Easy Vegan Butter Tarts (2024)

4.98 from 46 votes

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If you are new to butter tarts, then you are likely not Canadian as butter tarts make an appearance at pretty much every holiday, every bake sale, and in every bakery in Canada. Are Butter Taets more Canadian than Maple Syrup?? Hmmmm...This recipe has been requested of me for a long time, so it was due time for me to release my Easy Vegan Butter Tarts into the world. And oooeee am I glad I did - the flavor of that sweet and gooey filling wrapped in a buttery, flaky crust is like no other - oh man! Oh Canada!!

Easy Vegan Butter Tarts (1)

FEATURED COMMENT:

I am obsessed. I love love butter tarts and they are perfect to make all year round. Especially when I am craving something sweet I make these cause most of the ingredients I have are in my pantry and fridge. Thnak you so much for creating this awesome recipe. 🙂 - Arushana

Traditionally butter tarts are made with dairy and eggs, so it took several attempts to veganize them to perfection, but oh did I veganize them, and oh are they perfect! Rave reviews from all who sampled these beauties (non-vegans included).In my easy vegan butter tarts, the tart shells are filled with raisins (trust me on this, this is traditional), and a mixture of vegan butter, sugar, and cornstarch (which replaces the eggs). Once baked the mixture turns into a gorgeous sweet caramel, sticky, drippy, amazing goo, and the raisins melt right into that sweet goodness.

Easy Vegan Butter Tarts (2)

For my vegan butter tarts, I give you the option of having a runnier or thicker filling as many have a preference one way or the other, and you can optionally top the tarts with pecans or walnuts if you desire.Not a raisin fan? Even though raisins are traditional in butter tarts, (and in my opinion are WAY better than they sound), there are some who prefer raisin-free tarts. You can replace the raisins with ½ cup chopped walnuts or pecans.

Easy Vegan Butter Tarts (3)

To Make Easy Vegan Butter Tarts:

You can either simply use store-bought vegan tart shells (some brands are accidentally vegan so check the ingredients. Or you can may my Easy Vegan Pie Crust and make your own tart shells from scratch.If using homemade pastry, roll out the pastry nice and thin and cut 8 circles about 5 ½" diameter, re-rolling the pastry scraps if needed. I had a latte mug that was the perfect size so I used that to cut my pastry. Fit the pastry circles into 8 wells a muffin pan, wobbly edges are totally ok and are authentic for butter tarts.Add 1 tablespoon of raisins to the bottom of each tart shell.

Easy Vegan Butter Tarts (4)

In a small bowl or medium bowl, beat together the brown sugar, vegan butter, plant-based milk, cornstarch and vanilla until smooth and creamy. For a slightly runnier filling use 2 tablespoons of cornstarch and for a thicker filling use 2 ½ tablespoons of cornstarch.

Easy Vegan Butter Tarts (5)

Divide the butter-sugar mixture among each tart shell covering the raisins, about 1 ½ tablespoons of liquid per tart. The tarts will be about ⅔rd full which is perfect. Optionally, you can top the tarts with pecans or walnuts. I chose to sprinkle half with pecans and half without.

Easy Vegan Butter Tarts (6)

Bake for about 23 minutes, the filling will be bubbling and foamy. Remove from oven and let cool completely to room temperature before serving. You may need to run a knife around the edges of the tarts to help release them from the muffin tin. Serve on their own or with a vegan ice cream and enjoy! Dairy-free desserting has never tasted so good!

Easy Vegan Butter Tarts (7)

Easy Vegan Butter Tarts (8)

4.98 from 46 votes

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Easy Vegan Butter Tarts

The Canadian classic dessert made vegan. Tastes just like the traditional recipe but its egg and dairy free! Perfect for Canada day or any holiday treat.

Prep: 15 minutes mins

Cook: 23 minutes mins

Total: 38 minutes mins

Servings: 8 butter tarts

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Ingredients

  • 1 recipe Easy Vegan Pie Crust, (or 8 store-bought vegan tart shells)g
  • ½ cup raisins
  • ¾ cup brown sugar
  • ¼ cup vegan butter
  • 3 tablespoons plant-based milk, (such as soy or almond)
  • 2 - 2 ½ tablespoons cornstarch, *see instructions
  • ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
  • cup pecans or walnuts,, whole or chopped (optional)

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

  • Preheat oven to 325 degrees F (170 degrees C).

  • If using homemade pastry, roll out the pastry nice and thin and cut 8 circles about 5 ½" diameter, re-rolling the pastry scraps if needed. I had a latte mug that was the perfect size so I used that to cut my pastry. Fit the pastry circles into 8 wells a muffin pan, wobbly edges are totally ok and are authentic for butter tarts.

  • Add 1 tablespoon of raisins to the bottom of each tart shell.

  • In a medium bowl, beat together the brown sugar,vegan butter, plant-based milk, cornstarchand vanilla until smooth and creamy. *For a slightly runnier filling use 2 tablespoons of cornstarch and for a thicker filling use 2 ½ tablespoons of cornstarch.Divide the butter-sugar mixture among each tart shell covering the raisins, about 1 ½ tablespoons of liquid per tart. The tarts will be about ⅔rd full which is perfect. Optionally, you can top the tarts with pecans or walnuts. I did half with pecans and half without.

  • Bake for about 23 minutes, the filling will be bubbly and foamy. Remove from oven and let cool completely before serving. You may need to run a knife around the edges of the tarts to help release them from the pan.

