Mini Pecan Pie Tarts with a Cream Cheese Crust

Mini pecan pie tarts are one of life’s great little pleasures. No fork, no fuss—just bite-sized magic baked into flaky cream cheese crusts with gooey, nutty filling that tastes like the holidays and home and every Southern party.

The Tiny Tart That Steals the Show

Let’s be honest: pecan pie is great… in theory. But sometimes it’s just too much. Too sweet. Too sticky. Too hard to finish a whole slice. That’s why I always lean toward these mini pecan pie tarts—also known around here as pecan tassies. They’ve got all the flavor you crave, without the sugar crash or dessert regret.

I grew up seeing these at every kind of Southern gathering—bridal showers, Derby parties, baby showers, Sunday spreads. They’re the kind of thing people gravitate to instinctively. You don’t even have to explain what they are. They’re small, golden, and impossible to stop at just one.

We served them at my wedding. We make them every single year for our Kentucky Derby party. And I pull them out anytime I need a solid, reliable dessert that looks a little fancy but secretly couldn’t be easier.

The filling is simple—just stir and spoon. The crust is what really makes these shine. It’s not your average pastry. This one’s made with cream cheese and butter, and when it bakes, it turns into the flakiest little shell you’ve ever tasted. Honestly, the crust alone is reason enough to make them.

If you’ve got a tailgate or potluck coming up, tuck this recipe into your back pocket. You’ll be glad you did.

Mini Pecan Pie Tart Recipe Ingredients

Here are the basics, check the Recipe Card for a full list.

How To Make Mini Traditional Pecan Pie Butter Tarts

Step 1: Soften up your butter and cream cheese.

Just leave them on the counter for 30 minutes or so. Or check out my tricks for how to soften butter and how to soften cream cheese.

Step 2: Make the crust.

TIP: No food processor? You can also mix this together by hand if needed. Use a fork or a pastry cutter to mix together the flour, butter, salt, and cream cheese. Once it resembles coarse crumbs, you can use your hands to knead the dough together and shape it into a ball.

Step 3: Fill the mini muffin pan.

Grab your mini muffin tin and give it a light coating of cooking spray.

Step 4: Make your filling.

Step 5: Bake the tarts.

Bake until the edges of the crust have started to turn a light golden brown. Remove the pan from the oven and allow the tarts to continue to cook in the pan for another 10 minutes.

Pro Tips So They Come Out Just Right

• Don’t overfill the crusts. If the filling spills over, it’ll glue the tart to the pan.
• Always spray your pan. Even nonstick ones.
• Want a deeper flavor? Swap the vanilla for bourbon.
• Freeze the dough or baked tarts—they both hold up beautifully.

These little pecan pie bites have been a staple in my kitchen for years. Whether it’s Derby Day, a shower, or a just-because treat, I can always count on them to bring smiles.

Let me know if you make them, and if you sneak bourbon into the filling, I definitely want to hear how it goes.

If you loved this recipe, give it a star ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ rating! Also, snap a picture of your finished dish and share it with me on Instagram using the hashtag #butterandbaggage and tagging me @butterandbaggage.

Mini Pecan Pie Tarts With a Cream Cheese Crust

Author: Barbara Curry

Mini pecan pie tarts are one of life's great little pleasures. A Southern tradition at weddings, parties, and of course Kentucky Derby parties. A flaky cream cheese crust surrounds a richly sweet, gooey pecan pie filling. Like a mini pecan pie but better, no fork required.

5 from 1 vote

Print Pin

PREP: 15 minutes minutes

COOK: 25 minutes minutes

Refrigeration: 1 hour hour

TOTAL: 1 hour hour 40 minutes minutes

Servings: 24 mini tarts

Ingredients

 

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Crust:

• ▢ 3 ounces cream cheese softened
• ▢ 8 tablespoons butter softened
• ▢ 1 cup flour
• ▢ ½ teaspoon salt

Filling:

• ▢ ¾ cup brown sugar
• ▢ 1 egg
• ▢ 1 tablespoon butter melted
• ▢ ½ teaspoon vanilla
• ▢ ⅔ cups pecans chopped

Equipment

mini muffin pan

Instructions

 

To make the crust:

• Place the cream cheese, butter, flour and salt in a food processor and pulse until it forms a ball. Form the dough into 24 small balls and set them on a baking tray. Refrigerate for 1 hour or freeze for 20 minutes.
• Spray a mini muffin pan with cooking spray and press each ball into the pan pushing the dough up the sides of the cup until it reaches the top.

To make the filling:

• In a medium bowl, combine the brown sugar, egg, melted butter and vanilla and whisk until smooth. Add chopped pecans.
• Fill each cup to the top, being careful not to go above the crust.
• Bake at 350°F for 20-25 minutes until the edges of the crust have started to brown. Let cook for 10 minutes in the pan, and then remove with a butter knife or offset spatula before the pecan filling sticks to the edges. Allow to fully cool.

Barbara’s Tips + Notes

• For a Southern flavor, use bourbon instead of vanilla.
• This dough recipe can be frozen for later. Freeze for 2-3 months. Thaw in the fridge before you use it.
• Chop up the pecans very small so they’ll fit in the mini tart pan.
• Don’t over fill the muffin pan, extra filling will make it difficult to remove the tarts.

Nutrition

Calories: 117kcal | Carbohydrates: 11g | Protein: 1g | Fat: 8g | Saturated Fat: 4g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 3g | Trans Fat: 0.2g | Cholesterol: 22mg | Sodium: 98mg | Potassium: 35mg | Fiber: 0.4g | Sugar: 7g | Vitamin A: 190IU | Vitamin C: 0.03mg | Calcium: 14mg | Iron: 0.4mg

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