I got love for you if you were born in the 80's?! Who remembers this delicious Old School Butterscotch tart?!
I have fond memories of this fantastic rich sticky, butterscotch tart. Usually served up with whipped cream or custard in the school canteen!
I have included a slideshow below of this Old School British School dessert below
If you want to get on and make this Butterscotch Tart at home scroll to the bottom for a printable recipe sheet, containing all measurements and instructions.
However, if you want some extra tips and tricks read on below.
Love to make it for my children (and us!) to show them what school desserts were like before the 2005 guidelines kicked in.
I do agree with the idea of healthier school meals but this dessert is sadly becoming a missed childhood memory!
See below for step by step guide of how to make this tart yourself at home.
It is really very easy and quick aside from the cooling time!
How to make Old School Butterscoth Tart?
Simply melt the butter with 30ml milk on low heat (I use whole milk but any will work) pour in soft light brown sugar, and stir , watch as it marbles together into a caramel colour.
Mix the remaining 70ml of milk with 4 tablespoon of flour making sure to stir well, so no lumps. Slowly pour into the butterscotch mixture whilst whisking it (to prevent lumps from forming).
What is the difference between Butterscotch Sauce and Caramel Sauce?
Caramel is made using granulated white sugar, whereas butterscotch uses light brown sugar. That is the only difference!
Help my Butterscotch sauce is Lumpy?
In the early days of making this, I made the mistake of not stiring the flour in with the milk, which made a lumpy Butterscotch sauce.... please if this happens to you do not give up!!
Simply use a sieve to push the sauce through the lumps.
Making own or using store-bought Pastry case for a tart?
Store-bought pastry tart is a quicker option, but if you did want to make your own pastry cases check out our Sweet Shortcrust Pastry Tart post for all the tips, tricks and how to make your own perfect dessert shorcrust pastry!
If you do make your own, make it before you make the sauce, as the sauce needs to be poured in whilst it is warm!
Pour the (still warm) butterscotch sauce into the tart case. Just pour all in the middle, it will spread out to the edges by itself!!
Cover without letting anything touch the sauce (we use a microwave splash cover) Place in the fridge to set, for about 3 hours.
That's it your ready to serve!!
Tastes great with whipped cream, squirty spray cream, double cream or custard!
Alternatively, take it a step further and try adding toffee popcorn and Mini Jazzies! Mix it up using your favourite toppings!?
We used Popcorn Shed, Mini Pop Toffee Popcorn to decorate, fantastic toffee flavour, the popcorn is half the size of regular pop corn so perfect for decorating and also great for snacking on too!
So, there you have it, feel free to share this amazing Old School Dessert with friends you went to school with, for nostalgic memories together!
📖 Step by Step Recipe
Old School Butterscotch Tart
Ingredients
- Sweet Shortcrust Pastry Tart - Shop brought or follow link for our homemade recipe
Butterscotch Filling
- 180 grams (¾ cup) Unsalted butter
- 2 tablespoon (30 ml) Milk - full fat is best, but any will work
- 180 grams (1 cup) Soft Light Brown Sugar
mix together the below before adding to sauce to prevent lumps
- 4 tbsp Plain Flour
- 6 tablespoon (80 ml) Milk - full fat is best, but any will work
Optional........ your favourite toppings?! Such as popcorn, chocolate, meringue, cream, fruit.
Instructions
- Make your Sweet Shortcrust Pastry Tart case first or use a pre made case from the shop?Sweet Shortcrust Pastry Tart
- Melt the butter with 2 tablespoon of milk in a pan over a low heat.180 grams (¾ cup) Unsalted butter, 2 tablespoon (30 ml) Milk
- Once the butter is melted, stir the sugar in and keep stiring at low heat, until sugar is fully dissolved.180 grams (1 cup) Soft Light Brown Sugar
- Place the flour into a small bowl, add 6tbsp milk and mix into a fine paste.4 tablespoon Plain Flour, 6 tablespoon (80 ml) Milk
- Pour the flour paste slowly, bit by bit in to the pan whilst constantly whisking, for 2-3 mins until its thickened.
- Take off heat and allow to cool slightly for 5 minutes.
- Pour the mixture into the tart case until evenly spread and place in the fridge for 3-4 hrs to set, before serving.
Video
Nutrition
Hope you enjoyed this Nostalgic, Old School Butterscotch Tart as much as we do!
Let us know in the comments how you get on and if there are any other recipes you would like us to recreate?
Why not try out our passion fruit thumbprint cookie recipe if you like sweet things!?
Or our Flawless Lemon Drizzle Cake for another Great British dessert recipe!
More British Recipes
If you're in the mood for something truly British, then look no further than our fabulous collection of recipes.
Jamie says
Great recipe, tastes lovely and sets really well compared to other recipes. Only one thing I would say is that I have to sieve the butterscotch mix before I put it in the crust not sure if that's because I have the heat too low when pouring in the flour paste? I've tried it quite a few times and always get lumps
Luke and Kay says
Hey there! Really nice to read, you love the recipe and it's turning out awesome for you! 😊 Let’s smooth out those little lumps so you can skip the straining and get straight to enjoying.
Here's how to keep it lump-free, easy-peasy:
Not Too Hot: Make sure your butterscotch mix isn’t too hot when you add the slurry. Cooler is kinder.
Slow Pour: Gently pour in the slurry, nice and slow, all while whisking. It’s all about mixing it evenly to avoid any lumpy surprises.
Keep Whisking: Don’t stop whisking! It’s key to getting everything blended smoothly.
And hey, if a few lumps decide to crash the party, straining them out is totally okay. But with these tips, you might not need to. Happy baking, and here’s to your next batch being even smoother!
