Welcome to Roseneath

(home of the Butter Tart Empire Bakery)

Discovering Ontario’s Hidden Gems: The Road to Roseneath

If there is one thing we’ve completely fallen in love with over the last few years, it’s the thrill of leaving the highway behind to see what’s hiding in Ontario’s forgotten corners. We have spent countless weekends rediscovering our own backyard, tracking down the kind of tiny towns, quiet villages, and unique neighbourhoods that don’t usually make the glossy travel brochures. Honestly, Ontario is absolutely packed with incredible small towns that offer the kind of quirky, one-of-a-kind travel experiences you just can’t find in the big city. There is something incredibly addictive about throwing a dart at a map and just driving.

Where Exactly is Roseneath?

One of our absolute favourite recent finds is the charming little community of Roseneath, Ontario. Tucked away in the rolling hills of Northumberland County, you’ll find it by taking a scenic drive north of Cobourg along Highway 45.

If you are a camper, boater, angler, or anyone who has ever rented a cottage in the area, there’s a good chance you’ve rolled right through here before. Roseneath sits right on the pathway to Rice Lake—one of the province’s most popular spots for getting out on the water and escaping the daily grind. It’s the quintessential Ontario road trip stop, and as we found out, it’s well worth pulling over for.

Beyond Roseneath: Why You Need to Explore the Rest of Northumberland County

While the butter tarts are definitely enough to get you to Roseneath, the surrounding area is packed with tiny, blink-and-you’ll-miss-them dots on the map that are well worth a detour. Communities like Baltimore, Fenella, Alderville, and Harwood might look small, but each has its own unique personality and history that make for a perfect afternoon of exploring.

If you’re planning a full-day trip, here are a few spots you absolutely have to check out while you’re cruising through the area:

• • The Ghost Tracks of Harwood: History buffs will love diving into the story of the ill-fated Cobourg to Peterborough railway. You can actually head down to the Harwood Dock and check out the abandoned tracks that still sit there as a reminder of a wild piece of Ontario’s transportation history.

  • Alderville First Nation: This is a truly thriving community rich in culture, and it’s a fantastic place to support local creators. The area boasts incredible indigenous artists, great small businesses, and craft stores. While you’re passing through the town centre, make sure to pull over and take a look at the beautiful First Nations War Monument.

  • The Red Barn Market in Fenella: a total staple for locals and tourists alike. It’s one of those classic country markets where you can walk in and find pretty much anything under the sun. It’s the perfect spot to pick up some local flavour.

  • The Primrose Donkey Sanctuary: If you are an animal lover, this place is an absolute must-visit. Spending some time hanging out with the rescued donkeys is pure joy, and along with the nearby Country Roads Family Farm, it makes for a great, heartwarming stop.

  • Hit the Trails: If you just want to get outside, this entire region is basically a massive playground for hikers, mountain bikers, and nature lovers. Northumberland County has some of the most beautiful, rolling forested trails in the province, so definitely pack your walking shoes.

Visit another Northumberland County Butter Tart Quest destination

Roseneath Carousel

Only a few short years ago, our friends moved out to eastern Ontario (and our love of carousels) brought Roseneath to our attention. While looking for fun things to do and discover in and around their new home, we learned of the Roseneath Carousel in the Roseneath fairgrounds. The carousel is a 1906 C.W. Parker carousel with 40 basswood horses and two metal boats. The Centre row has Herschell/Spillman or Armitage/Herschell horses, and the inside and outside rows have Parker Jumper Horses. A 1934 Wurlitzer band organ provides music.

Unfortunately, by the time our friends moved and settled in, the carousel was closed for the season, and then…… covid. It has been closed for the past two years, with expectations to reopen in spring 2022, and the Roseneath Fair is set to return on Sept 30, 2022.  Fingers crossed.

Carrousel enthusiasts will want to check out our visit to the Herschell Carrousel Factory Museum.

The Butter Tart Empire Bakery: A Roseneath Roadside Treasure Worth the Wait

If you’re a frequent traveller of Highway 45 in Ontario, you know the route has its own rhythm. For over a year, ever since my brother moved to Baltimore, we’ve found ourselves driving up and down this stretch of blacktop, splitting our time between visits with him and friends over in Marmora. It’s a familiar, comfortable drive—but last summer, a new roadside sign completely disrupted our routine and sent our sweet tooths into overdrive.

The sign read: “Coming Soon: Butter Tart Empire Bakery.”

For anyone tracking our ongoing quest to find the ultimate Ontario pastry, those five words were an immediate call to adventure. This wasn’t just a potential pitstop; it was a mandatory destination.

What followed, however, was a masterclass in patience. Month after month, our road trips were filled with anticipation—and, let’s be honest, a string of slightly heartbroken drive-bys as we peered through the windows, waiting for the grand opening.

But every road trip eventually leads to the perfect destination. On our latest run up Highway 45, the travel gods smiled down on Roseneath, the stars finally aligned, and the open sign was brightly glowing.

