Maple butter tart squares are a Canadian bar dessert made from a shortbread crust and a gooey filling of brown sugar, butter, eggs and pure maple syrup, all baked in one 9-inch pan instead of in individual pastry shells. Prep takes about 20 minutes, baking takes about 45, and the pan cuts into 16 squares. Use 100% pure maple syrup, bake at 350°F (175°C), then let the pan cool completely and chill it before cutting. The squares keep for 5 days in the fridge and 2 months in the freezer, so they work well as a make-ahead dessert for a Christmas cookie tray.
Every Canadian Christmas dessert tray seems to have the same cast. Shortbread, a few Nanaimo bars if somebody's aunt came from British Columbia, and a row of butter tarts that vanish first. The trouble with butter tarts is the pastry. Rolling it out, cutting rounds, pressing them into a muffin tin and then watching the filling bubble over the sides is a lot to ask in the second week of December.
Butter tart squares skip all of that. You press a shortbread-style crust into a pan, pour the filling over it and bake. Cut it into squares once it's cold and nobody will know you took the shortcut. Most people won't care anyway, because the filling is the point: brown sugar, butter, eggs and a good amount of syrup, set into something soft and sticky with slightly chewy edges.
This version uses pure maple syrup, which gives it a flavor that corn syrup versions lack. The recipe itself is easy. The details are where people go wrong, so this guide covers the full method, which syrup to buy, what to do if the filling doesn't set, and how to store, freeze and give the squares away. If you are an American baker who has never had a butter tart, picture a pecan pie filling that's been loosened up, left without the pecans and pushed toward caramel.
🍁 What's in This Guide
What Butter Tart Squares Are
A butter tart is a small pastry shell filled with a sweet, custardy mix of butter, sugar, egg and syrup. It is one of the most Canadian desserts there is. The earliest printed recipe that resembles the modern tart appeared in 1900, in a cookbook put together by the Women's Auxiliary of the Royal Victoria Hospital in Barrie, Ontario, to raise money for the hospital. The filling recipe came from a Mrs. Malcolm MacLeod, and it called for currants. No raisins, no pecans. A second early version turned up in a 1915 pie cookbook, and people have been arguing about the dessert ever since.
The big argument is raisins. Some Canadians refuse to eat a butter tart that has them, and others refuse one that doesn't. There is a second argument about whether the filling should be runny or firm. Ontario takes all of this seriously enough to run butter tart festivals and a few tourist trails, including Ontario's Best Butter Tart Festival in Midland and the Butter Tart Trail in Wellington North.
Butter tart squares are the same idea in bar form. The base is shortbread instead of flaky pastry, and the filling is baked as one slab. American bakers who know pecan pie bars will recognize the layout, a buttery base under a sticky topping. The differences are in the details. Pecan pie bars are built around toasted pecans and usually corn syrup. Butter tart squares are plain or have raisins, they stay softer in the middle, and the flavor leans toward caramel instead of toasted nuts. Plenty of home bakers add walnuts or pecans anyway, and nobody will stop you.
Why Maple Belongs in the Filling
Every butter tart filling needs a syrup, and the syrup is where bakers make their choice. Corn syrup is common. Golden syrup is common too, and some old recipes use molasses. Maple is the one that turns the filling into a Canadian winter dessert.
Canada is the center of the maple world. In 2025 it produced about 18.9 million gallons of maple syrup, which was more than 75% of the world's supply, and 90% of that came from Quebec, according to Statistics Canada and Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada. Canada and the United States are the only two countries producing syrup at commercial scale, and American kitchens are the biggest customers. About 64.2% of Canada's maple exports by value went to the US in 2025.
Quebec also gives us a close cousin of this dessert. Tarte au sucre, the Quebec sugar pie, is a pastry shell filled with sugar and cream and often made with maple, and it appears on holiday tables for the same reasons butter tart squares do. It is rich, plain, sweet and easy to make when it is cold outside.
Which Maple Syrup to Buy for Baking
Start with the label. It should say 100% pure maple syrup, and the ingredient list should have one item on it, maple syrup. Pancake syrup, table syrup and anything labeled maple flavored are mostly corn syrup with flavoring. They won't give you the same taste, and the sugar and water balance is different, which can change how the filling sets.
