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Butter Tart Squares

written by Ashley Fehr

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4.74 from 97 votes
Prep Time 15 minutes
Total Time 45 minutes
Servings 36 squares

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Last updated on April 18, 2024

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These Butter Tart Squares are so sweet and gooey — a shortbread crust makes these so easy and SO good! So much quicker than butter tarts.

butter tart squares overhead whole with four pieces cut on white cutting board

Please tell me you’ve had a butter tart.

If you haven’t, American friends, I am truly, truly sympathetic. Luckily, I’m sharing this recipe with you today. And Butter Tart Squares are so much easier than butter tarts.

When I cook, and create new recipes for the blog, I really try to think outside the box. I try to come up with some things that I (and maybe you) have never seen before.

But every once in a while I think maybe the best place to start is with what I already know and love. Maybe those are the recipes you really want. Maybe those are even recipes that you’ve never seen before.

So I know the butter tart is a Canadian thing, but tell me some American bakeries have caught on. If not, now is your chance to experience something totally unreal.

It’s butter. And brown sugar.

butter tart squares stack of four squares close up

And essentially, not much more. You need some eggs in there to hold everything together. And you need something to put it on.

I’ve been meaning to make actual butter tarts for the blog for a long time now, but the thought of making homemade pastry and forming tart shells is just overwhelming right now. So I texted my sister and asked her for a butter tart square recipe.

I was right in assuming she would have one. She texted me right back with a picture of her recipe card. And all of her notes on it. I think I even managed to interpret it correctly.

But some of her notes just didn’t work out for me, so I knew I definitely needed a place to document the version that worked for me. The funny thing is, I have this blog here.

So, please, if you’ve never had a butter tart, start with these squares. You won’t believe how easy they are.

butter tart squares with bite stack of four on white background

Updates to this Butter Tart Squares recipe:

This post, recipe and the images have been updated from November 2014 — five years later it was time!

I wanted to clarify which things I’ve adjusted from the original recipe to make it work even better, just in case you’ve been here and you’ve made them before:

  • I added a tablespoon or two of water to the base — just enough so that it holds together when you squeeze it.
  • I no longer recommend baking in a small cookie sheet — a 9×13″ baking pan will give you the best results and nice thick gooey layers!
  • I no longer recommend lining the pan with tin foil (as I did often 5 years ago) — instead I recommend using parchment paper or nothing at all but a good layer of non stick spray. The problem with parchment is that the crust won’t hug the sides of the pan as tightly, which means a bit of the filling will drip down the edges. This is a not a real problem — but you will have some caramelized sugar along the sides. Don’t worry, it won’t leak all over the bottom under the crust.
  • The vinegar, because some people have commented, is to cut through some of the sweetness and is a traditional ingredient in butter tart squares. If you prefer, or you’re worried about it, you can reduce to 1 tablespoon or omit, but I recommend enjoying with a strong cup of coffee.
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How to store Butter Tart Squares:

  • These Butter Tart Squares can be refrigerated for one week in an airtight container
  • To store for a longer period, place in an airtight container or freezer bag, with wax paper or parchment in between the layers, and freeze for up to 3 months. They are delicious straight out of the freezer, or thaw at room temperature for 20-30 minutes.
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Butter Tart Squares

written by Ashley Fehr

4.74 from 97 votes
Quick, easy butter tart squares are perfect for fall or Christmas baking!
butter tart squares stack
Review
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Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 30 minutes
Total Time 45 minutes
Cuisine American
Course Dessert
Servings 36 squares
Calories 174cal

Ingredients

Crust

  • 2 cups all purpose flour
  • 4 tbsp powdered icing sugar
  • 1 cup unsalted butter cold, cubed
  • 1-2 tablespoons cold water optional

Filling

  • 1/2 cup butter unsalted
  • 3 cups brown sugar lightly packed
  • 4 large eggs
  • 2 tbsp white vinegar
  • 1 tbsp vanilla
  • optional: ¾ cup raisins
US Customary – Metric

Instructions

  • Line a 9×13" pan and line with parchment paper and spray with non stick spray. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
  • In a large bowl, combine flour and powdered sugar.
  • Cut butter into icing sugar and flour with a pastry cutter or your hands until pea-sized lumps of butter remain. When you grab a handful and squeeze, you want it to hold together. If it doesn't hold together, add 1-2 tablespoons of water.
  • Dump flour mixture into pan and press down evenly to form a crust. Bake for 10 minutes.
  • Meanwhile, prepare your filling. In a medium bowl, melt butter in the microwave.
  • Whisk in brown sugar until smooth. Whisk in eggs, one at a time, then add the vinegar and vanilla. Stir in raisins if using.
  • Pour over crust and bake another 25-30 minutes until filling is set or almost set — a slight jiggle is fine but you don't want a lot of movement. Cool to room temperature and refrigerate several hours before slicing.

