Pecan Tassies
Just like pecan pie, but bite-size.
Makes24 (2-inch) tassies
Prep45 minutes
Cook20 minutes
While flavors of pumpkin and cinnamon can sometimes steal the show during the fall, pecan desserts are a favorite of mine around the holiday season. I love the rich, nutty flavor and the soft-meets-crunchy texture of pecans — and pecan tassies highlight that perfectly. Pecan tassies, which originated in the mid-1900s in the American South, are like mini pecan pies — but with a twist. The tiny tart-like cookies are made with a three-ingredient dough that absolutely melts in your mouth. The cream cheese dough paired with a buttery brown sugar and pecan filling is the ultimate combination. They’re the best little treat to prep ahead for the season, whether you need a bite-size dessert for after dinner with family or friends, or a unique addition to your holiday cookie exchange.
Why You’ll Love It
- Simple ingredients. Use staples like softened butter, flour, and brown sugar to make these tiny pecan treats.
- It makes a big batch. One batch of dough and filling makes two-dozen tassies, or you can double it for additional servings.
- You can prep ahead. You can make and store the dough ahead of time until you’re ready to bake.
Key Ingredients in Pecan Tassies
- Cream cheese: Tassies have a melt-in-your-mouth crust, and incorporating softened cream cheese into the dough plays an important role in that.
- Butter: Add rich, buttery flavor and texture to the dough, along with the filling.
- Brown sugar: Choose dark brown sugar for a depth of flavor and balanced sweetness. If needed, swap it out for light brown sugar.
- Pecans: Add crunchy texture and flavor with chopped pecans.
How to Make Pecan Tassies
- Make the dough. Beat butter, cream cheese, and all-purpose flour. Form the dough into a disk, wrap it in plastic wrap, and refrigerate.
- Press the crust into the pan. Coat a 24-well mini muffin pan with cooking spray. Divide the dough, roll each piece into a smooth ball, then press into a muffin pan well.
- Make the filling. Whisk melted butter, brown sugar, egg, vanilla extract, ground cinnamon, and kosher salt together. Stir in chopped pecans. Fill each well with the filling, being sure not to overfill.
- Bake the tassies. Bake until light golden-brown around the edges.
Make-Ahead and Storage
You can choose to prep these ahead of time to store for the holiday season or add them to holiday cookie boxes. Make the dough, wrap it in plastic wrap, and place it in a zip-top bag. Refrigerate the dough for up to one week, or freeze it for up to two months.
When you’re planning to bake the tassies, remove the frozen dough and let it thaw in the refrigerator overnight. Alternatively, bake pecan tassies and keep them in an airtight container at room temperature for up to five days, in the refrigerator for 10 days, or freezer for up to two months.
Pecan Tassies Recipe
Just like pecan pie, but bite-size.
Prep time 45 minutes
Cook time 20 minutes
Makes 24 (2-inch) tassies
Nutritional Info
Ingredients
For the dough:
- 8 tablespoons
(1 stick) unsalted butter, at room temperature
- 3 ounces
cream cheese, at room temperature
- 1 cup
all-purpose flour
Cooking spray
For the filling:
- 1 tablespoon
unsalted butter, melted and cooled
- 3/4 cup
packed dark or light brown sugar
- 1
large egg
- 2 teaspoons
vanilla extract
- 1/2 teaspoon
ground cinnamon
- 1/4 teaspoon
kosher salt
- 2/3 cup
chopped pecans
Instructions
Beat 1 stick room-temperature unsalted butter, 3 ounces room-temperature cream cheese, and 1 cup all-purpose flour together in a stand mixer with the paddle attachment on medium speed until a smooth dough forms, about 2 minutes. Form the dough into a rough 5-inch disk, wrap in plastic wrap, and refrigerate for 1 hour.
Heat the oven to 350°F. Coat a 24-well mini muffin pan lightly with cooking spray, coating each well and the top.
Divide the dough into 24 portions (1 tablespoon each). Roll each one into a smooth ball. Place a dough ball into each muffin pan well and press your thumb to make an indentation in each. Using your index fingers, push the dough evenly up the sides of each well, going all the way to the rim to form a cup; it will be very thin.
Whisk 1 tablespoon melted and cooled unsalted butter, 3/4 cup packed brown sugar, 1 large egg, 2 teaspoons vanilla extract, 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon, and 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt together in a medium bowl until smooth. Stir in 2/3 cup chopped pecans. Fill each well with about 1 teaspoon of the filling; do not overfill (you may have a little filling left over).
Bake until light golden-brown around the edges, 16 to 20 minutes. Let the tassies cool in the pan for 5 minutes. Invert a wire rack over the muffin tin, then grasping both (careful, hot!), flip over in one motion. Remove the muffin tin. Flip the tassies so they are right-side up. Let cool completely, about 45 minutes.
Recipe Notes
Make ahead: Wrap the dough in plastic wrap and place it in a zip-top bag. Refrigerate for up to 1 week or freeze for up to 2 months. If frozen, let the dough thaw overnight in the refrigerator before using.
Storage: Leftovers can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days or in the refrigerator for up to 10 days. They can also be frozen for up to 2 months; let thaw at room temperature.