Portuguese Desserts: 20 Sweets to Try (and Where)

Portugal has one of the sweetest food cultures in Europe. Many of its desserts were invented in convents, where nuns used up leftover egg yolks (the whites were used to starch clothes and clarify wine). The result is a world of golden custards, sponges and almond sweets. Here are the Portuguese desserts you have to try, and where to find the best.

Quick answer: start with a warm pastel de nata, then try travesseiros and queijadas in Sintra, ovos moles in Aveiro, pão de ló (sponge cake), arroz doce (rice pudding), serradura and bolo de bolacha. On the beach, buy a bola de Berlim; in autumn, roasted chestnuts; at Christmas, bolo rei.

The classics

Pastel de nata

The famous custard tart: flaky pastry, caramelised custard, cinnamon on top. The original recipe has been baked in Belém since 1837, where the tarts are called pastéis de Belém. Eat them warm, on the day they’re made. See the best pastel de nata in Lisbon.

Arroz doce

Creamy rice pudding flavoured with lemon and cinnamon, often decorated with cinnamon patterns. A family favourite at every celebration.

Pão de ló

Portuguese sponge cake. The version from Ovar is protected (IGP), and in Alfeizerão, near Óbidos, they make it gooey and half-baked in the middle.

Bolo de bolacha

Layers of Maria biscuits dipped in coffee and buttercream. Simple, homely and delicious.

Serradura

“Sawdust pudding”: whipped cream layered with crushed biscuits. A favourite in Portugal and Macau.

Toucinho do céu

“Bacon from heaven”: a rich almond and egg-yolk cake from the convents (traditionally made with lard, hence the name).

Leite-creme and pudim

Leite-creme is a lemony custard with a burnt sugar top, like crème brûlée. Pudim flan is a set caramel custard on almost every restaurant menu. Look out for pudim Abade de Priscos from near Braga, an old recipe made with egg yolks, port and a little bacon fat.

Mousse de chocolate and baba de camelo

Two everyday restaurant desserts. Baba de camelo (“camel’s drool”) is a sticky caramel mousse made from condensed milk and eggs. It tastes far better than it sounds.

Regional specialities

• Travesseiros and queijadas (Sintra): puff pastry “pillows” filled with almond cream, and little cheese tarts. Piriquita, founded in 1862, is the place. See visiting Sintra.
• Ovos moles (Aveiro): sweet egg-yolk filling in wafer shells shaped like fish and shells, a protected local product. See Aveiro.
• Pastel de Tentúgal (near Coimbra): paper-thin pastry filled with egg cream. See Coimbra.
• Pastel de Santa Clara (Coimbra): a half-moon pastry filled with egg and almond, from the city’s convents.
• Pastéis de feijão (Torres Vedras): little tarts made with white beans, almonds and egg. You can’t taste the beans.
• Sericaia (Alentejo): a fluffy, cinnamon-dusted egg pudding, traditionally served with sugared Elvas plums. See Alentejo food.
• Dom Rodrigo (Algarve): golden threads of egg yolk and almond, wrapped in colourful foil.
• Doces de amêndoa (Algarve): marzipan shaped like fruits and animals, plus Morgado, a richer almond and fig cake.
• Madeira: bolo de mel, a dark, spiced cake made with sugar-cane honey, which keeps for months and makes a good gift. The island also makes its own queijadas.

Seasonal treats

• Bola de Berlim: custard-filled doughnuts sold by beach vendors all summer.
• Castanhas assadas: roasted chestnuts from smoky street carts in autumn and winter.
• Bolo rei: the Christmas “king cake” with candied fruit. See Christmas in Portugal.
• Folar: the Easter bread, sweet or savoury depending on the region.
• Sonhos and rabanadas: fried doughs and Portuguese French toast at Christmas.
• Bolo rainha: the “queen cake”, a Christmas version of bolo rei with nuts and dried fruit but no candied fruit, for people who pick the green bits out.
• Malasadas (Madeira and the Azores): sugared fried doughnuts, eaten especially around Carnival.

Where to try them

• Lisbon: Confeitaria Nacional (since 1829) and Pastelaria Versailles for classic pastry shops.
• Porto: Confeitaria do Bolhão, and Manteigaria by the Bolhão market.
• Anywhere: a local pastelaria with a bica (espresso) at the counter. See the Portuguese coffee guide.

Tips

• Morning and mid-afternoon are when pastry shops are busiest and the cakes freshest. Locals often stop for a lanche (afternoon snack) around 5pm.
• Stand at the counter: it’s usually cheaper than sitting at a table.
• Taking them home: egg-based sweets don’t keep long. Bolo de mel, boxed ovos moles and doces de amêndoa travel better. See Portugal souvenirs.
• Ask for the house dessert: doce da casa is often homemade and the best thing on the menu.

Want to bake your own? See pastel de nata classes, or try a Lisbon food tour. More: what to eat in Portugal and what to eat in Porto.

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