Pies & Tarts

Canadian Butter Tarts Recipe

4.78 from 27 votes
Try Canadian Butter Tarts with a flaky pie crust and rich maple-caramel custard filling. Perfectly sweet, customizable, and easy to prepare!
Tiny Canadian Butter Tarts on a cooling rack.

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Hi Bold Bakers!

 WHY YOU’LL LOVE THIS RECIPE: These tiny Canadian Butter Tarts are a delightful treat that brings a touch of Canadian charm to your dessert table. 

  • Irresistibly Sweet & Buttery: With a buttery, flaky pie crust and a rich, mapley-caramel custard filling, these tarts offer a perfectly balanced sweetness in every bite.
  • Perfectly Sized: Their small size makes them the ideal indulgence-satisfying without being overwhelming.
  • Customizable & Versatile: Add raisins, nuts, or even chocolate to the filling for a personalized touch, or serve them with a dollop of homemade whipped cream for extra decadence.
  • Simple & Delicious: With easy-to-follow instructions and a prep of only 30 minutes, you’ll have these charming tarts ready to enjoy in no time.

Many people have never heard of Candian butter tarts. It’s THE BEST part of a Pecan Pie and a recipe that is passed down through families, and some secrets are heavily guarded! Don’t worry—no secrets here!

Bold Bakers Loved This!

“I made these the other day- my Beautiful Wife loves them I put Raisins in as well.” – Owen Allen

“I love eaten Canadian tarts, and this recipe was PERFECTION. The centre had a slightly diff texture than the original but i preferred this to be honest. You should release a cookbook. Itll be very successful!!!!” – Bold Baker

IMPORTANT NOTE: This recipe was improved and updated on 9/26/2024, to include a NEW STEP-BY-STEP tutorial video, explanations and substitutes of key ingredients, answers to the most frequently asked questions, and Pro Chef Tips.

Table of Contents

Top-down view of Canadian Butter Tarts on a cooling rack.

What Are Canadian Butter Tarts?

Canadian Butter Tarts are a traditional Canadian dessert consisting of a flaky pie crust filled with a rich, sweet custard made from maple syrup, brown sugar, and butter.

  • Sweet & Buttery: Features a mapley-caramel custard filling and buttery, flaky pastry shells.
  • Petite & Satisfying: Small in size, making them an ideal, indulgent treat.
  • Versatile: Can be customized with add-ins like raisins, nuts, or chocolate.

Canadians love their butter tarts. It’s a seemingly humble dessert, but they have a long history in Canada. Some say that their origins can be traced back to Québec in the 1600s! It may have been invented during filles du roi, or The King’s Daughters, a period from 1663 to 1673 when King Louis XIV sent around 800 young French women to Québec to help colonize “New France.” Butter tarts may have been their way of baking traditional French recipes with what was available in Canada.

But, the earliest published recipe dates 1900, and the Women’s Auxiliary of the Royal Victoria Hospital Cookbook says the tart is from Ontario.

Tools You Need

Key Ingredients and Substitutes

Pie Crust

  • A perfect pie crust holds the filling in place and adds a flaky, buttery bite. Flavor-wise, it provides a rich, buttery taste.
  • Options: Use our Perfect Homemade Pie Crust for the best result, or use a good-quality store-bought one.
  • Substitute: Instead of all-purpose flour, try our The Flakiest Gluten-Free Pie Crust if needed.

Maple Syrup

  • Maple syrup sweetens the filling, adds a distinct maple taste, and contributes to the custard’s consistency.
  • Substitute: We prefer maple syrup here at Bigger Bolder Baking for the signature butter tarts’ taste. But we do know and respect that how it’s been traditionally made with Corn syrup for a great result as well.

Dark Brown Sugar

  • Dark Brown Sugar adds extra sweetness, provides caramel-like notes, and helps thicken the filling.
  • Try our Brown Sugar recipe to make your own, or make your light brown sugar darker.

Butter

  • Butter adds a rich, creamy texture, and enhances the overall taste. It also keeps the filling smooth and tender.
  • Options: We use salted butter for extra flavor but unsalted butter will also work.

