Pecan Tassies are bite sized miniature pies that have all the flavor of classic pecan pie in a perfectly portioned pastry shell. These mini desserts are easy to make and ideal for holiday gatherings or as part of a holiday dessert tray.
Every year my mom makes these Pecan Tassies to send to my brother because they are his favorite holiday treat. I love them because you get just enough of a bite to not feel like you have had too much sweet all at once like you might get with a pecan pie! And, they are excellent with a cup of hot coffee or tea!
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Why You'll Love Pecan Tassies
Easy to Make: Simple steps and basic ingredients make these a stress-free dessert.
Bite-Sized Treats: Perfectly portioned for snacking or serving at gatherings.
Holiday Favorite: A crowd-pleaser that fits right in on any festive dessert table.
Ingredients
The crust is very basic, and cream cheese is used as part of the fat in the crust, giving it a unique flavor and great texture!
- Unsalted butter
- All purpose flour
- Cream cheese
- Chopped pecans
- Brown sugar
- Vanilla extract
- Melted butter
- Large eggs
See recipe card for quantities.
How to Make Pecan Tassies
Just a few ingredients and a few simple steps and you will have these tasty sweet mini pecan pies for snacking!
- Place butter and cream cheese in a large mixing bowl.
- Using a hand mixer, cream together and add flour, mixing until a firm dough takes shape.
- Roll a tablespoon sized portion of dough into a ball, then place in muffin tin. Press dough around sides of cup using a tart shaper.
- In a medium bowl, mix together the egg, melted butter, brown sugar, vanilla extract, and pecans.
- Spoon pecan filling into shaped tarts and bake for 25 minutes, until golden.
- Cool baked pecan tassies in the pan for 10 minutes, then loosen tarts with a knife if needed and transfer to cooling rack to complete cooling.
Hint: this tart shaper (affiliate link) does a quick job of forming the dough into the mini muffin pan!
Substitutions
- Maple Syrup for Brown Sugar: use maple syrup instead of brown sugar for a natural sweetness and hint of maple flavor.
- Walnuts or Almonds for Pecans: Swap the pecans with chopped walnuts or almonds for a different nutty flavor.
- Vegan swaps: substitute this oil pie crust for the dough and swap out the butter for a plant based butter.
Hint: for a deeper caramel flavor, use dark brown sugar instead of light brown sugar.
Variations
Looking for a few ways to make these mini pecan pies a little more special? Try some of the suggestions below:
- Bourbon Pecan Tassies: Stir in a splash of bourbon to the filling for a warm, boozy kick that pairs perfectly with the pecans.
- Chocolate Pecan Tassies: Add ½ cup mini chocolate chips into the filling for a decadent twist.
- Spiced Pecan Tassies: Add a pinch of cinnamon, nutmeg, or cloves to the filling for a warm, spiced flavor perfect for fall.
See this low carb pecan pie coffee cake on my website!
Equipment
- Mixing bowls
- Electric mixer
- Rubber scraper
- Mini muffin pan: I use this 24 cup mini muffin pan (affiliate link) and bake all the tarts in one shot.
- Tart shaper
- Tablespoon
Storage
Store pecan tassies in an airtight container at room temperature up to 4 days. For longer storage, freeze up to 3 months.
Top tip
- After pressing the dough into the mini muffin pan with the tart shaper, use your fingers to evenly fill the cup around the edges so the entire cup is lined with dough.
- Don't overfill the tarts, fill them about ¾ of the way full to prevent spillage when baking.
Related Recipes
Looking for other pecan studded recipes like this? Try these:
When you make these pecan tassies, please comment below and let me know what you think. I'd love it if you tag me on Instagram @grumpyshoneybunch or #grumpyshoneybunch so I can see your photos!
If you love this recipe, please leave a ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ rating
📖 Recipe
Pecan Tassies
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Ingredients
For the Tart Dough
- ½ cup butter
- 3 ounces package cream cheese softened
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
For the Pecan Filling
- 1 large egg
- ¾ cup brown sugar packed
- 1 tablespoon melted butter
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ½ cup finely chopped pecans
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. Spray a 24 cup mini muffin pan with cooking spray and set aside.
- In medium bowl, using a hand mixer, beat together butter and cream cheese until creamy. Mix in flour until soft dough forms.
- Cover dough with plastic wrap and chill for 1 hour or till easy to handle.
- After refrigeration, Shape dough into 1 inch balls. Press onto bottom and up sides of prepared mini muffin pan using a tart shaper.
- In a large mixing bowl, using an electric hand mixer on medium speed, mix egg, butter, vanilla extract, brown sugar, and melted butter until well combined. Stir in pecan pieces
- Fill each tart using a tablespoon until tart is about ¾ filled. Bake for 25-30 minutes or till done.
- Cool slightly in pan. Remove tarts from pan and cool completely.
Kaelee says
You mentioned sending these to a soldier... How do you package them for sending? I have a long-distance friend who would LOVE these.