Notes

Not a raisin fan? Even though raisins are traditional in butter tarts, (and in my opinion are WAY better than they sound), there are some who prefer raisin-free tarts. You can replace the raisins with ½ cup chopped walnuts or pecans.

Nutrition

Calories: 189kcal | Carbohydrates: 30g | Fat: 7g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Sodium: 57mg | Potassium: 119mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 20g | Vitamin A: 270IU | Vitamin C: 0.5mg | Calcium: 23mg | Iron: 0.6mg

Did You Make This Recipe?Tag @itdoesnttastelikechicken on Insta and let the world see just how amazing plant-based creations can be!

Author: Sam Turnbull

Cuisine: Canadian

Course: Dessert

Bon appetegan!Sam.

Easy Vegan Butter Tarts (15)

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Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. sarah johnson says

    Easy Vegan Butter Tarts (17)
    I used bobs gf pie crust but followed the other part exactly. They are soooo good! This id the second very successful recipe from you so thankyou very much!

  2. Kelly says

    Easy Vegan Butter Tarts (18)
    I turned these into mini butter tarts and found that the shells didn’t cook as nicely as they should. In fact, some of the bottoms were quite wet. I tried cooking them longer but the filling was drying out. I followed the recipe exactly for the pie crust and doubled the filling as they made quite a lot more.

    Reply

  3. Kelly says

    I haven’t tried these but I’m wondering if anyone has ever frozen them and how they were once they were thawed out

    Reply

    • Sam Turnbull says

      Hi Kelly, I haven't tried it, but they should freeze just fine. ENjoy!

      Reply

  4. Anonymous says

    Easy Vegan Butter Tarts (19)
    Delicious! I made these last year and they tasted exactly as I remember butter tarts tasting. I was never a raisin fan so I omitted them but did not sub in any nuts so they ended up a little emptier than they would have been otherwise. My mistake! They were a hit regardless. I will be making these again this year and will remember to make more filling to compensate. As an aside, this pie crust has never failed me and has become a family staple 🙂

    Reply

  5. Arushana says

    Easy Vegan Butter Tarts (20)
    I am obsessed. I love love butter tarts and they are perfect to make all year round. Especially when I am craving something sweet I make these cause most of the ingredients I have are in my pantry and fridge. Thnak you so much for creating this awesome recipe. 🙂

    Reply

  6. Genevieve says

    Easy Vegan Butter Tarts (21)
    Thank you for the amazing recipe! I made these with and without raisin and they were both delicious. I made mini tarts using a mini muffin tray and baked them for 15 minutes. They were perfect! My first batch boiled over a little so I was careful to mix the filling on low speed the second time and they turned out perfect!

    Reply

  7. Surabhi says

    Easy Vegan Butter Tarts (22)
    I made these Friday and they were quite a hit! I am not a fan of raisins in dessert so I left them out. When I told my Canadian hubby that they were supposed to have raisins, he said they were delicious but yes now he knew what they were supposed to be like...grandma’s tarts! Next time will do raisins.
    Thank you for all your “real” and down-to-wart recipes Sam!

    Reply

  8. Alison says

    Thanks for the raisin substitution idea, you read my mind! Not a fan :/ Looking forward to trying this soon!

    Reply

  9. Patricia Giannelia says

    Looks fab, Sam - will try them soon (have to limit how many of these treats I make,as even though they are vegan, they are still not the 'healthiest'.

    I also wanted to add that currants can be used in place of raisins - the plump up nicely and are not so big, if that is a consideration for people.

    Reply

  10. Abigail @ OhMyVegan says

    Easy Vegan Butter Tarts (23)
    These little tarts are oh so delicious! The perfect little snack to satisfy my crazy sweet tooth.
    I loved them so much that I tried my hand at adapting them into a vegan custard tart. Both were delicious.
    Thank you for the recipe!

    Reply

  11. Bernie says

    Amazing. Phenomenal. Gives me warm fuzzy feelings.

    Used coconut oil for the home made crust and it was deliiicious. Will definitely go heavier on the corn starch and the raisins next time

    Reply

  12. Mary says

    Easy Vegan Butter Tarts (24)
    How does the recipe double/triple including your pie crust? I want to make dessert boxes as gifts and will need around 24 of these. Thank you Sam 🙂 oh and what’s your preference for a runnier or thicker filling?

    Reply

  13. Djdjjd says

    Easy Vegan Butter Tarts (25)
    f*cking slaps

    Reply

  14. Cari Dittman says

    Easy Vegan Butter Tarts (26)
    Hello! I'm marking this in advance as I'm sure it will be wonderful. However, I have a question. I've seen a few requests with regard to swapping out raisins, but I haven't seen the request to swap them out with dates. I know you haven't tried this, but can I get your opinion which I value very much?

    Reply

  15. Shazara says

    Hi Sam.

    Could this be a full pecan pie instead? I'm looking for a vegan pecan pie recipe that's easy.

    Reply

  16. Shari Z says

    Thank you for the butter tart recipe. I remember my mother always making these-- for special occasions--from out of her old "Purity" cookbook. (think it was a flour) I figured I'd not be able to have these again now that I am vegan.
    Thank you again for the recipe and reminding me of sweet memories. (haven't tried them yet but I know they'll be wonderful)

    Reply

    • Sam Turnbull says

      You're most welcome, Shari! Anything can be veganized 🙂

      Reply

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