Kirbie's Cravings

Chinese Egg Tarts

stack of two egg tarts with several more in the background

I love Chinese egg tarts. It’s one of my favorite things to get from Chinese bakeries. The sweet pastry shell complements the egg custard so well.

They aren’t too hard to make, but it is a little time consuming since you have to shape the individual tart shells.

Then I saw a recipe posted by Christine’s recipes for a Hong Kong style egg tart. Her egg tarts were picture perfect. I followed her recipe and her tips and this time my egg tarts came out much better.

close-up overhead view of one egg tart

The two things that really made a difference were: 1) run the egg custard mix through a sieve first to get out all the bubbles that appear from mixing (I actually ran it through once and then there were still some bubbles so I scooped a few times with the sieve until I got rid of all the bubbles) and 2) let the egg tarts cook for the last few minutes with the oven slightly open.

These egg tarts are just the way I like them. Egg tarts come with two different pastry shells. One is a hard crust, similar to a fruit tart crust. The other is a flaky crust. I prefer the harder crust, which is harder to find now. This recipe uses the hard crust I like. These came out exactly like the ones I like to buy, so I am pretty happy with the result.
several egg tarts on a round marble board

More Chinese Recipes

Chinese Egg Tarts

Servings: 9 tarts
Prep Time: 40 minutes
Cook Time: 30 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour 10 minutes
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: Chinese
One of my favorite sweet treats from Chinese bakeries is cute little egg tarts, which are individual-sized custards baked in a crunchy sweet pastry crust. This recipe is in the style of Hong Kong egg tarts and are very similar to the ones I find in bakeries.

Ingredients

  • 225 g plain flour
  • 125 g unsalted butter softened
  • 55 g icing sugar
  • 1 egg whisked
  • a dash of vanilla extract

For the Custard

  • 2 eggs
  • 73 g caster sugar
  • 150 g hot water
  • 57 g evaporated milk
  • 1/2 tsp vanilla extract

Instructions

  • Preheat oven to 400F. Grease your egg tartlet molds and place onto baking sheet.
  • To make the tart crusts, first cream the butter and sugar with an electric mixer set at a medium speed until the mixture is smooth, fluffy, and light in color. Adjust the mixer speed to low and add the egg in two batches only adding the second batch once the first one is incorporated. Add the vanilla and mix until combined. Add the flour and continue mixing until a dough is formed.
  • Take a chunk of dough and put into an egg tartlet mold. Using your fingers, press and spread the dough into the mold until it fully covers the inside of the mold. The bottom of each tart shell should be thinner with the top edge slightly thicker.
  • While the oven preheats, make the custard. Heat the water in a small saucepan until it's hot but not boiling. Add the sugar and stir until the sugar is dissolved. Remove the pan from the heat to cool.
  • In a large bowl, whisk the egg and evaporated milk until combined. Add the cooled sugar water and mix with an electric mixer set to a low speed until the mixture is frothy with little bubbles. Place a fine mesh strainer over a bowl and strain the mixture. The mixture should be completely smooth with no bubbles.
  • Spoon the custard into the tart molds. Transfer the tarts to the oven and bake them for 10 to 15 minutes or until the edges are lightly browned. Lower the heat to 350F (180C) and bake the tarts for 10 to 15 minutes or until the custard has lightly puffed in the center. Open the oven door one to two inches and bake the tarts until they are cooked through.

Notes

Recipe adapted from Christine's Recipes

The nutrition information provided are only estimates based on an online nutritional calculator. I am not a certified nutritionist. Please consult a professional nutritionist or doctor for accurate information and any dietary restrictions and concerns you may have.

Did you make this recipe?I'd love to see it! Mention @KirbieCravings and tag #kirbiecravings!

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3 comments on “Chinese Egg Tarts”

  1. It seems that they need a little bit more time in the oven : )

  2. oh i love this too!! can never get enough of it at the chinese shops!