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It’s November, and Thanksgiving is just around the corner! Yikes! SO not ready. 🙂

I really like pecan pie, and I don’t know about you, but I have never had much success making an awesome pecan pie. I think it has something to do with the corn syrup in the recipe. If I bake the pie long enough for the center to stop jiggling, then the edges tend to get overcooked and taste burnt. Burnt nuts. No bueno. 🙂

I had just about given up on eating pecan pie I make myself. Then I came across a recipe last fall on the LandOLakes website. Pecan Pie Bites to the rescue. Yes!

Pecans are abundant here in Texas, so we have to do our part in making as many delicious creations as we can with them. These little things are SO GOOD, and they’re poppable! I love anything I can pop in my mouth and eat in a bite or two. That way I can eat a whole bunch in one sitting but can then make excuses about how I didn’t really eat that much dessert. 🙂

The recipe is always on the LandOLakes website, but I’ve included it here also. Before you start, there are a couple of things you will need. One is a mini muffin panand the other is a handy little tool called a tart tamper.

I’ve had mine forever and use it often. If you’ve never seen or used one, it is a wooden utensil, usually with different sized ends. This allows you to use it for big or small indentations. It makes this recipe super easy, as all you have to do is roll the dough into balls, then push it down with the tart tamper to prepare it for the filling.

So here’s how easy it is to make little Pecan Pie Bites:

Ingredients:

PIE CRUST:

1.   ¹/₂ cup firmly packed brown sugar
2.   6 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
3.   1 large egg yolk
4.   ¹/₂ teaspoon vanilla
5.   1 cup plus 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
6.   ¹/₂ teaspoon baking powder
7.   ¹/₄ teaspoon salt

 

FILLING

1.   1 cup finely chopped pecans
2.   ¹/₂ cup firmly packed brown sugar
3.   ¹/₄ cup heavy whipping cream
4.   1 teaspoon vanilla

 

STEP 1

• Heat oven to 350ºF. Spray 36 mini muffin pan cups with no-stick cooking spray; set aside.

STEP 2

• Combine 1/2 cup brown sugar, butter, egg yolk and 1/2 teaspoon vanilla in bowl. Beat at medium speed, scraping bowl often, until creamy. Add flour, baking powder, and salt; beat at low speed until well mixed.

STEP 3

• Shape dough into 3/4-inch balls; place each into prepared mini muffin pan cup, pressing dough onto bottom and up one-third sides of each cup, creating a shallow cup. (This is where the tart tamper makes it so easy. Just lightly press the small end of the tamper into the ball of dough. It creates a perfect little indentation for the filling.)

STEP 4

• Combine all filling ingredients in bowl; spoon 1 teaspoon filling into each cookie.

 

STEP 5

• Bake 13-15 minutes or until edges are golden brown. Cool 10 minutes in pan on cooling rack.
• Remove pie bites from pans by running a small knife around edge of the muffin cup. Place onto cooling rack; cool completely.

THEN EAT! 🙂

These have ALL the flavor of a pecan pie, with none of the challenges of baking a full-size pie.

I made these last year for Thanksgiving and they were gone in an instant. It was requested that I make them again for our Christmas Eve gathering. I doubled the recipe, and they STILL disappeared quickly.

So if you are looking for an easy and delicious dessert to serve during the holidays, try your hand at these.  They are delish. I’ve already eaten a bunch from this batch. 🙂

I’d love to hear from you in the comments if you have made these and what you think. Drop me a line and let me know!

Also, time is running out if you want to snag any of my fall printables from my new Printables Shop. They are going away next week to make room for Christmas! So head on over and pick out something you love! If you use promo code BOGO you get a free printable when you purchase one.

And don’t forget to check out Pinterest!