Butter Tart Dessert Bars Recipe
These butter tart bars are a gooey and delicious dessert recipe that are easy to make! They are crisp and delicious on the outside and soft in the middle, giving them the same classic butter tart flavor and texture in a dessert bar.
Start by mixing all of your ingredients in one bowl, then baking the butter tart bars until golden and delicious in the oven. See our step-by-step photos and video below and make these along with us today!
Want more tasty dessert recipes? Try our oat milk rice pudding, chia seed banana bread, and our favorite strawberry banana milkshake with Greek yogurt.
As a half-Canadian household, we absolutely love butter tarts. They are probably my favorite Canadian recipe (yes, even more than poutine). They are one of our favorite desserts that we enjoy all year around… now as dessert bars!
This super simple recipe has all of the fantastic flavor and texture of butter tarts, but in an easier one-bowl format. No pie or tart crust is needed as these delicious brown sugar butter tarts are baked in one pan to perfection.
Notes from the Kitchen
- These butter tart bars are crisp on the outside and slightly gooey and delicious in the middle, just like classic butter tarts!
- They are sweet, sugary, buttery and delicious!
- Get a perfect texture by making these in a baking dish. They have a nice chewy crust and light, crinkly top.
- They freeze well, making them a great treat to save for later.
- Bakers of any skill level can successfully make these dessert bars by following along with our step-by-step photos and video in the post below.
Ingredients You’ll Need
See our recipe card below for the full ingredient amounts and instructions.
This recipe has six simple ingredients and that is it! The bars start with brown sugar, butter, and eggs, all classic ingredients and traditional butter tarts.
These butter dessert bars also have all-purpose flour and baking powder which help the bars rise and give them a nice crumb.
And the final ingredient is pure vanilla extract which give the dessert bars a fragrant aroma!
Additions and Substitutions
If you wanted to use half brown sugar and half white granulated sugar, you could substitute a 50/50 mix instead of using all brown sugar.
If you wanted a nuttier texture you could add a half a cup of chopped or pistachios. We add nuts to our regular butter tarts which are awesome!
And you could also top the bars with powdered sugar when finished or extra brown sugar for a bit of texture and flair.
Step-By-Step Photos and Directions
Step 1: Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Grease a 8 x 8 inch baking dish and set aside.
Step 2: Melt the butter, and place it in a mixing bowl.
Step 3: To the butter, add in the brown sugar, eggs, and vanilla extract and mix well to combine.
Step 4: Pour in the flour and baking powder, and mix well until you have a thick batter.
Step 5: Place the batter into the greased 8 x 8 inch baking dish. Bake in the preheated oven for 35-45 minutes or until the top has browned and the mixture has fully set.
Step 6: Remove from the oven, and allow to cool fully before slicing. Do not slice while hot or warm as the filling needs to set.
Recipe FAQs
These delicious butter tart dessert bars have all of the same ingredients of classic butter tarts! They have plenty of butter. Brown sugar, all-purpose flour, baking powder, eggs and vanilla extract.
Yes, if you want to make these dessert bars gooey like classic butter tarts make them for 30 to 35 minutes. A firmer more brownie like center. Bake them for 40 to 45 minutes.
Yes, adding a half a cup of chopped nuts like pecans, walnuts, or pistachios are a great way to add more texture and flavor into the dessert bars. I usually add chopped nuts to my butter tarts and adding them to these butter tart bars would also be a great addition.
Serving Suggestions
These delicious butter tart bars go fantastic with a cold glass of homemade unsweetened oat milk, or any kind of milk you prefer.
They are also wonderful to serve for a holiday dinner alongside our low sugar apple pie recipe, or dairy free pumpkin bread!
If you’re making these dessert bars for a bake sale and are looking for more easy dessert recipes, try our coffee chocolate chip cookies or blackberry oat bars!
Expert Tips
- The texture of the inside will depend on how long you bake the bars. Baking them for 30 to 35 minutes yields a gooey center which is similar to the texture of classic butter tarts. Be sure not to eat undercooked eggs.
- Baking the bars longer for 40 to 45 minutes will yield a texture more similar to a dense brownie. I tested this recipe 3 times and found that 35-40 minutes in my oven was perfect.
- Wait for the bars to fully cool before slicing or enjoying them… I have made the mistake of slicing them when they are still warm and they’ve become a bit of a gooey mess. Patience is a virtue with these!
More Easy Baked Dessert Recipes
- Sweet Potato Banana Bread Recipe
- Apricot Kolachy Cookies Recipe
- Almond Flour Pie Crust Recipe
- Dairy Free Blueberry Muffins Recipe (No Milk or Butter)
- Whole Wheat Chocolate Cookies Recipe
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Butter Tart Bars
Equipment
- 1 8 x 8 inch baking dish
Ingredients
- ½ cup butter melted, 1 stick
- 2 cups brown sugar
- 2 eggs
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Grease a 8 x 8 inch baking dish and set aside.
- Melt the butter, and place it in a mixing bowl.
- To the butter, add in the brown sugar, eggs, and vanilla extract and mix well to combine.
- Pour in the flour and baking powder, and mix well until you have a thick batter.
- Place the batter into the greased 8 x 8 inch baking dish. Bake in the preheated oven for 30-35 minutes or until the top has browned and the mixture has fully set.
- Remove from the oven, and allow to cool fully before slicing.
Video
Notes
- The texture of the inside will depend on how long you bake the bars. Baking them for 30 to 35 minutes yields a gooey center which is similar to the texture of classic butter tarts. Be sure not to eat undercooked eggs.
- Baking the bars longer for 40 to 45 minutes will yield a texture more similar to a dense brownie.
- Wait for the bars to fully cool before slicing or enjoying them… I have made the mistake of slicing them when they are still warm and they’ve become a bit of a gooey mess. Patience is a virtue with these!
Nutrition
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