Pecan Tarts (or Pecan Tartlets as they are often called) are a true holiday treat. Take your favorite pecan pie – brown sugar, butter, and pecans, in a cream cheese and butter pastry crust – then shrink it. They are perfect, bite-size delicious treats.
Pecan Tarts are buttery, sweet, flaky, gooey, and crunchy – all at once. They are so incredibly yummy and are the perfect fall dessert. Pecan Butter Tarts are so flaky – they just fall apart as you bite into them.
These mini pecan pies are another one of my mother-in-law’s delicious recipes – she makes them over the holidays, and my husband can’t get enough of them. These mini pecan tarts are great for Thanksgiving when you are too stuffed to eat another thing – they are the perfect bite of dessert to end the meal.
Then, the next day when you are less stuffed, you can eat three of them 😆 They are a great dessert to bring if you are invited somewhere because they travel really well.
If you don’t feel like waiting for the holiday season to bake something delicious (or if you don’t feel like making a traditional pecan pie), this is an easy recipe to whip up! I love it because you don’t need a fancy tart pan or tart shells. If you have a fancy pan, you can use it, but this recipe just uses a mini-muffin tin. (I love kitchen gadgets that have more than one use, and we love mini muffins!)
Table of Contents
Pecan Tart Ingredients
For the Pecan Tart Crust
- Cream Cheese – Softened at room temperature.
- Butter – Softened. I like to use salted butter. If you use unsalted butter, add a sprinkle of salt to the dough.
- All-Purpose Flour
For the Pecan Pie Filling
- Light Brown Sugar
- Egg
- Butter – Softened at room temperature.
- Kosher Salt
- Vanilla Extract
- Chopped Pecan Halves
🍽 Equipment Needed
- A Mini Muffin Tin
- Cooking Spray
- A Mixing Bowl
- Measuring Cups/Spoons
How to Make Pecan Tarts
In a medium bowl, cream butter with softened cream cheese. (Pictures 1 – 2) Next, add the flour. (Pictures 3 – 4) Mix until completely combined. It will be very sticky. (Picture 5)
Wrap the dough in wax paper or plastic wrap and chill for at least an hour. (If you want to chill it faster, flatten the dough into a little patty… it will chill faster than it would in a ball.)
When you are ready to make the tarts, preheat your oven to 325°F, then make the filling.
Using an electric mixer, combine egg, softened butter, brown sugar, vanilla extract, and a pinch of salt until it makes a silky pie filling. (Pictures 6 – 7)
Spray a mini muffin pan with cooking spray, or use your favorite “cute” muffin tin. (I use a leaf-shaped one in the fall!)
Take out the dough and cut it in half – return half of the dough to the fridge to keep cold. (As the dough softens, it will get harder to work with.)
Divide each half of the dough into approximately 12 even dough balls. (Picture 8)
Press one ball of dough into each of the cups of the greased muffin pan, covering the bottom and the sides of the cup, and using your fingers to press it down and smooth it out. If you use unusually shaped pans, you might end up with a different amount of tarts. If you use a standard “mini” muffin tin, you should end up with 24 mini tarts. (Picture 9)
I like to chill the prepared dough again for about ten minutes before filling the cups (I just stick the whole muffin tin in the fridge), but if your house isn’t super warm, this step isn’t necessary.
Next, scoop about a teaspoon of chopped pecans into each muffin cup. (If you use an abnormally shaped pan, fill it to a little below the rim with pecans.) (Picture 10)
Spoon the pie filling over the top, then bang the pan on the counter a few times to help the sugar seep in around the pecans.
Bake for 30 minutes, then let cool on a wire rack. I like to let them sit for 5-10 minutes, then I use a butter knife to trace around the edges of the muffin cups to loosen the tarts. Then, they should pop right out.
When the tarts come out of the oven, you will notice that some of the tarts will set perfectly, and some might look like they exploded and split open a doorway to another universe. Both will be very delicious.
🍱 Recipe Yield
This tart recipe will make 24 mini tarts or around 12-14 larger tarts.
🙋♀️ Frequently Asked Questions
This crust is different than a traditional pie crust, and it does not require baking! It bakes in the time it takes for the filling to set – no need to worry about soggy bottoms or using pie weights. It is such an easy recipe!
Yes! You can make these tarts using a gluten-free 1-1 flour. Just let the dough sit for a few minutes before refrigerating it to give the flour a chance to absorb enough moisture to bind together. If it seems too crumbly, you can add a few drops of water and work the dough with your hands until it comes together.
You can, but then they won’t be pecan tarts! This recipe would probably work well with walnuts.
How to Store Pecan Tartlets
Once cooled, store your tarts in an airtight container. They will last for about a week. You can also freeze them for quite a while, especially if you vacuum seal them.