Nutrition Information

Calories: 174cal | Carbohydrates: 24g | Protein: 1g | Fat: 8g | Saturated Fat: 5g | Cholesterol: 38mg | Sodium: 35mg | Potassium: 40mg | Sugar: 18g | Vitamin A: 265IU | Calcium: 21mg | Iron: 0.5mg
Keywords butter tart squares, butter tarts

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Meet Ashley

My name is Ashley Fehr and I love creating easy meals my family loves. I also like to do things my way, which means improvising and breaking the rules when necessary. Here you will find creative twists on old favorites and some of my favorite family recipes, passed down from generations!

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Comments

  2. Julie says

    Well these are just awesome! What an easy & delicious recipe. Vanilla ice cream would be greaton the side or a few berries. Thank you so much for sharing these on pinterest.

    Reply

  3. Allison Allan says

    Hi Ashley i love buttervtarts so i tried your recipe.it taste delicious ,my problem i used a 9×13 pan did my base prebaked it.poured my filling in my problem the filling went over the side of the baked base and went underneath and caramelized on the bottom it tasted delicious but the bottom was hard can you tell mart what im doing wrong.i baked at 350 thevbase for 20 minutes and the wholevthing 40 minutes.thanks hopevyou can tell mart what im doing wrong.thank you.

    Reply

    • Ashley Fehr says

      Hi Allison! I’m so sorry that happened but I’m glad the flavour was good! Did you line the pan? I find that the foil helps to keep the filling on top of the crust, as it stays close to the base until you pull it away. I hope that helps!

      Reply

    • Rustic Maple Elizabeth says

      We found that too but loved them regardless. Second batch I made the base a bit higher around the edges, to ‘contain’ the delicious top layer. This is our new go to recipe. Thanks!

      Reply

  6. Denette says

    I had never heard of butter tarts but the video and recipe intrigued me. How can you go wrong with 3 cups of brown sugar and 3 sticks of butter?! I made these this morning. Yowee, they are good in spite of my mistakes. I forgot to line the pan and missed the timer going off so they were over baked. I also used Bob’s Red Mill 1:1 gluten free flour since I have Celiacs Disease. I wasn’t sure about the raisins so I poured the filling then put raisins on half and then made sure they were covered with the filling. They are fantastic in spite of my mistakes and alterations.

    Reply

  7. Courtney B says

    I just made these for my Canadian husband (I’m American) and he was SUPER impressed. He can be picky so I am just blown away by how awesome they turned out. I followed the directions exactly and used a 10×15 cookie sheet. Thank you so much for sharing!

    Reply

  8. Leslie says

    This appeared to be way too much content for a cookie sheet it should be more in a cake pan and not sure if it’s our high-altitude if I need to make an adjustment but it bubbled over the sides and into the bottom of my oven and I could never get the edges fully cooked without the center being over dad my oven cooks evenly so I know that’s not the problem if you have any suggestions please let me know

    Reply

    • Ashley Fehr says

      Hi Leslie, sorry about the confusion! It would need to be a fairly large cookie sheet, I know there are several sizes. I would recommend a 9×13″ pan if you do not have a large cookie sheet. The edges are normally the first part to cook, so that might have something to do with your elevation.

      Reply

  10. Amy says

    WOW… What a great recipe!! I made these bars yesterday exactly as printed (using a 9 x 13″ pan) and, after increasing the baking time as recommended I have to say… these are easily the best thing I have ever eaten! My mom has a butter tart recipe which I have loved since I was a girl (she uses frozen tart shells from Tenderflake) but… I have to say… these are better! I was intending on freezing half of the pan, but I don’t think they will make it there… Thanks so much for the awesome recipe!

    Reply

  12. Edy says

    Thank you for sharing this delicious recipe! I followed your recipe as written and the bars turned out perfect. I did add the raisins as we are raisin lovers and I wouldn’t change a thing to your recipe. This is definitely a keeper for our family, (and so much easier than making the butter tarts). Thankyou!

    Reply

  13. brenda says

    O.M.G. they are everything and more than you said. Just think, no more pie crust.I would be proud to serve them to company.Thank you.

    Reply

  15. Sarah says

    I’ve made a similar recipe for years (and butter tarts go WAYYYY back in our family) but I’m pretty sure the vinegar needs to go in the crust and NOT the filling. Vinegar is pretty common in most pie crusts I make, but I’ve never added vinegar to a butter tart or bar recipe that I’ve made. That may by why a few people are tasting it.

    Reply

  16. Trellyn says

    I have a huge complaint. I CANT STOP EATING THEM! I LOVE butter tarts, but only if there’s no raisins. This recipe is perfect. I used a cookie sheet and they are simply delectable. I made them last night for some company stopping in for coffee today, but I’m afraid at this rate there won’t be any left! I did leave out the raisins, but added pecans instead. Simply. Amazing.

