Old Fashioned Butter Tarts (2024)

Ingredients and Substitutions

The ultra flaky tart crust is a simple combination of flour, sugar, salt, butter, and ice cold water.

Can you use store bought tart shells?

Yes, although not as tasty and flaky as homemade tart shells, they do help make this recipe quicker and easier to prepare.

I love the filling exactly as my Mom made it in this recipe. A mixture of butter, brown sugar, corn syrup, eggs, vanilla and a pinch of salt.

Some tasty additions to try would be:

• raisins
• currants
• nuts such as pecans or walnuts

Can you use maple syrup instead of corn syrup in butter tarts?

Yes, although I find them a bit more runny, and you will have the distinctive maple flavor.

How to store Butter Tarts

Store in an airtight container at room temperature for 2 days, and up to 5 days in the refrigerator.

Can Butter Tarts be frozen?

Yes, butter tarts freeze well. Cool completely, place in an airtight container for up to 3 months.

How to make these tasty treats

For the pastry:

• Sift flour, salt and sugar together. Using a pastry blender cut the chilled butter into the flour mix. Blend until it resembles course meal.
• Add ice-cold water a bit at a time, just until the dough starts to hold together. Do not over-work the pastry dough or it will become tough. The same technique you use making pie crust.
• Press dough together forming a disk, wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 30 minutes.
• Next, roll out the dough on lightly floured surface, to about ¼ inch thick.
• Using a round cookie cutter, cut into 4-5 inch circles. Press dough into muffin pan, trying not to stretch the dough.

For the filling:

• Mix together butter, brown sugar and corn syrup. Whisk until the butter is creamed and sugar dissolved.
• Add egg, vanilla extract and pinch of salt. Mix well.
• Fill the tart shells about ⅔ full.
• Bake in the oven at 400º Fahrenheit for 15-20 minutes until golden brown. Cool for 10 minutes, then remove from baking pan to cooling rack.

Tart Pastry

• 2 ⅔ cups all purpose flour
• 1 tablespoon sugar
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup butter chilled and cut into pieces
• ¼-1/2 cup ice cold water

Butter Tart Filling

• ½ cup soft butter
• ½ cup brown sugar packed
• ½ cup corn syrup golden
• 2 eggs slightly beaten
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• pinch of salt

Butter Tart Pastry

• Sift flour, salt and sugar together.

• Using a pastry blender cut butter into flour mix until it resembles course meal.

• Add cold water a bit at a time until dough just starts to hold together. Adding too much water will make for a tough dough. Do not over-work the dough.

• Press dough together forming a disk.

• Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes.

• Roll out the pastry dough to ¼ inch thickness. Cut into sixteen 4-inch circles or twelve 5-inch circles.

• Press the dough into muffin tins being careful not to stretch the dough.

• Refrigerate until the filling is prepared.

Butter Tart Filling

• In a large bowl, mix together butter, brown sugar and corn syrup. Stir until the butter is creamed and the sugar is dissolved.

• Add eggs, vanilla and pinch of salt. Mix well.

• Fill the tart shells about ⅔ full with the filling.

• Bake at 400º Fahrenheit for 15-20 minutes.

• The filling should be lightly browned and bubbling.

• Let the butter tarts cool in pan for about 10 minutes. Transfer to rack to cool completely.