A rich dessert with rich roots that has stood the test of time, these Canadian Butter Tarts are a total classic! A maple syrup custard filling in buttery tart shells makes for a tasty handheld treat.
Ingredients Checklist
The ingredient list for these canadian butter tarts is fairly simple using kitchen basics.. A full list of ingredients with measurements for this recipe is available in the printable recipe card below.
- Flour- all purpose flour works for this one. Bread flour can also be used. Cake flour does not work.
- Sugar– just plain, white sugar is where the sweetness comes from.
- Fine sea salt– omit if using salted butter.
- Unsalted butter– to make the pastry, the butter needs to be super cold, keep it in the fridge until you are ready to use it. Cutting it into small chunks helps it to evenly incorporate.
- Cold water- from the tap is fine, just make sure it is as cold as it can get! You can use ice water, but make sure the total volume is correct, don’t add ice to the correct cup of water.
- Unsalted butter- if you use salted, omit the additional salt. Make sure butter is adequately softened, but not melted. Melting the butter will have a negative impact on the filling rising.
- Brown sugar– light or dark brown sugar works.
- Eggs– it’s a custard- it needs eggs!
- Maple syrup- this is probably the most important part, use real maple syrup, not maple flavored sugar water. To get the right texture, a thick syrup is ideal. Some recipes use corn syrup, but I prefer the flavor of maple syrup.
- Fine sea salt- if using coarse, double the amount. This balance the sugar and emphasizes natural maple flavors.
- Vanilla Extract- Almond works well too. Vanilla bean paste can be used as well.
Get to Baking!
Making these canadian butter tarts might just be easier than you think! Just follow these simple steps.
- Make crust dough. Using a food processor, pulse the flour, sugar, and salt. Add the cold butter in chunks, pulse until butter is in small pieces. Add the cold water and pulse until the dough starts coming together.
- Chill dough. Turn the dough onto two plastic wrap pieces lying flat. Cover over and pat into a disc. Refrigerate for at least one hour. Dough will be super sticky, this is normal.
- Roll and cut dough. Sprinkle a small amount of flour on a flat surface and roll out one portion at the time on lightly floured surface, about 1/8 of an inch thick. Use a round cutter or lid and cut round pieces. Throw out the scraps or use for another recipe!
- Add dough to muffin pan. Grease muffin pan. Press each dough circle into the bottom of a muffin pan cup. Refrigerate while making the filling.
- Make filling. Cream the butter and sugar together in a large bowl. Add the eggs one at the time. Add the maple syrup, salt, and vanilla extract. The filling is a chunky custard and very loose. If you make this ahead and set aside, you’ll need to whisk before pouring into muffin tins.
- Pour filling into crust. Pour the filling mixture into pie crust and bake in preheated oven. It is easiest to use a glass measuring cup with a pour spout.
- Allow to cool. Let the tarts cool for five minutes in the pan and remove to a cooling wire rack.
5S Philosophy 👩🏻
- Salt – Because we use unsalted butter in both the crust and the filling, we add a pinch of fine sea salt to both as well. It helps to bring out the other flavors.
- Sauces – You could drizzle any number of dessert sauces over these butter tarts. White chocolate sauce, butterscotch sauce or salted caramel sauce would be delicious.
- Swaps – Try adding dried fruit or nuts to the filling. Things like raisins, currants, dates, figs, walnuts or chocolate chips would be perfect.
- Senses – These Canadian butter tarts are a golden, gooey indulgence with a crisp, flaky shell that shatters gently under your fork. The filling is rich and buttery—sweet like caramel, with a hint of vanilla and brown sugar warmth.
Storage and Freezing
How to Store
Mini butter tarts keep well at room temperature for up to 2 days or in the refrigerator for up to a week. Place them in an airtight container.
Can I Freeze Butter Tarts?
Yes, you can freeze Canadian Butter Tarts for up to two months in an airtight container or freezer bag.
Canadian Butter Tarts FAQs
Do they have butter tarts in America?
Butter tarts are not as common or widely recognized in the United States as they are in Canada. They are more of a Canadian specialty and are not typically found as a mainstream dessert in American cuisine.
What’s the difference between a pecan pie and a butter tart?
The main difference is that butter tarts do not typically contain pecans. They also commonly have raisins which are not used in pecan pie. We do have a recipe for pecan pie tarts too!
