South African Milk Tart Recipe

It’s time to travel abroad and dive into the culturally-inspired South African dessert known as milk tart, or “melktart,” as it’s known locally. This ooey-gooey goodness is made up of a sweet homemade pastry crust and a creamy custard filling. And this rich heritage dessert wouldn’t be complete without fresh cinnamon and some sugar generously sprinkled on top. The result? A little slice of heaven!

A Rich Heritage

Melktart has a deep-rooted history that traces back to the 1600s when Dutch settlers first arrived in Cape Town, South Africa. While in South Africa, you will often see this recipe used for birthdays, an after-dinner dessert, or, of course, with a favorite afternoon tea. Each family has their own recipe which has been passed down from one generation to the next, many of which don’t have precise measurements and weights and were simply shared orally with each other over many family preparations.
Another element of this dessert that I adore is the beauty in its preparation. You will find milk tart made in tart pans, pie plates, and even mini bite-size tartlets. I love the raw edges that reveal themselves when pressing the dough into the plate – fingerprints intertwined with the love that goes into the making of this favorite.

South African Melktart Recipe

I spent much time researching, digging into, and trying variations of this wondrous creation. After much “try and try again,” I came up with the perfect balance of a flaky, slightly sweetened, and delicate crust that pairs superbly with the most amazing custard. This custard is unlike any other and loved even by my young children. The entire dessert was gone in one afternoon after sharing with friends and family over tea and laughter!
I found the trick was following the recommendation of some milk tart recipes which called for infusing the milk, sugar, vanilla bean, and egg mixture on the stove with a fresh cinnamon stick. Even with the heavy dose of cinnamon topping, the cinnamon stick brought out such an element of flavor that it seemed irresponsible not to name this as my new go-to dessert recipe.
Quick tip: This recipe calls for half an egg. For those of you wondering, “How do I use just half an egg?” the answer is quite simple. I whipped up one egg individually and ball-parked half. This works just fine for a recipe like this one; some others require more of a precise weight. For those types of recipes, or if you’re more along the Type A side of the spectrum like I am, you can whip up an egg, weigh it using your kitchen scale (in grams), and divide in half to know the exact weight you must put back in to the recipe.

A Perfect Pair

Several teas that pair splendidly with this divine dessert have South African-grown ingredients: honeybush and rooibos. There are three different caffeine free teas that I am excited to share with you that pair well with this dessert, no matter the occasion or time of day. After all, who needs a reason to have tea and dessert? Certainly not me!
The first of this trio is our Buttery Shortbread herbal tea. This cuppa pairs great with milk for an added touch of creaminess. I especially love the feeling as it graces my taste buds: smooth, slightly buttery, and just the right amount of sweet.
The second is Vanilla Creme herbal tea. I love the sweet surrender and simplicity of this tea…and, oh, does it sing with that amazing vanilla bean flavor, which is perfect with milk tart.
Wrapping up our trio is Toasted Nut Brulee oolong. This tea is probably my favorite of the three as it adds a level of complexity with all its nutty goodness – a blend of hazelnut, chestnut, almond, and walnut.
No matter which you choose, you surely won’t be disappointed!