Eggs

  • Eggs hold the filling together, help the filling set, and provide structure to the custard.
  • Try cornstarch or arrowroot powder from our Egg Substitutes Chart.

Vanilla Extract

  • Vanilla extract adds a hint of vanilla, and enhances the sweetness.
  • It also contributes to the overall scent.

Salt

  • Salt counteracts sweetness and enhances other flavors.
  • Additionally, it Adds depth to the filling.

How To Make Canadian Butter Tarts

Preparing the pastry dough

  1. On a lightly floured surface, roll out the pie crusts to ¼ inch thick. Use a 3 inch (7cm) round cookie cutter and cut out 12 disks.
  2. Line a 12-cup muffin pan with the pie crust circles pushing the crust high up the pan to create a bigger cup. Place it in the refrigerator while you prepare the filling.

For the Maple Filling

  1. Add the maple syrup, brown sugar, and butter into a small saucepan and heat until the butter melts.
  2. Remove the mixture from the heat and whisk in the eggs, vanilla extract, and salt. set aside to cool down for at least 30 minutes.
  3. Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C).
  4. Pour the cooled filling evenly among the tart shells and bake for about 25 minutes or until the filling is set. Let cool in the pan for 10 minutes before removing to rack to cool completely.
  5. Enjoy the tarts at room temperature with a dollop of whipped cream.

Canadian Butter Tarts arranged on a cooling rack.

Gemma’s Pro Chef Tips For Making Canadian Butter Tarts

  • This recipe will give you some leftover pie crust. Sprinkle the scraps with cinnamon sugar and bake along with the tarts for a little baker’s treat!
  • You can stir in a ½ cup (2½oz/71g) raisins or chopped walnuts or pecans into the filling before filling the muffin cups for a bit of texture if you’d like.
  • These tarts are delicious with a bit of homemade whipped cream piped on top!
  • Make chocolate butter tarts by stirring in a ½ cup (3oz/85g) of finely chopped bittersweet chocolate into the filling.
  • Double my pie crust for this recipe!

Make Ahead and Storage Instructions

Make-Ahead:

  • Assemble and freeze the unbaked tarts on a baking sheet until solid, then wrap them individually with plastic wrap and transfer them to an airtight container or freezer bag.
  • When ready to bake, preheat the oven and bake from frozen, adding a few extra minutes to the baking time.

Storage

  • Store leftover Canadian Butter Tarts in a covered container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. They can be enjoyed cold or warmed slightly before serving.
  • For longer storage, freeze the baked tarts in an airtight container or freezer bag for up to 3 months. Thaw at room temperature before serving.

The interior of my Canadian Butter Tart recipe.

How do I prevent the crust from getting soggy?

Blind-baking the crust slightly before adding the filling can help prevent it from becoming soggy. Or, put the tart pan on a pre-heated baking sheet during baking.

FAQ

Can I add ingredients like nuts or chocolate?

Absolutely! Feel free to mix in raisins, nuts, or chocolate chips into the filling for added texture and flavor.

Make More Pies for Fall!

And don’t forget to buy my Bigger Bolder Baking Cookbook!

Full (and printable) recipe below!

IMPORTANT NOTE: This recipe was improved and updated on 9/26/2024, to include a NEW STEP-BY-STEP tutorial video, explanations and substitutes of key ingredients, answers to the most frequently asked questions, and Pro Chef Tips.

Watch The Recipe Video!

Maple Butter Tarts

4.78 from 27 votes
Try Canadian Butter Tarts with a flaky pie crust and rich maple-caramel custard filling. Perfectly sweet, customizable, and easy to prepare!
Author: Gemma Stafford
Servings: 12 tarts
Prep Time 30 minutes
Cook Time 25 minutes
Try Canadian Butter Tarts with a flaky pie crust and rich maple-caramel custard filling. Perfectly sweet, customizable, and easy to prepare!
Author: Gemma Stafford
Servings: 12 tarts

Ingredients

Pastry

Maple Filling

  • 1 cup (8floz/240ml) maple syrup
  • cup (4oz/115g) dark brown sugar
  • ¼ cup (2oz/57g) butter
  • 2 large eggs (room temperature)
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • ½ teaspoon salt

Instructions

Preparing the Pastry

  • On a floured surface, roll out the pie crusts to ¼ inch thick. Use a 3 inch (7cm) round cookie cutter and cut out 12 circles.
  • Line a 12-cup muffin tin with the pie crust circles pushing the crust high up the pan to create a bigger cup. Place it in the refrigerator while you prepare the filling.

