Mini Pecan Pies
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These sweet and nutty mini pecan pies are perfect for someone who wants to sample all the desserts on the holiday table!
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Pecan pie is a non-negotiable must on my holiday table. Sometimes it’s my favorite pie. Other times, it loses out to apple pie or pumpkin pie. It really all depends on my mood. Asking for a little slice just feels kind of lame to me.
I have made and shared with you recipes for mini apple pies and mini pumpkin pies, so with Thanksgiving right around the corner, I knew I needed to get you mini pecan pies as well.
These little bite-sized pies are perfect for a Thanksgiving buffet or with an assortment of other desserts on your holiday table. They are so good – you really don’t need the excuse of a holiday to make them.
The original, in every spiral-bound church cookbook pecan pie recipe calls for light corn syrup. It’s such a popular ingredient, I’ve even seen pecan pie recipes on the back of dark corn syrup bottles. But, I’ll be honest, it’s not my favorite ingredient to cook with these days.
I tried to think of something that could be a good substitute for the corn syrup. Agave syrup was the right idea, but too thin – it made the filling sweet but didn’t do anything with the consistency. Honey just took over the flavor.
I thought maple syrup would do the same, but surprisingly it didn’t. It added just the right amount of sweetness and made the filling the consistency pecan pie is known for, and loved.
When making these mini pecan pies, all you need is a regular-sized muffin pan. The mini muffin pans just don’t have the right ratio of pie shell to filling. Cutting out three-inch rounds from pie dough and dropping them in the muffin cups, then filling them with filling makes a perfectly sized mini pecan pie with just the right ratio.
Other than the delicious taste, the best thing about this recipe is that the pies are done in just about 25 minutes. They can also be made ahead of time, stored in the freezer and thawed ahead of dinner.
Serve these alongside an assortment of mini pies and with a bowl of fresh whipped cream or vanilla ice cream, and everyone will make room for dessert. You’re welcome!
You might also want to try my pecan pie with chocolate. It’s incredibly decadent.
Ingredients
For the ingredient measurements and the entire recipe, be sure to scroll down to the bottom of the blog post where the recipe card is located.
- Pie crust: I make my own homemade crust but I’m ok if you use a store-bought crust here.
- Maple syrup: This adds flavor and sweetness and eliminates the need for corn syrup.
- Light brown sugar: Depth and sweetness. Make sure it’s packed when you measure it out.
- Butter: Unsalted butter, melted
- Egg: Lightly beaten
- Vanilla extract: Use the best quality all-natural extract you can find.
- Chopped pecans: A key ingredient. Don’t use roasted and salted pecans.
Step by Step Directions
These adorable mini pecan pies come together quickly, and take less time to cook than a traditional pecan pie recipe. Preheat the oven to 350°F so as soon as the pie filling is ready to go, you can pop them in the oven.
For the full recipe instructions, scroll down to the bottom of the blog post to the recipe card.
- On a lightly floured surface, roll out the pie crust into a 12-inch circle. Using a 3-inch cookie cutter, cut out 12 circles from the dough.
- Press each circle into the cavities of a 12-cup muffin pan, making sure the dough comes up the sides of the pan just a little. Place the pan in the refrigerator while you make the filling.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the maple syrup, brown sugar, butter, egg, and vanilla until well combined. Stir in the pecans.
- Remove the muffin pan from the refrigerator and add about 1 tablespoon of filling to each pie crust. Don’t let the filling doesn’t come up over the sides of the crust or it will spill out and burn.
- Bake for 20-25 minutes, until the filling is set. Remove from the oven and carefully transfer pies to a wire rack to cool completely.
Tips For Success
- 1 tablespoon of dark rum or bourbon is a great addition to the filling.
- Try adding ¼ cup semisweet chocolate chips to the filling for a chocolate pecan pie.
- Cut out the pie crust using a 3-inch cookie cutter. Dip the edges of the cookie cutter in flour to keep the dough from sticking. If you don’t have a cookie cutter you can also use the top of a glass, if it is about the same dimension, or a biscuit cutter.
- Storage: Allow the pies to cool completely at room temperature then tent lightly with aluminum foil and refrigerate for up to 4 days.
- Freeze: Once the pies have cooled completely, wrap them tightly in a double layer of plastic wrap followed by a double layer of foil. They will keep in the freezer for up to 1 month. When ready to serve, thaw in the refrigerator overnight.
Mini Pecan Pies
Ingredients
- 1 homemade pie crust, or store-bought
- ⅓ cup (104 g) maple syrup
- ¼ cup (50 g) light brown sugar, packed
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
- 1 large egg, lightly beaten
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ½ cup (57 g) chopped pecans
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F.
- On a lightly floured surface, roll out the pie crust into a 12-inch circle. Using a 3-inch cookie cutter, cut out 12 circles from the dough.
- Press each circle into the cavities of a 12-cup muffin pan, making sure the dough comes up the sides of the pan just a little. Place the pan in the refrigerator while you make the filling.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the maple syrup, brown sugar, butter, egg, and vanilla until well combined. Stir in the pecans.
- Remove the muffin pan from the refrigerator and add about 1 tablespoon of filling to each pie crust. Make sure the filling doesn't cup up over the sides of the crust.
- Bake for 20-25 minutes, until the filling is set. Remove from the oven and carefully transfer pies to a wire rack to cool completely.
Notes
- 1 tablespoon of dark rum or bourbon is a great addition to the filling.
- Try adding ¼ cup semisweet chocolate chips to the filling for a chocolate pecan pie
- Allow the pies to cool completely at room temperature then tent lightly with aluminum foil and refrigerate for up to 4 days.
- Once the pies have cooled completely, wrap them tightly in a double layer of plastic wrap followed by a double layer of foil. They will keep in the freezer for up to 1 month. When ready to serve, thaw in the refrigerator overnight.
Nutrition
The nutrition information provided is for convenience and as a courtesy only. It is not guaranteed to be accurate because nutrition information can vary for a variety of reasons. For precise nutritional data use your preferred nutrition calculator and input the exact ingredients and brands you used in the recipe.
Just made these for a Christmas party. So fun to make and they turned out great! My husband said he will be glad to be my taste tester. Thank you for sharing this recipe.
Is this not a Butter Tart?
They are very similar but this is the mini version of the classic American pecan pie.