More Easy Desserts
We do love easy dessert recipes over here, but they need to be easy- we all know I am a lazy baker!
Canadian Butter Tarts
A Canadian treat that everyone should try, these EASY Canadian Butter Tarts consist of a flaky crust filled with a buttery, caramel-like, gooey center!
Servings: tarts
Ingredients
Crust
- 2-1/2 cups flour
- 1 tablespoon sugar
- 1 teaspoon fine sea salt
- 1 cup unsalted butter , cold
- 3/4 cup water , cold
Filling
- ¼ cup unsalted butter , at room temperature
- 1/2 cup brown sugar
- 2 eggs , at room temperature
- 1 cup maple syrup
- 1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
Crust
- Using a food processor, pulse the flour, sugar, and salt. Add the cold butter in chunks, pulse 5 to 8 times, or until butter is in small pieces. Add the cold water and pulse until the dough starts coming together.
- Turn the dough onto 2 plastic wrap pieces lying flat. Cover over and pat into a disc. Refrigerate for at least 1 hour. Dough will be super sticky, this is normal.
- Sprinkle a small amount of flour on a flat surface and roll out one portion at the time, about 1/8 of an inch thick. Use a round cutter or lid (4 inches) and cut 15 pieces.
- Grease 1 muffin pan completely and 3 muffin cups from a second pan. Press each dough circle into the bottom of a muffin pan cup. Refrigerate while making the filling.
- Preheat the oven to 350°F.
Filling
- Cream the butter and sugar together. Add the eggs one at the time. Add the maple syrup, salt, and vanilla extract. The filling is a chunky custard and very loose. If you make this ahead and set aside, you'll need to whisk before pouring into muffin tins.
- Pour the filling into pie crust and bake for 25 minutes. It is easiest to use a glass measuring cup with a pour spout.
- Let the tarts cool for 5 minutes in the pan and remove to a cooling rack.
- If you've tried this recipe, come back and let us know how it was in the comment or ratings!
Video
Nutrition
Calories: 264 kcal, Carbohydrates: 29 g, Protein: 2 g, Fat: 16 g, Saturated Fat: 10 g, Cholesterol: 62 mg, Sodium: 342 mg, Potassium: 79 mg, Fiber: 1 g, Sugar: 21 g, Vitamin A: 504 IU, Calcium: 39 mg, Iron: 1 mg
Did you make this recipe?I’d love to see your recipes – snap a picture and mention @savoryexperiments or tag #savoryexperiments!
This is a fabulous recipe and pretty simple to make. It will become a family favorite, I’m sure.
I make this recipe every Christmas as my wife loves butter tarts. The recipe is great. I add a couple of pecans per tart shell and, because I really don’t care for using plain sugar if I can help it, I use coconut sugar in place of the brown sugar. Thanks for the recipe.
Was looking for a recipe without corn syrup and this was the one! I did cheat and used store bought try shells! This will be my go to!
Glad you loved it and thanks for coming back to let us know!
This is part of my Christmas baking every year now. Love that it’s a Canadian tradition! Comes out perfect every time and is the first treat off my baking trays! Love it.
I made these for a church potluck and everyone loves them! Have you ever tried freezing these, if so how did they turn out?
I haven’t, but there is no reason why you couldn’t!
Has anyone ever made these in mini muffin cups? I would love to try minis for my Xmas cookie trays!
The directions call to put the filling into a pie plate and bake for 25 minutes. As these are tarts, is this a typo? I baked for 25 minutes and the filling was very tough
Hi- the pie crusts that are in the muffin tins, not a large pie plate. The filling should be set, but not tough. If you want to email me jessica@savoryexperiments.com, I can help troubleshoot the issue.
These were fantastic, I’m not much of a baker so I used pre-made tart shells. So all I can comment on is the filling. Fantastic! Just the right gooeyness. Being in southern Ontario maple syrup is easy to find and not crazy expensive. We always have it on hand for making BBQ sauce.
I’ll be making these again, and again.
Good recipe, I used one and a half TSP of vanilla extract, also would recommend getting the darkest brown sugar you can find! Also, the pastry was awesome!
Glad you enjoyed it!
Highest praise! After one bite, husband sais “These are f*** good!”
And that’s what I’m talking about! MIC DROP!