Butter tarts are soooo good, but man are they hard to make point friendly 😉 I had a request to try and "lighten" them up and I always love a good challenge to make something fit into our day better! Did you know that most butter tart recipes out there have over 3 cups of brown sugar in them, that's 101 points just in sugar alone... and I saw a homemade one come up in the WW App as 17 points, yikes!! I found these tarts to be just the right amount of sweetness (and I am a sweets lover) the pastry was very filling and the end result was a tasty baked treat for just 5 smart points each. I hope you enjoy them as much as I did, and my 17 point butter tart loving husband enjoyed them as well..win win!
Lightened up butter tarts
5SP blue & purple, 6SP- green /4PP
Ingredients
- 1 ⅓ cup flour
- 4 tablespoon light butter I use Gay Lea light
- 5 tablespoon of water
- FOR FILLING
- ⅓ cup unsweetened applesauce
- 2 eggs
- 2 tablespoon melted light butter
- ½ tablespoon vinegar
- ½ tablespoon vanilla
- ¾ cup brown sugar
- 2 tablespoon chopped pecans
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375F, spray a regular size muffin tin.
- Make your pastry by adding your 4 tablespoon of cold (but slightly softened) butter to your flour, you will want to mash the butter into your flour, then slowly add in your water, if you need more than 5Tbsp you can add a little more but I found 5 was a good amount. knead your dough for a few minutes then roll out (sprinkle some flour on a flat surface)
- You want to cut into 10 pieces to fill your muffin cups, you will need to cut some pieces then roll out your dough again to get all 10 pieces, you want to fill your muffin cup up the sides with the pastry dough the best you can, you will be pouring in your mixture so it needs to have sides to hold it.
- Pre-bake dough in the oven for 12 minutes.
- Meanwhile, make your brown sugar mixture, whisk your eggs and add applesauce, vinegar, vanilla and melted butter, stir well. Mix in your brown sugar until it is all dissolved.
- Once your pastry is pre-baked fill them with your mixture, then top with a few chopped pecans, I found 2 tablespoon was enough to cover all 10 tarts.
- Return to oven for 18-20 minutes until centers are set. Let cool
- Makes 10 butter tarts, best stored in fridge and they will freeze well.
- *Note..I did try these with the 2 ingredient dough (yogurt & flour) and I just found them nowhere near as good, and it only saved a point per tart.
Notes
Freestyle SP- 5 using WW recipe builder
Smart Points- 6 using SP calculator
Points Plus- 4 using PP calculator
Nutritional info (incl all ingredients) Calories 151...Fat 4.9g..Sat Fat 1.5g...Carbs 22.5g...Fiber 0.5g...Sugar 10.6g..Protein 3g *note if entering these numbers in WW calculator you may getting higher reading as it included zero point foods
Smart Points- 6 using SP calculator
Points Plus- 4 using PP calculator
Nutritional info (incl all ingredients) Calories 151...Fat 4.9g..Sat Fat 1.5g...Carbs 22.5g...Fiber 0.5g...Sugar 10.6g..Protein 3g *note if entering these numbers in WW calculator you may getting higher reading as it included zero point foods
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!
Mary-Anne Durkee Patterson
My Canadian husband, born in Ontario loves Butter Tarts frozen! His late mum who just passed away in January at 101 was still sharp and witty made the best Butter Tarts. We found the ones made at Black Bird in Heathcoate to be the best next to hers. I can’t even eat one as to me sweets are well too sweet, but DH can eat several. He by the way is 5’ 11” at 165#. Disgusting eh? Must be the Irish heritage.
Drizzle
Haha damn men 😉 I'm in Ontario 🙂 I was born in England ... sorry for your loss, wow 101!! I hope my mum lives to that 🙂
Cira Gonzalez
5 Points....what is the serving size. I missed it. Per one or for all?
Drizzle
5 points for all of them?? haha maybe in our dreams 😉 5 points each, it is there in the recipe
Joy Brett
I am unable to print any of your recipes on my printer. When I download from other websites, it allows me to print, but when I try to print a copy of your recipes, I just can’t get it to work. I’m trying to print from my iPhone. Can you help me to print as I quite enjoy your recipes and would like to print them.
Drizzle
Hi Joy, for some reason there is issues with printing from a mobile, I might have to change the plugin I use for my recipes which is unfortunately a huge job and will take me some time..
Julie
I take a screen shot of the print screen of the recipe and then I print the photo. Works well for me that way!
Betsy Nutt
I can't wait to try these! Just wanted to double check the recipe measurements. The vinegar and vanilla say 1/2 Tbsp each. It is tablespoon and not teaspoon, correct? I've not seen 1/2 tbsp in recipes before so I just wanted to double check. Love your blog!
Drizzle
Hi Betsy, yes 1/2 Tablespoon, I hope you enjoy them 🙂
W Taylor
Is it really only 3/ 4 tbsp of brown sugar? When that is the only real sweetener in the recipe?
Drizzle
OMG I don't believe I did that typo AHHH thank you for bringing it to my attention, it is 3/4 cups, I just updated.. ugh I hope no one has attempted them yet 🙁
Christie
These look great! Is it only 3/4 Tbsp of sugar in the filling?
Drizzle
I am so sorry that was a major typo 🙁 it is 3/4 cup, I have updated the recipe
Christie
These look awesome! is the brown sugar really just 3/4 Tbsp?
Drizzle
It was a major typo 🙁 I have since corrected it
Susan
I made those yesterday....I wish I caught your correction sooner , it was a real waste of ingredients as they were not good...
Drizzle
I'm so sorry Susan, I'm human and make mistakes
Marianne
I just made these yesterday and they are a hit! Well, not as good as real butter tarts (sorry!) but at least close enough. I used the recipe builder and they came out at 6 points each for me so I rechecked my ingredient entries and it seems right. After my first taste test, I'm thinking of adding more butter to the pastry so it is flakier and then making 12 to keep the points low. I love that you are Canadian, so I can find your exact ingredients in my stores. This recipe is a keeper, thanks so much!
Drizzle
Hi Marianne, I am so glad you enjoyed them, definitely not as good as the real deal but I thought a good alternative when trying to stay on track.. not too sure why you got 6 especially if you used the same ingredients but either way I'm happy you enjoyed 🙂
Kare vieira
I never have luck making any sort of crust myself - but guessing I could use premade phyllo shells? Or even the reduced fat pillsbury crescent dough?
Drizzle
Yes you can use either of those and just adjust the points
Deb
could this be used to make coconut tarts as well! My favorite for Thanksgiving?
Thanks for helping me release 45 lbs of me! Its one meal for supper and that is so important to me after a 12 hour work day and an 1 hr drive each way!
Drizzle
Hi Deb, way to go on the 45lbs, that is fantastic!! I think you could make coconut tarts the same way 🙂
Jan Tuffnell
OMGsh! I can't believe I found this! My husband is from Kingston Ontario and he makes Butter Tarts every Thanksgiving and Christmas! He has a handed down recipe that just lists a few ingredients and no directions lol. He makes killer Butter Tarts! I will have to try this recipe so I can enjoy them as well. Thanks for sharing!! 🙂
Drizzle
Hi Jan, hope you enjoy them.. they are not your typical butter tart with being lightened up but I thought they did the trick.. I too am in Ontario but a few hours away from Kingston
Rachel
Was desperately looking for a recipe for butter tarts! But when I program this recipe into the app it comes up as 7 points on blue for some reason?
Drizzle
Hi Rachel, hmmm not sure why you are getting 7, maybe a different brand of butter?