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    Home » Pies & Tarts » Keto Butter Tarts

    Published: Jun 7, 2021 · Modified: Jun 22, 2021 by Carolyn

    Keto Butter Tarts

    This post may contain Amazon or other affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

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    These keto butter tarts are the real deal! Tender grain-free pastry with a rich, gooey caramel custard center. The famous Canadian dessert is now low carb and sugar free.

    Along with my beloved Keto Nanaimo Bars, these are the ultimate treat for Canada Day! Or any day, really.

    Titled image of a close up of keto butter tarts, with the front one broken open to show the gooey filling.

    This one goes out to my fellow Canucks, because only they can truly understand how momentous this recipe for keto butter tarts really is.

    But even if you’re not Canadian, even if you don’t have a single drop of Canadian blood, I suggest you stick around. Chances are that many of you have never heard of butter tarts. But they are worth getting to know!

    I actually first posted this recipe for keto butter tarts back in 2014, so it was time for an update. There have been so many developments in keto products and sweeteners in the intervening 7 years, I knew I could make them even  more gooey and luscious than ever.

    And to my utter delight, I was right! These sweet, gooey tarts are slightly larger, with a tender almond flour crust and a rich, caramel scented filling. They take me straight back to my childhood.

    Top down image of keto butter tarts in the baking pan.

    What are butter tarts?

    If ever there was a national food of Canada, butter tarts are it. There are other uniquely Canadian dishes but butter tarts are loved and appreciated nationwide. In my home province of Ontario, there are even butter tart festivals and bake-offs, with everyone and their mother claiming they have the best recipe.

    At their best, butter tarts are made of tender, flaky pastry with an incredibly gooey, sweet custard filling that usually contains raisins or dried currants.

    The filling is similar to pecan pie but even more gooey. So gooey that it should ooze out all over your face as you take a bite.

    In truth, they are unassuming-looking little tarts and you might be tempted to pass them over in favour of a more flashy-looking dessert. But a really good butter tart can beat the pants off any other dessert any time.

    They also hold a special place in my heart, because my father loved them loved them so much. I have fond memories of him sitting at a cottage in Muskoka, devouring butter tarts. Even being terminally ill didn’t keep him from enjoying them!

    Three keto butter tarts on a plate over a red napkin with a cup of coffee in the background.

    Updated keto butter tarts

    Traditional butter tarts are the stuff of a low carb dieter’s nightmares. They are made with copious amounts of brown sugar and corn syrup, and a large one can come in at a whopping 84g of carbs. Yikes!

    However, never one to resist a challenge, I simply had to create a keto recipe. My earlier version was delicious, but the tarts were smaller and not as quite as gooey as I had hoped.

    This time, I used the pastry from the Keto Cranberry Brie Bites, which holds together well. This allowed me to make them a bit larger.

    The filling is similar to my famous Keto Pecan Pie Bars, but with some allulose to make it extra gooey. I also deliberately under-baked them, taking them out of the oven when the very center still looked a little wet. It was perfect!

    A spoon pouring filling into a pan of keto butter tarts.

    How to make keto butter tarts

    Okay, let’s get to the nitty gritty and make some. Here are my best tips for getting it right:

    Tips for keto pastry crust

    • Use a non-stick metal muffin pan and grease it lightly, to avoid sticking. Also don’t press it too firmly down into the bottoms of the muffin cups. It should just rest lightly.
    • Do dust your work surface with a little more almond flour. This helps the pastry rounds release more easily. Wiggling a small offset spatula under the rounds also helps.
    • Cut the circles about 3 ½ inches in diameter. I simply used a drinking glass, since none of my cookie cutters are that large.
    • Freeze the crust while preparing the filling, so that they don’t brown quite as quickly in the oven.

    Tips for butter tart filling

    • This uses a sweeter, thicker version of my Keto Caramel Sauce. But this time I used some allulose to really get a gooey center. BochaSweet and xylitol would be the best substitutes. If you use all erythritol based sweeteners like Swerve or Lakanto, your filling will recrystallize some as it cools.
    • Do let the sauce cool to lukewarm before adding the egg. Otherwise it will cook the egg and we don’t want that!
    • Raisins are not really low carb, which is why I used only 2 tablespoons and chopped them up. For me, butter tarts should always have raisins! But you can skip them or use chopped walnuts or pecans in their place.
    • For truly gooey butter tarts, remove them from the oven when the very center of the tarts still look a little wet. They will continue to firm up a bit as they cool.

    Storage

    These tarts are best served within a few days, as they lose their gooeyness as they sit. I recommend storing them in an airtight container on your counter.

