Description
These mini pecan pies are made with homemade pie crust and a delicious salted pecan filling. See recipe Notes for make-ahead instructions, and instructions for using a standard 12-count muffin pan.
Ingredients
- 1 unbaked pie crust (what I used) or all butter pie crust*
- 3 Tablespoons (43g) unsalted butter
- 1/2 cup (100g) packed dark brown sugar
- 1 large egg
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 3/4 cup (100g) chopped pecans
- coarse salt for sprinkling
Instructions
- Pie crust: I like to make sure my pie dough is prepared before I begin the mini pies. Make pie dough the night before because it needs to chill in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours before using.
- Shape the mini crusts: Place the dough onto a floured work surface. Roll into a large 12-inch circle. Use your warm hands to mold any cracking edges back together if needed. From the circle, cut rounds using a 2.75-inch (7cm) cookie cutter. You’ll have to re-roll the dough scraps a few times. Work quickly, as the dough becomes much more delicate the longer it’s at room temperature. You’ll get about 24 rounds.
- Grease a 24-count mini muffin pan. Nonstick spray is best. Place the dough rounds into greased muffin pan. Press the dough flat into the bottom of the crevice and up the sides. Refrigerate pan for 5–10 minutes as the oven preheats, which helps the mini crusts set their shape.
- Preheat oven to 325°F (163°C). Once the dough has briefly chilled, pre-bake the crusts for 7 minutes. This allows the bottom of the crust to be properly baked and not become soggy from the liquidy pecan filling. Turn the oven up to 350°F (177°C).
- For the filling: Prepare the filling by melting the butter in a small bowl in the microwave or use the stove. Allow to slightly cool for a few minutes. Whisk the brown sugar, egg, vanilla, nutmeg, and cinnamon together in a medium bowl. Whisk in the melted butter, then the pecans.
- Spoon 1–2 teaspoons of the filling into each warm crust. Top with coarse salt.
- Bake the filled mini pies for 16–18 minutes. Be careful not to over-bake. Once you see the crust begin to slightly brown, the mini pies are done.
- Allow the mini pies to cool completely in the pan before serving. (A spoon helps get them out easily.) For serving, top with a dollop of whipped cream if desired.
- Leftovers are great for up to 3 days; store covered at room temperature or in the refrigerator.
Notes
- Make Ahead & Freezing Instructions: The pie dough can be prepared ahead of time and stored in the refrigerator for up to 5 days or in the freezer for up to 3 months. Don’t prepare the filling in advance because the melted butter will solidify. To freeze, cool baked mini pecan pies completely, then layer between sheets of parchment paper in a large freezer-friendly container. Freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw at room temperature.
- Special Tools (affiliate links): Rolling Pin | 2.75-inch Round Cookie Cutter | 24-count Mini Muffin Pan or this Mini Muffin Pan | Glass Bowls | Whisk
- Pie Crust: Both linked pie crust recipes make 2 crusts. You only need 1 crust for this pie, so freeze the 2nd half for another use.
- Filling Quantity: This filling does not fit an entire pie. You’d likely need to double the ingredients and sub in some sort of liquid sweetener to keep the filling moist. If interested in baking a 9-inch pecan pie, try my pecan pie or maple pecan pie.
- 12-Count Muffin Pan: Instead of a 24-count mini muffin pan, you can use a 12-count standard muffin pan to make 10 little pies. You’ll need a round cookie cutter that’s 3.75–4 inches (9.5–10cm) in diameter. (3.5 inches is too small.) I used a 3.9-inch round, which, I know, is such a random number. Close to 4-inch is perfect. You’ll have enough pie dough to get about 12–14 crusts, but the filling only makes enough to fill 10. So you’ll have some leftover pie dough scraps, which you can use for pie crust designs on another pie, or freeze to use another time. Follow recipe instructions above, but pre-bake the larger mini pecan pie crusts for 10 minutes at 325ºF (163ºC). Because you aren’t using pie weights, the bottoms of the crusts puff up a bit during the pre-bake. They should sink back down when you remove the pre-baked crusts from the oven. Spoon a heaping Tablespoon of filling into each warm par-baked crust. Bake for 22–23 minutes at 350ºF (177ºC).