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    In the Kitch » Recipes » Dessert

    Updated: Jan 22, 2024 · Published: Dec 2, 2019 by Joss Dyckson · This post may contain affiliate links ·

    How To Make Butter Tarts

    Jump to Recipe

    The holiday season is rapidly approaching, and if you’re an avid foodie like me, you might be wondering what mouthwatering baked goods you can make this year. This old fashioned, melt-in-your-mouth butter tart pastry is a combination of flaky, buttery crust and firm, saccharine filling.

    Butter tarts on a white plate and baking rack.

    The recipe is made without corn syrup, the filling sweetened instead with maple syrup, brown sugar, and the chewy addition of raisins. Let’s get baking.

    Jump to:
    • Step #1. Prepare Ingredients & Tools
    • Step #2. Make the Butter Tart Filling
    • Step #3. Make the Butter Tart Pastry
    • Step #4. Roll the Dough Out & Cut Out Circles
    • Step #5. Place Dough Discs in Muffin Tray
    • Step #6. Sprinkle in Some Raisins
    • Step #7. Add the Brown Sugar Mixture
    • Step #8. Bake the Butter Tarts
    • Step #9. Serve & Enjoy
    • 📋Recipe

    Step #1. Prepare Ingredients & Tools

    Butter tart ingredients prepped on white background.

    Filling:

    • ⅔ cup brown sugar
    • ¼ cup unsalted butter, melted
    • 1 egg
    • ⅓ cup maple syrup
    • 1 tsp. vanilla extract
    • 1 tsp. apple cider vinegar
    • ⅓ cup raisins

    Pastry:

    • 1 ½ cups flour
    • Pinch of salt
    • ½ cup unsalted butter, melted
    • ¼ cup cold water
    • 1 egg yolk
    • 1 tsp. white vinegar

    Tools:

    • Muffin pan
    • Baking rack
    • Rolling pin
    • 4" round cookie cutter

    Step #2. Make the Butter Tart Filling

    Butter and brown sugar in a bowl, whisk on the side, white background.

    Mix brown sugar, melted butter, egg, maple syrup, vanilla extract and apple cider vinegar thoroughly. Reserve.

    Butter, eggs and brown sugar in a bowl, whisk on the side, white background.
    Butter, maple syrup, eggs and brown sugar in a bowl, whisk on the side, white background.
    Butter tart mixture being mix in a bowl with a whisk, white background.

    Step #3. Make the Butter Tart Pastry

    Floured surface with a ball of dough and rolling pin.

    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, place over a floured surface, sprinkle with a bit of flour and knead until soft and smooth.

    Step #4. Roll the Dough Out & Cut Out Circles

    Floured surface with dough and rolling pin.

    Use a rolling pin to spread the dough out. Cut out 9 circles with a 4” round cutter.

    Floured surface with rolled out dough, a hand cutting circles out of the dough.

    Step #5. Place Dough Discs in Muffin Tray

    A hand placing dough discs into muffin tray.

    Oil a muffin tray, and place the dough discs inside. They should be placed at the bottom and slightly up the edges.

    Dough discs in a muffin tray.

    Step #6. Sprinkle in Some Raisins

    Dough discs in a muffin tray, a hand adding raisins.

    Place a few raisins in each tart.

    Step #7. Add the Brown Sugar Mixture

    Butter tart mixture being poured into pastry in muffin tins.

    Pour the brown sugar mixture over the raisins into each tart, leaving some room at the top of the pastry.

    Step #8. Bake the Butter Tarts

    Baked butter tarts in a muffin tin.

    Bake for around 15 minutes - or until filling is set. Let them cool before removing from muffin tin.

    Baked butter tarts on a baking rack.

    Step #9. Serve & Enjoy

    Butter tarts on a white plate and baking rack.
    Butter tarts on a white plate and baking rack.

    There’s such a huge selection of tarts, from pecan to cranberry, that butter tarts are often overlooked. But come holiday season, these are definitely on my baking list!

    Butter tarts on a white plate and baking rack.

    Rather than buying pre-made crust shells, this recipe gives you easy instructions on making the actual pastry. The ingredients are likely already in your kitchen: flour, butter, egg yolk, and… vinegar? Yep, you read that right!

    What does vinegar do in butter tarts? 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. If you want a firmer filling, just add another egg yolk.

    Butter tarts on a white plate and baking rack.

    Now that you know how to make butter tarts from scratch, 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.

    Did you know that butter tarts are traditionally Canadian? That explains the maple syrup!

    Do you like your butter tarts runny or firm? With or without raisins?! Let us know in the comments.

    Another tasty holiday recipe:

    Brandy Alexander Cocktail Recipe

    📋Recipe

    Butter tarts on a white plate and baking rack.

    Butter Tarts

    Joss Dyckson
    This old fashioned, melt-in-your-mouth butter tart pastry is a combination of flaky, buttery crust and firm, saccharine filling.
    5 from 1 vote
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    Prep Time 25 minutes mins
    Cook Time 15 minutes mins
    Total Time 40 minutes mins
    Course Dessert
    Cuisine Canadian
    Servings 9 butter tarts
    Calories 337 kcal

    Ingredients
     
     

    Filling:

    • ⅔ cup brown sugar
    • ¼ cup unsalted butter - melted
    • 1 egg
    • ⅓ cup maple syrup
    • 1 tsp. vanilla extract
    • 1 tsp. apple cider vinegar
    • ⅓ cup raisins

    Pastry:

    • 1 ½ cups flour
    • 1 Pinch of salt
    • ½ cup unsalted butter - melted
    • ¼ cup cold water
    • 1 egg yolk
    • 1 tsp. white vinegar

    Instructions
     

    • Mix brown sugar, melted butter, egg, maple syrup, vanilla extract and apple cider vinegar thoroughly. Reserve.
      Butter tart mixture being mix in a bowl with a whisk, white background.
    • 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, place over a floured surface, sprinkle with a bit of flour and knead until soft and smooth.
      Floured surface with a ball of dough and rolling pin.
    • Use a rolling pin to spread the dough out. Cut out 9 circles with a 4” round cutter.
      Floured surface with rolled out dough, a hand cutting circles out of the dough.
    • Oil a muffin tray, and place the dough discs inside. They should be placed at the bottom and slightly up the edges.
      Dough discs in a muffin tray.
    • Place a few raisins in each tart.
      Dough discs in a muffin tray, a hand adding raisins.
    • Pour the brown sugar mixture over the raisins into each tart, leaving some room at the top of the pastry.
      Butter tart mixture being poured into pastry in muffin tins.
    • Bake for around 15 minutes - or until filling is set. Let them cool before removing from muffin tin.
      Baked butter tarts in a muffin tin.
    • Serve and enjoy!
      Butter tarts on a white plate and baking rack.

    Equipment

    • Muffin pan
    • round cookie cutter

    Nutrition

    Calories: 337kcalCarbohydrates: 44gProtein: 3gFat: 17gSaturated Fat: 10gCholesterol: 81mgSodium: 18mgPotassium: 122mgFiber: 1gSugar: 23gVitamin A: 528IUVitamin C: 1mgCalcium: 41mgIron: 1mg

    Nutrition information on In the Kitch is provided as a courtesy and is an estimate only. It may not include toppings and/or sauces.

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    I am the creator and editor of In the Kitch. I am inviting you on this food journey with me to learn, grow and bring out that inner chef in you. I hope to inspire you to get creative in your own kitchen!

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