These pecan tarts are also great to bring to a cookie exchange as they are tiny, festive, and delicious. They travel really well and taste so good!
Helpful Tips
- Keep the dough cold. Because the dough is just butter, cream cheese, and flour, it turns to mush if it’s overhandled and becomes nearly impossible to work with. You want to be able to shape the pie cups, so it works best to keep the dough chilled. I like to cut the dough in half and work with a small amount at a time. Then chill the pan for about ten minutes – smooth them out again, then fill them with pecan filling. Then bake!
- Make the dough ahead of time. There are so many things to prep over the holidays – you can get away with making this dough a few days early and even make the tarts a day or two early! These mini pecan pie tarts also freeze really well.
- Bake this tart recipe for your next cookie exchange! These mini pies are perfect for cookie exchanges because they are a perfect little bite – and they are so tasty. You can send everyone home with a little bite of pecan pie.
What to Serve with Them
These little pies are a treat just on their own, but we love to serve them warm with a little whipped cream or vanilla ice cream on top.
Have You Tried This Recipe?
Please rate it and leave a comment below. I would love to hear what you think!
Pecan Tarts
Ingredients
Pecan Tart Crust
- 3 ounces cream cheese softened
- ½ cup butter 1 stick, softened
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
Pecan Tart Filling
- ¾ cup light brown sugar
- 1 egg
- 1 tablespoon butter softened
- 1 pinch kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ⅔ cup pecan halves chopped
Instructions
- In a medium bowl, cream butter with softened cream cheese. Next, add the flour. Mix until completely combined. It will be very sticky.3 ounces cream cheese, ½ cup butter, 1 cup all-purpose flour
- Wrap dough in wax paper or plastic wrap and chill for at least an hour.
- When you are ready to make the tarts, preheat your oven to 325°F, then make the filling.
- Using an electric mixer, combine egg, softened butter, brown sugar, vanilla extract, and a pinch of salt until it makes a silky pie filling.¾ cup light brown sugar, 1 egg, 1 tablespoon butter, 1 pinch kosher salt, 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- Spray a mini muffin pan with cooking spray or use your favorite “cute” muffin tin.
- Take out the chilled dough and cut it in half – return half of the dough to the fridge to keep cold. (As the dough softens, it will get harder to work with.)
- Divide each half of the dough into approximately 12 even dough balls.
- Press one ball of dough into each of the cups of the greased muffin pan, covering the bottom and the sides of the cup, and using your fingers to press it down and smooth it out. (If you use unusually shaped pans, you might end up with a different amount of tarts. If you use a standard “mini” muffin tin, you should end up with 24 mini tarts.)
- I like to chill the prepared dough again for about ten minutes before filling the cups (I just stick the whole muffin tin in the fridge), but if your house isn’t super warm, this step isn’t necessary.
- Next, scoop about a teaspoon of chopped pecans into each muffin cup. (If you use an abnormally shaped pan, fill it to a little below the rim with pecans.)⅔ cup pecan halves
- Spoon the pie filling over the top, then bang the pan on the counter a few times to help the sugar seep in around the pecans.
- Bake for 30 minutes, then let cool on a wire rack. (I like to let them sit for 5-10 minutes, then I use a butter knife to trace around the edges of the muffin cups to loosen the tarts. Then, they should pop right out.)
- When the tarts come out of the oven, you will notice that some of the tarts will set perfectly, and some might look like they exploded and split open a doorway to another universe. Both will be very delicious.
- Serve & enjoy!
Notes
Recipe Yield
This tart recipe will make 24 mini tarts or around 12-14 larger tarts.✏️ Helpful Tips
- Keep the dough cold. Because the dough is just butter, cream cheese, and flour, it turns to mush if it’s over handled and becomes nearly impossible to work with. You want to be able to shape the pie cups so it works best to keep the dough chilled. I like to cut the dough in half and work with a small amount at a time. Then chill the pan for about ten minutes – smooth them out again, then fill them with pecan filling. Then bake!
- Make the dough ahead of time. There are so many things to prep over the holidays – you can get away with making this dough a few days early and even make the tarts a day or two early! These mini pecan pie tarts also freeze really well.
- Bake this tart recipe for your next cookie exchange! These mini pies are perfect for cookie exchanges because they are a perfect little bite – and they are so tasty. You can send everyone home with a little bite of pecan pie.
How to Store Them
Once cooled, Store your tarts in an airtight container. They will last for about a week. You can also freeze them for quite a while, especially if you vacuum seal them. These pecan tarts are also great to bring to a cookie exchange as they are tiny, festive, and delicious. They travel really well and taste so good!Special Equipment Needeed
- mini-muffin tin
Nutrition
Nutrition information is approximate and is automatically calculated, so should only be used as a guide.
Turned out perfectly for holdiday sharing!
I’m so glad! Happy Holidays!