Cape Breton Pork Pies (Sticky Date Tarts with Maple Icing)
Cape Breton pork pies are a treat I first discovered while living in Inverness, Cape Breton. A local coffee shop featured them often as one of their daily bakes, but I avoided buying them for a long time because the name turned me off. Turns out the name is misleading. They’re actually tiny shortbread tarts with a cooked sticky date filling and maple icing on top.
Pork pies are delicious and super easy to make. The dough is mixed in one bowl, the filling cooks quickly on the stovetop, and the icing only takes minutes to make. They’re a fabulous little dessert, especially after Thanksgiving or Christmas dinner. I find them to be a nice change from traditional pie or cake, and their bite-sized shape is perfect when you want something sweet without committing to a whole slice.
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Ingredients For Cape Breton Pork Pies
Ingredient Notes
- All-Purpose Flour: Standard flour for the shortbread shells.
- Butter: I use salted butter for all of my recipes.
- Dates: Medjool dates are soft and sticky, which helps create a smooth filling.
- Maple Extract: Used in the icing for a distinct maple flavour.
- Milk: I use whole milk for all of my recipes.
- Sugar (Brown): This recipe uses dark brown sugar, sometimes called old-fashioned brown sugar. It is not the same as yellow or demerara sugar.
- Sugar (Powdered): Also called icing sugar or confectioners’ sugar. It gives the shortbread and icing a smooth texture.
- Vanilla Extract: Rounds out the flavour of the icing.
- Water: Measured by grams for accuracy in cooking the date filling.
It’s important to note that when making substitutions in recipes, the texture and flavour may be slightly different. However, these substitutes are the best options for changing the original recipe.
Ingredient Substitutions
- All-Purpose Flour: Use the same amount of cake and pastry flour.
- Butter: Unsalted butter can be used in place of salted butter, but I would add an extra pinch of salt.
- Maple Extract: Swap with ½ teaspoon of maple syrup or double the vanilla extract.
- Milk: You can use any milk you want. You can even use cream. Just make sure not to add too much to keep the icing stiff.
- Salt: Fine sea salt can be used in place of table salt.
- Vanilla Extract: Almond extract can be used in the same amount.
Recipe Variations
Try any of the following for a twist on this Cape Breton pork pie recipe:
- Almonds: ¼ cup, toasted and finely chopped, stirred into the date filling after cooking.
- Candied Ginger: 1 to 2 tablespoons, finely chopped, stirred into the date paste after it has cooled.
- Cardamom: ¼ to ½ teaspoon, ground, mixed into the shortbread dough with the flour.
- Chocolate Chips (Mini): 2 tablespoons, folded into the cooled date filling before spooning into shells.
- Cinnamon: ½ teaspoon, ground, added to the shortbread or the dates.
- Coconut: ½ cup, unsweetened, shredded, folded into the date paste while still hot.
- Hazelnuts: 1 to 2 tablespoons, roasted and finely chopped, pressed lightly onto the icing after piping.
- Orange Zest: 1 teaspoon, finely grated, stirred into the date filling after cooking.
- Walnuts: 2 tablespoons, finely chopped, stirred into the date filling before spooning into shells.
Use the JUMP TO RECIPE button at the top of this post, or scroll to the bottom to see the PRINTABLE recipe card with ingredient measurements and complete instructions.
How To Make Cape Breton Pork Pies
STEP 1: Mix the butter and powdered sugar until creamy, then add the flour and salt and mix on low until the dough is coarse and crumbly with no dry bits remaining.
STEP 2: Use your hand to gently gather and knead the dough in the bowl until it comes together.
STEP 3: Divide the dough into 24 pieces. Using your hands, roll each piece into a ball, and place them in the mini muffin tin(s). Press the back of a floured teaspoon into the centre of each dough ball until it touches the pan and you can see the metal faintly through the dough. Bake and cool.
STEP 4: Chop the dates into tiny pieces, then add them to a small pot with the water, brown sugar, and salt.
STEP 5: Cook the dates over medium-high heat for 6 to 7 minutes, boiling gently, until the water is absorbed and the dates form a thick paste. Remove from the heat and cool.
STEP 6: Place the butter, maple extract, and vanilla in a bowl and beat until creamy. Add the icing sugar and milk, mix until smooth, then transfer to a piping bag.
STEP 7: The cooled shortbread shells, the cooled date filling, and the icing in a piping bag are ready to be assembled into Cape Breton pork pies.
STEP 8: Spoon the date filling into the cooled shortbread shells. Pipe a small rosette of icing on top of each tart. Keep at room temperature until ready to serve.
Expert Tips
- Weighing the dough into 12 g pieces might feel fussy, but it guarantees even baking and a tidy look.
