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    Home » Recipes » Recipes

    Old Fashioned Butter Tarts

    December 17, 2013 by Laureen King

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    Indulge in some great Old Fashioned Butter Tarts. A Canadian classic dessert recipe with sweet, slightly runny filling and made from scratch, flaky, melt in your mouth pastry. via @artandthekitch

    Indulge in some sweet Old Fashioned Butter Tarts. This popular Canadian classic dessert recipe consists of flaky homemade pastry shells filled with a rich, buttery caramel filling. Passed down from my Mom, this is the best butter tart recipe you will find!

    Stack of 4 homemade butter tarts on a white plate.

    This best ever recipe for Old Fashioned Butter Tarts is always included in my Holiday baking. But these sweet tarts are so delicious you will want to bake them all year long! My Mom's recipe for butter tarts has a perfect consistency of gooey, runny, sweet filling in made-from-scratch pastry shells. The tart shells are exceptionally buttery and flaky.

    Are Butter Tarts really Canadian?

    Yes, Canada's favorite dessert has origins which date back to the 1600's! The Canadian Butter Tart is a small flaky pastry with a filling of butter, eggs, and brown sugar which are baked until the top is slightly crunchy and the filling is semi-solid.

    Another incredible classic Canadian dessert you will love is my recipe for Nanaimo Bars.

    Butter tarts with flaky crust cooling on black wire rack.

    Ingredients and Substitutions

    The ultra flaky tart crust is a simple combination of flour, sugar, salt, butter, and ice cold water.

    Can you use store bought tart shells?

    Yes, although not as tasty and flaky as homemade tart shells, they do help make this recipe quicker and easier to prepare.

    I love the filling exactly as my Mom made it in this recipe. A mixture of butter, brown sugar, corn syrup, eggs, vanilla and a pinch of salt.

    Some tasty additions to try would be:

    • raisins
    • currants
    • nuts such as pecans or walnuts

    Can you use maple syrup instead of corn syrup in butter tarts?

    Yes, although I find them a bit more runny, and you will have the distinctive maple flavor.

    How to store Butter Tarts

    Store in an airtight container at room temperature for 2 days, and up to 5 days in the refrigerator.

    Can Butter Tarts be frozen?

    Yes, butter tarts freeze well. Cool completely, place in an airtight container for up to 3 months.

    Stack of butter tarts with bite out of one of them.

    How to make these tasty treats

    For the pastry:

    • Sift flour, salt and sugar together. Using a pastry blender cut the chilled butter into the flour mix. Blend until it resembles course meal.
    • Add ice-cold water a bit at a time, just until the dough starts to hold together. Do not over-work the pastry dough or it will become tough. The same technique you use making pie crust.
    • Press dough together forming a disk, wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 30 minutes.
    • Next, roll out the dough on lightly floured surface, to about ¼ inch thick.
    • Using a round cookie cutter, cut into 4-5 inch circles. Press dough into muffin pan, trying not to stretch the dough.

    For the filling:

    • Mix together butter, brown sugar and corn syrup. Whisk until the butter is creamed and sugar dissolved.
    • Add egg, vanilla extract and pinch of salt. Mix well.
    • Fill the tart shells about ⅔ full.
    • Bake in the oven at 400º Fahrenheit for 15-20 minutes until golden brown. Cool for 10 minutes, then remove from baking pan to cooling rack.

    My Mom's favorite baking treats:

    Every family Christmas my Mom made her Old Fashioned Butter Tarts. They always seemed to be the first Christmas baking treat to disappear. Next to go off her Holiday baking tray were Whipped Shortbread Cookies, Butterscotch Confetti Squares and Gingerbread Cookies.

    Black baking rack filled with butter tarts.

    Enjoy more Sweet treat recipes

    • Creamy Peanut Butter Fudge
    • Best Ever Sugar Cookies
    • Date Squares
    Stack of homemade butter tarts on white plate
    Stack of four homemade tarts with syrupy filling on white plate.

    Old Fashioned Butter Tarts

    Laureen King
    The perfect butter tart recipe with sweet, slightly runny filling and flaky melt in your mouth pastry.
    3.99 from 318 votes
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    Prep Time 30 mins
    Cook Time 20 mins
    Total Time 50 mins
    Course Dessert
    Cuisine Canadian
    Servings 16
    Calories 296 kcal

    Ingredients
      

    Tart Pastry

    • 2 ⅔ cups all purpose flour
    • 1 tablespoon sugar
    • 1 teaspoon salt
    • 1 cup butter chilled and cut into pieces
    • ¼-1/2 cup ice cold water

    Butter Tart Filling

    • ½ cup soft butter
    • ½ cup brown sugar packed
    • ½ cup corn syrup golden
    • 2 eggs slightly beaten
    • 1 teaspoon vanilla
    • pinch of salt

    Instructions
     

    Butter Tart Pastry

    • Sift flour, salt and sugar together.
    • Using a pastry blender cut butter into flour mix until it resembles course meal.
    • Add cold water a bit at a time until dough just starts to hold together. Adding too much water will make for a tough dough. Do not over-work the dough.
    • Press dough together forming a disk.
    • Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes.
    • Roll out the pastry dough to ¼ inch thickness. Cut into sixteen 4-inch circles or twelve 5-inch circles.
    • Press the dough into muffin tins being careful not to stretch the dough.
    • Refrigerate until the filling is prepared.

