Canadian Holiday Baking Planner: Butter Tarts, Nanaimo Bars and Shortbread

Canadian holiday baking leans on a few classics that freeze well, so the work can be spread across December.

The Canadian cookie tray

• [Butter tarts](/recipes/butter-tarts) — runny or firm, raisins or not
• [Nanaimo bars](/blog/nanaimo-bar-recipe-the-no-bake-canadian-classic) — no-bake, three layers
• Shortbread — butter, sugar, flour
• [Tarte au sucre](/recipes/tarte-au-sucre) — Québec sugar pie for the réveillon

What freezes, and roughly how long

| Baking | Freezes? | Notes |

|---|---|---|

| Shortbread (baked or dough) | Yes, about 3 months | Wrap tightly |

| Butter tarts | Yes, about 2 months | Thaw on a rack to keep pastry crisp |

| Nanaimo bars | Yes, about 2 months | Cut before freezing |

| Sugar pie | Yes, about 2 months | Cool fully first |

A simple December schedule

1. Early December: make and freeze shortbread dough and tart pastry.

2. Mid-December: bake butter tarts and Nanaimo bars; freeze.

3. A few days before: bake shortbread; thaw everything else overnight in the fridge.

Cups or grams?

Older Canadian family recipes use cups; newer ones use grams. Use the [unit converter](/unit-converter) or read [metric vs imperial in Canada](/blog/metric-vs-imperial-cooking-canada).

Hosting the holiday meal too? See [Christmas and réveillon recipes](/blog/canadian-christmas-reveillon-recipes).