Pure maple syrup is sorted by color and taste, and Canada and the US now use the same four classes: Golden with a delicate taste, Amber with a rich taste, Dark with a robust taste and Very Dark with a strong taste. For baking, Amber or Dark is the better pick. A darker syrup keeps more flavor once it's mixed into a sugary filling. Golden is lovely on pancakes, but its subtle character gets buried under brown sugar.
Our maple syrup page has six products at the moment. Here is how they fit this recipe.
Both are easy choices for baking and for pancakes.
The two Biodélices organic bottles are small. The 50 mL bottle is $19.97 and the 100 mL Grade A Amber bottle is $29.97. They are lovely gifts or tasting bottles. They are not baking bottles. One pan of squares needs 120 mL, which means even the 100 mL bottle won't cover a single batch by itself.
A rough guide to quantity: a 375 mL bottle makes three pans, a 540 mL can makes four, and a 1 L jug makes eight. At current prices that is about $4.34 of syrup per pan with Our Finest, $3.55 with Decacer and $3.26 with Maple Crest. The rest of the ingredients are probably already in your kitchen.
Once a bottle is open, keep it in the fridge. Pure maple syrup can grow mold at room temperature, which is a miserable thing to discover halfway through a recipe. One more practical point: Fortune reported in October 2026 that Quebec's strategic maple reserves are nearly used up after a smaller 2025 crop, so it's worth buying your holiday syrup earlier than the last week
Maple Butter Tart Squares Recipe
Makes 16 squares. Prep time 20 minutes, bake time about 45 minutes, plus cooling and chilling.
Equipment
A 9-inch square baking pan, parchment paper, a medium mixing bowl, a whisk, a rubber spatula, a wire rack and a sharp knife. A metal pan gives the cleanest edges. If you use glass, start checking a few minutes early.
- 1 1/2 cups (190 g) all-purpose flour
- 1/4 cup (50 g) packed light brown sugar
- 1/4 teaspoon fine salt
- 1/2 cup (115 g, 1 stick) cold unsalted butter, cut into small cubes
- 1 cup (200 g) packed brown sugar, light or dark
- 1/2 cup (120 mL) pure maple syrup
- 1/3 cup (75 g) unsalted butter, melted and slightly cooled
- 2 large eggs, at room temperature
- 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon white vinegar or apple cider vinegar
- 1/4 teaspoon fine salt
- Optional: 3/4 cup (110 g) raisins, soaked in hot water for 10 minutes and drained, or 3/4 cup chopped pecans or walnuts
Instructions
Heat the oven to 350°F (175°C) with a rack in the middle. Line a 9-inch square pan with parchment, leaving a couple of inches hanging over two sides so you can lift the squares out later.
Stir the flour, brown sugar and salt together in a bowl. Rub in the cold butter with your fingertips, or pulse in a food processor, until the mixture looks like damp sand and holds together when you pinch it. If it feels dry, add a teaspoon or two of cold water.
Press the crumbs firmly and evenly into the pan. The flat bottom of a measuring cup works well for this. Prick the base a few times with a fork. Bake for 15 to 18 minutes, until the edges turn pale golden. Leave the oven on.
While the crust bakes, make the filling. Whisk the brown sugar, maple syrup and melted butter in a medium bowl until smooth. Add the eggs one at a time and whisk gently until combined. Stir in the flour, vanilla, vinegar and salt. Stop as soon as it is smooth. If you whip air into it, you will get a foamy layer on top.
Scatter the raisins or nuts over the warm crust if you are using them, then pour the filling over the top.
Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, until the edges are set and puffed and the center wobbles slightly when you nudge the pan. The top will look glossy. It firms up as it cools.
Cool the pan on a wire rack for one hour, then refrigerate for at least two hours. Overnight is fine.
Lift the slab out using the parchment. Cut it into 16 squares with a sharp knife, wiping the blade clean between cuts. Serve cold or at room temperature.
For a 9 by 13-inch pan, double everything. Bake the crust for 18 to 20 minutes and the filling for 30 to 35.
How to Tell When the Squares Are Done
Underbaking and overbaking are the two ways this recipe fails, and the window between them is not wide. Look at the edges first. They should be set and slightly puffed, with no liquid shimmering against the pan. Then give the pan a gentle nudge. The middle should move like a soft pudding, not like a liquid and not like a cake. If the whole surface ripples, give it five more minutes.
