Canadian Butter Tarts
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Canadian butter tarts are rich and gooey mini pies that put buttery goodness front and center—perfect for holidays or any day!
Butter tarts are a quintessential Canadian dessert—and, oh, how I love them! These buttery mini pies, typically baked in a muffin tin, have a flaky crust filled with a gooey mixture of butter, sugar, syrup, egg, and sometimes raisins or nuts. They bear some resemblance to the American pecan pie, bourbon pecan pie, and British treacle tart, but their uniquely rich flavor sets them apart. Though they can be enjoyed any time of year, butter tarts are especially popular during holidays and special occasions.
A playful debate exists in Canada about what makes a “true” Canadian butter tart—whether raisins and nuts should be included or if the filling should be runny versus solid. Every baker, family, and region has an opinion! As for my recipe, it’s slightly gooey with pecans, which I find add a nutty richness that balances out the sweetness. And whether raisins are included or not? I think it’s a love ’em or hate ’em type of thing, so I’ll leave that up to you.
“My Canadian father in law said that they were the best he’s ever had…Made some with pecans, some with raisins and some plain. Very hard to stay away from these tarts no matter what fillings you choose. Butter tart world peace!”
What You’ll Need To Make Canadian Butter Tarts
Step-by-Step Instructions
Step 1: Make the Crust
In a food processor fitted with the metal blade, add the flour, salt, and sugar. Pulse briefly to combine.
Add the cold butter.
Process just until you have pea-size clumps of butter, about 8 seconds.
Sprinkle the cold water over the mixture.
Process just until moistened and clumpy, about 8 seconds.
Transfer the dough to a lightly floured work surface and knead a few times, just until it comes together into a cohesive ball. Pat and knead the dough into a 6-inch disk, flouring and turning the dough as necessary so it doesn’t stick. Wrap the dough in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes.
Preheat the oven to 375°F and set an oven rack in the middle position.
Take the dough from the fridge and unwrap onto a lightly floured work surface. Roll the dough to about ⅛ inch thick, flouring and turning as necessary so it doesn’t stick. Don’t worry about the shape.
Using a 4-inch-diameter cookie or biscuit cutter, cut the dough into as many circles as possible.
Line each cup of an ungreased standard 12-cup muffin pan with one of the circles, gently nudging it down into the bottom creases of the pan. The top edge of the dough circle should come all the way up to the top of the cup. Gather the scraps and reroll the dough if you need additional circles. Chill the pan in the freezer while you prepare the filling.
Step 2: Make the Filling
In a medium bowl (preferably with a pouring spout), add the brown sugar, maple syrup, butter, egg, vinegar, vanilla, and salt.
Whisk to combine.
Divide the pecans and raisins (if using), among the pastry-lined muffin cups.
Pour the filling into the muffin cups.
Do your best to fill them evenly.
Step 3: Bake
Bake for about 25 minutes, until the tarts are golden brown, bubbling, and set.
Let cool on a wire rack for a few minutes, then run a butter knife around the edge of each tart to loosen. Let the tarts cool completely in the pan, then remove. Serve at room temperature.
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Canadian Butter Tarts
Canadian butter tarts are rich and gooey mini pies that put buttery goodness front and center—perfect for holidays or any day!
Ingredients
For the Crust
- 1⅔ cups all-purpose flour, spooned into measuring cup and leveled-off
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
- 1½ sticks (12 tablespoons) very cold unsalted butter, cut into 12 pieces
- ¼ cup very cold water
For the Filling
- ¾ cup (packed) dark brown sugar
- ¼ cup maple syrup
- ½ stick (4 tablespoons) unsalted butter, melted and cooled slightly
- 1 large egg
- 1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ cup chopped pecans (optional but highly recommended)
- 3 tablespoons raisins (optional)
Instructions
- Make the crust: In a food processor fitted with the metal blade, add the flour, salt, and sugar. Pulse briefly to combine. Add the cold butter and process just until you have pea-size clumps of butter, about 8 seconds. Sprinkle the cold water over the mixture and process just until moistened and clumpy, about 8 seconds. Transfer the dough to a lightly floured work surface and knead a few times, just until it comes together into a cohesive ball. Pat and knead the dough into a 6-inch disk, flouring and turning the dough as necessary so it doesn’t stick. Wrap the dough in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes or up to 3 days.
- Preheat the oven to 375°F and set an oven rack in the middle position.
- Take the dough from the fridge and unwrap onto a lightly floured work surface. (If it's been in the fridge for longer than 30 minutes, you may need to knead it just a bit until it's malleable enough to roll.) Roll the dough to about ⅛ inch thick, flouring and turning as necessary so it doesn't stick. Don't worry about the shape. Using a 4-inch-diameter cookie or biscuit cutter, cut the dough into as many circles as possible. Line each cup of an ungreased standard 12-cup muffin pan with one of the circles, gently nudging it down into the bottom creases of the pan. The top edge of the dough circle should come all the way up to the top of the cup. Gather the scraps and reroll the dough if you need additional circles. Chill the pan in the freezer while you prepare the filling.
- Make the Filling: In a medium bowl (preferably with a pouring spout), whisk together the brown sugar, maple syrup, butter, egg, vinegar, vanilla, and salt.
- Divide the pecans and raisins (if using), among the pastry-lined muffin cups. Pour the filling evenly into the muffin cups. Bake for about 25 minutes, until the tarts are golden brown, bubbling, and set. Let cool on a wire rack for a few minutes, then run a butter knife around the edge of each tart to loosen. Let the tarts cool completely in the pan, then remove. Serve at room temperature.
- Note: Nutritional information does not include the optional raisins.
