These simple Pecan Pie Bites are made in a muffin pan using only 6 ingredients. Easy to make and quick to bake, these mini pies have a delicious combination of flavors and textures–the crust is buttery, the filling is sweet and gooey, and the pecans add a plentiful crunch in every handheld bite.
Perfectly Portioned Pecan Pie Bites
Mini food that you can eat with your fingers is my favorite kind of fare! That’s why I love this pecan pie bites recipe, because it has all the traditional tastes of pecan pie, but in an individual serving size. These miniature pies are a convenient way to serve your slice, with the same sweet ooey-gooey filling surrounded by a flaky crust, but in a handheld form that you can eat without a fork!
I especially love how easy and fast it is to make the crust. I simply roll a ball of dough with my hands and press it into the sides of my muffin tin. Its buttery, flaky texture contrasts deliciously with the soft, rich center and crunchy pecans. This is true pecan pie perfection in a mini-size bite!
Why We Love This Pecan Pie Bites Recipe
- Easy to make and quick to bake.
- Adorable and fun because they are bite-sized, handheld mini pies.
- Full of crunchy pecans and gooey filling in a buttery crust.
- Individually sized and single-servings make them ideal for entertaining.
- Convenient way to serve a traditional treat at holiday get-togethers or family gatherings.
Ingredients / Shopping List
- Salted sweet cream butter
- Light brown sugar
- All-purpose flour
- Chopped pecans
- Light corn syrup – You can replace the corn syrup with maple syrup, agave nectar, or brown rice syrup.
- Vanilla extract
PRO-TIP: For best taste, use butter rather than margarine and vanilla extract rather than vanilla flavoring.
Substitutions and Additions
- Add some spice: Feel free to add nutmeg and cinnamon to the filling. These warming spices pair perfectly with the toasty pecans and dark brown sugar.
- Sprinkle of Salt: Before baking, try adding a sprinkle of coarse salt to your pecan pie bites if you want to offset the sweetness and elevate the flavor profile.
Recommended Tools
- Stand mixer or handheld mixer
- mini muffin pan
- Measuring tools
- Mixing bowls
- Cookie scoop
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How to Make Pecan Pie Bites
These pecan pie bites have all the delicious flavors of traditional pecan pie but in mini form. Super easy to make and perfect for entertaining!
- Beat the butter until smooth. Mix in light brown sugar.
- Add flour and mix until well incorporated.
- Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate.
- In a separate bowl, mix together light brown sugar, light corn syrup, butter and vanilla extract. Stir in pecans and set aside.
PRO-TIP: You can toast the chopped pecans in a skillet on the stovetop for a few minutes before adding them to the filling. Allow them to completely cool before adding them to the filling. - Roll your chilled dough into balls and depress each into an individual muffin cups.
PRO-TIP: Coat muffin pans liberally with nonstick cooking spray, even if you’re using a nonstick muffin pan. - Spoon pie filling into each muffin cup. Bake, cool, serve and enjoy!
PRO-TIP: Don’t over-fill the mini pies. The filling will rise and bubble as they bake.
Pro-Tips:
- If the filling does bubble over the edges during baking, take advantage of the fact that the sugar is still liquid while hot. Remove your pecan pie bites while they’re still warm so the sugar doesn’t cool, solidify, and glue your mini pies to the pan.
- Use a butter knife to help loosen the pies and they’ll pop right out.
- You can loosely tent aluminum foil over the top of the muffin pan if your oven cooks unevenly or tends to cook too quickly.
Storage Tips
- To Store: Store any leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 1 week.
- To Freeze: The baked pies can be stored tightly covered in the freezer for up to 1 month. Allow the pies to completely thaw before serving.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes, you can freeze your pecan pie bites by wrapping each individual pie tightly with aluminum foil or plastic freezer wrap, and then transferring them to a freezer bag. For best results, use the frozen pecan pies within 1 month. Bring to room temperature before serving.
Corn syrup is used in this recipe for sweetness, but it also creates a smooth texture and acts as a binder for the filling.
