all about the dairy food industry and dairy-farming. We also got to try some awesome cheeses, eat farm-to-table meals, and even try a little milk mixology (yes you read that right!) at a local distillery. It was an eye-opening experience and I have an even greater appreciation for all of the hard-work, care, and dedication that goes into the dairy food products I love so much. If you want to learn more check out the American Dairy Association North East website.
My favorite part, besides hanging out with all of those cute calves (look at that face!), was the cooking competition on the last day. I got to show off one of my favorite Portuguese recipes, Queijadas de Leite, or Portuguese Milk Tarts, and the celebrity guest judge was Jason Smith from The Next Food Network Star Season 12!!
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What are Queijadas de Leite?
Queijadas de Leite translates to “Milk Tarts” and they are a traditional Portuguese dessert that you will find at every celebration. Portuguese Milk Tarts are made with milk, eggs, butter, flour, and a little cinnamon sugar for flavor. That’s it. Super simple, and totally delicious.
How to Make Portuguese Milk Tarts {Queijadas de Leite}
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
- In a large bowl combine sugar and flour.
- Whisk in beaten eggs, then add melted butter, continuing to whisk, and then milk.
- Pour mixture into a greased muffin tin, filling each cup to a little more than ¾ full.
- Bake on the center rack for 30 mins or until sides and top are golden.
- Remove the tarts from muffin tin while hot by running a knife around the sides and lifting them out.
- Sprinkle with cinnamon sugar.
Can Queijadas de Leite Be Made Ahead of Time?
Yes! Since Portuguese Milk Tarts are served at room temperature they can be made 1 day ahead. Once you have made them let them cool completely then place in an airtight container and store in a cool place. Before serving take them out and let them come to room temperature. TIP: Place your Queijadas de Leite in cupcake liners after they have baked and cooled. That makes it easier to move them around.
As the Queijadas de Leite bake in the muffin tin the outer edges crisp up and form a crust. The inside is this sweet, soft filling that melts in your mouth. Add a little sprinkle of cinnamon sugar on top and you have a classic Portuguese dessert that is sure to impress your friends and family.
Want more Portuguese dessert recipes?
- Arroz Doce – Portuguese Rice Pudding
- Bolo de Bolacha – Portuguese Biscuit Cake
- Salame de Chocolate – Chocolate Salami
PORTUGUESE MILK TARTS {QUEIJADAS DE LEITE}
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Portuguese Milk Tarts {Queijadas de Leite}
Ingredients
- 2 cups Sugar
- 1 cup Flour
- 4 Eggs, beaten
- ½ cup Butter, melted
- 3 ¾ cups Whole milk
- 1 tablespoon Cinnamon
- 2 tablespoons Sugar
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
- In a large bowl combine 2 cups of sugar and flour.
- Whisk in beaten eggs, then add melted butter, continuing to whisk, and then milk.
- Pour mixture into greased muffin tin, filling them to a little more than ¾ full.
- Bake on center rack for 30 mins or until sides and top are golden.
- Remove the tarts from muffin tin while hot by running a sharp knife around the sides and lifting them out.
- Mix sugar and cinnamon together and sprinkle over the tarts as a topping.
- Serve the same day or store in cool place until ready to serve. Can be made 1 day ahead and served at room temperature.
Nutrition
The inside came out mush is that how it should be?
Yes, it is very creamy and soft inside especially warm out of the oven. It thickens as it cools.
The recipe is easy – the batter was so liquid I was surprised that it even baked into a tart. They really are milk tarts! Although I needed to bake it longer than the recipe stated they came out well. I found using silicon cupcake moulds helped a lot when getting them ready to serve.
Can these be baked in silicone muffin cups? Should the milk or eggs be room temperature before you mix it in?
I would not recommend baking them in silicone. The edges should be crispy. The temperature of the milk or eggs do not matter according to my mother.
Love how they came out!!! I didnt sprinkle cinnamon and sugar on top cos there was already too much sugar in the batter and family is cutting down on sugar but it tastes amazing!!! Family loved it
They look great and simple to make. I must try them out.
Thank you for sharing this recipe! My husband is Portuguese and I love trying Portuguese Recipes to make him feel more “at home”. It was easy to follow and it is an excellent alternative for a “quick” dessert.
Do you think (or have you tried) replacing 1 3/4 of the milk with Rum Chata might change the consistency?
Thanks!
Haven’t tried it but sounds amazing!!!!
Can this recipe be made with 2% or 1% milk instead of whole milk?
My mother always stresses that it has to be whole milk. I am not sure if it’s for taste or consistency. If you try it please let me know.
Thank you very much. Your recipe is excellent 🙂 I made sure they were cool before I put them in a container, but my tarts became very soggy the following day. Any suggestions??
How did you store them? They are best the same day.
Hi Melinda
I was wondering if I could make these with less sugar. We are trying to cut down on our sugar intake.
You can try but I’m not sure if they will hold up. Let me know if they do please.
Hi Melinda, I made these with half the sugar and low fat milk and they were fabulous. Just set with crispy edges. Will definitely be making these again.
Didn’t last till they cooled, got gobbled down while they were hot 😁
Thanks for sharing Lyn!
Can this recipe be made with buttermilk in place of whole milk?
I would not recommend that. 🙁
These are sooooo good! Thank you for sharing! I discovered the hard way that these tarts release from the pan MUCH easier if they’re well browned around the edges.
Good day, just wondering can I prepare the batter ahead of time before dinner and bake after dinner? Can I store the batter overnight? Thanks
Yes you can but the cooking time will vary depending on the temperature of the batter. Give the batter a good stir and let it sit out for 20 mins to bring it to room temp.
I used 1.5 cups of sugar and .5 cups of stevia. It was really sweet. I’m a dummy when it comes to cooking anything. I had a hard time getting it out in 1 piece out of the muffin tin. Have you tried making it with less milk and less sugar?
I made these with wheat flour and baked in a silicone muffin tin. The 1st time i followed the recipe and they were a tad runny. The 2nd time I did 1/2 c less milk and they turned out perfect. Edges weren’t as crisp as a metal tin but equally as delicious.
Any way these could be made with vegan butter and cashew milk? I can’t imagine they’d fair well if tried non dairy.
I’ve never tried a non dairy version if these so I can’t say how they would turn out. The milk is a pretty big part of this recipe so I hesitate to say they would work without trying it myself.