These Canadian Butter Tart Squares have all the flavours of a traditional butter tart, now made gluten-free!
Plump raisins, crunchy pecans, and sweet coconut fill these Canadian Butter Tart Squares. Nana’s Butter Tarts, and Butter Tart Slice from the old Best of Bridge cookbook have been two of my all-time favourite things to bake for the holidays. This year, I decided to try to create a gluten-free version that actually tasted good.Success! I was really pleased with how these turned out.
I discovered superfine almond flour when I made this Pumpkin Pecan Caramel Coffee Cake, and later this Gluten-Free Apple Cinnamon Coffee Cake. With that discovery, a whole new realm of gluten-free baking possibilities opened for me. While the traditional butter tart square recipe calls for a shortbread crust, I simply substituted superfine almond flour for the regular flour, as the crust does not need gluten for structure.
My next challenge was to replace the flour in the topping. I knew it was needed to act as a thickening agent, and I also knew that coconut flour was approximately three times more absorbent than wheat flour. Since the recipe called for one tablespoon of flour, I substituted one teaspoon of coconut flour instead.
Stay with me now. I need to tell you just how delicious these bars are, and to give you the recipe! They’re chock full of slightly syrupy butterscotch goodness, and if you’re a Butter Tart fan from way back like I am, you need to make these.
And if you’re from the U.S. and you’re not sure what I’m talking about, Butter Tarts are as popular in Canada as Pecan Tarts or Pecan Pie is in America, and you should definitely make these, too.
Let’s get started.
Ingredients for Gluten-Free Butter Tart Squares
- almond flour: finely ground
- butter
- sugar: I used white in the crust, brown in the filling
- salt
- eggs
- coconut: unsweetened, shredded
- vanilla extract: pure is best
- raisins: organic sultanas are delicious
- coconut flour
- chopped nuts: pecan or walnuts (these are optional)
How to Make Butter Tart Squares
- Combine the shortbread crust ingredients and press firmly into a 9 ” x 13″ pan.
- Mix the filling ingredients, spread over the crust and bake.
- Here’s the hard part. You have to wait to cut them. Those nice neat squares you see in the photo resulted because, for once, I didn’t rush to slice them.
- Cool in the pan completely, refrigerate and you’ll find cutting them into tidy squares is a breeze.
Canadian Butter Tart Squares
Ingredients
Crust:
- 2 cups superfine almond flour
- 1/2 cup butter
- 1/4 cup sugar
- pinch of salt
Filling
- 3 large eggs, lightly beaten
- 2 cups brown sugar, packed
- 1/4 cup butter, melted
- 1 tbsp baking powder
- pinch of salt
- 3/4 cup coconut
- 1 tsp vanilla
- 1 cup raisins
- 1 tsp coconut flour
- 1 cup chopped pecans or walnuts (optional)
Instructions
- Heat oven to 350°F.
- Put the crust ingredients in the bowl of a food processor and pulse just until the mixture resembles coarse meal. Alternatively, put ingredients in a large bowl and cut in butter with a pastry blender or two knives.
- Press the crust mixture evenly into a 9 x 13 baking dish. Set aside.
- In a large bowl, whisk the eggs and add the remaining ingredients, stirring until blended.
- Spread the filling over the crust.
- Bake at 350°F for 30 - 35 minutes or until middle is set.
- Cool completely in pan. Chill or freeze before cutting to insure clean cuts. Cut into squares and then into wedges to serve.
Nutrition
I adapted this recipe from Butter Tart Slice in the Best of Bridge cookbook, The Best of the Best and More.
Love Butter Tarts? Here’s what I think is the best recipe ever, Nana’s Butter Tarts from my mother-in-law.
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kathi @ laughingspatula says
Wow, pretty impressive recipe developing skills! These look fabulous! I’ am happy to say I will be in Maui (along with 12 other friends and family) for Christmas! We are doing a small gift exchange and nothing else. I am so excited to not buy gifts this year :). My friend is gluten free, she would love these! Sharing!
Flavour & Savour says
Hi Kathi,
Thanks. I’m so envious!! We didn’t book a Hawaii trip this fall as we have a trip to Asia planned later in the year, but I’m finding the incessant rain and gray skies here in the PNW pretty depressing and I’m kicking myself for not planning a getaway. Bring on the butter tarts 🙂 Thanks for sharing!
cathy pengelly says
I’m gluten free and so i appreciated the recipe for the GF Butter Tarts, however my grandson has a nut allergy. What other flour do you think i could substitute for the almond flour??
Many thanks
Cathy
Flavour & Savour says
Hi Cathy,
How frustrating for you! You might try substituting a gluten-free flour blend like Bob’s Red Mill 1 – 1 Gluten-free Baking Flour. As far as I know, it doesn’t contain nuts. Some people don’t like the taste, but you might not mind it. I haven’t tried it with this recipe, so I can’t guarantee results. If you do try it, I’d love to hear how it turned out. Thanks for your question!
Amie Uzzell says
These look yummy Elaine. My sister has had to give up gluten, so I am looking for recipes I can make for us all to share at Xmas. Do you know if these freeze well?
Flavour & Savour says
Hi Amie,
Yes, they freeze well. Just wrap and store in an airtight container and they’ll be good when you need them!
Sarah says
Gluten free butter tart squares! That’s amazing. I need to make these
Flavour & Savour says
Thanks, Sarah! I hope you get a chance to make them this holiday season!
Nicoletta @sugarlovespices says
I am not familiar with butter tarts but I love yours and especially the use of almond flour and coconut flour (that together with brown rice are my absolute favorite gluten-free flours). They look great and I’d love to taste one. Now I have to make them 😉 !
Flavour & Savour says
Thanks Nicoletta,
Agreed–almond flour, and especially the superfine almond flour, has made gluten-free baking much easier for me.
Colleen Milne says
Elaine, I make my own version of these squares every holiday season. Your gluten free version looks so good, I just might give it a try, too. Delicious!
Flavour & Savour says
Hi Colleen,
I was surprised at just how much these taste like the originals!
The FoodOlic says
Love, love, love the mix of almond and coconut! I’ll try those gluten free pretty bites of yours! Thanks for sharing.
Flavour & Savour says
Thanks! They’ll add a little Canadian touch to your European Christmas 🙂
Teresa says
I’m so impressed with how beautifully your gluten-free version of these turned out! I know what a challenge that can be. They sound (and look) really good.
Flavour & Savour says
Thanks, Teresa! You’re so right. Gluten-free baking can be challenging. It’s great to have some “old favourites” at Christmas time, so I was excited to find how well these turned out.
Sean says
These look delightful – though I must say I’m particularly interested in the superfine almond flour component! You’ve really got me thinking there. I love almond cookies, and now I’m kind of wondering about an almond shortbread… I might have to do some experimenting! Oh, and I have to say – I love the way you photographed the squares in that white square dish. Dessert squares can be so hard to photograph in an interesting way, but you really made them look both tasty and unique. Cheers.
Flavour & Savour says
Thanks Sean! Yes–I find photographing food that is brown is so hard! I’m loving this superfine almond flour. It really works well in a shortbread crust and opens up possibilities for those on a gluten-free diet.