These mini pecan pies are a perfect bite-size treat for the holidays. They combine Loisiana pecans and sugar with family traditions!
Estimated Time 3 hourshours15 minutesminutes
Servings 24Servings
Here's What You Need
For the crust
3ouncescream cheese
½cupmargarine
1 ½cupAP flour
2tablespoonsconfectioners sugar
For the filling
¾cupdark brown sugar - packed
1whole egg
1teaspoonvanilla extract
¾cuppecans - chopped
Pinchkosher salt
Here's What You Do
To make the crust
Place cream cheese and margarine in a mixing bowl together and allow them to soften. This will take bewteen ½ and 1 hour.
When soft, mix the margarine and cream cheese together.
Mix in the confectioner sugar.
Mix in the AP flour a little at a time.
Continue to add flour and mix until a smooth (not sticky) dough forms. Add more flour if needed. See Notes.
When the dough is smooth and not sticky, roll it into a ball. Keep the dough ball in the bowl and cover with plastic wrap.
Refrigerate for at least 1 hour or as long as overnight.
To make the filling
Measure ¾ cup of pecan halves and chop them into small pieces. Set aside.
Crack the egg into a large bowl and whisk until smooth.
Add the brown sugar, vanilla and a pinch of kosher salt. Whisk until completely combined.
Mix in the chopped pecans and combine completely.
Set aside.
To assemble the tarts
Remove the dough from the refrigerator 30 minutes before needing.
Preheat the oven to 325 degrees Fahrenheit.
Pinch off a small piece of dough and form a disc in the palm of your hand that is approximately 2 ½” in diameter.
Place the shaped dough gently into the mini muffin tins and use your fingers or a tart tamper to form the shells. Allow a little (approximately ⅛ inch) of the dough to overhang the top ridge, trimming off the excess. See Notes.
Once all the dough has been placed in the mini muffin pan holes, mix the filling well with a spoon and place about 1 tablespoon of the filling in each tart. The filling should come up to about ¼ to ⅛ inch under the top edge because it will rise while baking and overflow. (See Notes)
Place the muffin tins in the preheated 350 degrees Fahrenheit oven and bake for 25 to 30 minutes, or until the edges of the dough are golden brown.
Remove from the oven and allow the Pecan Tarts to cool for about 10 minutes before removing them from the muffin tin.
Notes
For a more detailed explanation of the process, read my Pecan Tarts article. If you have questions or comments, please leave them below.Estimated prep time involves gathering ingredients and making the dough and filling. Estimated resting time includes letting the margarine and cream cheese soften for 30 minutes and letting the dough sit in the fridge for 1 hour. Your times may vary.Mix the dough until it is smooth and no longer sticky. This may take a little more than 1 ½ cups of flour, but it is recommended to start with 1 cup and add a little more flour as needed.This recipe makes between 20 and 24 Mini Pecan Pies. The recipe can easily be doubled. If you want to make more than 48 tarts, I suggest doing that in batches.The amount of margarine in the dough will make it nonstick so there is no need to prepare the tins further. It is recommended (but not necessary) to use nonstick muffin tins.After placing the dough in the muffin tins, make sure there are no holes or tears in the dough that would allow the filling to leak through and stick to the muffin tin while baking.A little overhang of the dough around the edges will make a nice, golden-brown crust around the edges of the mini pies. Allow about ⅛ inch overhang and trim off any dough more than that.Don’t overfill the muffin tins with pecan filling. The high sugar content will make the tarts rise during baking and may overflow.The dough and the filling can be made a day ahead of baking. Make sure to set them out about an hour before you want to assemble the tarts so that the dough and filling are pliable and easier to work with.Place about 1 tablespoon of filling into each shell until the filling comes up to just under the top of the tin. The sugar will expand while baking, so the idea is to keep it contained so that it doesn’t boil over and stick to the muffin tin.The tarts can be made ahead and frozen. Make the Pecan Tarts as directed, then allow them to come to room temperature. I suggest wrapping about a half dozen tarts in plastic wrap, then wrap that in aluminum foil and place some packs in a plastic freezer bag. Put these in the freezer and you’ll be able to grab a few packs when you want them. Let them thaw in the fridge overnight and they will be great. You can keep the tarts in the freezer for 3 to 4 months if they are airtight.