1
Infuse the milk
Heat milk with the cinnamon stick until steaming. Turn off heat and let it infuse briefly, then remove the stick.
infuse
10:00
South Africa | Dessert
Milk Tart
South African milk tart with a sweet pastry shell, creamy milk custard, and cinnamon on top.
Country
South Africa
Region
Southern Africa
Time
70 min
Serves
8
Level
medium
Recipe overview
What to know before you cook
Melktert is the South African milk custard tart that tastes like a quiet afternoon: sweet crust, soft milk filling, and cinnamon on top. It is lighter and milkier than many egg custard pies.
What the dish tastes like
South African milk tart with a sweet pastry shell, creamy milk custard, and cinnamon on top.
When to cook it
Best for Best for tea time, Sunday dessert, birthdays, and make-ahead entertaining., with a medium cooking level and about 70 minutes total.
What to serve alongside it
Rooibos tea, coffee, or fresh fruit.
Regional lane
Braai sides and sweet table. Relishes, custards, puddings, and tea-table desserts.
Chef watch-outs
- Rushing the base before the raw edge has cooked out.
- Adding all seasoning early and forgetting to adjust at the end.
- Cooking on heat that is too high once the dish should be steaming or simmering.
How you know it is ready
- The aroma should smell rounded rather than raw or sharp.
- Oil, sauce, broth, or steam should look settled and deliberate.
- The final texture should match the dish style before you plate it.
Pantry lane
curry powder, apricot jam, chakalaka, mince, custard
Recipe photos
See the dish before you cook
Each recipe supports one main image and up to four extra prep, serving, or step photos when they are available.
Chef board
Build the table around Milk Tart
Rooibos tea, coffee, or fresh fruit.
Best route from here
Braai sides and sweet table
Collections to keep cooking
How to cook it
Step-by-step method
Keep the rhythm calm, watch the texture, and adjust seasoning at the end.
4 steps
70 min total
medium
2
Mix the custard
Whisk sugar, eggs, cornstarch, flour, and salt until smooth. Slowly whisk in hot milk.
temper eggs
05:00
3
Cook until thick
Return custard to the pot and cook over medium-low heat, whisking constantly, until thick and glossy. Stir in butter and vanilla.
Whisk the corners of the pot so no starch clumps hide there.
cook custard
10:00
4
Fill and chill
Pour custard into the pastry shell, dust with cinnamon, and chill until set before slicing.
chill
180:00
Some versions bake the custard in the shell, while others cook the custard first and set it in a blind-baked crust.