Butter Tarts

Enjoy this Canadian classic homemade Butter Tarts recipe with it's flaky pastry and rich caramel-style filling. There is a reason these are popular in the Great White North and once you bite into one you'll know why!!

Whether you're a fan of classic Canadian desserts or simply looking for a decadent and easy-to-make dessert, Butter Tarts are sure to become a new favorite! Enjoy the irresistible combination of buttery pastry and gooey filling and experience the delightful taste of butter tarts!

History of Butter Tarts

Canada's beloved Butter Tart is a delightful dessert that combines elements of American Pecan Pie, Sugar Pie, Shoofly Pie, British Treacle Tart and others. Delight in the distinctively Canadian flavors and unique filling that sets the Butter Tart apart from its counterparts.

Dating back to the early 1900s, this small and unassuming individual tarts with its signature raisin filling has become an integral part of Ontario's cuisine, evoking a deep sense of passion and connection to the region's heritage. 

Ingredients and substitutions for Butter Tarts

• Plain flour: This is the best option for that flaky pastry, cake flour is not recommended here and if you live in the UK, see the FAQ's section as to a the type of flour to use here. 
• Butter: Cold and cubed helps you press it into your flour quickly. Make sure that butter is fully coated with flour so no puddles form during baking. Unsalted was used here as this is fresher than salted, however, you could absolutely substitute salted butter here. 
• Ice water: Ice water gives our dough that flaky texture!
• Apple Cider Vinegar: The acidity in the vinegar helps give our pastry the flaky texture and offsets the sweetness in the filling.
• Brown sugar, maple syrup and corn syrup: The three types of sweetener add a depth of flavor to give the tarts that gooey texture. The brown sugar could be substituted with raw sugar.
• Eggs: As well as adding structure to the filling, the eggs will bind everything together so are essential.
• Raisins: A traditional ingredient in the butter tarts, you can omit, if you prefer.

See recipe card for quantities.

How to make Butter Tarts:

Step 1: Begin your pastry: Place the flour and salt into a bowl, stirring and then incorporating the cubed butter until it resembles large breadcrumbs.

Step 2: Add the wet ingredients: The egg yolk, apple cider vinegar and portion of ice water are added to the flour to form your dough until it holds together.

Step 3: Shape: Into a disc, cover and refrigerate before rolling out to ¼ inch thickness.

Step 4: Cut and shape: Cut out the tarts to fit into your tart or muffin tin and carefully press each pastry into the tin, removing any excess dough.

Step 5: Freeze: Place the pastry into your freezer and preheat your oven.

Step 6: Prepare the pastry for baking: Cover each of the pastry cases with aluminum foil and fill with baking beans or rice.

Step 7: Bake: Bake the pastry with baking beans and after 15 minutes, remove the beans and foil and bake until golden brown.

Step 8: Make your filling: Place the butter and sugar into a bowl and beat with an electric mixer until pale before adding in the syrups.

Step 9: And the rest: The vanilla extract, apple cider vinegar, salt and eggs are added and combined until smooth.

Step 10: Raisin time: A few raisins are tossed into each of the tart shells.

Step 11: Fillin it up: Pour the filling into the pastries evenly.

Step 12: Bake: Place into the oven and bake until golden and the tart filling is no longer jiggly in the center.

Step 13: Cool: Remove from the oven and allow to cool fully.

Step 14: Serve up: And dig in!

FAQ's for the best Butter Tarts

More tarts you'll enjoy

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Lemon Meringue Pie

Treacle Tart

Butter Tarts

Sylvie Taylor

From the first bite of a homemade Butter Tart you can begin to understand how amazing this Canadian recipe is from the homemade pastry that is flaky to the golden brown lightly caramelized filling will have you wishing you baked a double batch!

