Mini Pecan Pies

My favorite caramel pecan pie made with homemade salted caramel and baked on a flakey, buttery pie crust in muffin tins for individual servings!

Caramel…. pecan….. pies…..”insert heavy breathing emoji”. I took my Caramel Pecan Pie and turned it into heavenly bite sized pies that are super easy to eat!

Why You’ll Love These Mini Pecan Pies

1. After I break down the steps into 3 simple parts, it’s pretty straightforward to make and once you bite one of these babies you will realize how worth it is to make them.
2. The salted caramel brings the pie a great salty, caramelized flavor that goes perfect with a flaky crust!
3. Want to make a pecan pie but you don’t want to cut and serve it? These are perfect for work parties, friendsgiving parties, and weekend get-togethers.

If you’re a pecan pie lover, you HAVE to try my pecan pie brownies. I also just recently posted my chocolate pecan pie, which turned out so good and rich! I also have a pumpkin pecan upside cake that gives similar caramelized pecan vibes.

I also have a Cream Tartlet with Puff Pastry and Chocolate Praline Pies if you’re looking for other easy mini pies to serve. Sometimes I love this style of dessert because I’m too lazy to cut a whole pie and eat it with a fork lol. 

What Is a Mini Pecan Pie

Pecan pie is a traditional American Thanksgiving dessert with a southern origin. A buttery, flakey pie crust gets filled with a sweet pecan filling and baked until it’s nice and crispy on the edges and just slightly gooey in the center.

For my mini pecan pie version I added my homemade salted caramel to the filling (instead of corn syrup) and drizzled some on top for extra goodness similar to my regular Caramel Pecan Pie recipe. Take that mental picture and now shrink it into a handheld easy to eat mini pie made in muffin tins! 

Also note that since these are hand held single serve pies they won’t get gooey in the center like a big pie, but on the plus side you don’t have to wait for them to completely cool and set to start eating them 🙂

Step-by-Step Instructions

Salted Caramel Sauce

Step 1: Make the caramel sauce by cooking water and sugar on the stovetop until it turns into an amber color while swirling (not stirring). Remove from the heat.

Step 2: Add the butter and whisk until it’s combined. Then add the heavy cream and whisk until it’s smooth 

Step 3: Pour the caramel into a heat safe bowl and add the salt, whisking just until they’re combined. Cover and allow to cool completely to room temperature or chill in the refrigerator. 

Pie Crust

Step 1: Place the alcohol in a measuring cup with cold water and into the freezer.

Step 2: Place the flour and salt in the bowl of the food processor. Place the whole bowl in the freezer while you cube the butter.

Step 3: Cube cold butter and then add it to the flour in the freezer, for 5-10 minutes (if it’s cold in your house and you work quickly you can skip all this freezing lol – just make sure to keep ingredients cold). 

Step 4: Remove the bowl from the freezer, place it on the food processor and pulse until pea seize chunks form.

Step 5: Drizzle in some water and alcohol mixture and pulse, then drizzle in the rest until the dough starts to look more wet. The dough will still be crumbly but when you press on it, it should stick together.

Step 6: Dump the mixture onto the countertop and use your hands to press it all together and fold it over itself a couple of times so it all sticks together nicely. You should see bits of butter in the dough and it should be fully hydrated (so no dry flour spots) but not too sticky to handle – if it’s too dry just add a sprinkle of water).

Step 7: Wrap the disc in plastic wrap and place in the fridge for 1-2 hours or overnight. 

Step 8: Roll the pie crust out quickly onto a floured surface, until it’s about 1/8″ thick. Work quickly so it doesn’t get too warm. Use a 4″ round cookie cutter to cut out 12 circles. 

Step 9: Grease a muffin dish with baking spray and place each circle into a muffin tin, gently press it down and against the sides (I place a long skinny piece of parchment underneath them just incase they stick but I didn’t really find it necessary, none of them got stuck). Place the muffin tin in the freezer until the dough feels firm.

Caramel Pecan Filling

Step 1: Combine the butter, sugar, eggs, cooled caramel and vanilla, mixing until they’re smooth.

Step 2: Stir in the pecans and toss them around until they’re evenly coated with the caramel mixture.

Step 3: In a small bowl use a fork to aggressively beat the egg until it’s loosened. Use a pastry brush to lightly brush the frozen pie crusts with the egg wash.

Step 4: Pour about 1.25 ounces of filling into each pie crust. Bake for 20-25 minutes until they are puff and a little browned. 

Step 5: Remove the pecan pies from the oven, allow them to cool for about 10-15 minutes in the pan before removing. Top with extra salted caramel sauce and a pinch of sea salt flakes if desired.

What Kind Of Pie Crust To Use

I recommend a traditional pie crust for this recipe. I used half of my butter pie crust recipe for this pie. You can also use your favorite homemade pie crust or a store bought pie crust.

You’ll need just one roll (they usually come in packs of two for the top and bottom) since it’s just the bottom of the pie crust. 

How To Store and Serve Mini Pecan Pies

Unlike a big pecan pie, you don’t have to wait until it cools to set, you can serve it shortly (10-15 min) after removing from the oven.

It can also be served at room temperature or even cold if you like.

I recommend storing it in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to a week or frozen airtight for a couple of months.

Thanks so much for reading today’s post, if you have any questions just comment down below. 

If you make these Mini Pecan Pies, I would love it if you left a star rating for it in the recipe card. 

As always, have a blessed day and happy baking!

Love, B