Classic Canadian Butter Tarts
Founders
A Grounded Kitchen Thanksgiving Recipe
Few desserts are more distinctly Canadian than the butter tart. A tender pastry shell holds a rich, buttery filling that sits somewhere between caramel and custard — gooey in the centre, slightly crisp around the edges, and deeply satisfying without needing much embellishment.
There is plenty of room for debate when it comes to butter tarts: raisins or no raisins, nuts or no nuts, runny or firm filling. This Grounded Kitchen version takes the middle road — a classic brown-sugar filling with a little maple syrup for depth, a handful of pecans for texture, and enough restraint to let the buttery pastry shine.
They are small enough to serve after a substantial Thanksgiving dinner, but they are also exactly the sort of dessert people quietly reach for again later.
Ingredients
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1½ cups (195 g) all-purpose flour
½ teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon granulated sugar
½ cup (113 g) cold unsalted butter, cut into small cubes
3–5 tablespoons ice water
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½ cup (115 g) unsalted butter, melted and cooled slightly
¾ cup (150 g) packed light brown sugar
¼ cup (60 ml) pure maple syrup
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
¼ teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
½ cup (55 g) chopped pecans
½ cup (75 g) raisins, optional
Directions
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In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, salt and sugar. Add the cold butter and work it into the flour using your fingertips or a pastry cutter until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs with a few pea-sized pieces of butter remaining. Add 3 tablespoons of ice water and gently bring the dough together. Add additional water a teaspoon at a time only if needed. The dough should hold together when pressed but should not feel wet or sticky. Shape into a disk, wrap and refrigerate for 30 minutes.
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While the dough chills, melt the butter and allow it to cool slightly. In a medium bowl, whisk together the brown sugar, maple syrup, eggs, vanilla, salt and flour until smooth. Slowly whisk in the melted butter until evenly combined. Stir in the pecans and raisins if using. Set aside while you prepare the pastry shells.
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Preheat the oven to 375°F (190°C). Lightly grease a standard 12-cup muffin tin. Roll the chilled pastry out on a lightly floured surface to approximately ⅛-inch thick. Cut twelve circles slightly larger than the muffin cups — a 4-inch round cutter works well. Gently press each pastry round into a muffin cup, allowing the pastry to come slightly up the sides. Don't stretch the dough as you fit it into the tin. Refrigerate the prepared tin for 10–15 minutes before filling.
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Give the filling a gentle stir, then divide it evenly among the pastry shells. Fill each tart only about two-thirds full — the filling will bubble as it cooks, so leaving room at the top prevents overflow.
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Bake for 18–22 minutes, until the pastry is golden and the filling is puffed around the edges with a slight wobble in the centre. The filling should look set around the perimeter but remain soft in the middle. Do not worry if the tarts appear slightly loose when they first come out of the oven — the filling will continue to set as it cools.
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Let the butter tarts cool in the muffin tin for about 10 minutes. Run a thin knife gently around the edges if necessary, then transfer to a cooling rack. Allow them to cool completely before serving.