Pecan Tassies

Name: Classic Pecan Tassies
Prep time: 25 min
Cook time: 20 min
Total time: 45 min
Ingredients: ½ cup butter (softened); 3 ounces cream cheese (softened); 1 cup all-purpose flour; 2 tablespoons butter (melted); ¾ cup brown sugar; 1 large egg; 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract; 1 cup pecans (finely chopped)

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These homemade Pecan Tassies are sweet little pecan pies but only in a smaller size. You will love the buttery and flaky cream cheese pastry crust and the gooey golden pecan filling that is totally luscious.

Close-up of a stack of bite-sized pecan tassies with crumbly tops and golden crusts.

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These classic tarts are always favorite treats and one of the most requested desserts to bring to parties. Made in a mini-muffin tin, these bite-sized tassies are quick and easy to make and the perfect bite-sized dessert.

These tarts are always on my holiday table for Christmas and Easter desserts, but I have been known to make them in the middle of summer. Since they freeze well, you can make them ahead of time, keep them in the freezer and pull a few out when you are craving a sweet treat.

Jump to:

Why I Like These Nut Tarts
Baking with Pecans
Tart Recipe Ingredients
How to Make Pecan Tassies
Pro Tip
More One Hot Oven's favorite bite-sized treats
FAQ's
More Pies & Tarts
Recipe

Why I Like These Nut Tarts

These tarts are really the perfect dessert; you can pick them up to eat, no fork required.
They look impressive on a dessert table; pile them up on a platter.
These classic tarts are everyone's favorite, and they make the perfect dessert gift for any time of the year.

Baking with Pecans

If you love baking with pecans, this easy Pecan Pie with Bourbon is just like the classic pie but just taken up a notch in flavor.
When was the last time you made a batch of blondies? I think these cookies are so underrated, and once you try these easy-to-make Brown Butter Blondies, you will understand my thoughts.
Bake these Pecan Thumbprint Cookies and fill them with your favorite jam.
My favorite yeast bread has swirls of pecans. Bake a loaf of this Nutmeg and Pecan Braided Bread; it's quick to make and delicious to eat.

Tart Recipe Ingredients

Ingredients for Pecan Tassies labeled on a table include eggs, butter, melted butter, brown sugar, cream cheese, vanilla, pecans, and flour.

For the Crust

Unsalted Butter
Cream Cheese
All-purpose Flour

For the Filling

Large Eggs
Brown Sugar - You can use light or dark brown sugar or make homemade brown sugar for a fresh flavor.
Salt
Vanilla - Make sure to buy a good quality vanilla, or make homemade vanilla using your favorite beans.
Chopped Pecans

How to Make Pecan Tassies

Step 1. In the bowl of your stand mixer, beat the butter and cream cheese together on high until creamy, about 1 minute.

Cubed butter and cream cheese sit in a metal mixing bowl next to a blue and white checkered cloth, ready for crafting delectable Pecan Tassies, with a mixer attachment nearby.

Step 2. Add the flour and beat on medium speed until a soft dough begins to come together, about 3 minutes.

A mixing bowl with butter and flour sits next to a checkered cloth on the countertop, ready to create delightful Pecan Tassies.

Step 3. Divide the dough into 24 balls. Press 1 ball into each cup in the muffin tin and use a tart tamper to form the dough into a little cup. When doing the sides of your dough cup, it is best to go a little bit above the edge of the pan.

Mini tart shells and pecan tassies dough balls fill a 24-cup muffin pan.

Pro Tip

If you don't have a tart tamper, you can roll the dough out on a floured surface, cut out circles, and press the circles into the muffin pan. You can also use your fingers or a spoon to form the dough into a cup.

Step 4. Once that is done, set aside while we’ll start on the filling. In a medium mixing bowl, stir together the melted butter, brown sugar, egg, vanilla extract and pecans.

A glass bowl with chopped nuts, brown sugar, butter, and an egg yolk sits ready to create delightful Pecan Tassies. Nearby, a wooden spoon rests on a blue-and-white checkered cloth on the light surface.

Step 5. Add approximately 1 tablespoon of the filling into each cup, filling it level to the pan (slightly lower than the dough). Do not go past that mark.

Mini pecan tassies neatly arranged in a baking tray with a checkered cloth nearby, showcasing their delightful bite-sized charm.

Step 6. Bake for 20-25 minutes. The crust will be golden and the filling will appear a little crispy on top. Cool in the pan for 6-7 minutes then move them to a cooling rack to cool completely.

A muffin tin with 24 delightful Pecan Tassies rests on a white surface, accompanied by a blue and white checkered cloth.

