A Twist on a Canadian Classic: The Paleo Butter Tart

I want to clarify: I do not think that a dessert such as this can truly be classified as Paleo, or Whole30... definitely not if you're in the "reset" portion of your Whole30! But for labeling purposes, this technically fits the Paleo bill. I'm not into fad diets, nor do I follow much of anything in an obsessive matter (besides various Netflix shows), but I like the way that Paleo uses whole foods and unrefined ingredients, with an emphasis on quality meat and plenty of vegetables. I feel much better when I eat Paleo and have eaten this way for seven years now, although I don't always follow it to the letter. Also, my husband has a grain allergy so this leaves Paleo as one of the only options for us. Which is why you'll see a lot of Paleo recipes here! Most gluten-free products contain other grains, like rice or corn, so often we use ingredients like almond flour, coconut flour, and the like. In addition to being free from grains, those grain free flours also add more nutrition, fiber, and healthy fats while remaining lower in carbs.

Now, I am not claiming that this is health food akin to a kale salad, it is definitely a treat with a lot more sugar than you likely normally consume! But, it is free from grains, gluten, and refined sugar. There is dairy in this one, in the form of grass fed butter, which could easily be subbed out with ghee if that is better for you. We'll use almond flour as a base in the pastry, and the filling uses coconut sugar (doesn't taste like coconut, more like a less sweet brown sugar) and maple syrup to sweeten.

The recipe is fairly simple, but a bit of a process to cut out the pastry circles. We always made butter tarts growing up, so I happen to know that this is a perfect recipe to make with your family if holiday baking is your thing. Maybe even alongside a coffee with a splash of Irish cream! Once you cut your pastry circles out, you can form them in a shallow muffin tin by hand. It will look more rustic this way, which I like. If you happen to have a pastry form, or a mini pastry pan, that would provide a more uniform look.

Don't worry if the pastry breaks a bit, sometimes it gets a little sticky as it warms up. It works out fine to press any cracks down with your fingers to close up! Let's get into this recipe!