Korean Egg Tart Recipe (Light, Creamy, and Easy!)

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There’s something comforting about a dessert that doesn’t try too hard — and that’s what I love about Korean egg tarts.

They’re simple: a flaky pastry base filled with a soft, silky custard that’s just sweet enough. These are the kinds of treats you’ll find in Korean bakeries tucked between melon pan and castella cake — humble, golden, and quietly perfect with a cup of tea.

What sets them apart from the Portuguese-style pastel de nata is their gentleness. Less sugar and a filling that feels more like a whisper than a punch. You don’t eat just one. You eat one… then walk past the tray again five minutes later and pretend it’s your first.

Korean Egg Tarts

Crust
• 2 cups plain flour
• 1/4 cup powdered sugar
• 1 cup butter
• 1 egg, beaten
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 1 pinch salt

Filling
• 4 eggs, beaten
• 1 pinch salt
• 2/3 cup sugar
• 3/4 cup evaporated milk
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 3/4 cup heavy cream
You will also need:
• 1 Tbsp melted butter or neutral tasting oil for cooking (This is to prepare the pan)
• Basic Cupcake pan

Takes 45 minutes, serves 12 tarts.

Crust
• 1. Mix all the flour, powdered sugar and salt together ingredients in a large bowl.
• 2. Cut the butter into the flour and mix together until a sandy consistency.
• 3. In a different bowl, beat the egg and vanilla extract together.
• 4. Add the egg mixture to the flour mixture. Knead until stiff dough.
• 5. Grease the cupcake pan with the melted butter, oil, or cooking spray. I used the wrapper from the sticks of butter.
• 6. Roll the dough into 1 in. balls. Press a ball into each cupcake cup. Spread it evenly onto the bottom and line the sides of each cup.
• 7. Place the prepared tin in the freezer for 15 minutes
• 8. Preheat your oven at 480 degrees.
Filling
• 9. In a separate bowl, beat the 4 eggs.
• 10. Beat in the sugar, salt, vanilla extract, and evaporated milk.
• 11. Warm the heavy cream (45 seconds in the microwave).
• 12. Slowly whisk the warm heavy cream into the egg mixture.
• 13. Strain the liquid to make sure there are no lumps.
• 14. Once ready, remove the cupcake tin from the freezer and fill the cups.
• 15. Bake the tarts at 480 degrees for 15 minutes. Checking regularly. Once the filling has puffed up completely and the tarts start to brown, reduce the heat to 450 degrees for 10 minutes or until the egg mixture seems cooked through. Not that the edges of the shell will become dark. Once they are cooked, remove from the oven and let cool before removing from pan. Enjoy.

💬 Why I Love These

They’re quick to throw together, adaptable, and elegant in their simplicity. I love keeping a few in the fridge for impromptu dessert moments — which, in this house, tend to happen more often than planned.

Here’s your next favorite: Hodugwaja – Korean Walnut Cakes. Soft, nutty, and so snackable.

More Korean Recipes You Might Like

• Kimbap (Korean Seaweed Rice Rolls) – A classic picnic dish packed with flavor.

• Tteokbokki – Chewy rice cakes in spicy-sweet gochujang sauce.