Vegan Butter Tarts
Butter Tarts are one of Canada’s most beloved traditional desserts: crisp, flaky pastry shells filled with a rich, sticky, caramel‑like buttery centre that stays soft and gooey when cooled. This 100% vegan version uses no eggs, dairy, or honey — keeping the perfect balance of buttery sweetness and nutty depth that makes them a national treasure.
Shared by mcgraner
Time
50 min
Serves
12
Difficulty
medium
đź›’ Ingredients
- #Vegan Shortcrust Pastry
- 200g plain flour
- 30g icing sugar
- Pinch of fine salt
- 100g cold firm vegan butter, cubed
- 3–4 tbsp ice‑cold water
- #Gooey Filling
- 80g melted vegan butter
- 120g light brown soft sugar
- 3 tbsp pure maple syrup
- 1 tbsp cornstarch
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- Pinch of salt
- 80g pecan halves or walnuts (optional)
- Optional: 2 tbsp raisins or currants (traditional addition)
👩‍🍳 Instructions
- 1
Make the pastry: Sift flour, icing sugar, and salt into a bowl. Rub in cold vegan butter until the mix looks like fine breadcrumbs. Add ice water one tablespoon at a time, mixing gently until a smooth dough forms. Shape into a disc, wrap, and chill for 30 minutes.
- 2
Shape: Roll dough out to 3 mm thick on a floured surface. Cut out circles slightly larger than your tart tin holes. Press gently into the holes of a muffin or tart tray.
- 3
Make the filling: Whisk melted vegan butter, brown sugar, maple syrup, cornstarch, vanilla, and salt together until smooth and glossy. Stir in nuts or raisins if using.
- 4
Fill: Spoon the filling into the pastry cases — fill only three‑quarters full, as it will bubble up while baking.
- 5
Bake: Bake for 15–18 minutes until pastry is golden and the filling is set around the edges but still jiggly in the centre.
- 6
Cool: Leave to cool completely in the tin for at least 1 hour — the filling will firm up as it cools. Carefully lift out and serve at room temperature.