Pecan Tassies
These pecan tassies are similar to mini pecan pie bites, but so much easier to make! The cream cheese crust doesn’t have to be rolled out and the pecan filling is made without corn syrup. They’re the perfect addition to your holiday dessert table or cookie boxes!
If making an entire pecan pie sounds difficult, you have to try these pecan tassies instead. They taste like a cross between mini pecan pies and a deep dish cookie cup.
This super easy recipe starts with a cream cheese crust that requires no rolling. The crust tastes similar to pie crust, but all you have to do is scoop it into a mini muffin pan and press it in. The pecan filling is also made with just a few basic ingredients you probably already have on hand.
These pecan tassies are the perfect bite-sized dessert to include in cookie boxes or as part of your holiday dessert table. They last for several days and can even be made in advance, which comes in super handy during the busy holiday season.
Watch The Full Recipe Video
A Few Notes On Ingredients and Tools
Mini Muffin Pan
These pecan tassies are rich and meant to be bite-sized (maybe three bites, at most!), so this recipe uses a mini muffin pan instead of a regular one. If you don’t have one, I really love this mini muffin pan from Wilton!
Cream Cheese
Make sure to use brick-style cream cheese that’s sold in a foil wrapper. Avoid anything labeled as “lite” or “low-fat” or else the crust won’t have the right consistency. You won’t be using the whole block, but you can use the rest in another recipe like this pumpkin cream cheese bread or these cream cheese mints.
Brown Sugar
The brown sugar gives the pecan filling a caramel-like flavor and richness, so don’t substitute it with plain granulated sugar. You can use either light or dark, or if you’re in a pinch you can make your own brown sugar substitute.
Pecans
It’s best to finely chop your pecans so no big pieces sneak into the filling. You can toast them as well, but if I’m being honest I prefer to skip this step. If you’re not sure how to toast the pecans, just follow the instructions in step 12 of my pecan pie cheesecake recipe.
The Cream Cheese Crust
You’ll want to spray the mini muffin pan well with nonstick cooking spray before adding the crust so they don’t stick. If you don’t have any, you can grease each cavity with some butter instead.
The crust will also be much softer and more pliable than traditional pie dough. This makes it easy to press into the mini muffin cavities, but sometimes the dough can be a little too soft which makes it difficult to work with. If that’s the case for you, just refrigerate the dough for 30 minutes to 1 hour and then try again.
I recommend pressing the dough all the way up the sides to ensure every bite of filling is encased in crust. To make forming the crust even easier, you can use a tart tamper to press the dough into the muffin cavities.
Quick Tip: Don’t skip chilling the crust while you prepare the pecan filling! This helps it maintain its shape while baking.
The Pecan Filling
To prevent the middles from puffing up in the oven and then sinking while cooling, avoid overmixing the pecan filling. Overmixing incorporates extra air into the filling, which is what causes it to rise and then deflate.
You also want to make sure your egg is at room temperature before adding it to the melted butter. A cold egg will cause the butter to solidify, which is a big no-no here.
When filling the muffin cavities, fill each one to the top, but don’t let the pecan mixture spill over the crust. This will make for a prettier presentation and the pecan tassies will come out of the muffin pan much easier!
Quick Tip: Need to quickly bring your egg to room temperature? Place it in a bowl of warm (not hot!) tap water for 5 to 10 minutes.
Can I Use A Regular Muffin Pan?
Yes, just keep in mind that you will need to increase the baking time.
Can I Use Another Kind Of Nut?
Absolutely! You’re welcome to substitute the pecans with finely chopped walnuts, pecans, or your favorite nut.
If you make these pecan tassies, don’t forget to leave a comment below letting me know how they turned out! I’ll definitely be serving these throughout the holiday season this year since I can make a big batch in advance. Happy Baking!
Pecan Tassie Recipe
Ingredients
Crust
- ½ cup unsalted butter softened (113 grams; 1 stick)
- 3 ounces brick-style cream cheese softened (85 grams)
- 1 cup all-purpose flour measured correctly (125 grams)
- ⅛ teaspoon salt
Pecan Filling
- ¾ cup packed light or dark brown sugar (150 grams; I used light)
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter melted (28 grams)
- 1 large egg at room temperature
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 1 cup finely chopped pecans (115 grams)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 325°F (163°C). Spray a 24 count mini muffin pan with nonstick cooking spray and set aside.
- To make the crust: 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. Add the flour and salt and mix until fully combined.½ cup unsalted butter,3 ounces brick-style cream cheese,1 cup all-purpose flour,⅛ teaspoon salt
- Distribute the crust evenly between all 24 cavities of the prepared mini muffin pan, about 2 teaspoons (or 13 grams) per cavity. Gently press the dough into the bottom and all the way up around the sides of each cavity. You can use your fingers for this step, but a tart tamper will make it a little easier to form them!
- Transfer the mini muffin pan to the fridge so the crust can chill while you prepare the filling.
- To make the pecan filling: Whisk the brown sugar, melted butter, egg, and vanilla extract together until just combined, then fold in the chopped pecans.¾ cup packed light or dark brown sugar,2 tablespoons unsalted butter,1 large egg,1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract,1 cup finely chopped pecans
- Remove the muffin pan from the fridge and distribute the filling evenly between all 24 crusts (about 1 heaping teaspoon for each one).
- Bake for 20 to 25 minutes or until the tops are lightly golden brown.
- Remove from the oven and allow to cool slightly in the pan, about 5 minutes. Use a butter knife to gently slide around each one to remove them from the pan. Transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
