Brimming with a buttery bourbon-brown sugar filling, this Canadian Butter Tart recipe is the perfect dessert for your next holiday gathering.
Email Me the Recipe!
From time to time, we'll send you Well Plated emails. You can unsubscribe anytime. Have an account? Log In.
Flaky, buttery, caramelized bites of deliciousness!
If you’re not familiar with butter tarts, they’re an old-fashioned dessert that originated in Canada and are similar to pecan pies of the American south.
Both pecan pie (and these Pecan Pie Bars) and butter tarts are made with tender, flaky pie crust filled with a sweet, sugary filling. However, there are a few key differences worth noting:
- Size. Butter tarts are always prepared in miniature, never in a larger pie form. Making them poppable, sharable, and easily transportable.
- Consistency. While pecan pie filling is always thick and fully set, some butter tart fillings are nicely set, while others recipes yield a slightly runny filling.
- Mix-ins. Pecan pie (and Pecan Pie Cobbler) is always pecan pie. Butter tarts, however, can be filled with raisins, walnuts, pecans, currants, or a combination of all of the above.
My recipe aims to satisfy all.
I kept the essentials—miniature size, decadent filling, and an irresistible crackly top (similar to this Buttermilk Pie)—streamlined the ingredients, and left the mix-ins open to interpretation.
5 Star Review
“These little tarts are fantastic!!!”
— Amanda —
My Tips for Perfect Butter Tarts
- Use a GOOD Butter. Since butter is such a key component in this recipe, splurge on some high-quality grass-fed or extra-creamy European-style butter—it’s worth it!
- Rotate the Pans. For even baking, rotate the pans 180 degrees and flip-flop the pans between the upper and lower racks halfway through baking.
- Know When They’re Done. You’ll know your tarts are fully baked when the filling jiggles only a little in the center when you wiggle the pan, and the crust is golden. The easiest way to tell when the tarts are done is with an instant-read thermometer. The filling should register 200 degrees F.
Mix-In Options
Here are some common mix-ins to try with this recipe:
- Raisins
- Currants
- Walnuts
- Pecans
- Shredded Coconut
My Canadian father-in-law says his mother used raisins in her butter tarts. But do your own experimentation to find your perfect combo.
Frequently Asked Questions
If your filling is runny, the tarts may be underbaked or may not contain enough egg. Eggs help thicken and stabilize the filling while it bakes, which is why I’ve included two whole eggs in my recipe to ensure the filling is thick and fully set once baked. It’s also worth noting that butter tarts are meant to be runnier than pecan pie (and some traditionalists prefer the filling very runny).
Butter tarts most often boil over because they were filled too full before baking. Try to only fill each tart 2/3 full with filling so there’s plenty of room for bubbling and expansion.
Butter Tarts
email me the recipe!
From time to time, we’ll send you Well Plated emails. You can unsubscribe anytime. Have an account? Log In.
Ingredients
- 2 9-inch pie crusts whole wheat pie crust, store-bought pie crust (thaw overnight in the refrigerator), or your favorite pie crust recipe
- ¼ cup unsalted butter
- ¾ cup raisins* or chopped toasted walnuts or pecans or a mix
- 1 tablespoon bourbon optional
- ⅔ cup brown sugar light or dark
- ½ tablespoon all purpose flour
- 2 large eggs at room temperature
- ⅓ cup plus 1 tablespoon pure maple syrup do not use imitation or “breakfast” syrup
- 1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
Instructions
- Lay the first pie crust out on a lightly floured work surface (leave the second crust in the refrigerator until you are ready for it). Roll it into a 12-inch circle, working from the center out. Grab 2 standard 12-cup muffin pans (no need to grease).
- Flour a 4-inch round cookie cutter or biscuit cutter (if you don’t have one, use a drinking glass). Stamp out 7 rounds from the pie crust (reroll the scraps if needed). Gently place each round into a well of the muffin pan and press the dough up the sides to create a tart shell.
- Repeat with the second pie crust, filling the remaining wells. Place the pans in refrigerator and chill for at least 30 minutes or cover and chill overnight. (If you only have one muffin pan, you can bake the tarts in batches. Be sure to let the pan cool all the way in between).