Pecan pie bites are done baking at the first signs of solidity in the center of the pies. The internal temperature should reach 200° F and the center should not be jiggly and the crust should be golden.
Other Easy Bite-Sized Recipes
- No-Bake Cheesecake Bites
- Mini Cookies and Cream Cheesecakes Bites
- Apple Pie Bites {with Crescent Rolls}
- Caramel Apple Crisp Bites
- Pumpkin Spice Bites
- S’more Bites
- Cinnamon Roll Bites
- Pecan Pie Cheesecake Bars
- Pie Crust Cinnamon Rolls
- Boston Cream Pie Cookie Cups
Pecan Pie Bites
Ingredients
Crust
- ¾ cup salted sweet cream butter softened
- ⅓ cup light brown sugar packed
- 1¾ cups all-purpose flour
Filling
- 1½ cups chopped pecans
- 1 cup light brown sugar packed
- ½ cup light corn syrup
- 3 tbsp salted sweet cream butter melted
- 1½ tsp vanilla extract
Instructions
- Using a stand mixer, or a handheld mixer on medium-high speed, beat the butter for 1 – 1 ½ minutes until smooth.
- Add the light brown sugar and continue to mix for 30 seconds.
- Add the flour and mix just until well incorporated. Cover with plastic wrap and chill in the refrigerator for 30 minutes.
- Using a medium size mixing bowl, stir together the light brown sugar, light corn syrup, butter and vanilla extract. Stir until the mixture is well incorporated.
- Stir in the pecans and set it aside.
- Preheat the oven to 350*. Generously spray a mini muffin pan and set it aside.
- Remove the dough from the refrigerator. Using a 1 tablespoon cookie scoop, scoop out the dough and roll into balls.
- Using your thumb or a dough tamper, depress the dough into the individual muffin cups.
- Spoon enough pie filling to fill the cups, being careful to not dribble the filling.
- Bake for 12 – 15 minutes, until the crust is golden.
- Allow the mini pies to completely cool before removing from the pans.
Jenn’s Notes
- To Store: Store any leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 1 week.
- To Freeze: The baked pies can be stored tightly covered in the freezer for up to 1 month. Allow the pies to completely thaw before serving.
- Don’t over-fill the mini pies. The filling will rise and bubble as they bake.
If the filling does bubble over the edges during baking, take advantage of the fact that the sugar is still liquid while hot. Remove your pecan pie bites while they’re still warm so the sugar doesn’t cool, solidify, and glue your mini pies to the pan. - Use a butter knife to help loosen the pies and they’ll pop right out.
- Coat muffin pans liberally with nonstick cooking spray, even if you’re using a nonstick muffin pan.
- For best taste, use butter rather than margarine and vanilla extract rather than vanilla flavoring.
- You can toast the chopped pecans in a skillet on the stovetop for a few minutes before adding them to the filling. Allow them to completely cool before adding them to the filling.
- You can loosely tent aluminum foil over the top of the muffin pan if your oven cooks unevenly or tends to cook too quickly.
They are easy to make! I took them on vacation and everyone loved them!!
I’m confused, in the recipe itself it states to “completely cool before removing from pans” yet in the tips it states “remove while they are still warm”. They sound delicious and I can’t wait to try them but I don’t want to make a mess.
These LOOK SUPER YUMMY 👏🏼👏🏼👍🏼♥️❗️Thank You FOR Sharing There’s ONLY a CO of US in Our Family WHO are pecan pie eaters SO At Holidays It’s Hard Being Left W/ ALOT of PIE 😱😂CHOCOLATE and Other Flavors GO Fast😂 Thank You 😊G-d♥️Bless
Not sure what asset cream butter is? What can be substituted?
Hi – I looked at the enitre post and couldn’t find where you saw “asset cream butter”. Could you point it out to me? If it is in here, it is a typo. The recipe uses salted sweet cream butter.
Butter is best for this type of mini pie
Even if I’m not hungry, after looking at the website and reading the ingredients I’m salivating. Then I pick up any ingredients I don’t have on hand, and make them. Of course, everyone volunteers to be the official taste tester!