    A white tray filled with keto butter tarts over a red plaid napkin

    More delicious keto tart recipes

    • Keto Lemon Curd Tart
    • Cannoli Tart
    • Rhubarb Crumble Tart
    • No Bake Chocolate Mousse Tart
    • Tomato Goat Cheese Tart
    • Caramelized Onion and Gruyere Quiche
    A white tray filled with keto butter tarts over a red plaid napkin

    Keto Butter Tarts

    These keto butter tarts are the real deal! Tender grain-free pastry with a rich, gooey caramel custard center. The famous Canadian dessert is now low carb and sugar free. 
    4.75 from 20 votes
    Print Pin Rate
    Course: Dessert
    Cuisine: Dessert
    Keyword: keto butter tarts
    Prep Time: 40 minutes
    Cook Time: 25 minutes
    Total Time: 1 hour 5 minutes
    Servings: 12 tarts
    Calories: 164kcal

    Ingredients

    Pastry

    • 1 ¼ cup almond flour
    • 3 tablespoon powdered Swerve Sweetener
    • 1 teaspoon baking powder
    • ¼ teaspoon salt
    • ¼ teaspoon xanthan gum
    • 1 large egg
    • 2 tablespoon butter melted

    Filling

    • ¼ cup butter
    • ⅓ cup Swerve Brown
    • ⅓ cup allulose (or BochaSweet)
    • ½ cup heavy whipping cream
    • ½ teaspoon caramel extract (or vanilla extract)
    • ¼ teaspoon xanthan gum
    • ⅛ teaspoon salt
    • 1 large egg
    • 2 tablespoon raisins or dried currants chopped

    Instructions

    Pastry

    • Preheat the oven to 325F and lightly grease a non-stick muffin pan.
    • In a large bowl, whisk together the almond flour, powdered sweetener, baking powder, salt, and xanthan gum. Stir in the egg and melted butter until the dough comes together. Gather the dough into a ball.
    • Dust a work surface lightly with more almond flour and transfer the dough to the work surface. Cover the dough with waxed paper or parchment paper and roll out to an even ⅛" thickness.
    • Cut out tart crusts into 3 ½ inch circles (I used a drinking glass). Use an offset spatula to carefully lift each crust off the work surface. Press lightly into the prepared muffin cups.
    • Gather the pastry scraps and roll out again. You can re-roll this dough as much as you like and you should get 12 pastry circles.
    • Place the muffin pan in the freezer while preparing the filling.

    Filling

    • Combine the butter and sweeteners in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Bring to a boil and cook 3 to 5 minutes, watching carefully to make sure it doesn't burn.
    • Remove from heat and add the heavy cream and vanilla extract. (The mixture will bubble vigorously, this is normal).
    • Sprinkle the surface with the xanthan gum and whisk vigorously to combine. Whisk in the salt. Set aside to cool while preparing the pastry. Let cool 10 minutes.
    • Once cooled, whisk in the egg.

    To assemble

    • Divide the chopped raisins among the tart shells and spoon the filling over top. Fill each crust almost all the way.
    • Bake 18 to 22 minutes, until the tart edges are golden and the filling is mostly set with a little jiggle in the center (it should still look a little wet in the very center of each tart).
    • Remove from oven and let cool completely, then use a knife to loosen each tart.
    Nutrition Facts
    Keto Butter Tarts
    Amount Per Serving (1 tart)
    Calories 164 Calories from Fat 132
    % Daily Value*
    Fat 14.7g23%
    Carbohydrates 4.3g1%
    Fiber 1.3g5%
    Protein 3.4g7%
    * Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

     

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    Nutritional Disclaimer

    Please note that I am not a medical or nutritional professional. I am simply recounting and sharing my own experiences on this blog. Nothing I express here should be taken as medical advice and you should consult with your doctor before starting any diet or exercise program. I provide nutritional information for my recipes simply as a courtesy to my readers. It is calculated using MacGourmet software and I remove erythritol from the final carb count and net carb count, as it does not affect my own blood glucose levels. I do my best to be as accurate as possible but you should independently calculate nutritional information on your own before relying on them. I expressly disclaim any and all liability of any kind with respect to any act or omission wholly or in part in reliance on anything contained in this website.

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      Recipe Rating




    1. Kim says

      April 02, 2022 at 9:22 pm

      This looks very much like a base for what I grew up with in Pennsylvania Dutch cooking — a nut tossie! Same idea, but using pecans instead. I will be trying this very soon. Thank you for the recipe!

