Gluten Free Butter Tart Bars

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.

Print Recipe

5 from 3 votes

Gluten Free Butter Tart Bars

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!

Prep Time10 mins

Cook Time35 mins

Total Time45 mins

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: Canadian

Diet: Gluten Free

Servings: 16 Squares

Calories: 255kcal

Equipment

• 1 8 inch square glass dish

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.

Notes

To double the recipe, use a 9x13" pan. Do the initial crust bake for 20 minutes, and second bake for 25-30 minutes

Nutrition

Calories: 255kcal | Carbohydrates: 35g | Protein: 3g | Fat: 12g | Saturated Fat: 6g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 3g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 64mg | Sodium: 151mg | Potassium: 151mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 18g | Vitamin A: 326IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 37mg | Iron: 1mg

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