Glenis says
I was a cook supervisor in the. Days of butterscotch tart and we always added a few drops of butterscotch essence
Luke and Kay says
Hi Glenis, thank you for sharing your experience with us! We appreciate your tip on adding butterscotch essence to make our tart even more flavourful. Happy cooking! 🙂
Ruks says
I tried your recipe twice now and it's tastes great, only niggle is it just doesn't have that old school butterscotch flavour, something is missing. Either way it's a good pie.
Luke and Kay says
Thank you for trying our Old School Butterscotch Tart recipe and taking the time to review. We appreciate that you enjoyed the flavour of the tart, i can recommend trying out butterscotch flavouring for a stronger butterscotch taste. 🙂
Bertie says
A delicious tart - I’m sure my school version would have been made with margarine - this one has a far superior buttery flavour and not sickly sweet at all. I topped mine with whipped cream quenelles(!!!) and broken up flake - gorgeous 🙂
The mixture has to bubble and be as thick as custard for a at least 3 minutes to ‘cook out’ the flour taste and make a firm butterscotch. Thanks for this recipe which I will definitely make again.
Luke and Kay says
Thank you for your generous review, Bertie! We are delighted that our old school butterscotch tart recipe exceeded your expectations and we really appreciate your extra tips about the cooking process. It's wonderful to know that you will be making this treat again soon - and we have no doubt that you'll take your topping presentation to a whole new level. Enjoy! 🙂
Terri says
Love this. We called it gypsy tart and used evaporated milk. All those calories!!!
Luke and Kay says
Hi Terri, thank you for your kind review of our Old School Butterscotch Tart! We're so pleased to hear that it's reminiscent of a childhood favorite of yours and thanks for the additional tip about creating this treat with evaporated milk. Enjoy those calories - this tart is worth every bite! 🙂
Jennifer Smith says
Excellent recipes
Ann says
This takes me back to childhood! I do not remember the last time I had this butterscotch tart. I need to make this!
Luke and Kay says
Thank you so much for the wonderful review, Ann! We're thrilled the butterscotch tart brought back so many fond memories for you. It's definitely a classic treat we think everyone should try at least once - not just for its nostalgic appeal, but also for how delicious it is. 🙂
Eileen Roberts says
I have seen the reviews from children of the 80's. I am a child of the 60's. Butterscotch tart was always a favourite but none of my friends or family remembered it. I followed your recipe but used cornflour and added a couple of drops of vanilla essence. It brought back so many memories. My husband and son loved it.
Luke and Kay says
Thank you so much for your kind words, Eileen. We're delighted that our butterscotch tart recipe brought back so many fond childhood memories! It's wonderful to hear that your husband and son also enjoyed the tart, too. 🙂
If you like desserts, you might like our Manor House Sultana Cake its Luke's favourite cake and its delicious.
Avi says
What is the tart pan size ?
Luke says
Hi, Avi thanks for the question.
We use a 23cm / 9inch tin for our sweet shortcrust pastry tart, try out Sweet Shortcrust Pastry Tart this will go perfect with the butterscotch filling 🙂
Cheryl says
Brings back memories of my childhood, a primary school fave 💜
Luke says
Thank you for your review, Cheryl; we're so happy to hear that you enjoyed our butterscotch tart! It's one of our favourites too. We're glad it brought back some great memories for you. 🙂
Cat says
Waste of money, sorry. Tried twice now. Tastes like flour. Takes way longer to thicken too. Don't know why you wouldn't use cornflour. Bad recipe for me. But true, tastes like my school dinners - gross.
Kay says
I'm sorry to hear that the butterscotch tart recipe didn't come out well for you.
Rest assured, though—a lot of people have enjoyed it, it can't be too 'gross' judging by the 109 votes averaging at 5* since we posted it in 2019.
If you feel cornstarch will work better as a substitute to flour, feel free to use it - you will only need half the amount.
You could also add butterscotch essence to make a stronger flavour.
Please don’t hesitate in reaching out, if you need any more help?
Tulsi says
Heya, what do you recommend I do next time to reduce flour lumps. It happened twice when using the recipe.
But great recipe, I have made the tart following your recipe. Will post again on how it tastes tomorrow after it cools X
Tami says
I made this today. It turned out exactly as you stated. I added a pinch of salt after tasting it and then also added 1 tsp homemade bourbon vanilla. It is setting up nicely. I will say, I had to cook it a little longer than you said, but I'm sure that was just my burner temperature.
Kay says
Thank you for trying our recipe, Tami! I'm glad to hear that it turned out just as we promised. The addition of salt and vanilla sounds good. Thanks for sharing your experience with us.
Enjoy 🙂
Ann says
I was born in '90, but I remember this tart from childhood! My grandma would make it, and it was always so delicious! I need to share this yumminess with my kids!
Kay says
Thanks for the comment, Ann 🙂
I hope your kids love our butterscotch tart; this is always an excellent easter treat over the holiday 😉
Marie says
Simply delicious and easy to make thanks to those detailed instructions. Made it in a gluten free tart crust
Kay says
Thanks, Marie 🙂
Glad you liked the butterscotch tart recipe; our family love this over the Easter holidays 😉
Niki says
Made this yesterday
A crunch to the pastry and set butterscotch
When bitten into soft enough
Delicious
Lucy says
I remember something similar that they served in our Texas cafeteria but with peanut butter. It was very thick and gooey. Always looked for that recipe but never found it
Kay says
Thank you for the comment, Lucy; the peanut butter tart sounds lovely; I hope you find the recipe you want soon 🙂
Maria says
I made this using gluten free pastry. Also, used dairy free double cream as a replacement for the milk and dairy free butter. Result, absolutely lovely.
Kay says
Thanks, Maria 🙂
Glad the butterscotch tart came out lovely 😉