📋 Best Butter Tart Recipe

4 butter tarts stacked on a white plate, with a butter tart split in half in front of the stack

4.50 from 2 votes

This Canadian Butter Tart is the best butter tart recipe you'll ever find because it's an easy butter tart with a delicious gooey filling. It has an easy filling that can be made in under 20 minutes with store-bought tart shells (or homemade no fail pastry). And if you like butter tarts without raisins, there is a pecan butter tart option too!

Course Dessert, Snack

Cuisine Canadian, North American

Keyword best, butter tarts, pecan, raisin

Special Diet Vegetarian

Prep Time 5

Cook Time 14

Total Time 19

Servings servings

Calories 232kcal

Author Terri Gilson

Equipment

Ingredients

2 tablespoon butter
1 cup brown sugar
2 eggs slightly beaten
¼ cup cream
1 teaspoon vinegar
½ cup raisins (approximately) or substitute finely chopped pecans
18 tart shells

US Customary - Metric

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Instructions

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F/190 degrees C.
Place a few raisins or chopped pecans in unbaked tarts shells
Mix ingredients in large bowl, in order given (butter, brown sugar, eggs, cream)
Then add vinegar last. *It's important that you add in order given.
Whisk until well combined. * A whisk should be used for this part, although I don't have that in the photo
Pour filling in to tart shell to ⅔ full.
*If you find yourself with leftover butter tart filling, use the leftovers in this Butter Tart Ice Cream Recipe! In fact, you'll want to double the filling in this recipe just so you'll have leftovers to make this ice cream :) Yes, it's that good!
Bake for 12-14 minutes or until filling is set and shells are lightly browned.
Cool on cooling rack for 10 minutes.

Notes

Expert Recipe Tips:

Cut the butter into small pieces before mixing. This helps it blend evenly into the sugar and eggs, preventing lumps and ensuring a smooth, glossy filling.

Add the ingredients in the exact order listed. Adding the vinegar last helps stabilize the filling and keeps it from separating as it bakes.

Use good-quality tart shells. Brand-name flaky pastry shells (like Tenderflake) work best because cheaper ones tend to be salty or tough.

Don’t overfill the tart shells. Filling them only ⅔ to ¾ full prevents the mixture from bubbling over and sticking to the pan.

Keep whisking as you fill the shells. The sugar and butter settle quickly, so whisk between pours for even distribution; a spouted measuring cup helps.

Rotate the pan halfway through baking. This ensures even browning and prevents one side of the tarts from overcooking.

Add water to any empty muffin cups. This prevents the pan from warping and helps the tarts bake evenly.

Let the tarts cool before removing them. The filling needs a few minutes to firm up so it doesn’t collapse or spill when lifted.

Store nuts properly for best flavor. Pecans stay fresh longer when refrigerated or frozen, which prevents them from going rancid.

For the gooiest centers, slightly underbake. Remove the tarts when the centers are set but still slightly jiggly—they’ll continue to firm up as they cool.

Nutrition