For the Maple Filling

  • Add the maple syrup, brown sugar, and butter into a small saucepan and heat until the butter melts.
  • Remove from the heat and whisk in the eggs, vanilla extract, and salt. set aside to cool down for at least 30 minutes.
  • Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C).
  • Divide the cooled filling evenly among the crust-lined muffin cups and bake for about 25 minutes or until filling is set. Let cool in the pan for 10 minutes before removing to rack to cool completely.
  • Enjoy the tarts at room temperature with a dollop of whipped cream. Store completely cooled pies in a covered container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.

Recipe Notes

  • This recipe will give you some leftover pie crust. Sprinkle the scraps with cinnamon sugar and bake along with the tarts for a little baker’s treat!
  • You can stir in a ½ cup (2½oz/71g) raisins or chopped walnuts or pecans into the filling before filling the muffin cups for a bit of texture if you’d like.
  • These tarts are delicious with a bit of homemade whipped cream piped on top!
  • Make chocolate butter tarts by stirring in a ½ cup (3oz/85g) of finely chopped bittersweet chocolate into the filling.
  • Double my pie crust for this recipe!
4.78 from 27 votes (19 ratings without comment)
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jo simon
jo simon
3 years ago

Are these made in a regular muffin tin, or a mini muffin tin? The pics look mini, but the recipe says ‘muffin’ tin.. thank you

Bonnie Lubbers
Bonnie Lubbers
3 years ago

Thanks for highlighting our sweet treat ????????. Like you’ve mentioned, there are variations of this dessert recipe. My Mum’s recipe used corn syrup and a bit of vinegar to counterbalance the sweetness. Best way to eat is frozen (lol) with a strong cup of coffee!!

Kristen
Kristen
2 years ago

Update the instructions to “Remove from heat, let cool” before adding in the eggs. Mine cooked and I had egg whites in my filling!!!

Annie
Annie
1 month ago

This Canadian thinks Butter Tarts are better with pecans!!

Kim
Kim
3 years ago

My mom makes these butter tarts only for the month of december every year and these canadian butter tarts are really good and tasty.I have never made butter tarts but I have helped mom make them.

bold baker
3 years ago

Hello Gemma,
I love eaten canadian tarts, and this recipe was PERFECTION. The centre had a slightly diff texture than the original but i preferred this to be honest. You should release a cookbook. Itll be very successful!!!!

Raffaela McNally
Raffaela McNally
3 years ago

How can we do eggless for these butter tarts ?

Tish
Tish
7 days ago

Gemma! These were amazing! I made them for the coffee fellowship time at church this past Sunday and they were a huge hit! People were ooing and aahing about how good they tasted. My only change is I had to use a 4″ cutter to get the pie crust to go up the sides of the muffin tin. Other than that, I made no changes and will 100% make these again. Thanks for another wonderful recipe!

Leela Saraswat
Leela Saraswat
1 month ago

So the pastry tart isn’t baked first? Before adding the filling.

Colleen Tait
Colleen Tait
5 months ago

Now you need to do Nanaimo bars!

About Us

Meet Gemma

About Us

Meet Gemma

Hi Bold Bakers! I’m Gemma Stafford, a professional chef originally from Ireland, a cookbook author, and the creator of Bigger Bolder Baking. I want to help you bake with confidence anytime, anywhere with my trusted and tested recipes and baking tips. You may have seen one of my 500+ videos on YouTube & TikTok or as a guest judge on Nailed It! on Netflix or the Best Baker in America on Food Network. No matter your skills, my Bold Baking Team & I want to be your #1 go-to baking authority.

 

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