Mini Pecan Pies

Name: Mini Pecan Pies
Prep time: 30 min
Cook time: 20 min
Total time: 50 min
Ingredients: 1/2 cup (113g, 1 stick) unsalted or salted butter (room temperature); 4 ounces (85g) cream cheese (room temperature); 1 cup (120g) all-purpose flour; 3/4 cup (150g) light brown sugar; 1 large egg; 1 tablespoon (14g) unsalted or salted butter (melted); 1 teaspoon vanilla extract; 3/4 cup (75g) pecan pieces

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November 25, 2022 (updated December 11, 2025) 7 comments »

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If you love classic pecan pie, these Mini Pecan Pies are about to become your new go-to holiday dessert. They’re sweet, nutty, and irresistibly buttery, with all the nostalgic flavor packed into a perfect handheld bite.

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A Note from Kim

A Bite-Sized Taste of Tradition

Mini Pecan Pies will always have a special place in my heart because they come straight from my grandma’s recipe box. She was the queen of holiday baking, always bringing something warm, sweet, and completely homemade. Her pecan pie was legendary, and sharing her recipes here on Kim’s Cravings feels like a sweet way to keep her traditions alive. She never got to see this little corner of the internet grow, but I know she’d be thrilled that her recipes continue to be shared and loved.

These little pecan tarts have all the rich, buttery flavor of the classic, just in a fun, bite-sized form. The crust is tender and melt-in-your-mouth, the filling is gooey and perfectly sweet, and they’re amazingly simple to make. We usually enjoy a full pecan pie for Thanksgiving, then switch to these minis for Christmas, they’re easy to serve, easy to gift, and honestly, even better than the original.

With love (and lots of good eats),

Made these for Thanksgiving and they were a big hit with the whole family! I’ll definitely be making them again around Christmas time!
— Kathryn

Table of Contents

Ingredients You’ll Need

Bowls filled with sugar, butter, egg, vanilla, flour, pecan and cream cheese.

This tasty mini pecan pie recipe is made with basic ingredients that you may already have in your kitchen. No corn syrup required! Here’s what you’ll need to make them! You can find the list of ingredients with measurements in the recipe card below.

Pie crust. The crust is made 100% from scratch, but super easy and only requiring butter, cream cheese and all-purpose flour. Spoon and level the flour to avoid a dry, crumbly dough.
Brown sugar. For that deep rich classic flavor.
Egg. Just one egg will give the pecan pie filling the perfect texture.
Butter. Make sure your butter is at room temperature or even a little melty, so it’s easy to stir in with the other filling ingredients.
Vanilla. For a delicious boost of flavor!
Pecan pieces. We’re using pecan pieces because we want the chopped pecans, finely chopped, to properly fit in the mini crusts.

Kim’s Recipe Tips

Press the crust up the sides. Make sure the dough reaches the top edge of each mini muffin cup so the filling stays neatly contained. Using your thumb and fingertips works great for shaping.
Cool before removing. Let the tarts sit in the pan for at least 15 minutes so they firm up, making them easier to take out without breaking.
Use a butter knife for easy removal. Gently slide it around the edges to loosen each tart. Pulling them out by hand can cause the delicate crust to crumble.
Perfect for making ahead. These mini pecan pies stay fresh for up to a week at room temperature, making them an ideal prep-ahead holiday treat.
Great for gifting. They’re always a hit at cookie exchanges, parties, and holiday gatherings—but be sure to check for nut allergies before sharing!

How to Make Mini Pecan Pies

This dessert recipe is super easy! And there’s no need to worry about pre-baking the crust, pre-cooking the filling or a long bake time. You’ll just need to make sure you have a mini muffin pan. You can find printable instructions in the recipe card below.

A mix of butter and cream cheese in a white bowl.

Step 1: Cream butter and cream cheese. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, or in a large mixing bowl using a handheld mixer, beat the butter and cream cheese together for 30 seconds to 1 minute or until well combined.

Flour added to a butter mixture in a large white mixing bowl.

Step 2: Stir in flour. Add the flour and mix until fully combined.

Step 3: Roll the dough. Roll into 24 small balls. Chill on a baking sheet in the refrigerator for 15-20 mins.

Using a rubber spatula to mix the pecan pie filling.

Step 4: Make the filling.While the dough balls are chilling, stir the brown sugar, melted butter, egg, and vanilla extract together until combined, then fold in the chopped pecans.

Step 5: Add pie dough to pan.Press chilled balls into the 24 cavities of the mini muffin tin. Be sure to get the crust up around the sides. I use my thumb and then press some around the sides with my fingers.

Pecan pie filling in mini crusts in a mini muffin pan.

Step 6: Add filling to crusts. Spoon about a tablespoon of the filling evenly between all 24 crusts. They will be pretty full.

Baked mini pecan pies in a mini muffin pan.

Step 7: Bake. Place in oven and bake at 375ºF for 15–20 minutes, until tops are golden brown. Let cool 15 minutes, then use a butter knife to gently loosen the mini tarts from the pan. Transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

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5 from 7 votes

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Mini Pecan Pies

Yield: 24 mini pies

Prep Time: 30

Cook Time: 20

Total Time: 50

Mini pecan pies are perfectly sweet, with an ooey gooey center filling and flaky buttery crust that will melt in your mouth. So delicious, you can't have just one!

Author: Kim