Canadian Butter Tarts

4.97 from 29 votes

Canadian butter tarts feature a flaky pastry crust filled with a rich and gooey filling. They are a rich and delicious treat everyone will enjoy!

Prep Time30

Cook Time30

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: Canadian

Servings: tarts

Calories: 366kcal

Author: Andrea Mut

Ingredients

Pastry

2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon white sugar
¾ cup semi-cold salted butter*, cubed
⅛ teaspoon kosher salt
1 egg
1 tablespoon water

Filling

½ cup salted butter
1 cup packed brown sugar
½ cup maple syrup
⅛ teaspoon nutmeg
¼ teaspoon salt
¼ cup cream, 10% mf. or higher
2 eggs
½ teaspoon vanilla

Optional Additions

Walnuts pieces
Pecans pieces
Raisins
Currants

Instructions

For the pastry:

Place flour, sugar, cubed butter, and kosher salt in the bowl of a food processor; pulse until the ingredients reach a crumbly texture. With the machine off, add egg and water; continue pulsing until everything forms a ball (this might take longer than expected but keep going!) Turn the pastry out onto a lightly floured surface, shape it into a flat disk with your hands, wrap it in plastic wrap, and refrigerate for 20 minutes. *butter should be between fridge and room temperature. Cut into cubes and leave at room temperature for 15 to 20 minutes.
2 cups all-purpose flour, 1 tablespoon white sugar, ¾ cup semi-cold salted butter*, cubed, ⅛ teaspoon kosher salt, 1 egg, 1 tablespoon water
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F, spray a 12-cup muffin tin with non-stick spray, and set aside.

For the filling:

In a medium-sized pot over medium heat, melt salted butter, brown sugar, maple syrup, nutmeg, and salt; stir occasionally until the sugar is completely dissolved. Whisk together cream, eggs, and vanilla. Remove the sugar mixture from heat and let it cool while you roll out the pastry. Once cooled (it can still be warm), slowly whisk the sugar mixture into the egg mixture.
½ cup salted butter, 1 cup packed brown sugar, ½ cup maple syrup, ⅛ teaspoon nutmeg, ¼ teaspoon salt, ¼ cup cream, 10% mf. or higher, 2 eggs, ½ teaspoon vanilla
On a lightly floured surface, roll the pastry out to ⅛ inch thickness, cut 12 four-inch circles, and reserve extra dough for patching. Gently push the circles into greased muffin tins, making a pleat in one or two spots and pushing into the bottom corners to ensure the pastry fully forms into the cups. If there are any small cracks or tears, patch them with a small piece of leftover dough. Freeze for 15 minutes.
If using nuts or raisins, add a few pieces to the bottom of the tart shells before adding the filling. Divide the filling between the 12 pastry shells.
Place in a 400-degree F oven and immediately turn the heat down to 350 degrees F. Bake for 30 to 35 minutes; the filling should be set, and the pastry golden.
Let the tarts cool before removing them from the pan. Carefully lift the tarts out of the pan using a small palette knife or a knife with a blunt tip.

Notes

Pastry Shells: Be sure to check the pastry shells thoroughly before adding the filling; any holes or tears should be patched up with leftover dough. Holes in the dough will cause the filling to seep under the pastry, causing the tarts to stick to the pan.

Toasting Nuts: You don’t have to toast nuts when making butter tarts; they toast as the tarts bake in the oven.

Storage: Butter tarts will last at room temperature for at least a week. They do not need to be refrigerated however if you prefer to store them in the fridge, keep them in an airtight container.

Freeze: Butter tart freeze perfectly. Let them cool completely and freeze in an airtight container.

Nutritional Facts are an estimation only using an online calculator.

Nutrition