Canada · North America

Butter Tarts

Canada's sweetest debate: runny or set, raisins or no raisins.

classic Canadian butter tarts

The Chemistry in This Bake

Cooking the butter-sugar filling just to the point of caramelizing without burning — monitored by color and smell as the reaction endpoint.

Learn the full technique →

Ingredients

  • Flour (for pastry)
  • Cold butter
  • Egg
  • Brown sugar
  • Corn syrup
  • Butter (for filling)
  • Vanilla extract
  • Raisins (optional)
  • White vinegar

Method

  1. Make a flaky pastry, chill, roll, and line muffin tins.

  2. Whisk melted butter, brown sugar, corn syrup, egg, vanilla, and vinegar.

  3. Scatter raisins in the shells and pour in the filling two-thirds full.

  4. Bake at 190 °C for 20-25 minutes, watching for the filling to caramelize at the edges.

  5. Pull the tarts when the centers are bubbling but still slightly loose.

  6. Cool in the tin before removing.