Old Fashioned Butter Tarts, the best homemade to die for Butter Tart Recipe. A delicious Canadian tradition that can’t be missed.
A flaky pie crust filled with a sweet raisin filling. If you don’t like raisins just leave them out! This old fashioned butter tart recipe is one of the best you will taste.
Old Fashioned Butter Tarts, they are always the first to go in my house!
Here I am again Celebrating #Canada150 this time I am sharing one of Ontario’s favourite fabulous foods, Old Fashioned Butter Tarts.
Ontario is situated in Central Canada with probably one of Canada’s most famous and popular cities, Toronto, my place of birth.
Old Fashioned Butter Tarts
Toronto is one of the most multicultural cities in the world, home of the Toronto Blue Jays and The Toronto Maple Leafs (those poor leafs or should I say fans)! And of course half my heart, my eldest daughter has now moved back to Toronto.
I don’t know if you have ever tried or made a butter tart, but if not this is one tart that has to be on your to make list.
I have made these tarts a few times this past couple of weeks just to get the photos and the video right, which by the way still isn’t, but oh well!
And every time I made them they were gone in minutes. Because guess who goes absolutely insane for these? Yup, the Italian.
If you asked him what his three favourite desserts would be he would choose Tiramisu, Butter Tarts and then Pineapple Dessert. And the order depends totally on the season or which one I have just made.
These Old Fashioned Butter Tarts are the perfect sweet treat that you could be looking for. If you try them let me know. Enjoy!
More Celebrating #Canada150
Grilled Rosemary Marinated Steaks
Old Fashioned Butter Tarts
Ingredients
PIE PASTRY
- 1 1/4 cups all purpose flour
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 cup cold butter
- 3-4 tablespoons cold water
- pinch of sugar **
BUTTER TART FILLING
- 3/4 cup raisins
- boiling water
- 1/4 cup butter room temperature (cut in small pieces)
- 1/2 cup brown sugar
- 1/2 cup corn syrup
- pinch of salt
- 1 egg
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla
Instructions
PIE PASTRY
- Sift together into a medium bowl flour and salt, stir in pinch of sugar, with a pastry blender cut in butter until you have a pea sized crumb mixture. Sprinkle with water, (start with 2 1/2 tablespoons and increase if needed up to 4 tablespoons), mix gently with a fork, then empty on a flat surface, knead gently, shape into a ball and wrap with plastic and refrigerate for 30 minutes.
- Pre-heat oven to 400°F. Grease and flour a 6 cup medium muffin tin.
- Remove pastry from fridge roll out to 1/8" thickness and cut out with a round cookie cutter. Gently form into muffin tin.
BUTTER TART FILLING
- In a medium bowl add butter, brown sugar, salt and corn syrup.
- Place raisins in a medium bowl and cover with boiling water, let sit 5 minutes then drain. Immediately add hot raisins to butter mixture and stir until butter has melted. Then add beaten egg and vanilla, stir to combine well.
- Pour filling into tart shells and bake for 15 minutes at 400°F, reduce heat to 350°F and continue baking for approximately 10 - 15 minutes (until they start to brown). Let cool before serving. Enjoy!
- **pinch of sugar keeps the bottom of the tarts or pies from becoming soggy when making fruit pies.
Nutrition
N says
Hello Rosemary!
With Canadian thanksgiving coming up i’d love to add these to our feast! Is it possible to substitute with a 12 cup small muffin pan instead of a medium 6?
Rosemary says
Hi N, sure that should be no problem. Let me know how it goes.
Angela Welbourne says
These sound wonderful. Very similar to what I have made as well as my mother in law and mother in days gone by and the only ingredient that was missing in your recipe is a teaspoon of vinegar. It cuts the real sweetness and makes for a very palatable butter tart.
Rosemary says
Hi Angela, thanks so much. Next time I make them I am going to try it with a tsp of vinegar, thanks for the tip. Have a great weekend.
Shannon says
Would 6 tarts be the same as 12 tarts in a regular muffin tin. I don’t have a tart or muffin pan that hold 1 cup tarts.
Rosemary says
Hi Shannon, I just used a regular 6 muffin pan, it wasn’t a one cup pan. Is that what you mean?
