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Overview

Chinese Egg Tarts

Dan Tat, Daan Taat, Hong Kong Egg Tarts, Cantonese Egg Tarts

This chinese egg tarts recipe makes the Cantonese bakery classic: a crisp, buttery shortcrust shell filled with a smooth egg custard, strained twice and baked gently until it sets with a glossy, trembling surface. One serving is one tart, about 72 g.

The Cantonese egg tart arrived in Guangzhou in the 1920s, when dim sum cooks put a Chinese steamed-egg custard into a Western tart shell — a meeting of Cantonese and European bakery that Hong Kong then made its own. Tai Cheong Bakery, opened in 1954, made the butter-crust version famous, while the flaky puff-pastry version became the other great style. In 2014 the egg tart making technique was entered on Hong Kong's first intangible cultural heritage inventory, and the tart remains one of the city's most loved bakery items.

Pairs well with: Serve warm from the oven with Hong Kong-style milk tea or jasmine tea.

Provenance

China flag China

Cantonese Bakery Classic

East & South Asia

Time Dedication

1h 25m

60m prep • 25m cook

Batch Yield

12 Servings

208 kcal per serving

1 serving ≈ 72 g

Technical Skill

Intermediate

Medium (Pastry and Custard)

Meal Timing & Digestive Fit

Breakfast

Not Advised

Lunch

Inappropriate

Dinner

Inappropriate

Snack & Tea

Ideal Light Bite

Occasions: Afternoon tea, a dim sum finish, a bakery snack, a weekend bake Cost: Low — about $1 per tart at home
Tags: Egg Sweet Vegetarian Baked
Three golden Chinese egg tarts with glossy yellow custard and flaky pastry on a black plate

Cantonese Bakery Classic

Photo: Donatingpictures, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

The Heritage Formulary

Measured Ingredients

Estimated cost: Low — about $1 per tart at home (USD)

Good dan tat has a crisp, golden shell and a custard that is smooth, glossy and just set — never browned on top, bubbled, or soggy underneath.

Execution Methodology & Culinary Technique

Step-by-Step Cooking Guide

Active 1h 25m
P

Prep Stage: Make and Chill the Pastry

30 Mins • Rubbing In and Chilling

Sift the flour with the icing sugar and a pinch of salt, rub in the cold butter until the mixture looks like fine breadcrumbs, then stir in the beaten egg and bring it together into a smooth dough. Wrap and chill for 30 minutes. While it chills, grease a 12-hole tart tin and heat the oven to 200°C (400°F).

Maestro Tip: Keep everything cold — warm butter makes a tough, greasy crust instead of a crisp one.

  1. 1

    Line the Tart Tin

    10 Mins Room temperature, about 20°C (68°F)

    Divide the chilled dough into 12 equal pieces, roll each into a ball and press it into a tart hole, pushing the pastry up the sides to about 5 mm above the rim. Prick the bases lightly with a fork. Chill the lined tin for 10 minutes while you make the custard.

    Press the pastry evenly — thin spots burn and thick spots stay doughy.

    Done when: Each shell is even, with a neat rim just above the tin.

  2. 2

    Make the Custard

    10 Mins Warm, about 60°C (140°F)

    Heat the 250 ml of water with the 100 g of sugar until the sugar dissolves, then cool until just warm. Beat the 3 eggs lightly in a jug, stir in the warm syrup, the evaporated milk, the vanilla and a pinch of salt, and strain the whole mixture twice through a fine sieve into a clean jug. Straining twice is the secret of this chinese egg tarts recipe — it removes every strand of egg white and bubble so the custard sets glassy-smooth.

    Do not whisk the eggs hard — beaten-in air makes bubbles that scar the custard surface.

    Done when: The custard is smooth, lump-free and free of bubbles on the surface.

  3. 3

    Fill and Bake

    25 Mins 200°C (400°F), then 180°C (350°F)

    Pour the custard into the shells, filling each about 90% full. Bake at 200°C (400°F) for 10 minutes until the pastry starts to colour, then lower the heat to 180°C (350°F) and bake for 12 to 15 minutes more until the custard is just set — it should tremble slightly in the centre when the tin is shaken, and the surface should be smooth and glossy with no browning. The egg custard must reach at least 74°C (165°F) throughout.

    If the custard puffs up, the oven is too hot — open the door briefly to let the heat drop.

    Done when: The custard is set with a gentle wobble, the surface is smooth and shiny, and the pastry is golden at the edges.

  4. 4

    Cool and Serve

    10 Mins Warm, about 50°C (122°F)

    Leave the tarts in the tin for 5 minutes, then lift them out carefully and cool on a rack for 5 minutes more. Serve warm, while the pastry is still crisp and the custard is soft.

    Do not leave the tarts in the tin — the steam softens the pastry underneath.

    Done when: The tarts lift out cleanly, the pastry is crisp, and the custard is just warm and silky.

Finishing Touches & Plating

Eat the tarts warm from the oven, while the pastry is crisp and the custard still trembles — a good dan tat needs nothing on top, just a cup of tea beside it.

