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.
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.
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.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
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)
- 1/4 cup butter (melted / cooled)
- 1/2 cup brown sugar (lightly packed)
- 1/2 cup corn syrup*
- pinch of salt
- 1 large egg (lightly beaten)
- 1/2 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)
- 3/4 cup raisins
- boiling water
CHOCOLATE CHIP FILLING (add in)
- 1/4 cup mini chocolate chips
PECAN FILLING (add in)
- 1/3 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
Nutrition
Updated from May 3, 2017.
Val says
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!
Rosemary says
Hi Val, thanks so much, so glad you like the recipe. Take care!
L says
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!!
Rosemary says
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!
Raymond pichette says
How to make less sweet
Rosemary says
Hi Raymond, you can try adding less sugar or syrup, but they really are supposed to be sweet. 🙂
Bev says
Delicious tasting and flaky crust
Rosemary says
Thanks so much Bev. Take care.
Bev says
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
Rosemary says
Hi Bev, yes that should work. Let me know how it goes.
Ron Fenney says
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
Rosemary says
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.
Bev Smith says
Sounds great!
Bev Smith says
Can you:please send me this recipe and all others directly?
Thank you.
Bev Smith
Rosemary says
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. 🙂
Sue B says
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…
Rosemary says
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.
Rose Marie Cresta says
Hi, great recipe ! Can I freeze these ?
Rosemary says
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.
Lorna Demkowsky says
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
Rosemary says
Hi Lorna, I used a medium muffin tin which should be about 2 inch tarts. So time I would say is about the same.
Judi Passmoor says
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?
Rosemary says
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.
Christina says
If using store bought tart shells should I reduce cooking time? There alot smaller than your homemade tart.
Rosemary says
Hi Christina, yes check them at 10 minutes and see if they are baked. Let me know.
Gail Fitzpatrick says
I make tarts this year will buy store frozen shells. Do you have to thaw them before fiing them.
Rosemary says
Hi Gail, yes you should thaw them before filling and baking. Let me know how it goes.
Sara says
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.
Art says
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
Rosemary says
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.