These Mini Pecan Pies are individual, perfectly portioned deep-dish pecan pies! Made with store-bought pie crust and brimming with a sweet, sticky, ooey-gooey, crunchy pecan filling.
Let me be real with you. I’m usually not a huge pie fan. However, these mini pecan pies might just be a game-changer for me. It may be because mini desserts are better than full-sized desserts but I feel like it has more to do with the perfect filling to pie crust ratio. These are like little deep dish bites of joy!
Ingredients
Pie crust is definitely an important element of pecan pie, but the real MVP is the pecan pie filling…it’s gooey, sweet, sticky, and loaded with crunchy pecans. To keep things simple, we’re using store-bought pie dough!
- Pie Dough – I use refrigerated pre-made pie dough but if you’re feeling ambitious, feel free to make your own!
- Pecans – you can’t have pecan pie without loads of pecans. Make sure you chop them for amazing texture and crunch in every bite!
- Eggs – help bind the filling together. Use room temperature eggs so they don’t scramble when combined with the hot filling.
- Salt – balances the sweetness and enhances flavors.
- Cinnamon – adds a warm and cozy flavor.
- Vanilla Extract – provides flavor, a touch of sweetness, and warmth.
- Cold Water and Cornstarch – make up a cornstarch slurry which helps thicken the filling.
- Dark Brown Sugar – I like using dark brown sugar for a warmer flavor but light would work as well.
- Light Corn Syrup – helps bind the filling and adds the perfect amount of sweetness.
- Unsalted Butter – provides richness.
- Cool Whip or Ice Cream – optional, for serving!
How to make
These mini pecan pies are baked in a muffin tin, so they’re perfectly portioned already! No cutting necessary!
- Roll out pie crust on a clean surface and use a cookie cutter to cut out 4 circles from each of the crusts. You should end up with 12 rounds in total.
- Press each pie crust round into a greased muffin tin.
- Place 2 tablespoons of chopped pecans into the bottom of each cup.
- In a bowl, whisk together eggs, salt, cinnamon, and vanilla.
- Whisk together water and cornstarch in a saucepan then add in sugar, corn syrup, and butter. Bring the mixture to a boil.
- Whisk the saucepan mixture into the egg mixture a ladleful at a time so the eggs don’t scramble. I recommend watching the video to see what this looks like!
- Fill each pie crust evenly with the filling.
- Bake then serve and enjoy!
How to tell when pecan pie is done
These mini pecan pies take about 30 minutes to bake in a preheated 350 degree F oven. You’ll know they’re done when the pie crust is golden-brown and the filling is set—it shouldn’t wiggle too much if you give the muffin tin a little shake.
Tips and tricks
These mini pecan pies are incredibly easy to make already but make them even easier by following these tips and tricks!
- Use store-bought pie crust. Nobody will know the difference and it saves a ton of time. 😉
- Work with room-temperature eggs and butter. They combine more easily into the rest of the filling.
- Use dark brown sugar. It adds more flavor to better complement the other ingredients.
- Temper the eggs. Slow and steady definitely wins the race here. Whisking in too much too quickly will cook and scramble the eggs.
- Pour from a measuring cup. Once the filling has been made, transfer it from the saucepan to a 4-cup liquid measuring cup. This makes it SO MUCH easier to pour into the muffin tin.
- Make them in advance. The holidays are busy. Save time and oven space by making these the day before your holiday gathering.
- Save your pie crust scraps. Use the leftovers to whip up a batch of these pie crust cookies or make it savory with this turkey pot pie soup!
Can you make pecan pie without corn syrup?
I find that the best results come from using corn syrup so if it’s all the same to you, leave it in!
However, if you are set on an alternative, Sally from Sally’s Baking Addiction has a recipe for Maple Pecan Pie that uses maple syrup instead of corn syrup.
How to serve
Traditionally, pecan pie is served at room temperature with a dollop of cool whip. These mini pies are also great warmed up in the microwave with a scoop of ice cream or even plain straight out of the fridge.
However you choose to enjoy them, they’re sure to be absolutely delicious!
Can pecan pie be made ahead of time?
Absolutely! If you want to make these mini pecan pies ahead of time and store them unbaked, I recommend assembling the filling, cutting your pie crust, and chopping your pecans, then storing each component separately in the fridge.
When you’re ready to bake, simply assemble your pies and you’re good to go!
You can also make and bake these as directed, cool them completely, then store them in an airtight container in the fridge for 4-5 days or in the freezer for up to 2 months.
How to store
After the pies are baked, remove them from the muffin tin, let them cool completely at room temperature, and then store them in an airtight container in the fridge for 4-5 days or in the freezer for up to 2 months.
When you’re ready to serve, thaw them in the fridge (if frozen) then let them come to room temperature for 15-30 minutes.
Want to switch it up? Use your leftover pies to make these pecan pie milkshakes! Looking for other pie flavors? Try these mini pumpkin pies or these air fryer hand pies!
– Jennifer
Mini Pecan Pies
Equipment for this recipe
Ingredients
- 2 (14.1 oz) boxes refrigerated pie dough you’ll need 3 (9 inch) crusts*
- 2 cups very roughly chopped pecans
- 3 large eggs room temperature
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 tablespoon cold water
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch
- 1 ½ cups packed dark brown sugar
- ½ cup light corn syrup
- ¼ cup unsalted butter
- Cool whip or ice cream for serving
Recipe Video
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F and spray a standard (12 slot) non stick muffin tin with cooking spray. Set aside.
- Roll out pie crusts side by side on a clean surface.
- Use a 4.5 inch round cookie cutter to cut out 4 circles from each of the pie crusts (you’ll end up with 12 total rounds). Gently press one round into one muffin slot, then repeat with remaining 11 slots.
- Place approximately 2 tablespoons chopped pecans into the bottom of each pie crust cup. Set aside in the fridge until ready to use.
- In a bowl whisk together eggs, salt, cinnamon, and vanilla together until combined and the eggs are fully broken up. Set aside.
- Off the heat - in a medium saucepan, whisk together the water and cornstarch until the cornstarch is completely mixed into the water.
- Stir in the sugar, corn syrup, and butter.
- Turn the heat to medium, and bring to a boil, stirring regularly.
- Once the sugar mixture has been brought to a boil, turn off the heat, grab a ladleful and slowly whisk it into the egg mixture to temper it. Whisk in another ladleful. This will keep the eggs from scrambling.
- Whisk this mixture back into the sauce pan. Then transfer the mixture to a 4 cup liquid measuring cup for easy pouring.
- Fill each pie crust evenly with the mixture. You don’t want it to spill out the sides.
- Bake in preheated oven for 30 minutes, or until the filling is cooked and the pie crust is golden. Cool completely.
- Serve with cool whip and enjoy!
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Notes
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Nutrition Information
*Note: Nutrition information is estimated and varies based on products used.
This post was originally published November 18, 2019 and has been updated to provide more detailed content.
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