These gooey and delicious Pecan Pie Tarts take under 30 minutes to make and are rich with flavors of brown sugar, butter, vanilla, and lots of toasty pecans.
Are you responsible for bringing a dessert to Thanksgiving dinner? These mini pecan pie tarts are just the recipe for you. They are incredibly easy and quick, yet delightfully homemade and are sure to impress! Other fantastic Thanksgiving dessert ideas include Fudgy Brownie Pecan Pie for a decadent twist on a classic, Sticky Caramel Apple Spice Cake for a tasty apple dessert, or Mini Pumpkin Cupcakes if you want a pumpkin treat!
Pecan pie actually is not super common here in Canada. Grocery stores have it, some people make it, but I don't think it's as popular here as it is in the United States. My take on it with these tarts is definitely different than a traditional pie. I don't use corn syrup, making the tarts less sweet and, well... syrupy. These tarts have a higher than normal ratio of pecans to brown sugar/butter mixture, making them less sweet and more rich and nuttier. They are probably closer to Canadian Butter Tarts than real pecan pie, but you can call them either pecan butter tarts or pecan pie tarts!
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⭐️ Why You Need to Make This Recipe
- Flavor - Pecan pie is a Thanksgiving and Autumn classic, and these pecan pie tarts are rich with flavors of butter, vanilla, brown sugar, and toasty pecans.
- Texture - Flakey tart crust, gooey brown sugar filling, and lots of crunchy pecans come together into a wonderfully textured tart.
- Method - Store-bought tart shells keep these tarts easy-peasy, and because they are so small, the baking time is minimal!
🧈 Ingredients
Here are the ingredients needed to make these mini pecan pie tarts.
Ingredient Notes
- Tart Shells - I use store-bought unsweetened tart shells for convenience! You could make homemade tart shells instead.
- Pecans - Costco is the best place to buy affordable pecans.
- Brown Sugar - I recommend using a brown sugar with smaller granules to avoid having a gritty texture in the tarts. Avoid raw cane sugar or turbinado sugar, which has a very coarse texture and might not dissolve completely while the tarts bake.
- Vanilla - As in most recipes, a little vanilla extract makes these tarts extra delicious.
See the recipe card for the full list of ingredients with measurements.
📃 Instructions
Step 1: Combine the melted butter, brown sugar, eggs, and vanilla extract.
Step 2: Whisk by hand or using an electric mixer for 2 minutes. The mixture should be smooth and frothy. This ensures the sugar granules dissolve for a smooth filling that is not grainy.
Step 3: Fold in the chopped pecans until incorporated.
Step 4: Distribute the filling evening between all 15 tart shells, filling each shell to the top.
Bake in the preheated oven for 12-15 minutes or until the edges of the tart shells are golden and the pecans are toasty and fragrant.
💡 Top Tip
These tarts would be delicious served with lightly sweetened whipped cream! Homemade whipped cream with a little bit of powdered sugar and vanilla is always yummy, but store-bought whipped cream is convenient and good, too.
❓ Recipe FAQs
Yes, if you prefer homemade pastry and have a good recipe for it, you could absolutely do that instead of store-bought. Chill and do not pre-bake the shells before filling with the pecan filling.
Yes! I think walnuts would be a nice substitute if that is all you have or prefer.
Yes. Due to the higher content of eggs in the recipe, you should store pecan pie and tarts in the refrigerator.
🧡 More Pecan Recipes
Looking for other recipes like this? Try these:
If you tried these Pecan Pie Tarts or any other recipe on my website, please leave a ⭐️ star rating and write a little note telling me how it went in the comments below. Thank you!!
📖 Recipe
Pecan Pie Tarts
Equipment
- baking sheet
- mixing bowl
- measuring cups & spoons
- whisk
Ingredients
- 15 unsweetened frozen tart shells *
- ¼ cup salted butter * melted
- 1 ¼ cups light brown sugar packed
- 2 eggs
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1 ½ cups chopped pecans
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375℉. Arrange 15 frozen premade tart shells on a large baking sheet.15 unsweetened frozen tart shells
- In a mixing bowl, whisk together the melted butter, brown sugar, eggs, and vanilla. Continue whisking by hand or using an electric mixer for 2 minutes. The mixture should be smooth and frothy. (This ensures the sugar granules dissolve for a smooth filling that is not grainy.)¼ cup salted butter, 1 ¼ cups light brown sugar, 2 eggs, 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- Fold in the chopped pecans until incorporated. Distribute the filling evening between all 15 tart shells, filling each shell to the top.1 ½ cups chopped pecans
- Bake in the preheated oven for 15-17 minutes or until the edges of the tart shells are golden and the pecans are toasty and fragrant. Let cool for at least 15 minutes before serving warm with whipped cream or vanilla ice cream, or let cool fully before serving. Enjoy!
Notes
- You could make and use homemade tart shells instead.
- If using unsalted butter, add ⅛ teaspoon of salt to the recipe for proper flavor development.
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