    Butter Tart Filling

    • In a large bowl, mix together butter, brown sugar and corn syrup. Stir until the butter is creamed and the sugar is dissolved.
    • Add eggs, vanilla and pinch of salt. Mix well.
    • Fill the tart shells about ⅔ full with the filling.
    • Bake at 400º Fahrenheit for 15-20 minutes.
    • The filling should be lightly browned and bubbling.
    • Let the butter tarts cool in pan for about 10 minutes. Transfer to rack to cool completely.

    Notes

    Store bought pastry tart shells will work as well. Add raisins or pecans if you like.

    Nutrition

    Calories: 296kcalCarbohydrates: 32gProtein: 3gFat: 18gSaturated Fat: 11gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 5gTrans Fat: 1gCholesterol: 66mgSodium: 299mgPotassium: 45mgFiber: 1gSugar: 16gVitamin A: 562IUCalcium: 19mgIron: 1mg
    Keyword butter tarts
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    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Jane

      May 16, 2020 at 3:14 pm

      5 stars
      I haven't had butter tarts in years! I had a pack of frozen shells and wasn't sure what to do with them - then I came across this recipe. These turned out awesome! And best part is that I had all the ingredients already in the house. Though I am so glad I thought to put them on a parchment lined cookie sheet.....I was a bit too generous with the filling in a few and they spilled over lol. Definitely will be making again!

      Reply
      • Laureen King

        May 24, 2020 at 7:17 am

        Thank you Jane, one of my favourite treats. My Mom made these every year at Christmas.

        Reply
        • Cheryl

          June 11, 2020 at 2:53 pm

          Can you use real maple syrup in place of corn syrup?

          Reply
          • Laureen King

            June 11, 2020 at 5:03 pm

            Hi Cheryl, no maple syrup cannot be used in place of corn syrup as maple syrup wont't set like corn syrup.

            Reply
            • Elizabeth

              December 24, 2022 at 12:45 pm

              5 stars
              This is probably a long shot as I’m trying to make these for Xmas tomorrow but I’m curious about the corn syrup. Your recipe calls for corn syrup (golden) when I google corn syrup vs corn syrup golden it says they are two different things, that it’s not called corn syrup golden it’s just golden syrup. One is from corn and very mild and the other golden syrup is derived from sugar and it’s stronger in taste of butter and carmel. Just curious which one you use?

            • Laureen King

              December 24, 2022 at 3:06 pm

              Hi Elizabeth,
              Just plain white corn syrup will work as well if you can't find golden, and I am pretty sure just golden syrup will work, just not pancake syrup as it isn't as thick.

          • Cynthia

            October 23, 2022 at 3:30 pm

            I just made the recipe with real Canadian maple syrup and they set just fine:)

            Reply
        • Carmen

          March 21, 2022 at 12:07 pm

          Do I use light or dark corn syrup? Thx

          Reply
          • Laureen King

            March 21, 2022 at 7:03 pm

            Hi Carmen, I use light corn syrup.

            Reply
    2. Jill

      June 27, 2020 at 7:02 am

      Hi there I’m so excited about making knees are used to live in Canada so they were stable now I’m making them for a birthday gift here in Florida! I’m nervous about the tart shells ....when you say to put them in a disc before you refrigerate what do you mean by that?

      Reply
    3. Julie

      September 09, 2020 at 8:09 pm

      I had my first butter tart a few years ago at the Toronto Christmas market on my way to Ottawa for a hockey game and today I DM'd my best friend and was like "What if I made butter tarts?" and she said do it, so I did it. I've never made pastry cases before but it was really easy and it did come together pretty well for me!!! These really taste like pecan pie filling and my mom was really skeptical but she loved them!! I will definitely try this recipe again!!

      Reply
      • Laureen King

        September 24, 2020 at 8:13 am

        Thank you Julie, yes butter tarts are very similar to pecan pie filling.

        Reply
    4. Heather

      October 28, 2020 at 3:18 am

      They may taste good to eat but Corn Syrup is bad for you plus my mother who is long gone use to make them with butter, brown sugar, egg & vanilla there was no corn syrup back in the day now that’s old fashion butter tarts.

