Name: Québec Tarte au Sucre (Brown Sugar Cream Pie)
Prep time: 30 min
Cook time: 50 min
Total time: 230 min
Yield: 8 slices
Cuisine: Canadian
Ingredients: 180 g all-purpose wheat flour, sifted or whisked to aerate; 100 g unsalted butter, cold and cut into small cubes; 2 g fine salt; 45 mL ice-cold water, adding only enough to bring the dough together; 250 g light brown sugar, packed; 150 mL 35% whipping cream, cold; 18 g all-purpose wheat flour; 1 g fine salt; 30 g unsalted butter, cold and cut into small cubes

Wide view of an open Québec sugar pie with a slice lifted above the glossy brown-sugar-and-cream filling. — The lifted slice shows the creamy filling against the open pie.

Prep 30 minutes

Cook 50 minutes

Total 230 minutes

Calories 390 kcal

Ingredients ↓

Overview

Québec Tarte au Sucre (Brown Sugar Cream Pie)

Tarte au sucre is a Québec sugar tart. The open-faced style has one pastry shell and a filling built around brown sugar and cream or milk. Family recipes vary in their dairy, thickener and pastry choices; some add maple syrup or use a lattice top.

This version keeps the filling simple: packed light brown sugar, 35% cream and a little flour for a soft, sliceable set. It is one contemporary home recipe, not a claim to a single original formula.

Practical

Keep the butter cold while making the pastry and chill the dough before rolling; this helps the crust bake flaky.
Blind-bake the shell until the base looks dry and lightly set so it is less likely to become soggy under the filling.
Whisk the filling until smooth, then pour it into the warm shell. Set the pie plate on a rimmed sheet to catch any drips.
The filling should bubble at the edge while the centre still has a gentle wobble. It firms as it cools and chills.

Ingredients

For the pastry crust

180 g all-purpose wheat flour, sifted or whisked to aerate
100 g unsalted butter, cold and cut into small cubes
2 g fine salt
45 mL ice-cold water, adding only enough to bring the dough together

For the filling

250 g light brown sugar, packed
150 mL 35% whipping cream, cold
18 g all-purpose wheat flour
1 g fine salt
30 g unsalted butter, cold and cut into small cubes

Directions

Method

Make the pastryCombine the flour and salt in a bowl. Cut or rub in the cold butter until the mixture has pea-size pieces and some finer crumbs. Sprinkle over the ice-cold water, starting with about 35 mL, and mix gently until the dough just holds together. Add the remainder only if needed. Flatten into a disc, wrap and chill for 30 minutes.
Line the pie plateOn a lightly floured surface, roll the dough to about 3 mm thick. Fit it into a 23 cm pie plate, trim and crimp the edge. Prick the base lightly with a fork. Line with parchment and fill with pie weights or dry beans. Heat the oven to 190°C.
Blind-bake the shellSet the pie plate on a rimmed baking sheet and bake for 15 minutes. Carefully remove the parchment and weights, then bake for 5 minutes more, until the base looks dry and lightly set.
Mix the fillingWhisk the brown sugar, 18 g flour and 1 g salt together. Whisk in the cold cream until smooth. Pour the filling into the warm shell and scatter the 30 g cold butter cubes evenly over it.
Bake the tartBake on the lower oven rack at 190°C for 25–30 minutes, until the crust is golden and the filling bubbles around the edge while the centre has a gentle wobble. Shield the crust edge loosely with foil if it browns too quickly.
Cool and chillTransfer the tart to a wire rack and cool for 60 minutes. Refrigerate for 60 minutes to help the filling firm before slicing. Keep total time at room temperature within 2 hours.

Practical

Serving

Serve cool or chilled, cut into modest slices; the filling softens as it warms. Bake the tart up to 1 day ahead, cool it, then cover and refrigerate. A slice can stand for about 15 minutes before serving, within the 2-hour room-temperature limit.

Make-ahead

Keep covered in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Refrigerate within 2 hours. Reheating is not needed; if you do reheat a leftover portion, heat it to 74°C and serve promptly.

Storage and reheating

Some Québec versions use 15% cream or milk, which produces a lighter filling that may set differently. This recipe uses 35% cream for a richer texture; changing the dairy changes the result.

Control points

The pastry cracks while rollingPress the crack together or patch the shell with a small piece of dough; avoid adding lots of flour.
The edge browns before the filling is readyLoosely cover the edge with foil and continue baking.
The centre wobbles slightlyRemove the tart when the edge is bubbling and the centre has a gentle wobble; it firms as it cools and chills.
The filling is still loose when coolRefrigerate it longer before slicing.

Nutrition

Serving size1/8 of the pie
Calories390 kcal
Carbohydrate50 g
Protein3 g
Fat20 g
Fibre1 g
Sodium170 mg

Rounded estimate per one-eighth pie using generic USDA FoodData Central ingredient values and approximate ingredient weights. Product composition and portion size vary; this is not a laboratory analysis or branded-product label.

Allergens and food safety

Contains wheat and milk. Check ingredient labels for additional allergens and cross-contact statements. Use clean hands and tools. Refrigerate the dairy-filled tart within 2 hours and keep it covered and cold. If reheating leftovers, heat to 74°C.

FAQ

Does tarte au sucre have a top crust?

This Québec-style version is open-faced with a single pastry shell. Other recipes may use a lattice or another variation.

Can I use maple syrup instead of brown sugar?

This recipe is specifically a brown-sugar-and-cream version. Maple-forward tarts are a separate variation and would need different proportions for the filling to set properly.

Québec Tarte au Sucre (Brown Sugar Cream Pie)

Blind-bake one pastry shell, then fill it with brown sugar, cream and a little flour.
Cool and chill the tart so the glossy filling firms enough to slice.