These Mini Pecan Pies deliver everything you love about classic pecan pie in perfectly portioned, bite-sized treats. With a buttery, flaky crust and a rich, gooey pecan filling, they're ideal for holidays, dessert trays, or anytime you want a sweet southern classic in miniature form. One bite and you'll understand why they disappear so fast.
Recipe Essentials
- 🍽️ Course: Dessert
- ⏱️ Cooking Time: 23-25 minutes
- 🍴 Servings: 12 mini pecan pies
- 🧄 Flavor Profile: Sweet, buttery, rich caramel, nutty
- 🍚 Best Served With: Whipped cream, vanilla ice cream, caramel or chocolate drizzle, or a hot cup of coffee
- 🧊 Make Ahead?: Yes, mini pecan pies can be baked 1-2 days ahead and stored in an airtight container until ready to serve.
Summarize and Save This Content On
If you love pecan pie but want something easier to serve, these mini versions are the perfect solution. They bake beautifully in a muffin tin and give you the same gooey, nutty filling with a golden crust in every bite. They're also wonderful for parties because guests can grab one without needing a plate or fork.
This was inspired by my pecan pie brownies on this site, and pairs well with this easy vanilla bundt cake.
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Why You Will Love This Recipe
- Easy to Serve and Share: The perfect size for guests to grab and enjoy without plates or messy slicing at parties, holidays, or on dessert tables.
- Make-ahead Friendly: You can bake them in advance and store them until you're ready to serve, which helps reduce holiday cooking stress.
- Perfect Crust-to-Filling Ratio: Mini pies provide a delicious balance of flaky crust and gooey pecan filling in every bite.
Ingredients
This recipe uses simple pantry baking ingredients to create a buttery crust and a sweet pecan filling.
- Crust: All-purpose flour provides structure, unsalted butter makes crust flaky and ice-water brings dough together without melting butter. Together they combine to create a classic, tender pie crust in mini form.
- Corn Syrup (Light or Golden): Corn syrup gives pecan pie its signature smooth, glossy filling. It provides sweetness and helps create that thick, sticky texture that holds the chopped pecans together.
- Light Brown Sugar, Eggs and Butter: Adds flavor, richness and enhances the buttery, caramel-like taste that makes pecan pie filling so rich and comforting.
- Pecans: Pecans are the star of the recipe. They add crunch, texture, and that classic nutty flavor that defines pecan pie.
See the recipe card below for the exact quantities of each ingredient.
Variations
- Mini Chocolate Pecan Pies: Add mini chocolate chips to the filling.
- Add a Drizzle: A little caramel or chocolate sauce on top when serving adds wonderful flavor.
- A Hint of Bourbon: Include 1 tablespoon of bourbon with the filling.
- Add Maple Flavor: Swap half of the corn syrup for maple syrup.
You'll want to try my apple pie bites if mini recipes like this are your thing.
Instructions
Don't be intimidated by homemade pie crust. This recipe comes together easily and the steps are simple to follow.
In a bowl, whisk all-purpose flour and salt.
Cut in cold butter until crumbly (with your hands or a pastry cutter).
Add ice water into the bowl one tablespoon at a time until dough comes together (7-8 is usually how many I need).
Form into a disk, pressing any loose pieces if needed and wrap tightly in plastic wrap. Chill for at 30 minutes.
About 20 minutes into chilling, preheat oven to 350F and start making filling.
Roll out dough on a lightly floured surface to ⅛" thick and make rounds with a 4-inch cutter.
In a medium bowl, whisk corn syrup, brown sugar, eggs, melted butter, vanilla, and salt until smooth. Then fold in pecans and set aside.
Press each round into a greased muffin tray, with a tart tamper if you have one.
Use a fork to poke a bunch of holes the bottom of the pie shells.
Then spoon filling into each mini crust, about ⅔ full. Don't overfill, they puff while baking.
Bake for about 23-25 minutes or until the tops are golden and the centers look just set.
Let them cool in the tray for 10 minutes, then gently twist to remove and cool completely on a wire rack.
Expert Tips
- Use very cold butter for the crust: Cold butter creates flaky layers in the pastry and prevents the dough from becoming greasy while mixing.
- Add the ice water slowly: Adding water one tablespoon at a time helps control the dough texture so it holds together without becoming sticky.