Nutritional Physiology & Benefits

Nutrition

Energy

208

kcal / serving

Protein

4g

Complete AA

Carbs

26g

Complex

Fats

10g

Healthy

Per serving (12 servings · 1 serving ≈ 72 g)
Energy208 kcal
Protein4 g
Carbohydrates26 g
Fat10 g
Fibre0.5 g
Sugar12.8 g
Sodium63 mg
Per 100g
Energy290 kcal
Protein5.9 g
Carbohydrates35.5 g
Fat13.8 g
Fibre0.6 g
Sugar17.8 g
Sodium87 mg

Nutrition values are estimated — calculated from USDA FoodData Central values for the listed ingredients.

Vitamins & minerals: Vitamin A and B12 (egg and butter), vitamin D (egg yolk), and small amounts of calcium (evaporated milk).

Real Egg Custard

Each tart carries about 4 g of protein from fresh egg, with vitamin A, B12 and vitamin D from the yolks.

Simple, Honest Ingredients

Flour, butter, egg, sugar and milk — no flavourings or preservatives, just a bakery classic made at home.

Naturally Vegetarian

Egg and dairy only, with no gelatine or meat — a vegetarian bakery snack.

Food Pairings

What to Eat With

To optimize nutrient absorption and elevate the sensory depth, pair with these authentic accompaniments:

Drinks

Hong Kong Milk Tea

Strong, milky tea is the classic bakery partner — its bitterness balances the sweet custard.

Jasmine Tea

Light, floral tea refreshes the palate between the rich, buttery tarts.

Full Menus

A Dim Sum Spread

Serve the tarts as the sweet finish to har gow, siu mai and cheung fun — the classic end to a dim sum meal.

Sides

Fresh Fruit

A few slices of mango or papaya add freshness and cut the richness of the butter pastry.

Complete menu

Serve the tarts warm as the sweet finish to a dim sum spread, with Hong Kong milk tea — the classic Cantonese bakery moment.

Digestive Guardrails

What NOT to Combine

To prevent digestive distress, sluggishness, or palate clash, avoid pairing the dish with these elements:

Eating Too Many at Once

One tart is about 208 kcal with about 13 g of sugar — two or three disappear fast, so serve one per person and keep the rest for later. This is general guidance, not medical advice.

Storing in a Sealed Box While Warm

Warm tarts in a closed box go soggy — cool them fully on a rack first, then store loosely covered.

General information only, not medical advice — consult a doctor for personal dietary decisions.

Who Should Eat It

Who Should Eat

  • General adultsA classic bakery snack for most adults — one warm tart with tea is a modest treat.
  • ChildrenVery suitable; children love them, but they are sweet — one tart is enough for a small child.
  • ElderlyA good choice — soft, easy to eat, and best served warm; keep to one tart.
  • Pregnant womenFine to eat; the custard is baked through. Keep to one tart and skip a second sweet.
  • Breastfeeding womenA pleasant snack, but low in protein — it is a treat, not a recovery meal.
  • AthletesA sweet treat — one tart with tea is a fair snack, not a meal.
  • Weight gainA rich choice — take one tart and skip the extra sugar in your tea.
  • Weight lossA sweet, buttery choice — one tart, enjoyed slowly, is the way to have it.

Health Conditions — Adjust or Avoid

Conditions

  • DiabetesOne tart carries about 26 g of carbohydrate and 13 g of sugar — keep to one tart and ask your clinician about sweet bakery snacks.
  • High blood pressureOne tart carries only about 63 mg of sodium — a low amount; the sugar and fat, not the salt, are what to watch.
  • Kidney diseaseLow in sodium and modest in protein — a reasonable occasional treat; ask your clinician about sugar and portion size.
  • GoutEgg yolk is moderately high in purines — a reasonable occasional choice; ask your clinician if you have frequent flare-ups.
  • Stomach issuesSoft and easy on the stomach for most people, though the butter pastry is rich — eat slowly and keep to one tart.
  • Cardiovascular diseaseA reasonable occasional treat — the butter pastry is high in saturated fat, so keep it to one tart.
  • Fatty liverKeep to one tart and skip the extra sugar in your tea; the pastry is energy-dense.
  • Food allergiesContains egg, milk and wheat (gluten) — check the pastry and milk labels if you have an allergy.
  • Special therapeutic dietsA vegetarian bakery snack that suits many therapeutic diets — check with your clinician about sugar, fat and carbohydrate limits.

If you have a medical condition, consult your doctor before changing your diet.

Storage & Use

Storage & Use

How to store
Cool fully on a rack, then store in a loosely covered container — not sealed while warm.
In the fridge
2 days; bring back to room temperature or warm briefly before eating.
In the freezer
1 month, wrapped well; thaw at room temperature.
How to reheat
Warm in a 160°C (320°F) oven for 5 minutes until the pastry crisps again and the custard is hot, 74°C (165°F); do not microwave — it softens the pastry.
Freezing recommended
Yes, if well wrapped — the pastry survives freezing better than the fridge.
Signs it has spoiled
A sour smell from the custard, a soggy base, or pastry that has gone stale and hard.

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