Description
Canadian Butter Tarts are a classic Canadian dessert with a flaky homemade pastry and a rich, gooey filling of butter, brown sugar, and syrup. Sweet, indulgent, and customizable with raisins or pecans, they’re a true comfort treat!
Ingredients
Scale
For the Pastry Dough:
- 2 ½ cups all-purpose flour
- ¾ cup salted butter, cold
- ¼ cup shortening, cold
- 1 tablespoon light brown sugar, packed
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
- Ice water, as needed
For the Filling:
- ⅔ cup light brown sugar, packed
- ⅓ cup light corn syrup
- 1 egg
- 1 egg yolk
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 ½ teaspoons vanilla extract
- ⅓ cup salted butter, melted
- ¼ cup golden raisins
- ¼ cup pecans, chopped
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375°F (190°C).
- Make the pastry: In a large bowl, whisk together flour, brown sugar, and salt. Cut in the cold butter and shortening with a pastry cutter or fork until crumbly.
- Add apple cider vinegar and a few tablespoons of ice water, mixing just until the dough comes together. Shape into a disc, wrap, and chill for 30 minutes.
- On a floured surface, roll out the dough to about ⅛ inch thickness. Cut into circles large enough to fit into a muffin tin. Press circles into the cups of a greased muffin tin.
- Make the filling: In a medium bowl, whisk together brown sugar, corn syrup, egg, egg yolk, salt, and vanilla. Stir in the melted butter until smooth. Fold in raisins and pecans.
- Spoon the filling evenly into the prepared tart shells, filling about ⅔ full to allow for bubbling as they bake.
- Bake for 20–25 minutes, until the filling is set but slightly jiggly in the center and the pastry is golden brown.
- Cool in the pan for 10 minutes before transferring to a wire rack. Serve warm or at room temperature.
Notes
- Butter tarts can be made with or without raisins or nuts, depending on preference.
- For extra flaky pastry, keep all ingredients cold while making the dough.
- Store leftovers in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days or refrigerate for longer freshness.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 tart
- Calories: 320
- Sugar: 20g
- Sodium: 210mg
- Fat: 19g
- Saturated Fat: 10g
- Unsaturated Fat: 8g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 34g
- Fiber: 1g
- Protein: 3g
- Cholesterol: 60mg
Keywords: Canadian butter tarts, butter tart recipe, classic Canadian dessert, homemade pastry tarts, sweet tart recipe