For another Canadian Christmas classic, take a look at our Nanaimo Bars. What is your favourite holiday treat and do you stay faithful to it every year? For me it’s Rugelach or as we call them in Russia Rogalik. For the rest of my family it is definitely Butter Tarts. These treats are as Canadian as can be. Although commonly made with corn syrup I have upped the Canadian and yum factor I swapped it for a true Canadian hero, maple syrup. If you haven’t tried one before, think of a small serving of classic American pecan pie in an individual serving with a flaky pastry shell. But this classic Canadian dessert has a moorish gooey filling that’s wonderfully runny and has more delicious buttery pastry per mouthful!
What are butter tarts?
Ask anyone from the True North about Butter Tarts and they will break into an emotional ode to the beloved childhood Christmas treat. Light and flaky tarts filled with maple custard, raisins and walnuts. What’s not to love? If you are reading this from the US, butter tarts are actually quite similar to Pecan Tassies. (I hope I won’t lose my citizenship over this!) Despite the comparison, these truly are a quintessential Canadian dessert. The earliest published recipe dates as far back as 1900 in the Royal Victoria Hospital Cookbook, which I suspect none of us have on our shelves! Of course this is disputed – everything seems to be! – and some say it has a French Canadian origin, or even roots in Scotland. But butter tarts as we know them are most likely purely Canadian treats. So popular, in fact, there are festivals in their honour and appearances on postage stamps! A great endorsement has come from my son: “When I first looked at them I didn’t think it was my kind of food. But when I bit into one it was DELICIOUS!” I always make these little tarts for Christmas, but they are just too good to only eat one time of the year. So whether you are planning for Canada Day or just want something special for the weekend, give this Canadian classic a try! This recipe is for Maple Butter Tarts because what can’t maple syrup make better? If you want a more traditional version, I have you covered there too with my classic Butter Tart recipe.
How to make them
They may look fiddly to make but they are really quite easy, a great treat to make with kids. And if you use a pre-made crust for the tart shells like I did nothing could be faster. All you have to do is to roll out your pre-made pastry to ⅛″ thickness and cut out rounds to line your muffin tins using a 4″ round cookie cutter. (I didn’t have one so I used a regular glass), then fill them with the maple and nut mixture. I find that using pre-made pie dough is the easiest way to make maple butter tarts. If you feel a bit more ambitious and decide to make your own pastry, you can use my favourite pie crust recipe . If you do buy store-bought pie crusts, look for a variety made with all butter to get that beautiful flaky crust. Making the gooey filling is about as easy as it could be. Combine all the filling ingredients together in a large bowl with a wooden spoon. Add the cut pastry dough to a muffin tin and bake until they are golden brown.
Storage and leftovers
Maple butter tarts can be stored for up to a week if kept refrigerated in an airtight container or covered in plastic wrap. Let them come to room temperature before serving. They also freeze very well. Let them cool on the wire rack then move to a container that can be made airtight. Add a layer of wax paper or parchment paper between the tarts so they don’t freeze together. They’ll keep for up to three months.
More favourite Christmas treats
Honey Cinnamon Walnut Rugelach Baileys Truffles Nutella Hazelnut Palmiers English Fridge Cake Bars