- Chill the dough before rolling: Resting the dough for at least 30 minutes makes it easier to roll while preventing shrinkage during baking.
- Poke holes in the crust: Docking the crust with a fork prevents air bubbles from forming and helps the crust bake evenly.
- Let the pies cool before removing: Cooling them in the pan for about 10 minutes allows the filling to firm up so they release cleanly without breaking.
If you love recipes like this, you may also enjoy maple pecan cookies or caramel pecan cake.
Storage Directions
These mini pies store well and can easily be made ahead of time for parties or holiday baking.
Refrigerator: Store in an airtight container for up to 4 days.
Freezer: Freeze cooled pies for up to 2 months.
Reheat: Warm in a 300°F oven for about 5-7 minutes.
Make Ahead: You can prepare the crust dough a day ahead and keep it chilled until ready to bake.
Serving Suggestions
- Serve on dessert trays with caramel cupcakes, chocolate caramel cupcakes and Nutella cookie cups.
- Serve with whipped cream, whipped topping or ice cream.
- Serve with a sprinkling of powdered sugar.
- Serve on Thanksgiving after an oven roasted turkey, mashed potato casserole, honey maple carrots and with milk bar pumpkin pie.
Recipe FAQs
The filling expands while baking. Fill each crust only about two-thirds full to prevent the filling from bubbling over the edges.
Yes. Lightly toasting pecans in a 350 degree oven for four minutes enhances their flavor and adds extra nuttiness to your finished pies.
They're ready when the tops are golden and the centers look slightly set and soft but still jiggle a little. They will continue to firm up as they cool.
Let the pies cool in the pan for about 10 minutes, then gently twist them out with a knife or small offset spatula.
More Pecan Recipes
If you love pecan desserts, here are a few more recipes you may enjoy.
If you try this recipe and love it please leave a star rating in the recipe card below or even better, drop a review in the comment section. I always appreciate your feedback. Be sure to follow along with me on Facebook, Pinterest, and YouTube for more easy recipes!
Mini Pecan Pies
Ingredients
Crust
- 2 ½ cups all-purpose flour 300 g
- 1 teaspoon sea salt
- 1 cup unsalted salted, cold and cubed 2 sticks
- 5-8 tablespoon ice water
Filling
- ⅓ cup corn syrup light or golden
- 8 tablespoons light brown sugar 75 grams, packed
- 2 large eggs
- 2 tablespoon butter unsalted and melted
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ¾ cup pecans 90 grams, chopped (about ¾ cup)
Instructions
- In a bowl, whisk all-purpose flour and salt.
- Cut in cold butter until crumbly (with your hands or a pastry cutter).
- Add ice water into the bowl one tablespoon at a time until dough comes together (7-8 is usually how many I need).
- Form into a disk, pressing any loose pieces if needed and wrap tightly in plastic wrap. Chill for at 30 minutes.
- About 20 minutes into chilling, preheat oven to 350F and start making filling.
- In a medium bowl, whisk corn syrup, brown sugar, eggs, melted butter, vanilla, and salt until smooth. Then fold in pecans and set aside.
- Roll out dough on a lightly floured surface to ⅛" thick and make rounds with a 4-inch cutter.
- Press each round into a greased muffin tray, with a tart tamper if you have one.
- Use a fork to poke a bunch of holes the bottom of the pie shells, then spoon filling into each mini crust, about ⅔ full. Don't overfill, they puff while baking.
- Bake for about 23-25 minutes or until the tops are golden and the centers look just set.
- Let them cool in the tray for 10 minutes, then gently twist with a butter knife to remove and cool completely on a wire rack.
Notes
- Use very cold butter for the crust: Cold butter creates flaky layers in the pastry and prevents the dough from becoming greasy while mixing.
- Add the ice water slowly: Adding water one tablespoon at a time helps control the dough texture so it holds together without becoming sticky.
- Chill the dough before rolling: Resting the dough for at least 30 minutes makes it easier to roll while preventing shrinkage during baking.
- Poke holes in the crust: Docking the crust with a fork prevents air bubbles from forming and helps the crust bake evenly.
- Let the pies cool before removing: Cooling them in the pan for about 10 minutes allows the filling to firm up so they release cleanly without breaking.
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