Was the months-long wait worth it? Grab a napkin, because we’re diving face-first into the Butter Tart Empire.

Where to Find: : 8611 45, Roseneath, ON K0K 2X0

What’s Inside the Empire

With a name like Butter Tart Empire, you pretty much know what you’re getting into before you even walk through the door. And honestly? They don’t mess around. We’re talking massive, giant-sized butter tarts that come in dozens of different flavour combos. If you’re a purist or love a twist, they’ve got you covered.

But it’s not just a one-trick pony. While we were drooling over the tarts, we noticed the counters were packed with all kinds of nostalgic, old-school bakery staples. They have cookies, haystacks, and those gooey butterscotch marshmallow squares that taste exactly like childhood.

The Butter Tarts:

Flavours

The Butter Tart Empire Bakery is a large facility, a butter tart ‘factory’ in the heart of Roseneath. The selection they have on display every day is kind of overwhelming in the best way possible. They have the classics, sure, but then they just start flexing with the flavours. The day we walked in, the shelves were packed with everything from plain and raisin to Skor, Butterfinger, blueberry, brownie, apple, and salted caramel.

Now, remember how much trouble we had actually catching this place while they were open? Yeah, we weren’t about to risk leaving empty-handed again. Knowing we don’t get out to Roseneath nearly as often as our waistlines would like, we made the only logical decision: we bought pretty much one of every single flavour on the counter so we could stage a massive taste test at home.

Appearance

 These things are absolutely massive—coming in at about three and a half inches across, they look way more like mini hand-pies than your average butter tart. While they’re a bit thinner on the edges, they still pack a solid inch of depth, and even though they use a press to form them, every single one has that slight, unique imperfection that tells you a real person actually made it. The coolest part of the whole setup is that the kitchen is totally open-concept, so you can actually stand there and watch them roll, press, and bake the tarts right in front of you while you wait.

Pastry

The crust on these is a total home run—baked to a gorgeous, golden brown with this incredible texture that somehow manages to be flaky, light, and crispy all at the exact same time. It’s an all-butter pastry, meaning there’s absolutely no lard used here, which gives it a super rich, clean flavour with just the right balance of sweet and salty notes. It’s rolled out pretty thin, but pastry lovers, don’t panic: it’s the absolute perfect thickness for a tart this size, staying sturdy enough to hold everything together without falling apart in your hands..

Filling

The filling inside these things is honestly glorious—you can immediately tell they use real, actual butter because that rich, authentic buttery flavour hits you right away. It mixes perfectly with the deep brown sugar notes to create something incredibly smooth and creamy. Sweetness-wise, they absolutely nailed the sweet spot; it’s just rich enough to feel like a seriously decadent treat without overdoing it.

Special flavours

Every single flavour we tried was fantastic, but honestly, that incredible butter tart base is still the absolute star of the show. The add-ins just give it a nice little extra kick. With the fruit flavours like blueberry, raisin, or apple, you just get a nice, subtle hint of fruit, whereas the richer options like Skor, salted caramel, and brownie really come through loud and clear. Oh, and you absolutely cannot leave without grabbing a lemon tart. The filling is a totally different beast—a super-bright, tangy combination of sweet-and-sour lemon curd that hits all the right notes.

Overall Experience

At the end of the day, these are the kind of butter tarts that absolutely justify planning a special road trip out to Roseneath. The filling-to-crust ratio is spot on, and the way the buttery pastry plays with that rich, sweet-and-salty filling is just beautiful. They only have a slight ooze to them—enough to give you that perfect, gooey mouthfeel you crave, but without dripping all over your clothes. It makes them an incredibly easy “eat on the go” treat. In fact, Nick called them the ultimate “driving tart.” You don’t have to worry about them making a total mess of your car; they hold up perfectly on the road without crumbling to pieces in your lap.

Customer Service

The customer service here is the real deal. When we finally made it inside for our first visit, we actually rolled up at 4:58 PM—literally two minutes before they were supposed to lock the doors for the day. Instead of giving us the usual pre-closing side-eye, the lady behind the counter was incredibly warm, welcoming, and genuinely kind. She even told us, “If you’re ever close and running a bit late, just give us a call and let us know. We’re usually in the back working until 6:00 PM anyway, so we’ll gladly wait up for you.” That kind of small-town hospitality is so rare these days, and it instantly turned us into lifetime fans.

The next time you are out near the Rice Lake area, be sure to make a point to stop at The Butter Tart Empire: the sweetest spot in Roseneath. Take a drive around the lake to explore the other communities…. and stop into Doo Doo’s Bakery in Bailieborough for more drool-worthy butter tarts.

You will find some of the best butter tarts in Canada on a Sweet Rogue Trip through  Northumberland County.

*note: All butter tart reviews are the opinions of Roguetrippers only, based on our experiences and personal preferences. Your opinions may vary. If you know of a great bakery making what you think are Ontario’s Best butter tarts, we would love to hear from you. Let us know about them, so we can plan a future road trip to check them out and include them in our #ButterTartQuest.

Contact Roguetrippers with your suggestions