Mini pecan pies (pecan tarts) may just be the best individual serving sized Thanksgiving dessert treat you've ever had. If you are a pie crust lover like myself, you'll love these little pecan pies even more than the full sized version. Get all the flavor of a traditional pecan pie in a mini dessert, no one can refuse!
So get out your muffin tin and let's make some of the best mini pecan pie cups ever. The buttery crust and scrumptious ooey gooey pecan pie filling will make it a sure hit on the dessert table at your holiday gathering!
The mini pecan pies are perfect to serve at a holiday party or movie night with the family. This Southern sweet treat made in a muffin pan makes classic pecan pie into a great finger food! Move over pumpkin pie.
How to Make Mini Pecan Pies
Here I will walk you through the process of making the homemade mini pies from scratch with step-by-step pictures. If you don't require this, jump right down to print the recipe card.
The delicious recipe yields 24 mini pecan pies.
Prep time: 45 mins | Baking time: 25 mins | Total Time 1 hour 10 mins
Supplies
- mini muffin pan
- 2 inch round pastry or cookie cutter
Ingredients
Here is everything you will need to make the pastry crust and pecan filling.
Homemade Pie Crust Dough:
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ⅔ cup of shortening (or ⅓ cup plus ⅓ cup unsalted butter)
- 6 tablespoons of cold water
Yes, you can use store bought refrigerated pie crust if you prefer.
Pecan pie filling:
- 1 ¼ cups chopped Pecans
- 1 ½ teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1 cup light corn syrup
- ¼ cup brown sugar
- 3 large eggs
- ¼ cup granulated sugar
Instructions:
In a large bowl, mix together your flour and salt.
Add in your shortening. Using a fork, pastry cutter, or your hands, work the shortening into your flour mixture until the dough resembles small crumbs.
Using a dough hook, blend on low and add in ¼ cup ice water, but 1 tablespoon at a time until it forms a ball. The dough should be sticky yet firm. If the dough is dry, add in the remaining amount of ice water if needed.
Cover your dough ball with plastic wrap, and place in the refrigerator while you work on the pie filling.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Whisk together all the filling ingredients except the pecans a medium bowl until a custard forms. Stir in pecans and set the gooey filling aside.
On a floured flat surface, add your ball of dough. Roll out with a rolling pin until it is thin enough for the pie shells, but not so thin that it starts to break and creates holes.
Cut circles in your dough. It should be about 2.5” circumference as a muffin tin is 2 inches wide by 1 ¼ inches deep. If you can find a pastry or cookie cutter that size it is ideal.
Lightly spray your mini muffin tin with cooking spray. Add in your dough circle and push to cover the sides of each hole. Repeat to make the rest of the mini pie crusts.
Add 1 ½ tablespoons of the pecan mixture to each mini pie crust shell and bake mini pecan pies in preheated oven for 25 minutes until edges of crust are golden brown.
Remove from the oven. Let the mini pecan pies cool a little before removing to a wire cooling rack. A knife can be helpful for getting them out if they stick a little. Make sure to cool completely to room temperature before serving.
How to Store Mini Pecan Pies
If you want to make the mini pies ahead of time or have leftovers store them in an airtight container. They will last for about 2 days at room temperature and 4-5 days if you place them in the refrigerator.
Freezing Mini Pecan Pie Tarts
To freeze the mini pecan pies, individually wrap each pie snugly with plastic wrap or aluminum foil. Place the individually wrapped pies in heavy duty zip lock freezer bags. The mini pies should ideally be eaten within a month, but will last up to 3 months in the freezer if well wrapped. Fully thaw the little tarts to room temperature before serving.
Yes, dark syrup will of course result in a darker result and will add a toasted flavor to the dessert. Either light or dark corn syrup are fine.
Yes, but you will need to reduce bake time a little and these will be more like dessert bites than the mini pies from standard muffin tins. The pie crusts won't be cut out so much as pushing an indent into a small ball of dough in each muffin cup.
Need some more desserts for your celebration? Try my Applesauce Cake, Peach Dump Cake, Pumpkin Biscotti or Banana Oatmeal Cookies with Chocolate Chips. If you are seeking more individual serving desserts, my Blueberry Hand Pies, Caramel Apple Hand Pies or Baked Apple Fritters may be well suited.
Mini Pecan Pies Recipe
Equipment
- Round 2 inch cookie cutter or biscuit cutter
- muffin pan
Ingredients
Homemade Pie Dough:
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ⅔ cup shortening or ⅓ cup plus ⅓ cup unsalted butter
- 6 tablespoons ice cold water
Pecan pie filling:
- 1 ¼ cups chopped Pecans
- 1 ½ teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1 cup light corn syrup or dark corn syrup if you prefer
- ¼ cup brown sugar
- 3 large eggs
- ¼ cup granulated sugar
Instructions
- In a large mixing bowl, mix together your flour and salt.
- Add in your shortening. Using a fork, pastry cutter, or your hands, work the shortening into your flour mixture until the dough resembles small crumbs.
- Using a dough hook, blend on low and add in ¼ cup ice water, but 1 tablespoon at a time until it forms a ball. The dough should be sticky yet firm. If the dough is dry, add in the remaining amount of ice water if needed.
- Cover your dough ball with plastic wrap, and place in the refrigerator while you work on the pie filling.
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
- Add all the filling ingredients to a medium bowl and mix until a custard form. Set aside.
- On a flour flat surface, add your ball of dough. Roll out with a rolling pin until it is thin enough for pie crust, but not too thin it starts to break and creates holes.
- Cut circles in your dough. It should be about 2.5” circumference as a muffin tin is 2 inches wide by 1 ¼ inches deep. If you can find a pastry or cookie cutter that size it is ideal.
- Lightly spray your muffin tin with cooking spray. Add in your dough circle and push to cover the sides of each hole. Repeat.
- Add 1 ½ tablespoons of pecan mixture to each tart shell and bake in preheated oven for 25 minutes until edges of crust are golden brown. Let the mini pecan pies cool a little before removing and make sure they are at room temperature before serving.
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