PRT says
So, I went ahead and made these for American Thanksgiving. I, too, am Torontonian born and raised and grew up on butter tarts. I now live in Ohio as my husband is American. I brought some over to my son and daughter-in-law. They called the next day after devouring them, telling me excitedly, both on the phone, that they were delicious and the best butter tarts they’ve ever had. They visit cousins up in Wasaga Beach quite frequently, and usually get some at the local bakery that has won awards for their butter tarts. My son indicated, hands down, these were way better. Even my Mom and sister enjoyed them. I guess these are now going on my Christmas baking list. Thanks for posting the recipe!
Rosemary says
Hi PRT so glad they were a hit, my Italian husband goes crazy for these butter tarts too. Have a great weekend.
PRT says
You indicate using a 12 cup muffin tin, however your recipe says it makes 6 tarts???
Rosemary says
Hi PRT thanks so much and corrected. Should be 6 cup muffin tin.
Karen Crawford says
I’m not a raisin fan either, so I substitute currants. My Grandmother used to use a combination of raisins and currants. Oh those childhood memories 🙂
Rosemary says
Hi Karen, yes childhood memories are the best.
Candy says
The one real item missing is honey bee syrup. My mom came from Ontario. She said , had to use that Canadian syrup because it has honey in it.
Rosemary says
Hi Candy, interesting I will have to check it out. Thanks.
Betty says
Could u use a different filling cause hubby doesn’t like raisins that well,
Also do u put a sprinkle of sugar on the bottom of tart before u put filling in
Rosemary says
Hi Betty, the pinch of sugar gets whisked into the dough. And you can leave out the raisins, although I know some people substitute nuts or pecans. 🙂
Sandra says
If you don’t like raisins you can sub walnuts, pecans, coconut, currents or rhubarb
Rosemary says
Hi Sandra, great ideas thanks.
Deborah says
Can I use self rising flour. Also maple syrup instead of corn syrup.
Rosemary says
Hi Deborah I don’t know about the self rising flour because I have never made them with it, personally I would say no, and instead of substituting the corn syrup you could increase the brown sugar to a cup. Hope that helps.
Gina says
Is there a substitute for the corn syrup? Could I use maple syrup instead. Would love to try theses
Rosemary says
Hi Gina what you could do is just increase the brown sugar to a cup, that should work. Let me know. 🙂
Edna says
rosemary…….I have lived in Canada all my life and have been making butter tarts for over 50 yrs…..yes I am an old lady who still bakes weekly…….the answer to the question about maple syrup …..it is yes…..I use the exact amount of maple syrup as I would corn syrup……I do this regularly as my husband is a maple syrup addict…….it work out really good…….we have a butter tart festival here in the town I live in Midland( which is 3 1/2 hr dr north west of Toronto .) every year and you can not believe the range of different butter tarts that is made for this competition……last year they started adding real bacon pieces to them and they are very tasty………edna from midland Ontario Canada
Rosemary says
Hi Edna, thanks so much for responding I’m sure that will help a lot of readers. My husband is a maple syrup addict also, every return from Canada I have to bring back Maple Syrup, nothing like it. The festival looks like such fun, one year I will make it there. Have a great week.
Joan says
Can you substitute corn oil with something like coconut oil? Do you think it would work? Thank you!
Rosemary says
Hi Joan there is no corn oil in the butter tarts. Do you mean butter? If so apparently you can substitute coconut oil for butter. Let me know how it works out.
Trish says
Can you make them without raisins?
Rosemary says
Hi Trish, sure that isn’t a problem, some people add walnuts if you like those. I hope you like them. Have a great weekend.
Ashley @ Big Flavors from a Tiny Kitchen says
I’ve never heard of this type of tart before, but it looks incredible! Love the raisins in with all that buttery goodness!
Rosemary says
Hi Ashley, thanks, they are amazing, and very popular in Canada. Have a great weekend.
Patricia Fowler says
These look Delicious, My mother in law made something similar..love to make these …
Rosemary says
Hi Patricia, thanks so much, can’t beat a butter tart.
Cathy Holmes says
You are an amazing cook! Tried this recipe today and it is/was(unfortunately the tarts had a short life span with hubby and grandkids in the kitchen) delicious. Who can resist a butter tart!
Rosemary says
Thanks Cathy, just like in my kitchen. Carlo ate 3 in a matter of seconds! 🙂