Melktert

Name: Melktert
Prep time: 30 min
Cook time: 30 min
Total time: 60 min
Yield: 8 servings
Cuisine: South African
Ingredients: Pastry: 200g flour, 100g cold butter, 1 egg yolk, 2 tbsp ice water, pinch salt; Filling: 1L full-cream milk, 1 cinnamon stick, 3 tbsp butter, 4 tbsp flour, 4 tbsp cornflour, 150g sugar, 4 eggs separated, 1 tsp vanilla extract; Ground cinnamon for dusting

Melktert (MELK-tart)

Milk Tart

⏱ Prep Time 1 hour

📈 Difficulty Medium

👥 Servings

🔥 Calories 290 kcal

A silky, cinnamon-dusted custard set in a crisp shortcrust pastry shell — a beloved South African dessert of Dutch heritage, delicate and comforting.

Nutrition & Info

Protein 7.0g

Carbs 34.0g

Fat 14.0g

Protein Carbs Fat

Dietary

vegetarian nut-free

Allergen Warnings

⚠ gluten ⚠ dairy ⚠ eggs

Equipment Needed

tart tin (26cm) saucepan whisk rolling pin

Presentation Guide

Vessel: ceramic tart dish

Garnishes: ground cinnamon, icing sugar

Accompaniments: rooibos tea

Ingredients

Pastry: 200g flour, 100g cold butter, 1 egg yolk, 2 tbsp ice water, pinch salt
Filling: 1L full-cream milk, 1 cinnamon stick, 3 tbsp butter, 4 tbsp flour, 4 tbsp cornflour, 150g sugar, 4 eggs separated, 1 tsp vanilla extract
Ground cinnamon for dusting

Instructions

1
Make pastry: rub butter into flour and salt until crumbly. Add egg yolk and water, form dough. Chill 30 minutes.
2
Roll out pastry, line a greased tart tin, and blind bake at 180°C (350°F) for 15 minutes.
3
Heat milk with the cinnamon stick until just simmering. Remove cinnamon stick.
4
Melt butter, stir in flour and cornflour to make a roux. Gradually whisk in hot milk until smooth and thick.
5
Remove from heat. Beat sugar and egg yolks together, stir into the custard with vanilla. Fold in stiffly beaten egg whites.
6
Pour filling into the pre-baked shell. Bake at 180°C for 15 minutes until just set. Dust generously with ground cinnamon.

💡

Did You Know?

South Africa celebrates National Melktert Day on February 27th, the same date as the country's National Braai Day — both honoring iconic elements of South African food culture.

Chef's Notes

Equipment Tips

tart tin (26cm)
saucepan
whisk
rolling pin

Garnishing

ground cinnamon, icing sugar

Accompaniments

rooibos tea

The Story Behind Melktert

Melktert arrived at the Cape with Dutch settlers in the 17th century, adapted from the Dutch melktaart. The South African version evolved to be lighter and more delicate, with a higher ratio of milk to egg. It became a staple of Cape Malay and Afrikaner home baking traditions.

🕐 Traditionally enjoyed afternoon tea or dessert 📜 Origins: 17th century Cape Dutch

Comments (0)

No comments yet. Be the first to share your thoughts!