The Best Egg Tarts Recipe | Dim Sum Central (2024)

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Egg tarts are made from an outer pastry crust that is filled with egg custard and baked. Chinese egg tarts developed in Hong Kong from similar pastries introduced to the region through the Portuguese colony in Macau.

It might seem difficult to make the case for baking egg tarts at home when there are just many good examples available in Chinatown for less than a dollar apiece! Here in the Bay Area, Golden Gate Bakery in San Francisco and Napoleon Bakery in Oakland immediately come to mind.

But here’s the deal. The reason to make egg tarts at home is that you can create an amazing version yourself! The recipe is straightforward, calling only for an easy butter pastry and a simple custard filling. Impress your friends and family when you serve these beauties at your next dim sum lunch or evening dinner party.

Here’s how to make egg tarts, step-by-step. The detailed tutorial with pictures is at the bottom of the page.

Can you share any expert tips from your experience making egg tarts? Want to ask a question before you try making it yourself? I’d love to hear from you in the comments section below!

Egg Tarts Recipe

The Best Egg Tarts Recipe | Dim Sum Central (1)

Makes: 12 | Prep Time: 45 Minutes | Cook Time: 45 Minutes
Adapted From: Nee Hao Magazine

Ingredients

Pastry:
3/4 cup butter, softened
1/3 cup powdered sugar
1 egg
1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups flour
1/2 tablespoon cornstarch

Filling:
1/2 cup sugar
1 cup water
3 eggs
1/3 cup evaporated milk
1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract

12 tart tins (3″ x 1.5″)

Directions

1. With a hand mixer, cream the butter and powdered sugar until fluffy and smooth. Beat in the egg and vanilla extract. Combine the flour and cornstarch, stir into the butter mixture with a wooden spoon, then knead until a dough ball forms. Add extra flour until the dough loses its stickiness. Refrigerate the dough for 30 minutes.

2. Create a simple syrup by bringing the water and sugar together to a boil, until the sugar dissolves. Set the syrup aside to cool to room temperature, then whisk in the eggs, evaporated milk and vanilla extract. Strain twice and set aside.

3. Roll the cooled dough out to 1/4″ thickness and cut it into 4 1/2″ circles. Lightly press each dough round into a tart tin and then refrigerate while you heat the oven.

4. Heat the oven to 400 degrees and place a rack in a low position. Pour the egg filling into the tart tins until they are about 80% full. Place the egg tarts into the oven, then immediately reduce the temperature to 350 degrees.

5. Bake the egg tarts until the filling puffs up into a dome shape, about 30 minutes. When this happens, reduce the heat to 325 degrees and set the timer for an additional 15 minutes to finish. Remove from the oven, pop the tarts from the tins and serve warm.

Step-By-Step Tutorial

The Best Egg Tarts Recipe | Dim Sum Central (2)

For a pastry so delicious, the required ingredients are remarkably simple —eggs, flour, butter, granulated sugar, powdered sugar, water, vanilla extract and evaporated milk. You can pick up 3″ x 1.5″ tart tins in Chinatown or at Bed Bath and Beyond.

The Best Egg Tarts Recipe | Dim Sum Central (3)

Perhaps the only “specialty” ingredient is evaporated milk. (Note: Make sure not to buy sweetened condensed milk.) You can use Black & White for a true Hong Kong flavor, but really any brand will do.

The Best Egg Tarts Recipe | Dim Sum Central (4)

With a hand mixer, cream the butter and powdered sugar until fluffy and smooth. Beat in the egg and vanilla extract.

The Best Egg Tarts Recipe | Dim Sum Central (5)

Combine the flour and cornstarch, stir into the butter mixture with a wooden spoon, then knead until a dough ball forms. Add extra flour until the dough loses its stickiness. Refrigerate the dough for 30 minutes.

The Best Egg Tarts Recipe | Dim Sum Central (6)

Create a simple syrup by bringing the water and sugar together to a boil, until the sugar dissolves. Set aside to cool.

The Best Egg Tarts Recipe | Dim Sum Central (7)

Once the syrup reaches room temperature, whisk in the eggs, evaporated milk and vanilla extract.

The Best Egg Tarts Recipe | Dim Sum Central (8)

Strain twice and set aside.

The Best Egg Tarts Recipe | Dim Sum Central (9)

Roll the cooled dough out to 1/4″ thickness and cut it into 4 1/2″ circles.

The Best Egg Tarts Recipe | Dim Sum Central (10)

Lightly press each dough round into a tart tin and then refrigerate while you heat the oven.

The Best Egg Tarts Recipe | Dim Sum Central (11)

Heat the oven to 400 degrees and place a rack in a low position. Pour the egg filling into the tart tins until they are about 80% full. Place the egg tarts into the oven, then immediately reduce the temperature to 350 degrees.

The Best Egg Tarts Recipe | Dim Sum Central (12)

Bake the egg tarts until the filling puffs up into a dome shape, about 30 minutes. When this happens, reduce the heat to 325 degrees and set the timer for an additional 15 minutes to finish.

The Best Egg Tarts Recipe | Dim Sum Central (13)

Remove from the oven, pop the tarts from the tins and serve warm.

