Portuguese Milk Tarts {Queijadas de Leite}
Portuguese Milk Tarts, Queijadas de Leite, are a sweet, creamy, traditional Portuguese dessert recipe made with simple ingredients.
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.
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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
I made some today, these are soo good especially with strawberries. My oy question is, is it supposed to be mushy/gooey on the inside or do I need to bake longer?
Hi Jamie, yes they are mushy like a custard consistency. The longer they cool the more they firm up a bit.
A huge crowd pleaser. I made them for the first time in May 2020, and they’ve turned into my go-to dish for housewarmings, family dinners, and (once the pandemic ends) parties. My half-Portuguese father-in-law tasted one, closed his eyes, and said it brought him right back to the Azores. About a dozen people have requested the recipe. It’s just so simple and delightful, and reliably makes 24 nearly-full muffin cups.
As a note, I let my milk warm up to room temp and let the butter cool a little before making the batter – that way there’s no temperature clash and you don’t end up with little flakes of cold butter floating to the top of the mixture.
Thanks so much for a true winner of a recipe!
Made these last night and they were awesome. They were a tad bit sweet, so I cut the sugar to 1.5 cups . And I have another batch baking right now because the last batch didn’t last very long. So we’ll see how these turn out.
They came out PERFECTLY!! Everyone loved them. I doubled the recipe and served them with a drizzle of cardamom honey. It was delicious. Thanks for the recipe!
Do you use all purpose or self rising flour?
We use all purpose.
I made these for the first time yesterday- and what a treat! Half of mine were a bit overdone (I think it was the type of pan I have) but I adjusted the cooking temp and time a bit for the second pan and they were perfect!!! Simple to make, yet decadent! I will definitely be making these again!
Loved the taste and texture. They were a bear to get out of the muffin tins. First tray just greased, got them out but it was work. Second tray I greased all but on 6 I put a round of parchment on the bottom of the cup and the other 6 I floured the greased pan. Grease and flour is a little messy and an extra step but well worth it. They came out much easier. I will make them again, I liked them and so did my family.
These are awsome little bites of heaven.
I made these but used a tart dish instead of muffin tin. It came out very well and more like a custard.
can i add cocoa to portuguese milk tart for a chocolate tart?
I have not tried that but any addition to the recipe will change the texture and cook time. Let me know how it turns out.
Add 1/4 c cocoa, does not change texture or cook time…
Love love love these. Thank you Melinda and Kat for this easy recipe. Simple and wonderful. My husband actually made these for me! Made it exactly as written. No trouble getting these out of the muffin tin at all. We just buttered the muffin tin real good. He did (at my OCD suggestion) allow the milk to come to room temp, but not sure that made any difference. This recipe is a keeper. It is something I plan to make whenever I have to “bring something to share.” The ingredients are always on hand and wow so darn easy. Yet soo rich and ooey gooey. 5-stars!