      Reply
    2. Lois Moore says

      March 10, 2022 at 2:19 pm

      5 stars
      This is one of those recipes that I can’t make too often!! If I do then I’m in serious trouble!! Talk about addicting!!! This is one of my absolute favorite recipes hands down!!!

      Reply
    3. Samantha Whitson says

      January 19, 2022 at 3:56 pm

      5 stars
      Oh my YES! I am not even Canadian (technically) but since I’m from Oly, WA and my best friend grew up in Lynden WA,….oh, & my first love/boyfriend was a Canadian whose last name was Crisp-Romaine- if you can imagine that?! Well, I’m going to go ahead & claim some serious Canadian influence, & these tarts are not something I’ve thought about for 20 years, so I am beyond thrilled to see you’ve been working on them all these years. =) Can’t wait to get busy on these~ as in, today~ and I thank you profusely for sharing such a classic, amazing treat with this hybrid gal!

      Reply
    4. Jane Andrews says

      January 03, 2022 at 11:35 am

      5 stars
      I was skeptical but O.M.G. THESE ARE AMAZING!! I didn’t have heavy whipping cream, so I used coconut milk in its place and they still turned out fantastic. Taste even better the next day, cold from the fridge. 😀 Thank you, thank you, thank you! I’ve been craving butter tarts and these are spot on!

      Reply
      • Carolyn says

        January 03, 2022 at 7:54 pm

        So glad to hear it!

        Reply
    5. Andrea says

      December 09, 2021 at 3:44 pm

      3 stars
      Ok. I wouldn’t say it’s the best. The tart shells were way too liquidy, so I added some oat fiber. But they never got that shell texture, even after baking. They were still soft. The filling didn’t have that chewy texture I was looking for either. Though they did taste ok, I would definitely make some changes next time I make it.

      Reply
      • Carolyn says

        December 11, 2021 at 5:55 pm

        5 stars
        If the dough was “liquidy” then something went very wrong! I don’t know what but it definitely should not be liquid. When rolled out, it’s like regular pastry dough.

        Reply
    6. Chyral Kurck says

      October 25, 2021 at 9:42 am

      the filling for the butter tarts is it similar to corn syrup or what would you use or make to replace corn syrup ?

      Reply
      • Carolyn says

        October 26, 2021 at 10:49 am

        No, it’s not really similar to corn syrup but it does make a good replacement in a recipe like this.

        Reply
    7. barbara erb says

      October 21, 2021 at 5:11 pm

      5 stars
      Another winner made these this afternoon switched out some of the sugars as either very hard to get or cost prohibited but came great .

      Reply
    8. Rhonda says

      August 29, 2021 at 3:05 pm

      Can the Butter Tarts be frozen after baking?

      Reply
      • Carolyn says

        August 29, 2021 at 3:20 pm

        I honestly haven’t tried. Not sure that they would stay nice and gooey.

        Reply
    9. Trudi Shaw says

      August 28, 2021 at 3:36 pm

      5 stars
      Hi Carolyn, I love your blog and your baking cook book and enjoy trying the recipes. My family love them as much as I do. I am not able to get Boccha Sweet or Allulose in my Province (BC) and have tried ordering it from a US company but they do not ship to Canada. So my question is – is there something I can substitute for allulose in recipes that call for that sweetener? We are all eager to try the butter tarts!
      Shout out from a fellow Canadian – keep up the good work.

      Reply
      • Carolyn says

        August 28, 2021 at 5:27 pm

        Read the tips for the filling and you will see I provided an alternative.

        Reply
      • Karina says

        November 26, 2021 at 10:16 am

        I live in Bc & am able to order both on line no problem

        Reply
      • Selina Hoffart says

        December 21, 2021 at 9:34 pm

        I live in Alberta and I order Bochasweet from sweetandsprouted.com

        Reply
      • Michelle says

        May 29, 2022 at 7:55 am

        You can get Splenda brand Allulose on Amazon.ca now 🙂

        Reply
    10. Tom Tenney says

      July 01, 2021 at 5:09 pm

      5 stars
      Missed the xanthan gum on the 2nd making. It’s missing from pastry instructions but on ingredient list. Love these!

      Reply
    11. Denise says

      June 18, 2021 at 1:24 pm

      Such an ethical quandary… Do I tell hubby that you have an even better recipe for his beloved butter tarts? If I do, I’ll never get out of the kitchen! 🙂
      His absolute favourites are your butter tarts and Nanaimo bars! Not because we’re Canadian or anything – it’s just ’cause they’re terrific!