Learn more about Egg Tarts from these Experts

Watch iHEARTcookinggg make Egg Tarts with fluffy puff pastry (VIDEO)
Kirbie’s Cravings raves about Chinatown Egg Tarts
Bonnie from Thirsty for Tea shares her recipe for Egg Tarts

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The Best Egg Tarts Recipe | Dim Sum Central (2024)

FAQs

What is egg tart filling made of? ›

The homemade pastry dough is made with powdered sugar for a tender, melt-in-your-mouth texture, and the sweet custard is enriched with eggs, vanilla, and creamy evaporated milk for a luscious mouthfeel.

How to prevent egg tart from sinking? ›

BAKE THE EGG TARTS

Turn off the oven and I let them sit inside the oven with the door ajar for 10 minutes. This helps to minimize the egg custard from sinking too much. Remove from the oven and let them cool down for about 5 minutes then remove to the cooling rack to let them cool down further.

Why is my egg tart not smooth? ›

The only thing to note is, do not beat the eggs or the mixture too hard, so it's frothy. You want as few air bubbles as possible so the egg tart will come out smooth.

What are the two types of egg tarts? ›

There are two kinds of egg tart you might be familiar with and the difference is the pastry. One kind is a flaky buttery pastry style which melts in the mouth and the other kind has a shortcrust cookie style pastry and it is the latter which I am sharing with you today.

What are the 4 types of filling for pies and tarts? ›

Flaky dough, mealy dough and crumbs are best for pie crusts; sweet dough is usually used for tart shells. Fillings make pies and tarts distinctive and flavorful. Four types of fillings are common: cream, fruit, custard and chiffon. There is no one correct presentation or filling-and- crust combination.

What is the difference between custard and egg tart? ›

Modern custard tarts are usually made from shortcrust pastry, eggs, sugar, milk or cream, and vanilla, sprinkled with nutmeg and then baked. Unlike egg tart, custard tarts are normally served at room temperature.

Why does my tart have a soggy bottom? ›

Wet pie fillings + raw dough are a tricky combination. If the bottom crust doesn't set before the filling soaks in, it's going to be gummy. A metal pie pan placed on a preheated surface will set the bottom crust quickest; once cooked, the liquids from the filling above won't soak in, and as a result: no soggy bottom.

Why is my tart base so hard? ›

Richard's solution: Tough pastry is very common, but easily avoidable. It usually occurs when you've been a bit heavy-handed with the water when you're initially bringing the pastry together (by adding water to the flour and butter), or if you have over-worked the dough and developed the gluten in the flour.

Should you keep egg tarts in the fridge? ›

How do I keep the egg tarts and how long can I keep them for? The egg tarts need not be refrigerated if consumed on the day of purchase. Refrigerate egg tarts if consuming the next day. Egg tarts can be heated in a toaster oven over medium heat for 8-12 minutes.

How do you keep tart pastry crisp? ›

Some people like to paint the surface of the pastry base with lightly beaten egg white after the beans have been removed and before returning the dish to the oven as the egg white cooks onto the surface of the pastry and can act as a slight sealant to help to keep the pastry crisp.

What is the Chinese name for egg tarts? ›

The egg tart (traditional Chinese: 蛋撻; simplified Chinese: 蛋挞; Cantonese Yale: daahn tāat; pinyin: dàntǎ) is a kind of custard tart found in Chinese cuisine, derived from the English custard tart and Portuguese pastel de nata. The dish consists of an outer pastry crust filled with egg custard.

What happens if you overmix tart dough? ›

Overmixing is exactly what it sounds like: the process by which a dough or batter gets mixed too much, typically yielding dense, tough, or deflated baked goods. Overmixed doughs and batters may have an unappealing look or feel, which remain just as unappealing when they're baked.

What is the difference between Portuguese egg tarts and Chinese egg tarts? ›

Unlike the short crust casing favoured by the Hong Kong egg tarts, Macau's Portuguese egg tarts are made of puff pastry. The Macanese egg tarts are sweeter than the Hong Kong ones and the tops are carmelised. They use just the egg yolks rather than the whole egg and we don't think they contain evaporated milk.

What is the difference between egg tart and German pudding tart? ›

For the filling, German pudding is using heavy cream while classic egg tart is using milk or evaporated milk. The filling texture for German pudding is creamy while classic egg tart is silky smooth ( like steam egg) For the crust , other than classic buttery crust, you may add flavour into it.

What is a substitute for egg yolks in tarts? ›

The best substitutes for egg yolks
  • Aquafaba.
  • Silken tofu.
  • Flax or chia seeds.
  • Soda water.
  • Vinegar and baking soda.

What is tart filling made of? ›

It's made with rich cream cheese, sour cream for a hint of tang, powdered sugar, and delicious vanilla bean paste, but you can use vanilla extract if that's all you have on hand. The mixture is beat together before some heavy cream is whipped in to help achieve a light and fluffy texture.

What is the base of a tart made of? ›

Description. Tarts are typically free-standing with firm pastry base consisting of dough, itself made of flour, thick filling, and perpendicular sides while pies may have softer pastry, looser filling, and sloped sides, necessitating service from the pie plate.

What is butter tart filling made of? ›

These buttery mini pies, typically baked in a muffin tin, have a flaky crust filled with a gooey mixture of butter, sugar, syrup, egg, and sometimes raisins or nuts. They bear some resemblance to the American pecan pie and British treacle tart, but their uniquely rich flavor sets them apart.

What is the difference between egg pie and egg tart? ›

While pies look covered from all sides, tarts are open from the top and you can easily see the filling on top. Another difference lies in the base. While pies have a thin and smooth crust, tarts have a rather thick and crumbly crust which crumbles down when pieces are cut from the tart.

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