Pecan Tassies are the perfect bite-sized treat! Bring these homemade tiny tarts to your next holiday party.
This vintage recipe for Pecan Tassies was given to me by my mom, who got it from my grandmother. I love a family recipe passed down through the generations because even if I’m making it alone, I can feel the love of my family in my kitchen!
This is one of the very first “complicated” recipes I attempted to make after I had a few years of cooking experience. I was still pretty inexperienced at this point, and I remember being so careful and cautious. They came out good, but it took me all day the first time!
Try adding a few of these to your next cookie tray, people will think you spent a lot of time making them, and I bet you will be one of the few that actually take the time and love to make them.
Ingredients
- Butter — a cup softened for the dough and 2 tablespoons melted for the filling
- Cream cheese
- Flour
- Eggs
- Brown sugar
- Vanilla extract
- Diced pecans
For this recipe, I recommend using diced pecans. These tarts have a small opening, and pecan pieces can be too big.
If you are determined to use whole pecans, I would place a pecan into each individual tart. Mix the other ingredients, omitting the diced pecans, and then spoon the mixture over your whole pecan.
Just like with a pecan pie, the pecans will float to the top!
How to Make It
You’ll need mini pie pans for these Pecan Tassies, and I suggest a tart tamper if it’s in your budget. You can mold these with clean hands for an all-vintage approach, but the tamper speeds up the process and makes them uniform with ease.
- Start by preheating your oven to 350 degrees F and prepping your mini pie tins by spraying with baking spray.
- Next, start mixing. Combine the softened butter with the cream cheese and beat until fluffy. Once fluffed, add the flour and mix until it’s all absorbed. That’s your dough!
- Now, roll your dough into 48 equal-sized pieces and place each into the mini pie tins.
- Mold the dough around the bottom and up the edges of the pan with a tamper or your clean fingers.
- Time for the filling! Mix your eggs, brown sugar, melted butter, vanilla extract, and diced pecans in a large bowl. Divide evenly between dough cups.
- Then, place mini pie tins into 350°F oven and bake for about 25 minutes until the crust turns golden brown.
- Once done, remove tins from the oven and let cool for at least 30 minutes before handling.
- After they’ve cooled, carefully remove each cookie from the pan and set on a cooling rack until completely cooled.
If I’m making these for a party, I plan to bake them a day before I need them. Unlike most cookies, these aren’t best fresh from the oven! You want them to cool completely to let the filling set.
How to Store
I love making tons of Pecan Tassies during the holidays for gifts and parties. Always check about nut allergies before gifting these!
Pack them in airtight containers once they’ve cooled completely. If you store these at room temperature, they will last about a week. If you keep them in the refrigerator, you’ll get to snack on them for about two weeks!
What I used for this recipe
These items are all available using our Amazon affiliate links below.
Mini Pie Pans: You can use disposable pie pans for this recipe but I love this reusable tray! Just like a muffin pan but with a crimped detailing for the crust!
Tart Tamper: This double-ended tamper saves your fingers from so much work molding these cookies! Place into each dough ball and watch magic happen.
Mixing bowls: These stainless steel mixing bowls will last forever and have a silicone coating on the bottom to keep it in place no matter how long you’re beating egg whites!
MORE DESSERT RECIPES
- Blueberry Tarts
- Chocolate Covered Cherry Cheesecake Bites
- The BEST Lemon Bars
- Candy Acorns
- Vanilla Icebox Pinwheel Cookies
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Pecan Tassies
Equipment
- Mini Pie Pans
- Tart Tamper
Ingredients
Dough Ingredients
- 1 cup butter softened
- 6 ounces cream cheese softened
- 2 cups flour
Filling Ingredients
- 2 large eggs
- 1 ½ cups brown sugar firmly packed
- 2 tablespoons butter melted
- 1 ½ teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1 ½ cups pecans diced
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
- Spray mini muffin pans or pie pans with baking spray.
- In a mixing bowl, combine softened butter and cream cheese, beating until fluffy.
- Add flour and mix until all flour is absorbed.
- Roll dough into 48 equal sized pieces and place into cups of the pans.
- Form dough around the bottom and up the sides of each pan.
- In a separate bowl, combine filling ingredients and mix well.
- Place equal amounts of filling into each dough cup.
- Place into the preheated oven and bake for 20 to 25 minutes, or until the crust has turned golden brown.
- Remove from oven.
- Allow tassies to cool for at least 30 minutes.
- Carefully remove each cookie from the pan and set onto a cooling rack to finish cooling.
Barb
The Best!!!
I have been making these for years, and I went to make them and I couldn’t find my recipe !
So….I turned to Pinterest. This was the first one I saw and it sounded about the same as mine. However….it must be more brown sugar , they were delicious and we couldn’t quit eating them!!! They had a gooey center and my recipe never did.
Thank you so much!!!! When and if I find my recipe, it’s going in the trash!!
Beth Mueller
Hi Barb!
I am so glad you enjoyed these! They are definitely dangerous to have around because they are so handy and addictive.
Cheers!
Marie M.
I made this and it turned out absolutely delicious! Very easy to make too specially if you have a tamper!
I used a regular whoopie pie pan and was able to make 24 pcs.thank you for sharing!
Beth Mueller
Hi Marie!
Thanks for visiting again and letting me know how they turned out. I’ve never tried these with a whoopie pie pan, but you’ve got me curious!
Cheers!
margie SLATER
can you muffin tins instead of mini pie plates
Beth Mueller
Hi Margie!
Mini muffin pans are what I use. I use them more for mini pies like these and my mini blueberry pies that I call them pie plates. Sorry for the confusion!
Happy Holidays!
Cindy
I like to put half of a drained and patted dry maraschino cherry on top of each tart. It makes them look festive.
Beth Mueller
Hi Cindy!
I so love that idea – thanks so much for sharing!
Happy Holidays!
Carla Spencer
Can you add bourbon to these and how much. I usually use 2 tablespoons to a pie
Beth Mueller
Hi Carla!
I have never tried adding bourbon, but the filling is similar to a pecan pie filling. I would try adding one tablespoon first and see if it makes it too runny.
Hope this helps!
Rose
I made these today for a cookie table and they have turned out wonderful! I used your tip to spray with cooking spray. Thanks!
Beth Mueller
Hi Rose!
Thanks for dropping back by and letting me know that tip worked for you!
Cheers!
Anonymous
Great treat,I’ve made them for years..
Anonymous
Thank u so much for this recipe. I had lost mine. So very good & so easy.
Erika
These are my all-time favorite! My grandma would make these for the holidays and then I gave it a shot when I was about 15,they came great and I’ve been making them ever since. She used walnuts so that’s what I use and the first time I did mine I accidentally used more cream cheese but what a great mistake! It’s how I always make them now. I use 8 of. of cream cheese for everything of butter I usually add extra vanilla too. These are the best!