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
Made them today and they are delicious! Thanks so much for the wonderful recipe ❤
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.
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 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.
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 assume you used a regular muffin pan, or are these with a mini pan?
Hi Cris, yes regular sized muffin pan.
This is a great idea! I have been using the small silicone trays and pushing them up out of the pan once cooled. I will try your method with metal pans. Thanks!
I just made and used phyllo shells. Dont know if i spelled right. But turned out wonderful. Buttery and flaky. Probably lots cheaper to make ur own, but I didn’t want to fool with making own this time. Considering how good they turned out, probably will continue to use store bought round shells. Husband has already dated 5!!
Store bought do not touch homemade, for pastry. These are all butter and ones with lard/shortening are not nearly as flacky
I disagree I make butter tarts I have been working with pastry for over 30 years & my pastry is beautiful nice & flakey & tasty every time ! I garrentee it !
I agree. I only use tenderflake lard and follow the recipe on the box. Very flaky pastry every time. Almost a fail proof recipe.
These came out excellent. I managed to get a full 2 dozen though, how thick do you roll your pastry? And what cook time&temp would you suggest for the mini tarts in your pictures?