    Reply

  17. Heidi Hunt says

    I made them in the 9×13 pan so I had to bake them a little longer. Not sure how much because I checked them every 3-5 minutes until they were only slightly jiggly. They turned out amazing. Loved them. I’ll definitely be making them again real soon. Thank you for sharing this recipe!

    Reply

      • Heidi Hunt says

        So I have made this several more times since and I have adjusted the time and temp for the 9×13. I bake them at 325° and bake the crust for 20 min. Then I bake it with the filling an additional 40 min. They are fabulous. Every time I walk by the pan I cut off another bite. Very dangerous! Lol Thanks again!

    • Fran Partridge says

      I just took these out of the oven. They smell and look delishes. I will let you no what my company says about them to-morrow. I baked them for 20 minutes at 350 and for 10 minutes at 325.

      Reply

      • Frances M. Partridge says

        I had company this afternoon and everyone loved them. Next time I will double the tin foil or would parchment paper work just as well?

      • Rachel.P says

        I only use parchment paper while baking. I hate tom foil. A tip for getting it to mold to your pan, crunch it into a ball and run it under warm water for a few seconds! Unscrunch the ball and shake it over the sink to get the access water droplets off, and place in your pan. It will mold easier to the shape of your baking pan. Another step to make it a little easier is to take another cookie sheet of the same size and place it over top. My dad showed me this trick a few years ago and I’ve done it ever since. Really good for things like baked mac n cheese and meatloaf too, where things tend to get baked into the sides of the dish.

  18. E.G.O. says

    This recipe was a bit of disaster! I don’t know how it’s supposed to bake in a cookie sheet since the filling is so much and would probably ooze right over the edge! I used a 9×13″ glass baking dish. I had to increase the baking time of the shortbread crust to 20 minutes; the crust tasted really good! I had to bake the filling for at least 40 minutes (and even then it still seemed rather jiggly!) After cooling it at room temperature for an hour and then for another 2 hours in the fridge, cutting the bars was still a big mess!! The filling oozed over the bars and everything was so sticky! The filling tasted good, but definitely very sweet (even for my sweet tooth!)

    Reply

    • Ashley Fehr says

      Well it was probably a disaster because a baking sheet is about twice the size of a 9×13″ pan. The filling would have been much too thick and would never have cooked and no, you would never be able to slice them. I recommend trying the recipe as written, just make sure you use a large rimmed baking sheet.

      Reply

      • E.G.O. says

        Thanks – I did follow the recipe. Your recipe says a small cookie sheet or a 9×13″ pan. Since I didn’t know the dimensions of the cookie sheet, I figured I’d use the pan dimensions you gave and adjusted the time like you said. (As a side note, I wouldn’t think that a “small cookie sheet” would be twice the size of 9×13″ pan.) Perhaps I’ll try it again with a really large cookie sheet or perhaps half the recipe.

      • Ashley Fehr says

        You’re right! I am going to retest the recipe in a few different sized pans and I will update the recipe so that it’s clearer. I’m sorry about the confusion! I generally use a baking sheet for these bars.

  19. Darlene Hershfeldt says

    I Love butter tarts too and the squares are indeed delectable! I noticed many were inquiring as to why the use of vinegar or lemon juice is used in the filling. I think its to cut down on the sweetness. I don’t use either of those because I am addicted to sweetness hahaha!! I also put currants in mine instead of raisins! Wow! such a flavour difference that is! I’m making your recipe tonight except without the vinegar and I’m using currants….My butter tarts i’ve always made were so delicious but never thickened enough like yours appear to have, so butter tart squares it is! Thank-you so much for sharing!

    Reply

      • Darlene Hershfeldt says

        Sorry to be the bearer of sad news. I was quite surprised and disappointed, sadly enough. they didn’t turn out as I had expected. they were quite runny even after sitting out all night and also very crunchy on the top which I didn’t like. The crust however was perfect. I had to dispose of them unfortunately … I followed the recipe exactly too! They did look picture perfect until I cut into them 🙁 Got any suggestions?

      • Ashley Fehr says

        Hi Darlene! I’m sorry to hear that! As you can see from the reviews I’ve never come across any results like that. Did you leave out the vinegar like you mentioned earlier? I wonder if the acid plays a part in thickening the egg mixture.

      • E.G.O. says

        I had a very similar experience – crusty on top but very runny and gooey underneath – definitely not firm and almost impossible to cut into bars!

    • roxane waskahat says

      Hi we made these exactly as the recipe called for. Minus the raisins though.
      We did not like the vinegar!! We might try lemon juice next time.
      Other than that we enjoyed them 🙁

      Reply

      • Doreen says

        Hi can this be made with corn syrup and maple syrup! As we don’t really care for the texture and the taste of brown sugar??? Thank you

      • Ashley Fehr says

        I wouldn’t recommend subbing out the brown sugar in this recipe — you really won’t notice the texture at all as the filling is cooked. If you don’t think you’d like them then you may want to find another butter tart recipe

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