The Butter Tart is a uniquely Canadian treat, and nothing beats the gooey sticky centre surrounded by flakey pastry.
Our recipe uses chopped walnuts, and lots of them, but you opt to make them plain or you can switch out the walnuts for other delicious options – pecans, raisins, or toasted coconut are some of my favourites.
If you have not tried a butter tart, now is the time to add it to your list of things to try.
Makes
18 small tarts
Prep Time:
20 minutes
Cook Time:
20 minutes
Good For:
dessert
Ingredients
Pastry
- 2 cups flour
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1 1/4 tablespoons sugar
- 3/4 cup cold butter cut into cubes
- 5 – 6 tablespoons iced water
Filling
- 1 cup corn syrup
- 1 cup brown sugar
- 2 eggs
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 1/2 cup chopped walnuts
- 1/3 cup butter
How to make Butter Tarts
Check out our easy step by step video
Step by Step Instructions Pastry Shells
Step 1
Either in a food processer or rubbing in by hand, process the butter, salt, and flour until it resembles fine crumbs
Step 2
Add about 3 tablespoons water and mix just until the dough holds together when pinched
Step 3
Turn the dough onto your work surface and make it into a ball
Step 4
Gently flatten the ball into a disk, cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate for about one hour or until firm
Step 5
Once the pastry has chilled, flour your work surface and roll out until the dough is about 1/8 of an inch thick
Step 6
Use a 4-inch round pastry or cookie cutter and cut out into rounds
Step 7
Gently place the rounds into a muffin pan
Step 8
Cover and place in the refrigerator
Step by Step Instructions Filling and Finishing
Step 1
Preheat the oven to 400 F
Step 2
Whisk the syrup, sugar, eggs, and vanilla together
Step 3
Melt the butter and then slowly pour in the sugar and syrup mixture whisking until combined
Step 4
Remove the muffin pan from the fridge and divide the walnuts between each muffin cup
Step 5
Pour the syrup mixture over the walnuts into each pastry shell
Step 6
Bake for 10 minutes at 400 F and then reduce the oven temperature to 375 for another 10 – 15 minutes until the mixture is bubbling and the pastry shell edges have browned
Step 7
Allow to cool in the tin for 5 minutes and then carefully twist in the tin to make sure they haven’t stuck to the tin
Step 8
Leave them in the tin until completely cool and then enjoy!
Tip
I like my Butter Tarts with less pastry and more filling. If you like more pastry, roll the dough a little thicker and use a larger pastry cutter to make your pastry shells – please note that by doing this, your final yield count will be less than the 18 I get.
More Baking Recipes
Our Top 5 Cookie Recipes
This is my go-to selection of cookies - they are all very easy and quick to make. Be sure to add them to your cookie tin list.1 of 5Melting Moments Melting Moment cookies are easy to make and very quick to make and start by simply melting the butter in a pan. These...
Oatmeal Raisin Cookies
These cookies are soft, chewy, and packed with raisins. The dough is quite sticky and takes a bit of work at the end to get the oats and raisins properly combined, but the results are well worth it! These freeze well so you can add them to your bulk cook and freeze...
Chocolate Shortbread
This is one of my very favourite cookies. It's made just like shortbread with a longer slower cook in a single pan you cut into bars so has that firmer bite, but it also has a good helping of chopped chocolate to satisfy the chocolate lover. Delicious!Makes 24...
Butter Tarts
Ingredients
Pastry
- 2 cups flour
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1 1/4 tablespoon sugar
- 3/4 cup cold butter cut into cubes
- 5 - 6 tablespoons iced water
Filling
- 1/3 cup butter
- 1 cup corn syrup
- 1 cup brown sugar
- 2 eggs
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- ½ cup chopped walnuts
Instructions
Pastry Shells
- Either in a food processer or rubbing in by hand, process the butter, salt and flour until it resembles fine crumbs
- Add about 3 tablespoons water and mix just until the dough holds together when pinched
- Turn the dough onto your work surface and make it into a ball
- Gently flatten the ball into a disk, cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate for about one hour or until firm
- Once the pastry has chilled, flour your work surface and roll out until the dough is about 1/8 of an inch thick
- Use a 4-inch round pastry or cookie cutter and cut into rounds
- Gently place the rounds into a muffin pan
- Cover and place in the refrigerator
Filling and Finishing
- Preheat the oven to 400 F
- Whisk the syrup, sugar, eggs, and vanilla together
- Melt the butter and then slowly pour in the sugar and syrup mixture whisking until combined
- Remove the muffin pan from the fridge and divide the walnuts between each muffin cup
- Pour the syrup mixture over the walnuts into each pastry shell
- Bake for 10 minutes at 400 F and then reduce the oven temperature to 375 for another 10 - 15 minutes until the mixture is bubbling and the pastry shell edges have browned
- Allow to cool in the tin for 5 minutes and then carefully twist in the tin to make sure they haven’t stuck to the tin
- Leave them in the tin until completely cooled
Notes
Nutrition Facts per serving
This website provides approximate nutrition information for convenience and as a courtesy only. Nutrition information can vary for a variety of reasons. For the most precise nutritional data use your preferred nutrition calculator based on the actual ingredients you used in the recipe.