      Reply
      • Laura

        March 09, 2021 at 2:20 pm

        Hi Heather, you are confusing regular corn syrup, invented in 1898, with high fructose corn syrup, invented in the 60’s - they are very different and it is the high fructose corn syrup that is bad for you. Regular corn syrup is metabolized similar to sugar, high fructose corn syrup is hard on your liver etc. Just wanted you to know! All the best!

        Reply
    5. Ashton

      November 05, 2020 at 8:37 am

      Can't wait to try, my husband is from Canada and he loves butter tarts. Hope he loves them 🤞🏻

      Reply
      • Laureen King

        November 07, 2020 at 6:10 pm

        Hi hope he enjoys them.

        Reply
    6. Marj

      December 06, 2020 at 3:30 pm

      Hi there,
      I am wanting make this recipe but could you please tell me how many cups of raising and nuts to use for this?
      Thank you kindly,
      Marj

      Reply
      • Laureen King

        December 07, 2020 at 6:44 am

        Hi Marj, I would add a cup.

        Reply
    7. Anna Stockwell

      December 18, 2020 at 8:31 am

      Oh my, I had given up trying to make good gluten free pastry but, thought I would give it one last try. I'm so glad I did. This pastry is so perfect that I will use it for all my baking, it's flaking and, better than any store bought or homemade pastry. I did use shortening instead of butter and will be making it again and again. Thank you for sharing. Can you tell me if it should be refrigerated after baking and can it be frozen?

      Reply
      • Laureen King

        December 18, 2020 at 6:44 pm

        Anna, the butter tarts can be stored for up to 2 days at room temperature and up to five days refrigerated.

        Reply
    8. Kristen Warbeck

      February 11, 2021 at 9:55 pm

      Wow! wonderful recipe, so yummy! My tarts are sticking in the tins though, is there a way I can avoid this from happening?

      Reply
      • Laureen King

        February 12, 2021 at 6:28 am

        I use a non-stick baking tin, but you could try using paper cups or buttering the tin.

        Reply
    9. Melly

      June 10, 2021 at 10:18 am

      5 stars
      Ive been planning on making these but I’m so confused, the recipe says corn syrup, golden. But I could only find light corn syrup and I looked it up but it said golden syrup and light corn syrup are completely different, but the recipe keeps saying corn syrup. I think it was meant to be light, otherwise which one is the right one? Mind you google never said golden *corn* syrup, just golden syrup.

      Reply
      • Laureen King

        June 10, 2021 at 11:21 am

        Hello, sometimes ingredient name and variety by country. I live in Canada and can find both, but just plain corn syrup will work in this recipe.

        Reply
        • Vic kiss

          November 26, 2021 at 5:24 am

          Can maple syrup be substituted for the corn syrup or will it bake differently

          Reply
          • Laureen King

            November 26, 2021 at 11:32 am

            Vic I haven't tried with maple syrup, but I don't think they would set the same as using corn syrup resulting in them being too runny.

            Reply
    10. Nadina

      December 24, 2022 at 11:40 pm

      5 stars
      I rolled out to 1/4 inch thickness for the mini size at 4” diameter as you mentioned but I found it way too thick for the mini muffin tins. I rolled them out to 1/8 inch thickness and put them in a large muffin tin instead. The pastry still turned out thick to me but I gave the rating 5 stars because everything tasted delicious.

      Reply
    « Older Comments

    Trackbacks

    1. OLD FASHIONED BUTTER TARTS - HouseKeeperMag.com says:
      June 13, 2020 at 3:49 am

      […] This best ever recipe for Old Fashioned Butter Tarts is a popular treat for Holiday Baking, but tastes so terrific you’ll want to bake up a batch throughout the year. RECIPE HERE —->OLD FASHIONED BUTTER TARTS […]

      Reply
    2. TOP 45+ quick and easy keto dessert recipes | Annie Recipes says:
      September 19, 2020 at 2:49 pm

      […] Old-Fashioned Butter Tarts from Art and the Kitchen […]

      Reply
    3. Nanaimo Bars | Art and the Kitchen says:
      December 13, 2020 at 8:45 am

      […] Jump to Recipe Nanaimo Bars are a true Canadian classic dessert. Delicious layers of chocolate coconut crumb crust, custard filling and chocolate coating. I do not know any Canadian baker that does not have Nanaimo bars recipe somewhere in one of their fund-raiser cookbooks, recipe cards, or scribbled in a notebook. These tasty, sweet bars bring back fond memories of childhood treats my Mom baked. They were always prepared for holidays and special occasions by someone in our large family. My Mom was a great baker and this is her classic recipe. You may also want to try another Canadian classic dessert,  Old Fashioned Butter Tarts. […]

      Reply

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