Egg Tart (蛋撻) – Hong Kong Egg Tarts with Shortcrust Pastry

Dan tat is what egg tarts are called in Hong Kong. Bakeries and dim sum restaurants sell them warm from the oven. The filling of eggs, sugar water and unsweetened evaporated milk sets smooth and glossy yellow, without brown spots. Underneath is a butter shortcrust that breaks when you bite into it.

By Laura Chen · November 4, 2026

1 Std 7 Mintotal

12servings

190kcal

ChineseCuisine ›

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Pastéis de nata from Portugal look similar. For them, you bake a flour-thickened cream custard in puff pastry at 250 °C until the surface gets dark spots. You bake dan tat at lower heat, first at 200 °C and then at 170 °C. Pass the egg mixture through a sieve twice and prick air bubbles with a toothpick. This keeps the surface mirror smooth. When you take them out, the filling may jiggle slightly in the middle, and it firms up as it cools.

The same egg custard is steamed in the buns for Nai Huang Bao. Set with caramel, you know it as Bánh Flan from Vietnam. On the dim sum table, the tarts sit next to Har Gow.

Image: AI-generated.

Egg Tart (蛋撻) – Hong Kong Egg Tarts with Shortcrust Pastry

Name: Egg Tart (蛋撻) – Hong Kong Egg Tarts with Shortcrust Pastry
Prep time: 45 min
Cook time: 22 min
Total time: 1 h 7 min
Yield: 12
Cuisine: Chinese
Ingredients: 200 g all-purpose flour (Type 405); 100 g cold butter, cubed; 40 g powdered sugar; 1 egg (size M); 1 pinch salt; 150 ml hot water; 80 g sugar; 3 eggs (size M); 80 ml unsweetened evaporated milk (7.5% fat); 1/2 tsp vanilla extract

Laura Chen

Servings

Prep time

45 minutes

Cook time

22 minutes

Calories

190

Cuisine

Chinese

Ingredients

For the shortcrust:

200 g all-purpose flour (Type 405)
100 g cold butter, cubed
40 g powdered sugar
1 egg (size M)
1 pinch salt

For the filling:

150 ml hot water
80 g sugar
3 eggs (size M)
80 ml unsweetened evaporated milk (7.5% fat)
1/2 tsp vanilla extract

Instructions

Rub the flour, butter, powdered sugar and salt together with your fingers into crumbs. Add the egg and knead for 1 minute into a smooth dough. Wrap it in plastic and chill it for 30 minutes.
Dissolve the sugar in the hot water and let the sugar water cool to room temperature.
Whisk the eggs with a fork without beating in foam. Stir in the sugar water, evaporated milk and vanilla and pass the mixture through a fine sieve twice.
Preheat the oven to 200 °C (400 °F) top and bottom heat. Divide the dough into 12 pieces and press each into a greased tartlet mold of 7 cm, with the edge standing 2 mm above.
Fill the molds nine-tenths full with the egg mixture and prick any bubbles on the surface with a toothpick.
Bake the tarts for 10 minutes at 200 °C (400 °F). Turn down to 170 °C (340 °F) and bake for 12 more minutes, until the filling wobbles slightly in the center. If the filling bubbles, open the oven door a crack.
Let the tarts cool for 10 minutes in the molds, then lift them out and serve them lukewarm.

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Egg Tart (蛋撻) – Hong Kong Egg Tarts with Shortcrust Pastry

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Egg Tart (蛋撻) – Hong Kong Egg Tarts with Shortcrust Pastry

Ingredients

For the shortcrust:

For the filling:

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