Mini Pecan Pies

5 from 8 votes

Mini pecan pies are sweet, gooey, and buttery, with real pieces of pecan under a soft custard style filling. One batch makes 24 little pies, each one about two bites.

Prep Time25

Cook Time20

Total Time45

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: American

Servings: mini pies

Calories: 136kcal

Author: Jennifer Fishkind

Ingredients

Crust

½ cup unsalted butter room temperature
¼ cup light brown sugar packed
1¼ cups all-purpose flour
½ teaspoon salt
2 to 3 tablespoons ice water

Pecan Filling

½ cup roughly chopped pecans
½ cup light corn syrup
½ cup light brown sugar packed
2 tablespoons maple syrup
2 tablespoons unsalted butter melted
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 large whole egg room temperature
1 large egg yolk room temperature

Instructions

Crust

Spray a mini muffin pan (24 count) with non-stick baker's spray and set aside.
In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream together the butter and brown sugar on medium speed for 1 to 2 minutes or until light and fluffy.
½ cup unsalted butter, ¼ cup light brown sugar
Add the flour and salt, mix until fully combined (the dough will be very crumbly). Add 2 tablespoons of ice water (adding the third tablespoon only if needed for the dough to come together), mix on low just until the dough comes together and forms a rough ball. The crust should be soft but not sticky.
1¼ cups all-purpose flour, ½ teaspoon salt, 2 to 3 tablespoons ice water
Divide the dough evenly (approximately 3/4 tablespoon-sized dough balls) between all the mini muffin tins.
Using the tips of your fingers, or a small tart press, press the dough into the cups to form a crust in the bottoms and up the sides of each mini muffin cup.

Pecan filling

Preheat the oven to 350F.
Divide the chopped pecans evenly between the 24 mini muffin cups.
½ cup roughly chopped pecans
In a small bowl whisk together the corn syrup, brown sugar, maple syrup, butter, vanilla extract, whole egg, and egg yolk until fully combined. Whisk gently, just until combined, to avoid adding air bubbles. The filling should have a thick syrupy consistency.
½ cup light corn syrup, ½ cup light brown sugar, 2 tablespoons maple syrup, 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, 1 teaspoon vanilla extract, 1 large whole egg, 1 large egg yolk
Carefully spoon the filling (about 2 teaspoons) to fill each of the pecan filled crusts. You want your crusts filled just shy of the very edge without overflowing the crusts. The filling will expand slightly when baked, but will settle back down once cooled. If you overfill the crusts with the filling, then you will have a sticky mess all over your baking pan. If you have a lot of drips of filling liquid on the pan, be sure to wipe up the drips with a damp paper towel prior to baking.
Bake the mini pecan pies for 18 to 20 minutes or until the crust is lightly golden and the centers are set.
Allow the pies to cool in the pan for 3 to 5 minutes before transferring them to a wire rack to cool completely before plating and serving. If the pies stick slightly, gently loosen the edges with a small offset spatula before lifting out of the pan.

Notes

Tips:

Break the pecans into pieces by hand instead of running them through a food processor. The pieces stay more uniform and you do not get the fine pecan dust a processor makes.
A small pastry tamper helps start the cup shape, but use your fingers to press the dough farther up the sides and smooth the edges before baking.
Fill each crust just shy of the very edge. The filling expands a little while it bakes and settles back down as it cools, and filling past the edge makes a sticky mess on the pan.

Storage:

Store the mini pecan pies at room temperature in an airtight container for up to 2 days, or in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. To freeze, put the baked and cooled pies in an airtight container for up to 2 months and thaw them completely before serving.

Nutrition