Each year, I love mixing a few classic recipes in with some new holiday recipe creations. One classic go-to dessert that I love to make for holiday parties: Mini Pecan Pies.
I love bite-sized food at holiday parties and dinners because you get to taste a lot of different items, and it's easier to mix and mingle with a plate of small bites versus a large piece of pie.
I've been making these mini pecan pies for holiday gatherings with my family for several years, and they are always a hit. They go quickly, so you may even want to make a second batch, depending on how many people you have at your party! They are sweet and nutty, and these are sure to be one of your favorite fall dessert recipes too. They are easy to make, and you can make them ahead of time the day before, then when you are ready to serve dinner, just pop these into a 350 degree oven for about 7-10 minutes to warm them up and serve!
Or, you can even serve these at room temperature. They are completely versatile like that, which is another bonus!
Mini Pecan Pies recipe
Mini Pecan Pies Recipe
Ingredients
- Cooking spray
- Pastry
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 1 Tablespoon granulated sugar
- Dash of salt
- 2 ounces ¼ cup of light cream cheese
- 2 Tablespoons softened butter
- 2 Tablespoons fat-free or 1% milk
- Pecan Pie Filling
- ⅓ cup finely chopped pecans
- ½ cup packed light brown sugar
- ⅓ cup light corn syrup
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 egg
- 1 egg whites
- ¼ teaspoon salt
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350
- Make the pastry: Combine flour, 1 tablespoon sugar, and dash of salt in a medium bowl. In a stand mixer, beat cream cheese, butter, and milk at medium speed until well-blended. Add the flour mixture to the cream cheese mixture and beat at low speed just until blended. Form the flour mixture into a ball.
- On a lightly floured surface, knead the dough gently about 3 to 4 times. Roll out the dough to ¼ inch thick and cut 24 round or flowered circle shapes using pastry cutters or cookie cutters.
- Lightly coat either a 24-count mini muffin tin or a 24-count mini pastry tin with cooking spray.
- Place the cut out circles into the mini muffin or mini pastry tins coated with cooking spray. Press dough gently into bottom and up sides of cups.
- Add about 1-2 Tablespoons of the chopped pecans evenly among the mini pastries.
- Make the filling: Combine brown sugar and remaining ingredients in a large bowl until well blended. Spoon about 2 teaspoons filling over pecans in each muffin cup.
- Bake at 350° for 18-20 minutes. The pastry should be just lightly brown and the filling puffed slightly. Cool completely on a wire rack.
