Pastéis de Nata in the Air Fryer

The best pastelarias in Lisbon bake their natas in ovens running at close to 400 °C. That's how the custard gets its burnt, blistered spots before the pastry overcooks. No home oven gets that hot, and most basket air fryers stop at 200 °C.

What the air fryer does have is strong, direct heat from above, which is exactly what caramelises the tops. You won't get bakery-level scorching, but you'll get properly crisp pastry and a set, wobbly custard with some brown spots.

The recipe

Pastéis de Nata in the Air Fryer

Homemade Portuguese custard tarts with shop-bought puff pastry, baked in the air fryer. Honest tips on getting the blistered tops without a 300 °C oven.

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Prep30 min

Cook15 min

Total45 min

Serves12 tarts

Ingredients

MetricUS

Makes

12

tarts

½×1×2×3×

• 1 sheet (about 320 g) all-butter puff pastry, chilled
• 250 ml whole milk
• 25 g plain flour
• 5 egg yolks
• 200 g caster sugar
• 120 ml water
• 1 cinnamon stick
• 1 strip lemon peel (no white pith)
• Ground cinnamon and icing sugar to serve

Method

1. Make the syrup: put the sugar, water, cinnamon stick and lemon peel in a small pan. Boil for 3 minutes without stirring, then remove from the heat.
2. Whisk the flour into 50 ml of the milk until smooth. Heat the remaining milk until steaming, whisk in the flour mixture and cook, whisking, for 2 minutes until it thickens slightly.
3. Remove the cinnamon and lemon from the syrup and pour it slowly into the milk, whisking. Cool for 10 minutes, then whisk in the egg yolks. Strain into a jug.
4. Roll the pastry up tightly from the short side into a log. Cut it into 12 slices, about 2 cm thick.
5. Put a slice, cut side up, in each tin. Wet your thumbs and press from the centre outwards and up the sides, until the pastry comes just above the rim and is thinner at the base than at the top.
6. Fill each tin about three-quarters full with custard.
7. Air fry at 200 °C (or your maximum) for 12–15 minutes, until the pastry is deep golden and the tops have dark spots. Check from 10 minutes, as every machine is different.
8. Cool for 10 minutes in the tins, then lift out. Dust with cinnamon and icing sugar.

Notes

Clear ticks

Tap ingredients and steps to tick them off. Scaling changes the quantities at the start of each line; check the rest by eye.

Which air fryer works best

Basket models fit 4–6 tins per batch, depending on size. An air fryer oven takes a full tray of 12 and puts the tarts closer to the top element, which gives better tops. Pale natas usually mean the custard is too far from the heat.

From the shop

What you’ll need

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Portuguese

Pastel de nata tins, made in Portugal

The small fluted tins that give natas their thin, crisp base, made in Portugal like the ones pastelarias use.

Tip: Don't wash them in the dishwasher. Wipe them clean and they'll season over time.

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Amazon best seller

Ninja Flip Toaster Oven & Air Fryer

Oven-style, so a tray of pastéis de nata sits flat close to the top element, which gives better-browned tops than a basket.

Tip: It flips up against the wall to save counter space when you're not using it.

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Portuguese

Delta Cafés ground coffee bundle

Portugal's best-known coffee brand, the one in most cafés. Brew it strong for a bica after dinner.

Tip: Ground coffee, so it works in a moka pot or filter.

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