5 from 1 vote

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 1 hour hr

Cook Time 40 minutes mins

Chill time 2 hours hrs

Total Time 3 hours hrs 40 minutes mins

Course Snack

Cuisine Canadian

Servings 18

Calories 236 kcal

Ingredients

  

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Pastry

• 257 grams / 1 ½ cups + 2 tablespoons plain flour
• ½ teaspoon sea salt
• 75 grams / 5 tablespoons + 1 teaspoon cold butter cubed
• 18 grams / 1 large egg yolk room temperature
• 5 grams / 1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
• 80 milliliters / ⅓ cup ice water

Filling

• 28 grams / 2 tablespoons butter softened
• 100 grams / ½ cup brown sugar
• 79 grams / ⅓ cup maple syrup
• 85 grams / ¼ cup corn syrup
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 5 grams / 1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
• ¼ teaspoon sea or kosher salt
• 110 grams / 2 large eggs room temperature
• 80 grams / ½ cup raisins

Instructions

 

Pastry

• Place the flour and salt in a bowl and stir to combine.
• Add in the cubed butter and with a pastry cutter or fork, knead the butter into the flour until the mixture resembles large breadcrumbs.
• Make a well in the center and add in the egg yolk, apple cider vinegar and ? cup of the ice water and mix until a dough begins to form, adding a tablespoon amount of ice water at a time, as needed, for the mixture to hold when pressed together.
• Shape into a disc shape, cover and refrigerate for minimum of 1 hour, until well chilled.
• Once the dough is well chilled, remove from the fridge and place onto a lightly floured surface.
• Roll the pastry out to ¼ inch thickness and with a pastry or round cookie cutter, to fit into your tart or muffin tin.
• Press into your pans firmly from the base upwards. Cut away any excess dough that sits well above the muffin cups.
• Place in the freezer for a minimum of 30 minutes.
• Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 180°C/360F.
• Cover the frozen tarts with aluminum foil and fill with baking beans or rice right up to the top edge of your pastries.
• Place in the oven and bake for approximately 15 minutes, remove the foil and beans or rice and cook for a further 10 minutes until golden.
• Remove and allow to cool to room temperature.

Filling

• Meanwhile, to make the filling cream the butter and brown sugar until pale, approximately 3 minutes with a hand mixer.
• Add the maple and corn syrup's and beat until combined, approximately 30 seconds.
• Add your vanilla extract, apple cider vinegar, salt, and eggs and beat on medium until well combined, approximately 1 minute with a hand mixer.
• Place a few raisins into each of the pastry shells and then pour the runny filling over the top.
• Bake in the oven until golden and no longer jiggly, approximately 15 minutes.
• Remove and allow to cool in the tin until it's cool enough to handle.
• Carefully remove from the tins and place on a rack until fully cooled.
• Serve at room temperature.
• Enjoy!

Video

Notes

• Flour in the UK: Plain flour in the UK has a lower protein amount which contributes to the dough strength, type of crumb and texture of your pastry, in this case. Plain flour in the Unites States, for example, has the same level of protein as Bread flour in the UK. The best flour to use here will be 220 grams / 1 ½ cups + 2 tablespoons bread flour. This will help you ensure a flaky pastry and making it easier to shape without being flimsy which is often the feeling of unbaked dough.
• Apple Cider Vinegar: The acidity in the vinegar helps give our pastry the flaky texture and offsets the sweetness in the filling.
• Brown sugar, maple syrup and corn syrup: The three types of sweetener add a depth of flavor to give the tarts that gooey texture. The brown sugar could be substituted with raw sugar.
• Baking time: The baking time is for 1 regular muffin tray, for the full recipe it will be 1 hour 20 minutes of total baking time.
• Muffin tin: Your tarts are best made in a standard muffin pan.
• Make these your own: One of the best things about this tart recipe is that you can customize the fillings to your liking. You can opt for store-bought pie crusts or rather pastry. For the filling, traditional raisins or chopped nuts are great, but you can get creative and add ingredients like pecans, chocolate chips, or even dried cranberries.

Adapted from Canadian Living and Baking Obsession

Nutrition

Calories: 236kcal

Keyword caramel, pastry

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