Resist the urge to bake until the center is firm. The filling keeps cooking from residual heat, and it tightens a lot in the fridge. Squares that look completely set in the oven usually end up hard and sugary once they're cold.
Some Canadians like a runny butter tart. If that's you, pull the pan at the 25 minute mark and chill it overnight. The squares will still cut cleanly, with a softer, stickier middle.
Need the right syrup before you bake?
Amber Rich or Dark Robust hold their flavor best in a sugary filling.
Browse Maple SyrupFixing the Usual Problems
⚠ The filling is runny
Either the pan came out too early or it was cut before it chilled. If it is cold and still runny, return it to a 350°F oven for eight to ten minutes and chill it again. Using less syrup than the recipe asks for, or an imitation syrup with a different sugar balance, can also cause a loose set.
⚠ The filling is hard or grainy
That is almost always overbaking. Next time, try the lower end of the baking range or drop the oven to 325°F (165°C) and bake a few minutes longer. A sugary crust on top is a sign the edges were baked too hard.
⚠ The crust is soggy
Bake the crust until it's pale golden, not just set, and pour the filling over it while it is still warm. A cold crust with a hot or wet filling steams and softens. Skipping the pre-bake gives the same result.
⚠ The top cracked
A few cracks mean the pan baked a little long or cooled too fast. It does not affect the flavor. The chilled squares look fine once cut.
⚠ There is a foamy layer on top
The filling was whisked too hard. Stir it gently until it's just smooth next time, and don't whisk after the eggs go in any longer than you need to.
⚠ The crust crumbles when I cut it
It was either too dry or not pressed down firmly enough. Add a teaspoon of cold water if the crumbs look dry, and press hard, especially into the corners. Chilling the pan fully before cutting also helps.
⚠ The raisins are hard
Soak them in hot water for ten minutes and drain them well. Push them under the filling so none sit on the surface, where they scorch.
Raisins, Pecans or Plain
This is the question that divides Canadian families, so you might as well plan for both. The easiest compromise is to split the pan. Scatter raisins over half of the warm crust before pouring in the filling, and leave the other half plain. When you cut the squares, cut along the dividing line and everyone gets what they ordered.
Pecans give a crunch that works well against the soft filling, and they pull the squares closer to pecan pie bars. Toast them for about eight minutes in the oven first. Walnuts are the traditional alternative and are milder and slightly bitter. Currants, the fruit in the 1900 recipe, are smaller and tangier than raisins. If you can find them, they are worth a try.
Ways to Change the Recipe
Bourbon is an easy fit, especially for American bakers who already have a bottle. Add a tablespoon to the filling along with the vanilla. For a deeper flavor, brown the butter for the filling in a small pan until it smells nutty, then let it cool for a few minutes before whisking. A pinch of flaky salt over the top right after baking balances the sweetness.
If you want the maple flavor to be louder, replace 1/4 cup of the brown sugar with another 1/4 cup of syrup and add five minutes of baking time. The set will be softer, so chill the pan longer. A thin drizzle of melted dark chocolate over the cold squares also works, and so does a spoonful of whipped cream on the plate.
For gluten free squares, swap both flours for a 1:1 gluten free baking blend and check every label, including the vanilla. Our gluten free page lists Canadian products that are labeled gluten free. The crust may be a little more fragile, so let the pan chill fully before cutting.
Making Ahead, Storing and Freezing
These squares are better the next day. The filling settles, the flavors even out and the cuts get cleaner. You can bake the pan up to three days before you need it and keep it covered in the fridge.
In a cool kitchen the squares are fine at room temperature for a couple of days in an airtight container. If your house runs warm, or if there are eggs in the filling and you'd rather be careful, keep them in the fridge. They last five days there.
To freeze, chill the pan, cut the squares and freeze them on a tray until firm. Then wrap them individually or layer them in a container with parchment between the layers. They keep for two months. Thaw in the fridge overnight, or on the counter for an hour if you are in a hurry.
Serving Them at Christmas
Cold squares cut the best and hold their shape on a platter. If you want them a little softer, take them out of the fridge half an hour before serving. A scoop of vanilla ice cream makes them a plated dessert, and a spoonful of unsweetened whipped cream cuts the sweetness.
Coffee is the classic partner. A strong cup from the Tim Hortons range, or a Folgers Vanilla Biscotti K-Cup if you have a Keurig, handles the sugar well. For tea drinkers, Tetley is the old standby. The sweetness is high, so keep the cut size modest. Sixteen squares from a 9-inch pan are about right. You can make them smaller for a big tray.
