Butter tart squares have everything you love about Canadian butter tarts without all the work! Buttery shortbread crust and sweet, gooey brown sugar filling. They’re so easy to make and come together in no time.
(Love baking bars and squares? Try dulce de leche brownies and chocolate butter mochi.)
Butter tarts are one of my favorite Canadian desserts. I’m not big on making my own pastry shell and crust though.
Happily, these butter tart squares don’t need them and are so much easier to make.
Best part is, they’re just as delicious. Let’s get to it.
Why you’ll love this butter tart squares recipe
If you love butter tarts but intimidated by the tart-making part like I am, you will love this recipe.
- Easy to make. It’s just like making brownies or other bar recipes. It’s so easy!
- Same delicious taste. We don’t lose any of the deliciousness just because these are squares. They taste just like the classic Canadian butter tarts we love. And they have the same chewy texture, gooey filling and lightly crispy top.
- Easy to customize. I put chopped pecans but no raisins. You might like it the other way around. Or you might not want any mix-ins at all. Good news is this recipe is very easy to customize to make the perfect butter tart squares for you.
- Freezer-friendly. Make ahead, freeze and serve whenever the craving hits or when company comes over.
- Travels well. And if it’s the holiday season, these make awesome gifts because they are portable and travel well. Add them to your Christmas cookie tray too!
How to make
This recipe for butter tart squares is simple and straightforward.
Ingredients
You’ll need pantry staples like all purpose flour, granulated sugar, brown sugar, butter, vanilla extract and eggs. You can find the full ingredient list with measurements in the recipe card at the bottom of this page.
Two things to note:
- Maple syrup — ideally, you’ll want to use maple syrup but if it’s not available you can substitute with honey, corn syrup, brown sugar syrup and even golden syrup or light treacle (same one I use for treacle tart, pecan pie cheesecake bars and bourbon pecan pie bars).
- Pecans — I love pecans and always add them in. Not a fan of pecans? Try walnuts or almonds. Or skip the nuts altogether.
I don’t put raisins here because I’m not a fan but you can totally add them in.
Baking tools
You won’t need an electric mixer to make butter tart squares. You can mix everything by hand.
You will need a 9×9 inch baking pan.
A pastry cutter will be handy, too, but you can also use 2 forks if you don’t have one.
Step-by-step photos
Preheat oven to 350F. Line a 9×9 inch pan with parchment paper with an overhang on each side. Set aside.
In a bowl, combine flour and granulated sugar.
Add butter and cut with a pastry cutter or a fork until the mixture looks coarse (you should see pieces of butter/flour “balls” about the size of chickpeas).
Transfer to pan. Press tightly and evenly to the bottom.
Bake for 15 minutes or until lightly golden brown. Remove from oven but keep oven on.
In another bowl, beat eggs, maple syrup, vanilla extract, brown sugar, flour, baking powder and salt until combined.
Stir in chopped pecans.
Pour mixture into your baked crust.
Bake for 30 minutes or until firm. Remove from oven and allow to cool completely before slicing into squares.
Expert baking tips
Easy, right? Here are tips for the best butter tart bars every time.
- Use cold butter for your crust. Use them straight out of the fridge. Using cold butter results to a light, tender, melt-in-your mouth shortbread crust.
- Use room temperature eggs for your filling. However, you want your eggs at room temperature so they’re easier to incorporate.
- Make sure you’re baking at the correct temperature. Investing in an inexpensive oven thermometer ensures you’re baking at the correct temperature at all times, which helps you avoid under or over-baking the bars. Bars that are underbaked end up with a runny filling. While bars that are over-baked will be tough and dry.
- Do not over-bake. You want the edges to be firm but the center still slightly jiggly when you gently shake the pan.
- Chill before slicing. You can devour these as soon as they’re cool however, if you want neat squares, better chill a few hours before slicing.
Recipe FAQs
There are so many variations you can make to make this recipe your own:
– Add raisins or currants.
– Instead of pecans, add chopped walnuts.
– Add a splash of bourbon or whiskey to spice things up.
– Or simply leave them plain.
You can make these up to 3 days ahead of when you’re planning on serving them. Keep chilled in the fridge.
Butter tart squares freeze well.
Allow to cool completely, slice into squares, and place in a freezer safe container.
You can also wrap the bars individually with cling wrap or simply place parchment paper in between layers so they don’t stick together.
They should keep for at least a month.
Store leftovers in a covered container in the fridge. They should keep up to a week. Warm before serving.
More dessert recipes made easy
Here are more twists to classic dessert recipes that make them easier to bake:
Butter tart squares are so easy to make and it doesn’t matter that they’re not tarts. They are equally delicious.
They’re perfect for picnics and potlucks, bake sales, and they’re particularly popular around the holidays. Share the love!
Happy baking!
Did you make this butter tart squares recipe? I’d love to hear all about it! Leave a comment or a star rating below. You can also tag me on Instagram or Facebook. I’d love to see your creations!
You can also find me on Pinterest and YouTube.
And check out my Amazon Store to see the exact brands and tools I use for baking.
Butter Tart Squares
Equipment
Ingredients
Crust:
- 1 cup all purpose flour
- ¼ cup granulated sugar
- ½ cup butter (salted or unsalted) cubed
Filling:
- 2 large eggs room temperature
- 1 tbsp maple syrup
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 cup brown sugar packed
- 2 tbsp all purpose flour
- ½ tsp baking powder
- ¼ tsp salt
- 2 cups pecans chopped
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350F. Line a 9×9 inch pan with parchment paper with an overhang on each side. Set aside.
- In a bowl, combine flour and granulated sugar.1 cup all purpose flour, ¼ cup granulated sugar
- Add butter and cut with a pastry cutter or a fork until the mixture looks coarse (you should see pieces of butter/flour “balls” about the size of chickpeas).½ cup butter (salted or unsalted)
- Transfer mixture to prepared pan and press tightly and evenly to the bottom.
- Bake for 15 minutes or until lightly golden brown. Remove from oven but keep oven on.
- In another bowl, whisk eggs, maple syrup, vanilla extract, brown sugar, flour, baking powder and salt until smooth and combined.2 large eggs, 1 tbsp maple syrup, 1 tsp vanilla extract, 1 cup brown sugar, 2 tbsp all purpose flour, ½ tsp baking powder, ¼ tsp salt
- Stir in chopped pecans.2 cups pecans
- Pour mixture into your baked crust.
- Bake for 15-20 minutes or until the edges are firm and browned, but the center is still slightly jiggly when the pan is gently shaken.
- Remove from oven and allow to cool completely before slicing into squares.
Video
Notes
- The estimated nutrition information is based on 16 squares, However, note that these squares are sweet and rich, a little goes a long way, so you can choose to slice them into smaller pieces.
- You can pour your butter tart mixture into your cooked crust even if the crust is still warm from the oven.
- Do not over-bake. You want the edges to be firm but the center still slightly jiggly when you gently shake the pan.
- See post for more baking tips, FAQs and step-by-step photos.
Nutrition
Nutritional information are estimates only.
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