We are marching along here, and it is day three of our twelve days of Christmas! Today I am sharing my grandma’s recipe for the best ever Butter Tarts! Actually, years ago when I was making these, I was doubling the recipe and somewhere along the line I ended up quadrupling the butter. That was truly when this recipe was born, they turned out so good, but who am I kidding more butter is never a bad idea.

If I could have only one dessert for the rest of my life it would be these specific butter tarts, hands down!
My grandma was the first person I remember baking cookies with, being eyeball height with the table when I was maybe four years old. I loved making cookies with her, and I even still have some of her vintage cookie cutters!
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You don't need any special equipment for this recipe, just a standard sized muffin tin!

Sweet Dough Pie Crust
For this recipe you will need a full recipe (top & bottom) crust of my sweet dough pie crust! This pie crust recipe is seriously the best. It is so versatile and perfect for all kinds of pies. It freezes well and is super simple to make.
Process
First, you have to soak the golden raisins. Soaking the raisins lets them kind of rehydrate in a way. The raisins become plumper, juicier, and more flavourful after they have soaked.

Regular brown/red raisins have a grainy, unpalatable taste when used in baking, so I would recommend using golden raisins. You can find golden raisins in the baking aisle of most grocery stores.
While your raisins are soaking, in the bowl of a stand mixer, or in a large mixing bowl with a hand mixer combine all of the ingredients.
After the raisins have soaked for 15 minutes, strain off any excess water and fold the raisins into the batter.


Roll out your prepared sweet dough pie crust and cut 12 circles, large enough to fully fit each compartment on the muffin tin. Place the dough circles into each section on the muffin tin and press the dough in so it fully covers the bottom and sides.

Evenly portion out the batter into prepared pie dough and bake!


These butter tarts make the perfect addition to any holiday treat tray or potluck!
We hope you enjoyed the third day of Christmas, make sure to check back tomorrow morning at 8am MST for day four!

We put a lot of work into our recipes, we would love to know if you tried this recipe and how it turned out for you!
If you have any questions about this recipe, I would be happy to answer them in the comments down below! To get a hold of us, you can shoot us an email or leave a comment down below! We can also be found on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, or Pinterest.
Check out the other recipes in our 12 Days of Christmas holiday event!
- First Day of Christmas- Polar Bear Claw Cookies
- Second Day of Christmas- Holiday Hot Chocolate
- Third Day of Christmas- Grandma’s Butter Tarts
- Fourth Day of Christmas- Shortbread Cookies
- Fifth Day of Christmas- Vanilla Roll Cake with Peppermint Buttercream
- Sixth Day of Christmas- Christmas Crack
- Seventh Day of Christmas- Sugar Cookies with Easy Royal Icing
- Eighth Day of Christmas- Peppermint Candy Cane Bark
- Ninth Day of Christmas- Easy Chocolate Truffles
- Tenth Day of Christmas- Spicy Strawberry and Walnut Brie
- Eleventh Day of Christmas- Rum and Eggnog Milkshakes
- Twelfth Day of Christmas- White Chocolate Eggnog Fudge


Grandma’s Butter Tarts
a classic family recipe that has been loved for decades
Ingredients
- 1 Sweet Dough Pie Crust recipe, top and bottom crust required
- 2 cups Hot Water, boiling
- 1 cup Golden Raisins
- ½ cup Butter, softened
- ⅔ cup Brown Sugar, well packed
- ½ cup Dark Corn Syrup
- 1 large Egg
- 1 teaspoon Pure Vanilla Extract
- Pinch of Salt
- ½ cup Pecans, chopped (optional)
Instructions
- Prepare 2 pie crusts, cut into 4” diameter circles and press into muffin tin.
- Preheat oven to 400°F
- In a small bowl combine the hot water and golden raisins. Let the raisins soak for 15 minutes. After 15 minutes, drain off the water and set raisins aside.
- In a large mixing bowl combine butter, brown sugar, dark corn syrup, egg, vanilla extract, and salt.
- With a hand mixer, mix for 2 minutes on medium speed until mixture is well combined.
- Fold in raisins and chopped pecans.
- Portion batter equally into prepared muffin tin pie crusts.
- Bake for 15-20 minutes until pie crusts are golden brown and the mixture is bubbling.
- Let cool completely before removing butter tarts from the muffin pan.
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 12 Serving Size: 1 gramsAmount Per Serving: Unsaturated Fat: 0g
Rose says
Do you not have to butter tins before pressing dough into them, won't they stick
Jessica says
Hi there, the dough has enough butter in it that they will not stick! So no pre-buttering required! If you are using a store bought dough or one with a lower fat content, then I would consider greasing the tin with a little bit of melted butter or coconut oil prior to adding the dough.
Kristen Warbeck says
Mine are sticking! I had to pry them out with a spoon, so sad but they still tasted amazing!
Jessica says
Oh no! I am sorry to hear that. But I am still glad that you liked them!