Old Fashioned Butter Tarts

Old Fashioned Butter Tarts, the best homemade Butter Tart Recipe and definitely better than store bought! A delicious Canadian tradition that can’t be missed. Syrupy and sweet exactly how they should be.

What are Canadian Butter tarts?

It is believed that between 1663 and 1673 approximately 800 young women were sent to Québec from France to help colonize. They brought with them their traditional European recipes but of course they had to adapt to making them with the ingredients available.

The sugar pie, was made with a filling of flour, butter, salt, vanilla, and cream, it is considered the forerunner to the butter tart.

Although the butter tart as we know it now was common in Canadian pioneer cooking. The earliest published recipe dates back to 1900 in the Women’s Auxiliary of the Royal Victoria Hospital Cookbook, which was written in Barrie Ontario.

Recipe Ingredients

• Pastry dough

Plain Filling

• Butter – melted and cooled
• Brown sugar – light brown
• Syrup – corn syrup is the traditional syrup but you could substitute with maple syrup
• Salt
• Egg
• Vanilla extract

Raisin Filling

• 3/4 cup raisins or currants
• Boiling water

Chocolate Filling

• 1/4 mini chocolate chips – semi sweet or milk chocolate or a combination

Pecan (Nut) Filling

• 1/3 cup Pecans – coarsely chopped, you could substitute with hazelnuts or even walnuts

Why soak raisins in water?

Because raisins are very dry, if they aren’t soaked then they will absorb the liquid from your baked goods, making the dessert less moist. That’s why it is imperative to soak them first, or any dried fruit for that matter.

They don’t have to soak in water, you can soak them in a fruit juice such as pineapple juice or even rum or brandy.

I have made these tarts a few times this past couple of weeks, and we made them again when my cousin came to visit. This time we made a few different types. Pecan, Chocolate Chip and Plain Butter Tarts. It was hard to decide which was our favorite!

How to make Butter Tarts

Prepare either the Simple Pie Dough or Brown Sugar Pie Dough. Or you can use prepared store bought tarts. If you use homemade pastry, the dough will have to be wrapped in plastic wrap and chilled for approximately 60 minutes.

Pre-heat oven to 400°F. Grease and flour a 12 size medium muffin pan.

Remove the pastry from the fridge, roll out on a lightly floured surface to 1/8″ thick, cut out with a round cookie cutter. Gently form the circles into the muffin tin. Use a small lightly floured shot glass to gently form the rounds into the tin.

If using raisins, place them in a medium bowl and cover with boiling water, let sit 10-15 minutes then drain well. Immediately add hot raisins to butter mixture and stir until butter has melted.

Add the lightly beaten egg and vanilla, brown sugar, salt and corn syrup, stir to combine, do not over mix. 

If not using the raisins then melt the butter, let cool slightly, then add the lightly beaten egg, vanilla, brown sugar, salt and corn syrup, stir to combine do not over mix. At this point you can either stir in the chopped pecans, chocolate chips or leave the filling plain.

Pour the filling into the prepared 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). Once they are cool enough to touch move to a wire rack to cool completely before serving.

The best Pastry Dough for Butter Tarts

Butter tarts are best made with a flaky pie crust therefore I like to use either a Simple Pie Dough or a Brown Sugar Pie Dough, either work perfectly.

How to Store Butter Tarts

Butter Tarts should be stored in an airtight container and refrigerated, they will keep for up to five days in the fridge. If you keep them at room temperature remember they will only keep for about a day or 2 depending on how warm your home is.

Can Butter Tarts be Frozen?

Yes they can be frozen, be sure to freeze in an airtight freezer container. Properly stored they will keep for up to two months. You could also make the dough in advance and  freeze it, the dough will last for up to 3 months in the freezer.

These Old Fashioned Butter Tarts are the perfect sweet treat that you could be looking for. If you try them let me know. Enjoy!

Pie Tarts & Pie recipes

• Easy Caramel Apple Galette
• Ricotta Spinach Tarts
• Chocolate Mousse Tarts
• Butter Tart Pie

Updated from May 3, 2017.