- When ready to bake, position racks in the upper and lower thirds of the oven and preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Place the raisins in a small, microwave-safe bowl and stir together with the bourbon. Microwave on high for 30 seconds. Set aside.
- Cut the butter into a few pieces and place in a large microwave-safe mixing bowl. Microwave on medium heat, just until melted. Let cool to room temperature. To the bowl with the butter, add the brown sugar and flour.
- Whisk to combine until smoothly blended (it will be thick).
- Whisk in the eggs, maple syrup, vanilla, and salt until evenly combined.
- Scatter the raisins evenly over the tart shells.
- Divide the filling between the crusts, filling each well 3/4 of the way to the top (use a small ladle or transfer the filling to a measuring cup with a spout, then pour it into the crusts).
- Bake for 25 to 35 minutes, or until the top is dry, crackly, and set. The filling should jiggle only a little in the center when you wiggle the pan, and the crust is turning golden. The easiest way to tell when the tarts are done is with an instant-read thermometer. The filling should register 200 degrees F.
- Place the pan on a wire rack and let the tarts cool completely before unmolding them. The filling will settle and crackle. To unmold, use a dull knife such as a butter knife to loosen the tarts from the muffin wells as needed. Gently lift the tarts onto the rack.
Video
Notes
- *If using nuts instead of raisins, skip microwaving with the bourbon. Reduce the maple syrup by 1 tablespoon and add the bourbon with the maple syrup. You also can use nuts (or no mix-ins) and omit the bourbon entirely.
- TO MAKE AHEAD: Line the muffin tin with the crusts and refrigerate for up to 1 day. Combine the filling (except for nuts if using) up to 1 day ahead, cover tightly, and refrigerate. Fill the crusts just before baking.
- TO STORE: Keep leftover butter tarts at room temperature for up to 3 days. Enjoy at room temperature or warmed in the microwave (the crust will become somewhat soft) or oven (best option).
- TO FREEZE: Freeze baked, cooled tarts for up to 3 months, tightly wrapped in a double layer of plastic wrap or aluminum foil. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator and allow to come to room temperature prior to serving.
Nutrition
Join today and start saving your favorite recipes
Create an account to easily save your favorite recipes and access FREE meal plans.
Sign Me Up
These little tarts are fantastic!!!
YOU are fantastic! Thanks Amanda (and merry early Christmas! xo)
These look tasty! Great to see a recipe with Canadian roots here. These are very common here in the prairies (Saskatchewan). Butter tarts were one of my Grandma’s signature desserts, and we still make them most years at Christmas. I love them with raisins!
Hi Diana! Hope you enjoy them!
Made these exactly as given but as teensy tarts and they are now a weekly go to for my husbands lunch snacks!
Hi Sammy! So glad you enjoyed them! Thank you for this kind review!
Excellent recipe! This was my first attempt to make butter tarts, and they turned out perfect. I made mini tarts, used currents to cut down on sweetness, and skipped the bourbon. Thank you for posting this along with many of your other fantastic recipes. Soooo yummy!
Hi Deee! So glad you enjoyed the recipe! Thank you for this kind review!
Looks so yummy. I have a question …the recipe says mini tarts….. but then mentions standard muffin tin? I have both mini cupcake pan and regular cupcake pan?
Hi, the recipe says “mini” only because a regular size tart is about 9 inches. So use a regular cupcake pan for this recipe. Hope that helps!
Made a batch of these with raisins and a few with pecans just to try both and honestly can’t decide which one I liked better. The balance of sweet and salty was just right, and I liked that it wasn’t cloying like some other butter tart recipes I’ve tried.
Glad you enjoyed them, Geneva!
So happy I found this recipe! The crackly tops and the soft, rich centers came out just like described. I used walnuts instead of raisins and it gave a nice crunch. My husband said it reminded him of something his grandma used to make.
So glad you enjoyed it, Lourdes! Thank yoU!
I just made these today and they were seriously good. I didn’t have bourbon so I skipped it, but the maple syrup gave the filling so much flavor. Also love that they weren’t crazy sweet. Will totally make it again!
So pleased to hear this Vanessa, thank you!