Key Takeaways
TL;DR: Toronto’s best butter tarts include the festival-winning coconut cream tart at Circles and Squares, the crisp, gooey tarts at Ba Noi on Bloor Street and the whiskey-maple tarts at Gerrard Street Bakery, and the classic filling of butter, brown sugar and eggs first appeared in print in 1900.
- A perfect butter tart: A light, golden, buttery pastry and a filling that balances sweet and caramelized with a signature ooze; purists keep it plain, while others add raisins, pecans or walnuts.
- The festival: Ontario’s Best Butter Tart Festival in Midland draws over 60,000 visitors, and Circles and Squares won Ontario’s best butter tart there in 2025 with its coconut cream tart.
- Classic favourites: Ba Noi on Bloor Street bakes crisp, burnished tarts with a fluid centre, and Gerrard Street Bakery fills its tarts with whiskey-barrel-aged maple syrup and butter caramel.
- Creative flavours: Tartistry offers a wide range of butter tart flavours, including zero-sugar and vegan options, so everyone can enjoy the Canadian classic.
- Tips and staying in: Arrive early, since popular bakeries often sell out by mid-afternoon, try both runny and firm styles, or have a private chef bake butter tarts to your taste at home alongside a menu of Canadian-inspired dishes.
Few desserts capture the essence of Canadian baking quite like the butter tart. With its flaky pastry shell and gloriously gooey filling of butter, brown sugar, and eggs, this beloved treat has been winning hearts across the country for over a century.
The recipe first appeared in print in 1900, and since then, butter tarts have become an iconic symbol of Canadian culinary tradition. Toronto, with its thriving bakery scene, offers some of the finest examples you will find anywhere in Ontario.
From neighbourhood favourites to award-winning establishments, here is your guide to discovering the best butter tarts Toronto has to offer.
Índice
What makes a perfect butter tart?
Before exploring Toronto’s top spots, it helps to understand what distinguishes an exceptional butter tart from an ordinary one. The ideal pastry foundation should be light, golden, and deliciously buttery with just the right amount of crumble.
The filling is where opinions diverge, but most connoisseurs agree it should strike a balance between sweet and caramelized, with that signature ooze that makes every bite memorable.
The great butter tart debate often centres on fillings. Purists insist on nothing but the classic mixture, while others embrace additions like raisins, pecans, or walnuts. Some bakeries push boundaries with innovative flavours, from maple pecan to pumpkin spice.
The annual Ontario’s Best Butter Tart Festival in Midland attracts over 60,000 visitors and sells more than 300,000 tarts, demonstrating just how passionate Canadians are about this humble dessert. Regardless of your preference, Toronto’s bakeries deliver options to satisfy every craving.
Toronto’s award-winning butter tart destinations
Circles and Squares
With shops in East York, Davisville and the TD Centre, this bakery claimed the title of Ontario’s best butter tart at the 2025 Ontario’s Best Butter Tart Festival in Midland. Their winning coconut cream tart impressed judges, and their maple pecan took first place in the traditional category, while the classic variety keeps drawing devoted customers from across the GTA.
Owner David Baxter started Circles and Squares as a wholesale bakery in 2005, before it opened its own shops.
Ba Noi
Hidden on Bloor Street just east of Ossington, Ba Noi is a small bakery with big flavours, run by An Tran since 2020. Their butter tarts are baked until crisp and burnished, with a fluid centre and a chewy edge: destination pastries worth seeking out.
The bakery embraces quality ingredients without unnecessary bells and whistles, delivering a throwback to simpler times when butter tarts were made with care in home kitchens across Ontario.
Bring local flavors to your kitchen
From market-fresh ingredients to traditional recipes, a private chef turns your home into a true local experience.
Neighbourhood favourites worth discovering
Cassis Bake
On the Danforth between Main and Greenwood, Cassis Bake makes its maple butter tarts with a delicate crust, in a regular and a smaller size, with or without dried currants.
Made naturally without preservatives or artificial flavours, they sit alongside Asian baked goods and seasonal treats, and evoke homey nostalgia in the best possible way.
Gerrard Street Bakery
Andrea Mut opened her namesake Gerrard Street Bakery in East Chinatown in 2012, and its butter tarts, pucks of molten sugar and crumbly pastry filled with Kinsip whiskey-barrel-aged maple syrup and butter caramel, have made it a Toronto favourite.
The bakery also makes scones, tourtière and empanadas, so it’s worth more than one visit.
Tartistry
With shops on The Queensway in Etobicoke and in the Distillery District, Tartistry offers an impressive selection of butter tart flavours, from the classic to creative combinations.
They also cater to dietary needs with zero-sugar and vegan options, ensuring everyone can enjoy this Canadian treat.
Beyond the bakery: enjoying butter tarts at home
While Toronto’s bakeries offer incredible options, there is something magical about enjoying freshly made butter tarts in the comfort of your own home. The warm pastry, the perfectly gooey filling just out of the oven, the aroma filling your kitchen—these elements create an experience that bakery visits simply cannot replicate.
For those who love the idea but lack the time or confidence to bake, hiring a private chef offers an elegant solution. A professional can prepare butter tarts tailored exactly to your preferences.
Bringing a private chef into your kitchen
Services like Take a Chef connect you with talented culinary professionals who can recreate beloved regional specialties right in your home. Imagine hosting a gathering where your guests enjoy not only perfect butter tarts, but also an entire menu of Canadian-inspired dishes, all prepared by an expert who handles everything from ingredient sourcing to clean up.
The chef manages every detail, allowing you to focus entirely on enjoying the experience with your guests.
Tips for your butter tart adventures
When exploring Toronto’s butter tart scene, keep these suggestions in mind:
- Arrive early, as popular bakeries often sell out of butter tarts by mid-afternoon
- Try both runny and firm varieties to discover your personal preference
- Do not overlook creative flavours—some of the best discoveries come from adventurous choices
- Consider the annual Ontario’s Best Butter Tart Festival in Midland for an immersive experience
Celebrating a Canadian tradition
Toronto’s butter tart scene reflects the city’s vibrant culinary culture, honouring tradition while embracing innovation. From the festival-winning creations at Circles and Squares to the whiskey-maple tarts at Gerrard Street Bakery, each bakery brings its own interpretation to this cherished Canadian treat.
Whether you choose to explore the city’s best bakeries or bring the magic home by hiring a private chef. The perfect combination of buttery pastry and caramelized filling remains irresistible, bite after glorious bite.
So go ahead, treat yourself to Toronto’s finest butter tarts and discover why this humble yet extraordinary dessert has captured the hearts of Canadians for generations.