      Thanks,

      Denise

      Reply
      • Carolyn says

        June 18, 2021 at 3:40 pm

        Haha, I don’t care if you’re not Canadian, as long as you appreciate our “cuisine”! 😉

        Reply
    12. Lisa says

      June 11, 2021 at 10:07 pm

      I see questions/comments about vegetable glycerine. I don’t see it in the recipe. Am I missing something?

      Reply
      • Carolyn says

        June 12, 2021 at 9:35 am

        If you read the blog post, you will realize this is an updated (and better) recipe.

        Reply
    13. Nina B. says

      June 08, 2021 at 10:08 am

      5 stars
      Would you believe that before Tim Horton’s came to the U.S., we would go to Windsor to get butter tarts – I live in Michigan – or whenever we would take the train to Toronto, butter tarts were our souvenirs! There was a great bakery, or was it a Fannie Mae’s, that sold them at the train station? Good times – when living was easy and my blood glucose was high! Canadian Coffee Crisp candy bars also helped with that, too! 😉 Thank you for sharing your allulose/erythritol combining method with the world to keep these, and your pecan pie nice and gooey! Genius!

      Reply
    14. Rabellaka says

      January 20, 2021 at 3:26 pm

      I’m so happy to find this recipe!! There was a sign for butter tarts today at the gas station, and there’s a bakery I pass on my way home that sells chocolate dipped butter tarts. And they’re my favourite dessert. I’ve been missing them. I plan on making these as soon as school is back in person, and I have some time alone!

      Reply
    15. Juliette Moody says

      November 29, 2020 at 4:30 pm

      Fellow Canadian and I miss my butter tarts. However that being said I made a keto pecan pie the other day and it was the bomb. The secret Allulose. It truly melted and did not taste gritty like swerve or any other keto sugar supplement. It makes a great caramel and the color is amazing. I’m going to use your crust recipe but use the pecan pie filling I made.

      Reply
    16. MJ says

      September 01, 2020 at 6:03 pm

      I know this is an old post but can you use allulose instead since it doesnt cyrstalize?

      Reply
      • Carolyn says

        September 01, 2020 at 9:03 pm

        I haven’t tried it so I can’t say for sure. I’d probably go half allulose and half Swerve.

        Reply
    17. Sylvia Klassen says

      December 05, 2019 at 8:02 pm

      They turned out fine, and they taste ok, but not really sweet like the regular butter tarts. I think perhaps swerve is less sweet tasting. Not to crazy about the tart shells either, I think since this recipe says like 0 calories, I might add a bit of brown sugar to the syrup mixture to improve the taste, and since GF is not my issue I might use regular tart shells. That’s my thoughts on this adventure. But thank you for the recipe. The first one I found that tackles these delicious treats.

      Reply
    18. Mary Ellen Scott says

      January 05, 2019 at 10:07 pm

      None of the stores in my area carry Swerve Brown Sugar, or any brown sugar replacements.. Is there a substitute I can try?

      Reply
      • Juliette says

        November 29, 2020 at 4:32 pm

        Trivia has brown sugar keto. Use allulose instead

        Reply
    19. Adrienne says

      October 20, 2018 at 2:34 pm

      5 stars
      I am making these as we speak using sugar free caramel liquid sweetener along with the organic coconut sugar. I made the almond flour crust, but opted to put them in mini pie Tarts as opposed to muffin tins. In licking the bowl and the spatula, The Taste was amazing! There is no bitter aftertaste that you would normally get from an artificial sweetener like Splenda. I just put them in the oven a few minutes ago and I’m thinking they probably will need more than 15 minutes each because they’re larger than the traditional mini muffin. I’m watching them very closely now. I will post once I get them out of the oven and get a chance to try them thank you for this recipe!

      Reply
    20. Bethany says

      September 03, 2018 at 12:16 pm

      4 stars
      Carolyn, your recipes are great! Thanks for all the time you spend developing them. I trust anything I find on your site (or any pin that leads back to your site). When I made these today, I had a hard time with the crust; it kept cracking or breaking as I put it into the muffin tins. I added a bit more water, refrigerated again, but the same result. The dough looked a bit grainy, too. I patched it up as best I could as they went into the tins – some I just pressed in more like a pie crust – we’ll see how they turn out. The only ingredient I didn’t have was the arrowroot starch (I used lupin flour). Any suggestions?

      Reply
      • Carolyn says

        September 03, 2018 at 3:56 pm

        Well, yes. The starch is what keeps it from doing it, which is why it was in the ingredient list. Lupin flour is unlikely to help.

        Reply
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