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.
There’s nothing like bringing a taste of home to a new country that becomes your new home. All those years ago I missed my family and friends and yes I missed my Mom’s cooking and baking from her delicious shortbread to her lemon bread and how could I forget Calzone!
I have tried many butter tarts in my life but these tarts, thanks to my cousin Janet for the recipe, are definitely one of the best. The flaky pie crust with the filling of choice in that gooey centre makes every bite better than the last!
Recipe Ingredients
- Pastry dough
- 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
- Raisins – or currants
- Chocolate chips – semi sweet or milk chocolate or a combination
- 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
Anyone who has never had a Canadian Butter Tart before and trys one is always quick to say “these are amazing, one of the best things I have ever eaten”, I hope you feel the same way. For the full instructions and ingredients scroll down to the bottom of the page for the recipe card.
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.
Remove the pastry from the fridge, roll out on a lightly floured surface, cut out with a round cookie cutter. Gently form the circles into the muffin pan. Use a small lightly floured shot glass to gently form the rounds into the tin.
If using raisins, be sure to soak them in boiling water for a bit before using. They should be 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. Over mixing can add air to the filling, which will cause it to bubble over when baking.
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 in the pre-heated oven until they start to brown. Once they are cool enough to touch move to a wire rack to cool completely before serving.
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, Canada.
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.
Different Variations
Besides adding raisins or currents, you could add a few chocolate chips, chopped nuts or even dried fruit. If you use dried fruit then it is a good idea to soak the fruit before adding to the tarts. Don’t add too many extras or it will take over the filling. A good idea is 5-8 pieces for every tart.
Pie & Tart recipes you need to try
- Easy Caramel Apple Galette – the perfect fall dessert for any occasion.
- Ricotta Spinach Tarts – a classic Italian tart, it’s perfect as a main dish or appetizer.
- Chocolate Mousse Tarts – one of our favorite tarts filled with an easy creamy mousse filling.
- Butter Tart Pie – just like individual tarts, but bigger!
These Old Fashioned Butter Tarts are the perfect sweet treat that you could be looking for. If you try them let me know. Enjoy!
Old Fashioned Butter Tarts
Ingredients
PIE PASTRY
- 1 Pie Pastry Recipe or 12 pre-made tart shells
BUTTER TART FILLING
PLAIN FILLING (without add ins)
- ¼ cup butter (melted / cooled)
- ½ cup brown sugar (lightly packed)
- ½ cup corn syrup*
- pinch of salt
- 1 large egg (lightly beaten)
- ½ teaspoon vanilla
*You can substitute with Maple syrup but start with a ⅓ cup since it is thinner than corn syrup.
RAISIN FILLING (add in)
- ¾ cup raisins
- 2-3 cups boiling water
CHOCOLATE CHIP FILLING (add in)
- ¼ cup mini chocolate chips
PECAN FILLING (add in)
- ⅓ cup coarsely chopped pecans (or walnuts)
Instructions
PIE PASTRY
- Prepare either the Simple Pie Dough or Brown Sugar Pie Dough. Or you can use prepared store bought tarts.
- 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.
- Pre-heat oven to 400F (200C). Grease and flour a 12 size medium muffin tin.
BUTTER TART FILLING
- If using raisins, place them in a medium bowl and cover with boiling water, let sit 10-15 minutes then drain well. Immediately add the hot raisins to the butter mixture and stir until butter has melted. Then add the lightly beaten egg, 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, 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 400F (200C), reduce heat to 350F (180C) 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. Enjoy!
Notes
Addins
If you prefer you can add the add ins on top of pastry and then add the plain filling on top. Be sure you don’t add too many add ins a good amount would be 5-8 pieces.What Is The Perfect Filling?
The perfect filling for butter tarts is a gooey center but not liquidy. If you find that your filling is too liquidy then make the tarts for an extra 2-3 minutes but watch them carefully so they don’t burn.How to store the 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. To freeze, place them 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. Thaw overnight in the fridge.Nutrition
Updated from May 3, 2017.