- Make-Ahead/Freezing Instructions: The butter tarts will keep at room temperature for up to 3 days. Once cooled, store them in an airtight container, using parchment paper between layers. To extend freshness, you can freeze the cooled tarts in the same manner. When ready to enjoy, thaw at room temperature. For unbaked tarts, freeze them on a baking sheet until solid, then transfer to an airtight container. To bake from frozen, simply add a few extra minutes to the original baking time.
Nutrition Information
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- Per serving (12 servings)
- Serving size: 1 tart
- Calories: 311
- Fat: 19 g
- Saturated fat: 10 g
- Carbohydrates: 34 g
- Sugar: 20 g
- Fiber: 1 g
- Protein: 3 g
- Sodium: 158 mg
- Cholesterol: 56 mg
This website is written and produced for informational purposes only. I am not a certified nutritionist and the nutritional data on this site has not been evaluated or approved by a nutritionist or the Food and Drug Administration. Nutritional information is offered as a courtesy and should not be construed as a guarantee. The data is calculated through an online nutritional calculator, Edamam.com. Although I do my best to provide accurate nutritional information, these figures should be considered estimates only. Varying factors such as product types or brands purchased, natural fluctuations in fresh produce, and the way ingredients are processed change the effective nutritional information in any given recipe. Furthermore, different online calculators provide different results depending on their own nutrition fact sources and algorithms. To obtain the most accurate nutritional information in a given recipe, you should calculate the nutritional information with the actual ingredients used in your recipe, using your preferred nutrition calculator.
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I’d never heard of Canadian butter tarts before, but they looked like a fun project for last weekend so I gave them a go. Wow, I may have discovered my new favorite dessert! The filling is luscious and the raisins and pecans add a wonderful texture. They were so good that I had a hard time controlling myself around them. I think the next time I make them, I’ll make sure I have guests coming over so I don’t eat all of them!!!
Hello Jenn, I opened your site today to start the day with something good from a friend and found the butter tarts recipe – THANK YOU! You read my mind, I love them and get the plain or the ones with raisins only if there are no pecan butter tarts available. Pecans really belong there, so your recipe is perfect for me and my family – no surprise, not the first time:)
Please remember your work brings flavor to lives and smiles on the faces.
No raisins, runny and we don’t eat them with a fork, ever!
These are a fabulous Fall dessert! I’m no Canadian Butter Tart purist – never heard of them before – so I don’t have the same attachment as the other reviewers. I used pecans and no raisins and will likely make these to have on hand for Thanksgiving. I’d love a mini pumpkin pie recipe to go with them! Thanks for all of your yummy recipes.
Absolutely fabulous! Made the recipe exactly as written (with pecans and raisins) and I do believe we’ve found a new favorite in our house. Buttery, crunchy, not too sweet. Not sure how they keep – they were all gone before the day was over 🙂
Thank you, Jen, for yet another excellent recipe!
😂😂😂 divisive indeed! Last time I was at the grocery store there were raisin, pecan and walnut butter tarts to choose from. I just checked my 1945 copy of ‘Purity’s Cookbook,’ which was a quintessential Canadian cookbook in its time, offer add ins such as currants, raisins, dates, figs or nut meals! I do love the maple syrup ones, Jenn and I drool over the Lyle and Tate golden syrup ones too. Thank you for the recipe!
Since I live in Marietta, Georgia, it’s a safe bet I’m a pecan fan, but when I saw this was a specific dessert of Canada, and it sounds delicious, I knew I wanted to make it using the traditional recipe. I also love raisins, so plan to make both with and without. Guess my pecans will have to wait for another day.
NEVER, NEVER, NEVER pecans. It’s raisins or no raisins. That’s it.
No pecans. …My meme (french grandmother) would not be happy.
Pecans!? Never. Only ever walnuts if you’re adding nuts. And this is Canadian Thanksgiving weekend (same day as Columbus Day each year), so a very Happy Thanksgiving to all our friends north of the 49th.
I’m really sorry dear, but, this is NOT a Butter Tart. Butter tarts are all raisins with not one pecan. I’m wondering where you got this recipe from? Please make adjustments or rename this tart. I’m sure it’s delicious but it’s not the quintessential Canadian butter tart.
I knew it was divisive, but I’m realizing that Canadians feel very passionately about their butter tarts! 😄 In researching them, I saw a number of different iterations (some with nuts and some without). I tested them both ways and much preferred the version with nuts as they balance out the sweetness. That said, if you decide to make these, feel free to omit the nuts if you’d like. Happy early Thanksgiving!
You’re correct, it’s a hot button topic up here! Go to any butter tart festival up here and you’ll discover they come in all sorts of flavours; raspberry coconut, cheesecake, macadamia white chocolate, hot chocolate etc along with raisins, currants, pecans (my favourite) maple baco (also my favourite)! Traditionally a butter tart has 4 pleats in the crust but that’s a “little” quibble. Nice recipe but I won’t be making them, my sister is the exclusive butter tart baker at a famous bakery here on Georgian Bay! Samples!
Wilkie’s?
As a born and bred Canadian with a history that dates back to 1867, I can tell you raisins do not belong in butter tarts. The debate is usually around maple syrup or brown sugar. Also Canadians are usually friendlier, so I’m suspicious. lol. Thanks for making these Jenn, I’m excited to try!
I think it is all very regional…I am Canadian and love raisins in mine 🙂 I am so excited about this recipe. It sounds delicious! I very much enjoy all of your recipes Jenn.
Well, I am a Canadian, and I’ve always had butter tarts with raisins and walnuts! 🙂
Just made these for my Christmas cookie plate. They turned out amazing. Made 24 smaller tarts. Love this recipe!!
Wow Suzanna, that’s a nasty thing to say. Very condescending too. There are many ways to make butter tarts-your recipe isn’t the only one.