The holiday season is rapidly approaching, and if you're an avid foodie like me, you might be wondering what mouthwatering, festive baked goods you can make this year. These old fashioned, melt-in-your-mouth Canadian butter tarts are a combination of flaky, buttery pastry and sticky, sweet filling.
There's such a huge selection of tarts, from pecan to cranberry, that butter tarts are often overlooked. But come Christmas, these are definitely on my baking list alongside the Christmas cake pops and homemade Christmas cookies! My mom made these every year when I was a kid and we always looked forward to them.
Rather than buying pre-made mini tart shells, this recipe gives you easy instructions on making the actual pastry (although you can use those too if you're in a pinch).
The recipe is made without corn syrup, the filling sweetened instead with maple syrup, brown sugar, and the chewy addition of raisins.
You can bake a ton of these little bite-sized pastries in preparation for family gatherings and holiday parties. They freeze quite well, sometimes even tasting better when cold.
Jump to:
What are Butter Tarts?
Butter tarts are a dessert consisting of a mini tart pastry filled with a dark golden, sweet and gooey filling that sometimes includes raisins. Did you know that they are traditionally Canadian? That explains the maple syrup!
Ingredients
- maple syrup - It's best to use real Canadian maple syrup, not the kind with added sugar.
- flour - Your best option is cake and pastry flour for a nice, flaky crust but all-purpose is great too.
- raisins - Raisins are totally optional as I know not everyone is a fan but I personally can't go without them. You can also add some chopped pecans if desired.
*Check recipe card for ingredient amounts.
How to Make Butter Tarts
Step 1. Make the filling. Combine the filling ingredients in a bowl.
Step 2. Make the pastry. Combine the pastry ingredients and then knead until soft and smooth.
Step 3. Roll out the dough. Roll the dough out and cut 12 circles with a 3.5" circular cookie cutter.
Step 4. Transfer to muffin tin. Transfer the dough discs to a greased muffin tin.
Chef's Note: The dough should go up the sides about 2 cm (or ¾ inches) from the bottom.
Step 5. Add raisins. Drop a few raisins into each tart shell.
Step 6. Add filling. Pour the filling over the raisins into each tart.
Step 7. Bake. Bake in a 425ºF oven for about 15 minutes, until the filling is set and the pastry is golden. Let them cool.
Step 8. Serve. Remove them from the pan. Serve the Canadian butter tarts.
Joss' Top Tip
If you're looking for an easy cheat, buy premade, mini tart shells. Then you simply have to make the filling and bake them in the oven. You can find the unbaked tart shells in the freezer section of the grocery store.
Canadian Butter Tarts FAQs
Some say because the filling is so wonderfully sweet, the apple cider vinegar helps balance it out for a rustic, full-bodied, tangy flavor. In the pastry itself, the vinegar helps to provide a tender, flaky crust by slightly inhibiting gluten development. It also prevents the dough from oxidizing.
Some people like a runny filling, but if you want a firmer filling, just add another egg.
You can store homemade Canadian butter tarts at room temperature in an airtight container for up to 2 days, in the fridge for 5 days or in the freezer for 3 months. If freezing, make sure to wrap them individually and place in a freezer bag or freezer-safe container. Thaw in the fridge.
It's important to leave room at the top of the pastry. Do not overfill.
More Tasty Holiday Treats
Do you like your tarts runny or firm? With or without raisins?! If you tried this Canadian Butter Tarts Recipe or any other recipe on my website, please leave a 🌟 star rating and let me know how it went in the 📝 comments below. And please share the recipe!
📋Recipe
Canadian Butter Tarts
Ingredients
Butter Tart Filling
- ⅔ cup brown sugar
- ¼ cup unsalted butter - melted
- 1 egg
- ⅓ cup maple syrup
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
- ⅓ cup raisins - optional
Pastry
- 1 ¾ cups flour - either cake and pastry flour or all purpose
- 1 pinch salt
- ½ cup unsalted butter - melted
- ¼ cup cold water
- 1 egg yolk
- 1 teaspoon white vinegar
Instructions
- Combine the brown sugar, melted butter, egg, maple syrup, vanilla extract and apple cider vinegar thoroughly. Reserve.⅔ cup brown sugar, ¼ cup unsalted butter, 1 egg, ⅓ cup maple syrup, 1 teaspoon vanilla extract, 1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
- Preheat oven to 425ºF. In a large mixing bowl, combine flour and salt. Add the butter and mix with a wooden spoon until partially blended. Add water, egg yolk and vinegar and continue combining with the wooden spoon. Once it's easy to manipulate, knead with your hands a bit, just until a soft and smooth dough ball forms.1 ¾ cups flour, 1 pinch salt, ½ cup unsalted butter, ¼ cup cold water, 1 egg yolk, 1 teaspoon white vinegar
- Use a rolling pin to spread the dough out over a clean, floured surface. Cut out 12 circles with a 3.5" round cutter (3.75" will work too). You will have to gather up the scraps and roll it out again.
- Oil a muffin tray and place the dough discs inside. They should be placed at the bottom and slightly up the edges (about ¾ inches/2 cm high). Place a few raisins in each tart.⅓ cup raisins
- Pour the brown sugar mixture over the raisins into each tart, leaving some room at the top of the pastry.
- Bake for around 15 minutes or until the filling is set and the pastry is golden. Let them cool before removing from the muffin tin.
- Serve and enjoy! They can be served warm or cold, whatever you prefer.
Equipment
Notes
- Storage: You can store them at room temperature in an airtight container for up to 2 days, in the fridge for 5 days or in the freezer for 3 months. If freezing, make sure to wrap them individually and place in a freezer bag or freezer-safe container. Thaw in the fridge.
- Filling consistency: Some people like a runny filling, but if you want a firmer filling, just add another egg.
- Tart shell cheat: If you're looking for an easy cheat, buy premade, mini tart shells. Then you simply have to make the filling and bake them in the oven. You can find the unbaked tart shells in the freezer section of the grocery store.
Nutrition
Nutrition information on In the Kitch is provided as a courtesy and is an estimate only. It may not include toppings and/or sauces.
Joss says
I love that they are sweetened with maple syrup and the texture is perfect, so yummy!