Great recipe, used last year as well! I make my own pastry, use the same red I ace for many years. Tarts turned out once again, awesome! Thank you for sharing your recipe, well done!
Hi Val, thanks so much, so glad you like the recipe. Take care!
Hi Rosemary, what do you put on the bottom of the muffin tin?
Do you butter and flour the tins before adding the uncooked tart?
Would like to make these by end of week.
Thank you!!
Hi L, yes I do grease and flour (or you could spray them) the tin first. I hope you like them. Let me know. Take care!
How to make less sweet
Hi Raymond, you can try adding less sugar or syrup, but they really are supposed to be sweet. 🙂
Delicious tasting and flaky crust
Thanks so much Bev. Take care.
I am having trouble finding the best oven temperature for your delicious tarts. Could I bake them at just 350 for 2o to 25 mins
Hi Bev, yes that should work. Let me know how it goes.
The only problem I am having is with the tart filling. As it cooks it rises to the top of the crust, however once it cools the filling collaspes and the filling reduces to about 20% of what it should be. Why? Perhaps the baking temperature should be lower and allowed to cool slower. Any suggestions?
Thank you,
Ron
Hi Ron, so it seems it is because of over mixing the egg, lightly beat it with a whisk or fork. Over beating causes the egg to puff up then sink when it starts to cool. Hope that helps. Let me know.
Sounds great!
Can you:please send me this recipe and all others directly?
Thank you.
Bev Smith
Hi Bev, if you sign up for the newsletter (at the bottom of every post) you will receive the new recipes for the week newsletter. Hope that helps. 🙂
I have been experimenting but keep having a problem with gooey filling…it separates when in the oven so I end up with a layer on top that is firm ( eggy?) And a layer of very liquify sweet syrup underneath….I have tried baking at different temperatures and longer…but the gooey filling still separates while baking…what should I try doing to remedy this…
Hi Sue, that could be either 2 reasons, you are over mixing the ingredients, the sugar is separating from the egg mixture, or try baking them for a bit longer. Hope that helps.
I’m not the expert here but, looking at the photo with the tart cut open it looks like this recipe bakes up as what I call a runny butter tart, meant to have a runny filling with the baked crust on top, as opposed to the type that bakes with an evenly firm filling that holds its shape. So it’s possible you aren’t doing anything wrong? I’m looking forward to trying this recipe. Plan to make some butter tarts this Christmas instead of mincemeat.
Hi, great recipe ! Can I freeze these ?
Hi Rose Marie, thanks, yes they can be frozen, I would freeze them in a single layer in a freezer safe container. Hope that helps.
I wasn’t sure what size butter tart shells to use. I used 2’ tarts do I use a lower oven and less oven time
Hi Lorna, I used a medium muffin tin which should be about 2 inch tarts. So time I would say is about the same.
These sound lovely. We cannot buy corn syrup in the UK (have also heard it is a bad thing). Can I substitute golden syrup or maple syrup?
Hi Judi, yes you can substitute with golden or maple syrup, if golden is thicker than maple then I would use golden. Let me know how it goes. Happy New Year.
If using store bought tart shells should I reduce cooking time? There alot smaller than your homemade tart.
Hi Christina, yes check them at 10 minutes and see if they are baked. Let me know.
I make tarts this year will buy store frozen shells. Do you have to thaw them before fiing them.
Hi Gail, yes you should thaw them before filling and baking. Let me know how it goes.
Hi Gail,I make these tarts all the time and I don’t thaw my shells. I take them just before I make the filling and they turn out perfectly.
Tried first hand with tarts but had trouble putting it in muffin tins wonder if molding around upside down tins an prebake them into shels an then place in tins then fill with filling then rebake. Do you think this would work an what temp. time to pre bake shells your tarts look great will try
Hi Art, I don’t think that will work because the outside is larger than the inside so they won’t fit. You shouldn’t really have that much trouble placing the cut dough in the tins. Use a little extra flour so it doesn’t stick. Let me know.