Festivals are Back
…..and better than ever
Butter Tart Festivals
Attending a festival is an incredibly fun outing for the day. They play a huge role in the culture, economy, and identity of many of the communities where they are held. A big festival can draw in thousands of visitors/tourists from all over and, with that, an influx of tourism dollars. They are a great place to join like-minded people who share a passion for specific interests and discover new, up-and-coming, far-away businesses. A butter tart festival is a perfect place for butter tart lovers to satisfy their sweet tooth & their cravings for butter tarts and discover bakeries from all over Ontario in one location. Some of these are bakeries that you may not get to see otherwise – unless like us, you take butter tart tourism very seriously.
Check out our travel adventures at other Festivals and Events
Omi’s Sweet n Treats
Omi’s Sweet n Treats is one such business. They are a Toronto-based bakery specialising in custom cakes, grazing boxes, various cookies, and handmade butter tarts. They have also become a regular vendor on the festival circuit.
I have been following them for a while on Instagram. I have thoroughly enjoyed viewing the beauty and artistry of their baked goods through social media, including the butter tarts. However…. trying their baked goods had proved more difficult for me. I only learned of them in 2020/2021; travel was limited, and festivals were cancelled. So, when I saw them at the Great Canadian Butter Tart Festival in Paris, Ontario, in 2022, I made a beeline straight for their booth, hoping they had plenty of offerings.
Follow our #ButterTartQuest on Social Media
Flavours
Omi’s Sweet n Treats offers a myriad of fun flavours to tantalise your taste buds, from classics to wild style and beyond:
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- Classics: Plain, Raisin, Pecan, Walnut.
- Outta-the-box flavours: Maple Bacon, S’more, Nanaimo, Raspberry Coconut, Salted Caramel, Lemon Coconut
- Wait, What That’s a Butter Tart: Turtles, Blueberry Cheesecake, Chocolate Peanut Butter, Cookies Butter, Pistachio
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Everything on display looked so enticing and masterfully decorated. It’s as if they are on one of those FoodNetwork baking shows. The flavour options were a bit overwhelming – but in the best possible way. I didn’t know what to pick without taking one of everything. We decided on the six flavours: pistachio, Lotus Biscoff Cookie butter, smores, Salted Caramel, and turtles, and to go with a little more classic flavour (for judging purposes), we decided on pecan.
Biscoff cookie butter is my go-to flavour, and the taste is a perfect partnership with butter tarts. Salted caramel is Nick’s flavour of choice in baked goods. So, whenever those are options, that is a decision made. Chocolate flavours are never my first choice (I have a love-hate relationship with chocolate – IYKYK), but S’mores and turtles are always worth it in my mind. The pistachio and the pecan looked too pretty to pass up; what can I say about a butter tart that holds approximately eight pecans each? Well, that’s just a mini pecan pie. These are some of the most interesting butter tarts flavours you will likely find.
Appearance
As previously stated, these are visually appealing tarts. They are lovely little works of art in a tart form. The decorations are beautiful, making it easy to identify the flavours based on the decorations. So if you pick some up at the festivals in a mixed pack but forget what you ordered – the decorations are a great indicator. (i.e., biscoff cookie sticking out). The tarts are handmade, and the unique appearances in colour & shape make this evident. Some are darker than others. Some have more filling bubbled over the sides. But these are the characteristics we look for in our butter tart quest.
Pastry
The crust on the butter tarts is your classic pastry crust. The flavour is simple not to affect the taste of the butter tart. It is a flaky pastry that crumbles nicely in your mouth but not in your hands. These tarts are on the larger side, and they need (deserve) a substantial pastry that holds up nicely as you eat them, which does just that.
Filling
There better be a rich buttery flavour when it comes to butter tarts. Omi’s Sweet n Treats tarts do not disappoint. They are thick in size and have a thick butter & brown sugar filling that is delicious, rich, and sweet. The filling is gelatinous, with no real ooze to speak of, but it is very smooth, creamy, sweet, and decadent.
Overall experience
When they say you eat first with your eyes, feast your eyes on Omi’s Sweet n Treats butter tarts, and you will be hooked. They are beautifully crafted, well-decorated tarts. After admiring them, sink your sweet tooth in. The flavours are a work of art as well – not subtle hints of flavour, but big punches of flavour in every bite.
These butter tarts will travel well. There were only slight changes to the tarts in the heat. You can also eat these on the go as you walk through the festival or if you are in the car – no plate required.
Omi’s Sweet n Treats does not have a storefront location. However, they are a regular vendor at many festivals and events across Ontario. The next time you see a butter tart festival, holiday market, or other local festivals, take a sweet rogue trip and check it out. If Omi’s Sweets n Treats is a vendor at that festival, grab some of their delicious butter tarts. Your taste buds will thank you.
*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 fantastic 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.
