It’s Canada Day Eve, and for me that means baking butter tarts. This year I tried a twist: bacon butter tarts—specifically maple bacon butter tarts. The combination works beautifully: the saltiness of bacon balanced by sweet maple syrup and brown sugar creates a distinctly Canadian flavor that’s hard to resist.
I’ll be bringing a big batch to a friend’s annual Canada Day party tomorrow. If this morning’s reaction at the CBC studio was any indication, they’ll disappear quickly. If you want to intensify the bacon flavor, try replacing some of the fat in the pastry with chilled bacon drippings or stirring a little rendered bacon into the filling in place of some melted butter.
While I often use my grandma’s classic butter tart recipe, this time I followed the version from the Five Roses Cookbook, a long-standing Canadian staple. That recipe offers a reliable, traditional base that welcomes variations—bacon included.
If you prefer a more traditional filling, these tarts are just as delicious with currants or raisins, chopped pecans, or simply plain. No matter which version you choose, they make a perfect treat for Canada Day or any gathering where you want a balance of sweet and savory. Happy Canada Day, eh?