Craving a gluten free butter tart, but don't want to fuss with making tart shells? These gluten free butter tart bars are SUPER easy to make!
You’ve probably seen my Gluten Free Butter Tarts, but did you know there’s another version of the traditional Canadian treat?
Today I’m sharing my recipe for butter tart BARS!
These bars are great - a much quicker and easier way to indulge that "I would do some pretty depraved things for a butter tart" urge that many Canadians tend to get!
What are butter tarts, you may ask?
They’re a little pastry tart - think the size of a normal muffin tin, for the crust - made of a short crust. They’re filled with a mixture of syrup, eggs, and sugar... kind of like a pecan pie filling.
GENERALLY speaking, there are raisins involved, though there’s a fringe “anti raisin” group... I don’t get what that’s about.
Raisins *make* the buttertart, IMHO.
Anyway, some people skip the raisins entirely, while some swap them out for pecans.
Either way, they’re baked up into little mini pies of varying solidity, based on your tastes. (More eggs = more solid filling).
SO GOOD. There’s a reason there are multiple huge festivals dedicated to them!
Anyway, sometimes you’re in the mood for a butter tart, but not interested in fussing with forming pastry into tart shells... and for those times, you have gluten-free butter tart bars!
Let’s get to it!
Gluten-Free Butter Tart Squares Ingredients
Some of the ingredients are pretty straight forward - baking soda, butter, eggs, etc... but I have a few thoughts on a few of the ingredients:
The Flours and Starches
I use specific portions of Sorghum flour, Sweet rice flour, and Corn starch for the best taste, texture, and .. Fortitude?
This is a crust that not only provides a nice contrast to the filling, it is nice and robust, holding up to the weight of the filling, while tasting great.
You could probably sub an all purpose mixture in on this one, it just might not taste as good, or hold up as well.
Xanthan Gum
Xanthan gum helps the crust hold together, best to not skip it.
Maple Syrup
Because I’ve had questions about it... when I call for maple syrup, I’m talking about the boiled down sap that is drawn from actual maple trees... NOT pancake syrup.
If you don’t have maple syrup, corn syrup would also work.
Raisins
While raisins are far more divisive - when it comes to butter tarts - than they should be, I’m 100% Team Raisin.
I’ve always used dark raisins, and always seen dark raisins in butter tarts.
I’ve never seen golden raisins used, but if that’s what you have, I’m sure they’d be fine - just not traditional!
How to Make Gluten-Free Buttertart Bars
Like I mentioned, these are a lot less work to make, than the original tart form! All you have to do is:
1. Combine the dry ingredients in a food processor, then blitz with the butter and egg until crumbly.
2. Spread the mixture in a prepared pan, then pack it down. Bake it.
3. Whisk together the filling ingredients, then pour over the baked crust.
4. Bake it again.
5. Cool, chill, cut into squares and dig in!
Gluten-Free Butter Tart Squares Variations
Double Batch
As-is, this recipe makes an 8"x 8" pan of bars.
To double the recipe, use a 9x13" pan, and double every ingredient.
Do the initial crust bake for 20 minutes, and second bake for 25-30 minutes
Nuts
You can swap the raisins out for more walnuts or pecans.
Extra Raisins
Skip the ½ cup of optional walnuts, use 1 ½ cups of raisins.
No Maple Syrup
If you’re not a fan of maple syrup, you can use corn or birch syrup instead.
My Gluten-Free Cookbooks!
If you're interested in gluten-free cooking and baking, you should definitely check out my gluten-free cookbooks: Beyond Flour: A Fresh Approach to Gluten Free Cooking & Baking, and the sequel... Beyond Flour 2. You can order them right here on my website, through Amazon, or through any major bookseller.
More Gluten-Free Dessert Recipes!
Looking for even more fantastic gluten-free desserts that *everyone* will love? Look no further!
Deviled Strawberries
Easy Gluten Free Brownies
Gluten-Free Brandied Apple Crisp
Gluten Free Butter Tart Bars
Gluten-Free Buttertarts
Gluten-Free Doughnut Holes
Gluten-Free Earl Grey Pie
Gluten-Free Fruitcake
Gluten-Free Lemon Bars
Gluten-Free Maple Pumpkin Pie
Gluten-Free Nanaimo Bar Brownies
Gluten-Free Puffed Rice Bars
Gluten-Free Pumpkin Spice Mini Doughnuts
Gluten-Free Raspberry Bars
Gluten-Free Schmoo Torte
Gluten Free Sticky Toffee Pudding
Pina Colada Fluff
Also, be sure to check out our collection of Gluten Free Cookie Recipes!
Share the Love!
Before you chow down, be sure to take some pics of your handiwork! If you post it to Bluesky, be sure to tag us - @CelebrationGen. We're also on Pinterest, so you can save all your favourite recipes to a board!
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Well, the published nonsense, anyway!
Gluten Free Butter Tart Bars
Equipment
Ingredients
Crust
- ⅔ cup Sorghum flour
- ⅓ cup Sweet rice flour
- ¼ cup Corn starch
- ¼ cup Sugar
- ½ teaspoon Xanthan gum
- ½ cup Butter
- 1 Large egg
Topping
- 1 cup Brown sugar packed
- 1 tablespoon Corn starch
- ½ teaspoon Baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon Salt
- ¼ cup Butter melted
- 3 Large eggs beaten
- 2 tablespoon Maple syrup
- 1 teaspoon Vanilla extract
- 1 cup Raisins
- ½ cup Walnuts optional
Instructions
Crust
- Preheat oven to 350 F (180 C), Line an 8x8" pan with parchment paper.
- Combine flours, corn starch, sugar, and xanthan gum in a food processor. Add butter and egg, blitz until finely crumbly.
- Spread mixture out in prepared pan, distributing evenly. Firmly press to create a level crust.
- Bake for 15 minutes.
Topping
- In a medium mixing bowl, whisk together brown sugar, corn starch, baking powder and salt.
- Add butter, eggs, maple syrup and vanilla, whisk to combine well. Add raisins - and walnuts, if using - stir. Pour mixture over baked crust.
- Bake bars for 20 minutes, remove from heat, cool to room temperature.
- Once cool, transfer to fridge and chill for an hour before cutting into squares.
Hi! Recipe looks amazing! I want to try it but since I don’t like raisins I was wondering if I can substitute it with chopped dates?
I don't see why not! Some people leave them out, others use nuts.
Tried these gluten-free butter tart bars. These are really good. Husband tried them, he is not gluten-free and he enjoyed them too.
I made this for my son and had to try some. I found it taste just like regular tarts. I did only use Robin Hood all purpose flour blend that is gluten free which already included xanthan gum.
Hello, I was wondering 1 batch 8x8 states makes 16 bars. I want to make total of 32 bars. The instructions say to double all the ingredients and use 9 x 13 pan. I dont know if this is possible unless the squares are very small? What pan size can I use to achieve this this outcome? What size are the squares?
8 x 8 makes 16 bars that are slightly less than 2" x 2". (64 square inches to the pan). Using a 9 x 13 pan means slightly smaller, as the pan has an area of 117 square inches.
Hello,
I have never made any gluten free deserts before and I am asking what tips or suggestions you can suggest to prevent the desert from a possible disaster?
Can I use a combination of flours that you listed and add in some 1x1 gluten flour because it already has the( gum) included in the flour mix? Add in like 1 tbl spoon of flour to help hold the crust together? Also can this be made ahead of the day I need it? If I should keep in the refrigerator overnight then cut into bars in the am? What is the best way to keep it fresh? Thanks
Ann