Classic Canadian Butter Tarts Recipe
Canada's most iconic pastry — flaky tart shells with a gooey, caramel-like brown sugar and butter filling. This authentic Canadian butter tart recipe makes 12 perfect tarts with the signature runny-to-set filling.
About This Recipe
Butter tarts are quintessentially Canadian — a small, rich pastry shell filled with a mixture of butter, sugar, eggs and syrup that bakes into a caramel-like filling ranging from slightly runny to firmly set, depending on preference. The filling bubbles and caramelises in the oven, creating something intensely sweet and deeply satisfying. They are as Canadian as poutine.
Ingredients
Serves 12
- 300 gplain flour(for pastry)
- 0.5 tspsalt(for pastry)
- 170 gcold unsalted butter(for pastry)
- 4–6 tbspice water
- 100 gunsalted butter(for filling, melted)
- 150 gpacked brown sugar
- 80 mlmaple syrup
- 2large eggs
- 2 tspvanilla extract
- 1 tspwhite wine vinegar
- 0.5 tspfine salt
- 80 graisins or pecans(optional)
Instructions
- 1
Make the pastry
Rub cold butter into flour and salt until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Add ice water gradually until the dough just holds together. Wrap and refrigerate 30 minutes.
- 2
Roll and line
Roll pastry 3mm thick. Cut circles to fit a 12-hole muffin tin. Line each hole, pressing gently. Refrigerate 15 minutes while making filling.
- 3
Make the filling
Whisk melted butter, brown sugar, maple syrup, eggs, vanilla, vinegar and salt until combined. Don't over-whisk — you don't want air bubbles.
- 4
Fill and bake
Place a few raisins or pecans in each shell if using. Fill each three-quarters full with the liquid filling. Bake at 200°C / 400°F for 18–20 minutes until filling is set at the edges but still slightly jiggly in the centre.
Runny filling: 16 minutes. Firm filling: 22 minutes. The tarts firm up significantly as they cool.
Pro Tips
- →
The filling puffs during baking and deflates on cooling — this is normal.
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A splash of vinegar in the filling is the traditional technique to balance the sweetness.
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Cool completely before removing from the tin — the filling is liquid when hot.
Variations
- •
Raisin butter tarts: the most traditional Canadian version.
- •
Pecan butter tarts: add pecan halves to each shell before filling.
Storage
Store at room temperature for 3 days or refrigerate for 1 week. Can be frozen for 2 months.
History & Origin
The earliest known butter tart recipe appears in a 1900 Canadian cookbook. They became a staple of Canadian baking through the 20th century and are considered one of the few truly Canadian contributions to world pastry. The debate over runny vs firm filling is a passionate national discussion.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is a butter tart?
A butter tart is a small Canadian pastry with a flaky shell and a gooey filling made from butter, sugar, maple syrup and eggs that caramelises in the oven.
Should butter tarts be runny or firm?
This is Canada's great butter tart debate. Traditional preference often favours slightly runny, but firm is equally valid. Runny: bake 16–17 minutes. Firm: 20–22 minutes.
What is the difference between a butter tart and a pecan pie?
Butter tarts are smaller individual tarts with a lighter, more caramel-like filling. Pecan pie is a single large pie with a denser filling — both are related but distinct.
Are raisins or pecans traditional in butter tarts?
Both are traditional, as is the plain version. Raisins are the most classic addition in Ontario; pecans are also popular throughout Canada.
Nutrition Facts
Per serving (250g) · 12 servings total
Time Summary
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