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!

canadian butter tarts on plate with coffee

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 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!”

Alexandra
Canadian butter tart cut in half with fork on plate

What You’ll Need To Make Canadian Butter Tarts

Tart ingredients including maple syrup, raisins, and melted butter.

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.

flour, sugar, and salt in food processor

Add the cold butter.

cold butter in food processor with flour, salt, and sugar

Process just until you have pea-size clumps of butter, about 8 seconds. 

pea size clumps of butter and flour mixture

Sprinkle the cold water over the mixture.

adding water to butter/flour mixture

Process just until moistened and clumpy, about 8 seconds.

water mixed into flour/butter mix to make clumpy dough

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. 

dough wrapped in plastic wrap

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.

rolling dough to 1/8 inch thickness

Using a 4-inch-diameter cookie or biscuit cutter, cut the dough into as many circles as possible. 

Cutting butter tart dough with cookie cutter.

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.

Butter tart dough in muffin tin.

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.

brown sugar, maple syrup, butter, egg, vinegar, vanilla, and salt in medium bowl with pouring spout

Whisk to combine.

filling ingredients whisked to combine

Divide the pecans and raisins (if using), among the pastry-lined muffin cups.

raisins and pecans inside dough cups

Pour the filling into the muffin cups.

pouring filling into muffin cups

Do your best to fill them evenly.

muffin cups with filling

Step 3: Bake

Bake for about 25 minutes, until the tarts are golden brown, bubbling, and set.

Baked Canadian butter tarts in a muffin tin.

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.

canadian butter tarts on table with coffee

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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!

Servings: 12 tarts
Prep Time: 35 Minutes
Cook Time: 25 Minutes
Total Time: 1 Hour, plus at least 30 minutes to chill the dough

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

  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 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.
  2. Preheat the oven to 375°F and set an oven rack in the middle position.
  3. 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.
  4. 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.
  5. 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.
  6. Note: Nutritional information does not include the optional raisins.
  7. 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

Powered by Edamam

  • 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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Comments

  • Looks delicious! Do you think these could be made in a mini tart pan, rather than a muffin pan? Can’t wait to try them!

    • — Stephanie on October 11, 2024
    • Reply
  • I just made these (double batch) and they turned out great. I recommend grabbing a ball of chilled dough and then flattening with the heel of your hand into a disc shape. I found the dough kept getting stuck on the rolling pin. I was also able to thin out the center a bit more after reading about uncooked bottoms in the reviews. I used half the sugar called for (maple and brown). turned out great. keep in mind with half the sugar you will not have as much liquid filling so fill accordingly.

    • — Jean on September 30, 2024
    • Reply
  • I love that you shared a butter tart recipe, Jenn! My mother is Canadian and I spent every summer there until college. Love plain tarts…no nuts or raisins for me. Canada Day is coming up so I’d like to make these for my mum. Unfortunately, I am a terrible baker…I’ve managed to ruin boxed brownies. Is there a store bought crust you’d recommend using so that I can just make the filling? Thank you.

    • — Elizabeth on June 16, 2024
    • Reply
    • Hi Elizabeth, you can just buy refrigerated pie crust for these. Hope your mum enjoys!

      • — Jenn on June 18, 2024
      • Reply
      • Amazing made a few changes came out delicious thanks

        • — Barb on June 30, 2024
        • Reply
  • I made these and they were AMAZING! I wanted to make some for my class, but there is someone who can’t eat eggs. Is there any possible substitute for the egg in the filling?
    Thank you!

    • — Esha on June 9, 2024
    • Reply
    • So glad you liked them! I’d recommend a store-bought egg substitute. Hope your class enjoys them too!

      • — Jenn on June 10, 2024
      • Reply
  • Hi! I would like to make these but, being as I have not made many crusts and I do not have a food processor, I’m not sure if using my kitchen aid for the dough would be fine instead?

    • — Christine on April 24, 2024
    • Reply
    • Hi Christine, instead of using a mixer, I think you’d get the best results by just rubbing the butter into the flour mixture with your fingers. Enjoy!

      • — Jenn on April 26, 2024
      • Reply
  • I have not made your recipe as I have an old family recipe that I use. However, I don’t know of any Canadian baker who would use pecans. If there are nuts used, they would be chopped walnuts. Also some Canadian bakers use currants instead of raisins. Walnuts are the classic nut for these tarts. I am from Western Canada 🇨🇦.

    • — Susan on March 30, 2024
    • Reply
    • I’m in central Canada. Pecans and raisins make a lot of appearances in our butter tarts. 🙂
      Thanks for the recipe Jenn! Can’t wait to try it.

      • — Elisha on September 17, 2024
      • Reply
  • Hi Jenn, as a Canadian, I am a little insulted that an American came up with a better version of our butter tarts. Well done, this is my new go-to recipe. Thank you for sharing. I also love your story.

    We visited your city last summer. It’s a lovely area.

    • — Bryan on March 16, 2024
    • Reply
  • Canadian here…this is the best butter tart recipe I’ve ever tasted. The second time I made them, I doubled the recipe and have been doing so every time now. Most butter tart recipes I find too runny or too sweet, but this one is delightful. I also wanted to let you know that your site has become my favourite. Your professionalism shines through. As an example, I tried a new recipe from another site last week. The first instruction was to pre-heat oven; after mixing ingredients, the instruction was to place in fridge for an hour. In my 75 years, that was a first! Thanks again for this recipe; simply love it.

    • — Laura Johnston on March 14, 2024
    • Reply
  • What does the vinegar do?

    • — Judy on January 2, 2024
    • Reply
    • Hi Judy, it just helps to balance out the sweetness of the filling.

      • — Jenn on January 4, 2024
      • Reply
  • These are the best butter tarts I have had. I followed the recipe exactly. I made 1/3 of them plain, I added pecans to the second third, and the final third got pecans and dried cranberries. They were all delicious! I do plan to cut back a bit on the brown sugar next time, as I found the filling a little too sweet but that did not stop me from eating them! Thanks Jenn!

    • — Gina on December 27, 2023
    • Reply

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