More Canadian Desserts for the Same Table
A Canadian Christmas plate is rarely just one thing. Nanaimo bars from British Columbia, date squares, shortbread and sugar pie from Quebec all turn up around the holidays. If you don't have time to bake everything, buy a few and bake one.
Our Cookies & Bakery section has Christie and Dare cookies and Vachon cakes for the tray. OREO Maple Creme cookies ($5.99, baked in Canada and made with real Quebec maple syrup) are a handy extra beside the squares. The Christmas Favourites page gathers more seasonal Canadian items, and our guide to 20 Canadian favorites Americans love is a good place to browse if you are shopping for a guest who has never tried any of this.
Baking with maple often leads to more maple cooking. If you want ideas for breakfast, the maple cereals in our Canadian cereal guide are an easy place to start. The Diana Maple Sauce is a BBQ sauce made with Quebec maple syrup, which is a useful item for the savory side of the holiday table. It's $6.91 for a 500 mL bottle.
Giving Them as Gifts, or Mailing Them
Squares travel better than tarts. For a gift tin, line the bottom with parchment, stack the squares in layers with parchment between them and close the lid tightly. Freeze them first so they stay firm. For a package, choose two-day shipping, keep the box out of heat and tell the person to refrigerate them on arrival.
If you would rather give ingredients than baked goods, a bottle of syrup plus a printed copy of this recipe is a good present. The 50 mL Biodélices bottle fits in a stocking, and a larger bottle with a bag of flour from Robin Hood and a small box of raisins from Sun-Maid makes a baking kit. Our Bundle Packs and Iconic Canadian Gifts pages have ready-made options, and the bulk order page handles larger orders for office parties or cookie exchanges.
A Maple Shopping List That Clears Free Shipping
Free shipping at The Canada Foods starts at $65, and maple gets you there quicker than you might think. At regular prices, a 1 L Old Fashioned Maple Crest ($27.17), a 540 mL Decacer ($15.97), a 375 mL Our Finest ($13.57), a pack of OREO Maple Creme ($5.99) and a bottle of Diana Maple Sauce ($6.91) come to $69.61. That is enough syrup for 15 pans of squares plus pancakes, and a few extras for the table. Prices can change, so check the shipping policy and the maple page when you order.
Ready to Bake a Pan?
Get the real Canadian maple syrup this recipe needs, shipped to your door.
Shop Maple Syrup NowMake a pan this weekend, taste a square the next day and then decide where you stand on the raisins. If you need syrup first, the maple syrup page is where to start.
Frequently Asked Questions
Wondering how things work around here? Our FAQ has you covered.
They are a Canadian bar dessert with a shortbread crust and a sticky filling of brown sugar, butter, eggs and maple syrup, baked in a single pan and cut into squares. They are the pan version of the Canadian butter tart.
It is not recommended. Pancake syrup is mostly corn syrup with flavoring, so the squares will taste different and the filling may set differently. Use 100% pure maple syrup.
Amber Rich or Dark Robust. Both keep their flavor in a sugary filling. Golden Delicate is too subtle for this recipe.
One 9-inch pan uses 1/2 cup (120 mL). A 375 mL bottle covers about three pans, a 540 mL can about four and a 1 L jug about eight.
No. The earliest known butter tart recipe used currants, and plenty of people make them plain. Raisins, pecans and walnuts are all optional.
Pecan pie bars are built around pecans and usually corn syrup. Butter tart squares are plain or have raisins, stay softer in the middle and taste more of caramel and maple.
Bake until the edges are set and the center only wobbles slightly, then cool the pan for an hour and chill it for at least two hours before cutting. A runny square usually means the pan was cut too soon.
Five days in the fridge in an airtight container, and two months in the freezer. In a cool kitchen they are fine at room temperature for a couple of days.
Yes. Bake them up to three days ahead and keep them in the fridge, or freeze cut squares for up to two months and thaw them overnight.
Yes. Double all the ingredients, bake the crust for 18 to 20 minutes and the filling for 30 to 35, and check for the same set edges and gentle wobble.
The Canada Foods ships pure Canadian maple syrup across the USA, with free shipping from $65. Browse the maple syrup page to see the current bottles and sizes.