Canadian Maple Butter Tart Pudding with Ginger

About This Recipe

The butter tart is one of Canada's most genuinely native desserts, dating back to community cookbooks from Ontario in the early 20th century, built on the country's maple syrup and dairy pantry. This pudding takes the same custard-like maple and brown butter filling and bakes it as a shared dish rather than individual pastry shells, with a handful of chopped candied ginger folded in for warmth and bite against the sweetness. The technique that defines a good butter tart filling carries over directly: butter is browned first until it smells nutty, then whisked with maple syrup, brown sugar, egg and a splash of vinegar, which keeps the finished pudding from tasting flat and one-note sweet. Baked in a water bath, the pudding sets to a soft, barely-jiggling custard with a slightly caramelized top, similar to the way a good butter tart filling turns gooey rather than firm. This is a home-style adaptation, not a substitute for a proper pastry butter tart, but it keeps the flavor identity that makes the original recognizable — dark maple syrup, browned butter, a touch of vinegar for balance — while being easier to portion for a crowd straight from the baking dish.

Ingredients

Serves 6

• 115 gunsalted butter
• 1 cupdark maple syrup
• 0.5 cupbrown sugar(packed)
• 3 largeeggs
• 0.5 cupheavy cream
• 1 tspcider vinegar
• 1 tspvanilla extract
• 0.25 tspfine sea salt
• 0.33 cupcandied ginger(finely chopped)
• 0.5 cuppecans(toasted and chopped, optional)

Instructions

1. 1

   Brown the butter

   Melt butter in a light-colored saucepan over medium heat, swirling until it turns amber and smells nutty, about 5 minutes. Pour into a bowl to stop cooking and cool for 5 minutes.

   Watch the butter closely once it starts foaming — it goes from browned to burnt in under a minute.

2. 2

   Build the custard

   Whisk the browned butter with maple syrup and brown sugar until smooth. Add eggs one at a time, whisking well after each, then whisk in cream, vinegar, vanilla and salt.

3. 3

   Fold in the ginger

   Stir in the chopped candied ginger and pecans if using, distributing them evenly through the custard.

4. 4

   Set up the water bath

   Pour the custard into a buttered 8-inch baking dish. Place the dish inside a larger roasting pan and pour hot water into the outer pan to reach halfway up the sides.

5. 5

   Bake

   Bake at 160°C (325°F) for 40 to 45 minutes, until the edges are set but the center still jiggles slightly when nudged.

6. 6

   Cool and serve

   Remove from the water bath and cool for at least 20 minutes. Serve warm or at room temperature with a spoon, ideally with whipped cream.

Variations

• •

  Raisin classic: swap the candied ginger for soaked raisins for a filling closer to the traditional butter tart.

• •

  Bourbon: add a tablespoon of bourbon with the vanilla for a boozier version.

• •

  Individual tarts: bake in buttered ramekins set in the water bath for 25 to 30 minutes instead of one large dish.

Storage

Cover and refrigerate for up to 4 days. Serve cold, at room temperature, or warm gently in a low oven for 10 minutes — avoid the microwave, which can make the custard weep.

Frequently Asked Questions