- Flour the back of the teaspoon every time you press so the dough doesn’t stick when making the shortbread cups.
- Let the date filling cool completely, or it will melt the icing when you assemble the tarts.
Recipe Notes
- Greasing the mini-muffin tin(s) is not usually necessary since the dough has enough butter, but if your pan isn’t non-stick, a very light coating may help.
- You should see the pan faintly through the pressed dough. If the cups are too thick on the bottom, they won’t have enough room for the filling.
- Don’t worry if the shells turn deeper gold around the edges, they will still taste amazing. I use and recommend an oven thermometer for accuracy.
Storage
- Store the pork pies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days or in the fridge for up to 1 week. Bring chilled tarts to room temperature before serving. They can also be frozen in an airtight container for up to 1 month.
Recipes Related To Cape Breton Pork Pies
Printable Recipe Card
Cape Breton Pork Pies
Special Equipment
- 24-cavity or two 12-cavity mini muffin tins preferably non-stick
- Measuring cups and spoons or digital kitchen scale
- Mixing bowls
- Small sieve
- Electric mixer
- Small pot
- Cooling rack
- Piping bag with tip Wilton 4B recommended
Ingredients
For the shortbread shells:
- ½ cup salted butter, softened
- 3 tablespoons powdered sugar, also called icing sugar or confectioner's sugar
- 1 cup all-purpose flour, plus an extra teaspoon for pressing the dough into cups
- ⅛ teaspoon table salt
For the date filling:
- 5 ounces pitted Medjool dates, about 8 to 9 dates
- ½ cup water
- ⅓ cup brown sugar
- ⅛ teaspoon table salt
For the icing:
- 2 tablespoons salted butter, softened
- ¼ teaspoon maple extract
- ¼ teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 cup powdered sugar, also called icing sugar or confectioner's sugar
- 1 ½ teaspoons milk, whole or 2%
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 325ºF (165ºC) and have a 24-cavity or two 12-cavity mini muffin tins ready, preferably non-stick.
Make the shortbread shells:
- Place the butter in a mixing bowl and sift in the powdered sugar. Mix with an electric mixer at medium-high speed until pale and creamy, about 1 minute. Add the flour and salt, then mix on low speed until the mixture is crumbly with no bits of dry flour remaining. Use your hand to gently gather and knead the dough in the bowl until it comes together.
- Divide the dough into 24 pieces (approximately 12 grams each) and roll each piece into a smooth ball between your hands. Place one ball in each mini-muffin cavity. Dip the rounded back of a 1-teaspoon measuring spoon in flour, then press it into the middle of a dough ball until you feel the back of the spoon touch the bottom of the pan and you can see the metal faintly through the dough. Repeat with the remaining 23 dough balls.
- Bake the shells for 20 to 22 minutes, or until light gold around the edges. Set the pan on a rack to cool for 5 minutes, then transfer the shells directly to the rack to cool completely.
Make the date filling:
- While the pastry shells are baking, chop the dates into tiny pieces. Add the dates, water, brown sugar, and salt to a small pot. Cook over medium-high heat for 6 to 7 minutes, gently boiling until the water is absorbed and the dates have broken down into a thick paste. Remove from the heat and set aside to cool.
Make the icing:
- For the icing, place the butter, maple extract, and vanilla extract in a mixing bowl. Beat at medium-high speed until well combined, about 30 seconds. Sift in the icing sugar and mix well, then add the milk and mix until smooth. Transfer the icing to a piping bag fitted with your chosen tip.
Assemble the pork pies:
- Spoon the date filling evenly into the 24 cooled shortbread shells. Pipe a small rosette of icing on top of each. Arrange the pork pies on a serving platter and keep them at room temperature until ready to serve.
Recipe Notes
- Greasing the mini-muffin tin(s) is not usually necessary since the dough has enough butter, but if your pan isn’t non-stick, a very light coating may help.
- You should see the pan faintly through the pressed dough. If the cups are too thick on the bottom, they won’t have enough room for the filling.
- Don’t worry if the shells turn deeper gold around the edges, they will still taste amazing. I use and recommend an oven thermometer for accuracy.
Storage
- Store the pork pies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days or in the fridge for up to 1 week. Bring chilled tarts to room temperature before serving. They can also be frozen in an airtight container for up to 1 month.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is an estimate and is provided as a courtesy. For precise nutritional data, please calculate it independently using your preferred nutrition calculator.
Kelly Neil is a recipe developer, food photographer, and lifelong Nova Scotian building a sense of home and identity through recipes. She lives in her hometown of Dartmouth with her partner, Chris, their daughter, Elodie, and their little dog, Skipper.
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