More One Hot Oven's favorite bite-sized treats

Quick and Easy Jam Tarts are made with a simple pie dough, or even leftover pie dough, and filled with your favorite jam.
Sweet Cherry Handpies - no fork is required to eat these handheld pies.
Mini Swiss Cheese Quiche are perfect for breakfast, brunch, or even lunch.
Apricot Puff Pastry Pinwheels have just four ingredients, all rolled up in buttery puff pastry.
Baked Cheese Crackers are made with Cotswold cheddar cheese and these crackers make a great addition to your cheese board.
Pears & Asiago Cheese Pinwheels are tasty bite-sized appetizers filled with fruit and cheese wrapped in puff pastry.

FAQ's

Do pecan tassies freeze well?

These tarts are totally freezable, so you can make them ahead of time. Let the baked tarts cool completely and store them in an airtight container for up to three months. To serve, let them thaw at room temperature.

I have leftover pecan pie filling; what can I do with it?

You can freeze the extra filling to use later for many different desserts.

1. Add the leftover filling to ice cream, for a rich butter pecan flavor.
2. When making brownies, mix the pie filling into the batter or pour it on top of it and bake.
3. If you love bread pudding, add the leftover filling to the unbaked pudding and bake.

Why do my pecan tarts stick to the muffin pan?

Most likely, the pecan pie filling has overflowed the pastry dough while baking and dripped down the sides of the pan. To keep this from happening, try these tricks.

1. Don't overfill the tart shell
2. Lightly grease the muffin pan before adding the tart dough
3. As soon as the tarts come out of the oven, run a knife around the edges to loosen them.
4. Use a non-stick mini muffin pan.

Mini pecan pies, also known as pecan tassies, are arranged on a surface with a bowl of pecans and two milk glasses with striped straws nearby. A blue checkered cloth is partially visible.

More Pies & Tarts

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Recipe

Close-up of six mini pecan tassies stacked on a white surface, surrounded by whole pecans.

Classic Pecan Tassies

Jere' Cassidy

Pecan Tassies are just a smaller version of a pecan pie but bite-sized and have a buttery-flaky cream cheese crust with a luscious pecan fill. Make these tarts in mini muffin tins for a quick and easy dessert that are always a hit for the holidays and parties.

4.85 from 120 votes

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 25

Cook Time 20

Total Time 45

Course Dessert, Tart

Cuisine American

Servings pecan tassies

Calories 93 kcal

Equipment

Ingredients

Tart Shells

½ cup butter softened
3 ounces cream cheese softened
1 cup all-purpose flour

Pecan Filling

2 tablespoons butter melted
¾ cup brown sugar
1 large egg
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 cup pecans finely chopped

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 350°F.
In the bowl to your stand mixer, beat the butter and cream cheese together on high until creamy, about 1 minute.
Add the flour and beat on medium speed until a soft dough begins to come together, about 3 minutes.
Divide the dough into 24 - 1 inch balls (½ oz each).
Press 1 ball into each cup in the muffin tin and use your fingers or a spoon to form the dough into a little cup. When doing the sides of your dough cup, it is best to go a little bit above the edge of the pan.
Once that is done, set aside while we’ll start on the filling. In a medium mixing bowl, stir together the melted butter, brown sugar, egg, vanilla extract and pecans.
Add approximately 1 tablespoon of the filling into each cup, filling it level to the pan (slightly lower than the dough). Do not go past that mark.
Bake for 20-25 minutes. The crust will be golden and the filling will appear a little crispy on top. Cool in the pan for 6-7 minutes then move them to a cooling rack to cool completely.

Notes

The dough of the crust can be really sticky so I would suggest dusting your fingertips with flour before handling.
Do not overfill the dough with the filling. When baking the filling will bubble and rise before it falls. Overfilling the tart shell will cause the filling to leak around the sides of the cookie and it is a nightmare to get them out of the pan.

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Nutrition

Serving: 1Calories: 93kcalCarbohydrates: 12gProtein: 2gFat: 5gSaturated Fat: 1gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 2gTrans Fat: 0.001gCholesterol: 11mgSodium: 22mgPotassium: 48mgFiber: 1gSugar: 7gVitamin A: 70IUVitamin C: 0.05mgCalcium: 21mgIron: 0.4mg

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First published Nov. 24, 2018, last updated Nov. 23, 2024.

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About Jere’
From learning to cook on a farm in Indiana to culinary school in California, my passion for food is never-ending. Turning on my oven to bake something for friends and family is my happy place, and I am glad to be here at One Hot Oven sharing both sweet and savory recipes with all my baking friends.