Old Fashioned Butter Tarts
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!
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. Every family Christmas my Mom made Butter Tarts and they were always the first treat to disappear off her holiday baking tray!
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.
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.
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 1/4 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 2/3 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.
Mom’s favorite baking treats
My Mom was an incredible baker and these are some of her most loved recipes!
Old Fashioned Butter Tarts
Ingredients
Tart Pastry
- 2 2/3 cups all purpose flour
- 1 tablespoon sugar
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 cup butter chilled and cut into pieces
- 1/4-1/2 cup ice cold water
Butter Tart Filling
- 1/2 cup soft butter
- 1/2 cup brown sugar packed
- 1/2 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 1/4 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 2/3 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
Nutrition
Usually the flaky pastry is the ultimate test. There is now a butter tart festival in Midland , Ontario in early June-sell out of 50,000 tarts in a day. Tenderflake premades are a close second!
I would gain about 10 lbs going to a butter tart festival, but would be so good!!
I know this is a Canadian based recipe. All of my “regular” sized muffin pan are 12-muffin sized. I’ve looked on Amazon, can can’t find 16 muffin-cup pans. So, do you do two pans with empty muffin cups, use mini-muffin-cup pan (which is usually 24), or does Canada have a 16-cup pan? I guess I’m trying to determine of the tarts are standard muffin pan sized tarts, or if the size ratio is different in Canada due to a different pan size. Thanks in advance for the guidance.
Hi, I used two 12 muffin sized pans and left empty muffin cups. My muffin tin is not very deep so it works out to 16, but if you have a deeper muffin tin if would most likely make 12. Another option is to make 12 regular and then some mini ones.
Exactly like my recipe. A trick I use is to flatten muffin paper and put each circle of pastry on it then slide it into the muffin pan. Easier to put in and easier to remove after baking.
Us Canadian home bakers use a 12 Cup muffin tin.
Excellent recipe, from someone who is very nervous about making pie crust. Filling was traditional and perfect. I wouldn’t change a thing.
Excellent Susan, I too still get nervous making pie crusts, but the homemade version is so much tastier!
I finally came across my Mum’s recipe for butter tarts. EEvertime I make them, I think of her. We put currants and coconut in ours. We don’t much care for nuts. Still trying to perfect my mothers pastry dough, every year, I’m closer! I really didn’t realize that these were a Canadian thing, I just thought it was passed down from my Mum’s Mum. Makes sense now seeing as my Mother was Canadian!!
Kimberly aren’t our Mom and Grandmother’s recipes the best, so many memories to go with all those great recipes.
Made them today and they are delicious! Thanks so much for the wonderful recipe ❤
Wondered can u replace the Butter with Lard or Tender flake shortening tyvm
Yes Ada yes you can for the tart shells, they will be a bit more flaky. but not for the filling.
Tyvm I wouldn’t put lard in filling lol ty again
Should I reduce the baking time if I use a mini muffin tin?
Maria, yes the baking time would be reduced a bit, but shouldn’t be by too much. Watch closely when edges of pasty starts to brown.
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!
Thank you Jane, one of my favourite treats. My Mom made these every year at Christmas.
Can you use real maple syrup in place of corn syrup?
Hi Cheryl, no maple syrup cannot be used in place of corn syrup as maple syrup wont’t set like corn syrup.
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?
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.
I just made the recipe with real Canadian maple syrup and they set just fine:)
Do I use light or dark corn syrup? Thx
Hi Carmen, I use light corn syrup.
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?
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!!
Thank you Julie, yes butter tarts are very similar to pecan pie filling.
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.
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!
Can’t wait to try, my husband is from Canada and he loves butter tarts. Hope he loves them 🤞🏻
Hi hope he enjoys them.
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
Hi Marj, I would add a cup.
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?
Anna, the butter tarts can be stored for up to 2 days at room temperature and up to five days refrigerated.
I make them all the time. Beehive corn syrup. Order online. Works best.
Wow! wonderful recipe, so yummy! My tarts are sticking in the tins though, is there a way I can avoid this from happening?
I use a non-stick baking tin, but you could try using paper cups or buttering the tin.
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.
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.
Can maple syrup be substituted for the corn syrup or will it bake differently
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.
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.
I really like your recipe! I like the fact that they aren’t as sweet as some I’ve tried. These are more custardy than runny. I used store bought tart shells and made these in a jiffy. Thanks Laureen!
Thank you so much Kathy. It is one of my favorite recipes my Mom used to make.
First time making butter tarts. This recipe was easy to follow and turned out fantastic. I also used paper liners in my muffin tin so they would be easier to remove. I filled a couple to full and they spilled over into the paper liners but were still easy to take paper off. Thank you 😊
Thank you Anna, this was one of my Mom’s favorite recipes.
These are exactly like my mom used to make. Her recipe was lost when she passed away so I can’t even tell you how thrilled I was when I tasted them. Thank you so much!
Those are cherished recipes. I lost my Mom last year and am so happy I have her old scribbler of recipes.
Will be trying soon