Butter Tarts

Flaky little pastry shells with a buttery brown-sugar filling that stays soft in the middle.

Canada · Desserts · 47 min

DeSabor Kitchen · Published October 5, 2026 · Updated October 5, 2026 · 25 / 22 / 47 min · 12 · Canada

Keep the pastry cold and fill the cups only two-thirds full: the filling expands in the oven. Maple syrup gives this version its flavor. Cooling is part of achieving a soft center that can still be lifted cleanly from the tin.

Ingredients

• 1 sheet all-butter pie pastry, about 350 g, chilled
• 60 g butter, melted and cooled
• 150 g brown sugar
• 100 ml maple syrup
• 1 large egg
• 1 tsp vanilla; 1/4 tsp salt
• 60 g raisins, optional

Instructions

1. Heat oven to 200°C. Roll pastry to 3 mm and cut twelve 10 cm circles. Line a 12-cup muffin pan without stretching the dough; chill 10 minutes.
2. Whisk cooled butter, sugar, syrup, egg, vanilla and salt until smooth. Divide raisins among shells if using.
3. Fill shells only two-thirds full. Bake 18–22 minutes until the pastry is golden and the filling bubbles at the edges.
4. Cool in the pan for 15 minutes, then loosen edges and lift onto a rack. Allow another 20 minutes before serving.

Cook's Tips

• Cooling takes an additional 35 minutes. Chill the pastry while making the filling to keep the shells flaky.

Home-style recipe; not independently kitchen-tested. Check all ingredients and substitutions for allergens. Times are estimates; use the texture and temperature checks in the method. Serving accompaniments are separate unless listed. In temperatures above 32°C, refrigerate perishables within 1 hour rather than 2.