I originally published this recipe in 2013 and have since added new photos, a video tutorial, and more success tips. Pecan pie is a quintessential Thanksgiving pie. Though nothing will ever beat classic apple pie or creamy pumpkin pie in my mind, traditional pecan pie holds a very special place in my heart. My late grandmother made it like no one else. I launched this website 2 weeks after her passing in 2011, and she remains a tremendous inspiration and motivation for my work. I treasure her handwritten recipes, and it’s a true joy to honor her legacy through baking. Today I’m taking my grandma’s timeless pecan pie recipe and giving it a little twist—and by little, I actually mean little. How cute are these?!
Big Things to Love About These Mini Pecan Pies
Not overly sweet: I find that most pecan pies lack a complexity of flavors. Adding a touch of coarse sea salt or flaky sea salt to these mini pies makes each bite much more interesting. They’re adorable: I’m not sure why tiny things are so cute, they just are! People love little bite-sized pies. Easier than a regular pie: If full-size pies intimidate you, this is a perfect pie solution. Little pecan pies are very forgiving, and this recipe lends itself to great pie-making practice. No corn syrup: Simply don’t need it. Make-ahead recipe: These are a wonderful option if you’re looking for a make-ahead dessert recipe, because they freeze exceptionally well.
Adapted From My Favorite Pecan Pie
Grab These Ingredients:
I’ve tested many, many pecan pie recipes, and I can confidently say that this combination of ingredients produces the best-tasting mini pecan pies.
Pecan Pie Filling: The most notable change is the amount of pecan pie filling. I reduced the filling because you don’t need as much filling for these tiny pies as you would for an entire 9-inch pie. No Corn Syrup: I find it isn’t necessary to set the filling in this miniature version. Nutmeg: I added nutmeg to the filling to complement the cinnamon. This duo of spices pair perfectly with the toasty pecans and dark brown sugar. Sprinkle of Salt: Before baking, I sprinkle the pies with a little bit of coarse sea salt or flaky sea salt to offset the sweetness and elevate the flavor profile. Taste testers rave about this addition! Par-bake the Crusts: Because the bake time is so short (only 16–18 minutes), you need to par-bake (aka blind bake, pre-bake, or partially bake) the pie crust so the pies don’t get soggy.
Start With the Dough
Make pie dough. This pie crust is my go-to recipe, made from a mix of butter and shortening. Shortening creates a flaky, tender, melt-in-your mouth crust, while butter imparts unparalleled, impeccable flavor. My butter + shortening pie crust is the best of both worlds. If desired, you can use all-butter pie crust instead. Make the pie dough, and then refrigerate it for at least 2 hours. You can do this a few days in advance if needed. Roll out pie crust dough. Cut dough into small circles. Cut 24 rounds using a 2.75-inch (7cm) biscuit/cookie cutter. You can use a 3-inch cutter if that’s all you have, which is what I use to make biscuits, but you will have a little bit of overhang. Re-roll the dough scraps a few times. Work quickly, as the dough becomes more delicate the longer it sits at room temperature. This is exactly how I prep mini quiche and mini pumpkin pies, too, though I make these rounds a little larger compared to those recipes, because you need a deeper crust to hold the chunky filling. Place the dough rounds into greased mini muffin pan. Press the dough flat into the bottom of the crevice and all the way up the sides. Chill for a few minutes as the oven preheats, to set the crust’s shape. Par-bake crusts. Just 7 minutes, but it makes a big difference!
Now for the Mini Pecan Pie Filling
Mix filling ingredients together, then spoon a heaping teaspoon of filling into each pre-baked mini pie crust. Sprinkle the tops with coarse salt before baking. Important to note: As the mini pies bake, the filling puffs up and may spill onto the sides. That’s OK—it creates an irresistible brown-sugared crust. Let the mini pies cool completely in the pan before serving. If the tops of your mini pecan pies take on a frosty appearance after baking, it’s likely because the egg white frothed up when the filling ingredients were whisked together. When you whisk together the ingredients, stir very gently, not vigorously; then, switch to a spatula to fold in the pecans. (Or stir whole thing with a spoon or spatula instead of a whisk.) Vigorous whisking froths up the egg white and causes the surface to crust over with a white frosted look. They’ll still taste wonderful—it’s just a different aesthetic.
Make Them Slightly Larger in a 12-Count Muffin Pan
If you want to make larger individual-sized pecan pies, you can make these in a standard 12-count muffin pan. You need a round cookie cutter that’s 3.75–4 inches (9.5–10cm) in diameter. (3.5 inches is too small.) You’ll have enough pie dough to get about 14 crusts this size, 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. See recipe Note for larger mini pecan pies instructions.
More Handheld Thanksgiving Dessert Recipes
Apple Pie Bars Pecan Pie Bars Pumpkin Cupcakes Caramel Apple Spice Thumbprints Salted Caramel Pumpkin Cheesecakes Maple Walnut Tassies
For even more Thanksgiving dessert inspiration, see my favorite Thanksgiving pie recipes.
