These adorable bite-size mini pumpkin pies are the perfect treat to finish off that heavy Thanksgiving dinner! They are a little twist on the traditional pumpkin pie, literally little! 😉 The recipe makes a lot, perfect for a large gathering.
If you’re like me and my family you are so full from the 1st and 2nd helpings of dinner that there just isn’t any room for dessert! But you can’t say no to dessert, and you persevere anyways, unbuckling your belt, loosening your pants trying to make some more room! But these little mini pumpkin pies are the perfect answer, they are just small enough to give you a taste and finish off your meal with a little holiday sweetness.
They are made with a homemade pastry that’s flaky and buttery. Then they are filled with the classic pumpkin pie filling; full of warm, rich spices and topped with fresh whipped cream! These mini pumpkin pies are light, not overly sweet and make the cutest dessert for your Thanksgiving dinner!
Why Make Mini pumpkin pies
- They feed a large crowd, which makes them great for entertaining
- You can create a dessert table
- They are cute 😉
- There is less filling than a traditional pumpkin pie, meaning a nice filling to pastry ratio. Those who may not enjoy pumpkin pie seem to enjoy this ratio best.
- They make a great make ahead dessert
How to Make Mini Pumpkin Pies
I made the mini pumpkin pies the same way I’d make mini butter tarts. I made my pastry, rolled it out and using a fluted circular cookie cutter, cut out the dough into circles and placed them into mini muffin pans. Then, I filled each one up with pumpkin pie filling. Once cooled and ready to serve, I topped each one with whipping cream!
Mini Pumpkin Pie Baking Tip
Here’s a little trick I learned along the way to get your mini pies out of the tray without ruining them in the process! Cut 1-inch strips of parchment paper and lay the strips across the empty muffin holes. Once you’ve cut the dough into circles, place the dough over the muffin holes and press them gently into the empty spaces, with the parchment paper underneath it. Make sure you leave the parchment paper overhanging on the side of the pan. Once you’ve finished baking your pumpkin pies, pull the sides of the parchment paper and out pops your mini pumpkin pies. Voila!
There’s so much to be grateful for this year, Happy Thanksgiving!
Mini Pumpkin Pies
A little twist on the traditional pumpkin pie. These adorable bite size mini pumpkin pies are the perfect treat to finish off that heavy Thanksgiving dinner. The recipe makes a lot, perfect for a large gathering.
- Prep Time: 1 hour
- Cook Time: 12 mins
- Total Time: 1 hour 12 mins
- Yield: 60 1x
- Category: Dessert
- Cuisine: Canadian
Ingredients
Pastry
- 3 cups all-purpose flour
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 3/4 cup unsalted butter, cold and cut into cubes
- 3/4 cup crisco, cold (shortening)
- 1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons cold water
Filling
- 2 cups pumpkin puree (homemade pumpkin puree)
- 2 eggs
- 1/2 cup whipping cream
- 1/3 cup packed brown sugar
- 1/3 cup granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
- 1/4 teaspoon each ground cloves and nutmeg
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla
Instructions
- In a food processor add flour and salt, blend until incorporated.
- Add cold butter cubes and pulse until butter resembles pea size crumbs.
- Then add Crisco/shortening and continue to pulse until the entire mixture resembles little crumbs (don’t overdo it).
- Slowly add your cold water and pulse until the dough forms into a ball, or gently shape it into a ball by hand.
- Flatten dough into 2 discs, wrap in plastic and refrigerate for 30 minutes.
- Set out mini muffin tins and set aside.
- Meanwhile, make your filling.
- In a large bowl, whisk together pumpkin puree, eggs, cream, brown sugar, granulated sugar, cinnamon, ginger, cloves, nutmeg and vanilla.
- Preheat your oven to 425˚F.
- Prepare parchment strips if using. See notes.
- Roll out your dough approx. 1/8 inch thick onto a prepared floured work surface. Using your fluted cookie cutter (approx. 2 1/2-3 inches), cut out circles and gently place them into your mini muffin tins creating a little tart.
- Once all shells are in the tins, fill to the top with your pumpkin filling. Lightly bang the pan on the counter to set the filling into the cups and to release any air pockets.
- Bake in the oven for 10-12 minutes until the crust is lightly golden and the middle is set.
- Once cooled, top with whipping cream.
Notes
Cut 1 inch strips of parchment paper, lay the strips across the empty muffin holes. Once you’ve cut your dough into circles, place the dough over the muffin holes and press them gently into the empty spaces, with the parchment paper underneath it. Make sure you leave the parchment paper overhanging on the side of the pan. Once you’ve finished baking your pumpkin pies, pull the sides of the parchment paper and out pops your mini pumpkin pies.
Store in an airtight container for up to 3 days in the fridge.
This recipe can be cut in half if you don’t want to make a large batch.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1
- Calories: 94
- Sugar: 2g
- Sodium: 42mg
- Fat: 6.4g
- Saturated Fat: 3.3g
- Unsaturated Fat: 0
- Trans Fat: 0
- Carbohydrates: 8.2g
- Fiber: 0.4g
- Protein: 1.1g
- Cholesterol: 15mg
Keywords: Mini Pumpkin Pies, Pumpkin Pie, Pastry, Make Ahead, Thanksgiving, Dessert
FAQ’s
Yes, mini pumpkin pies freeze well. Store in an airtight container and freeze mini pies for up to a month. Let mini pies come to room temperature and add fresh whipping cream when ready to serve. Do not freeze mini pumpkin pies with whipping cream.
Mini pumpkin pies can be made up to 2 days ahead of time. After that, they start to lose their freshness and the pastry will become soft.
Yes, mini pies can be left at room temperature for up to 2 days or stored in the fridge for up to five days. Let mini pies come to room temperature before enjoying.
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This is perfect for this holiday season. I’m not planning toake them. I’m sure they will be a hit this year.
★★★★
These look so good. I was looking for a mini pie recipe before, so this is great! Is there a good way to convert a whole pie recipe to tart form to make sure you don’t over bake them?
Thanks Jackie, good question. Yes you can easily take the original recipe and convert them into mini pies. That’s actually what I did with this recipe. Bake time would depend on your size of tart and what kind of filling you are using- fruit, custard, etc. Follow your original recipe’s directions, and cut the bake time significantly, starting in 5 – 10 minute increments. Hope this is helpful and you can use this as a guideline.