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Home » Recipes » Desserts

Gluten Free Butter Tart Bars

Published: Feb 1, 2022

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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!

Close up view of a plate of gluten free buttertart squares.

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!

Close up view of a plate of gluten free buttertart bars.

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!

Close up view of a plate of gluten free butter tart bars.

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!


Close up view of a plate of gluten free butter tart squares.

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!

Cover images for both "Beyond Flour" and "Beyond Flour 2"

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 Instagram it, be sure to tag me - @BeyondFlourBlog - or post it to My Facebook Page - so I can cheer you on!

Also, be sure to subscribe to my free email newsletter, so you never miss out on any of my nonsense.

Well, the published nonsense, anyway!

Close up view of a plate of gluten free buttertart bars.

Close up view of a plate of gluten free butter tart squares.
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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« Gluten-Free Red Velvet Cookies
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Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Mona

    December 08, 2022 at 6:09 pm

    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?

    Reply
    • admin

      December 09, 2022 at 10:17 am

      I don't see why not! Some people leave them out, others use nuts.

      Reply
  2. Barbara

    December 12, 2022 at 2:38 pm

    5 stars
    Tried these gluten-free butter tart bars. These are really good. Husband tried them, he is not gluten-free and he enjoyed them too.

    Reply
  3. Susan Cale-LeBlanc

    December 21, 2022 at 10:49 pm

    5 stars
    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.

    Reply

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Marie Porter


Author of the "Beyond Flour" series of gluten-free cookbooks, autistic polymath, and cat mom.

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