These Mini Pecan Pie Cookies taste just like the real-deal pecan pie in mini cookie form! Only these guys are allergy friendly and made without refined sugar. You get a cookie, you get a cookie, EVERYBODY gets a cookie!
Christmas season is here, and with it comes cookies, and I am currently thankful that it is sweater bod season, because these Mini Pecan Pie Cookies are about to be in my belly. Over and over again.
Because pecan pie + meets cookie + miniature version = the perfect flaky crust to sweet pecan filling ratio. It is like every bite has the coveted end crust. The perfectly flaky end crust that some, wise food loving people, tackle first, eating their pie backwards from wide to narrow, and soliciting strange looks from those extended family members seated next to you around the holiday table.
Fellow lovers of the end crust who have endured remark, side glances, and endless strange looks in pursuit of our crust. This end crust surrounded cookie is for you.
And basically everyone else at Christmas, because these cookies are centers of soft gooey carmel-y pecan-y filling, tucked into that perfect crust and baked off to mini pecan pie cookie perfection.
This perfect state of crustness does come with a few tips in order to get it just right:
- For crisp crust, bake these cookies in metal mini muffin tins. Baking them in ceramic, glass, or silicone will result in sad, slightly mushy crusts, and broken Christmas cookie dreams.
- Make sure to use exactly one tablespoon of crust dough per cookie. If this varies, certain cookies will be done before others. You will still have some cookies with perfect crust, but we are shooting for greatness here. We want all of our cookies to be able to join the cookie tray party.
- The hardest part of these cookies is removing them from the tins, but following this tip will keep you from crumbled cookies. It is all about the timing, and I know you can get it juuuuust right. All you have to do is let them cool completely in the pan. Then, slide a butter knife around the edges before attempting to remove them. Easy as pie.
These cookies are also on the healthier side of holiday treats. They are magically made without any refined sugar. The carmel-y creamy center is made from dates! They lend the perfect pecan pie filling texture while keeping things egg, dairy, and sugar free. That means cookies for breakfast, cookies with lunch, and cookies after dinner.
Too far? Okay maybe just a cookie after dinner... or two.
Yes. Definitely two.
PrintMini Pecan Pie Cookies
- Prep Time: 10
- Cook Time: 80
- Total Time: 1 hour 30 minutes
- Yield: 16 cookies 1x
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Oven
- Cuisine: American
Description
These Mini Pecan Pie Cookies taste just like the real-deal pecan pie in mini cookie form! Only these guys are allergy friendly and made without refined sugar. You get a cookie, you get a cookie, EVERYBODY gets a cookie!
Ingredients
For the crust:
- 2 cups almond meal
- 3 tablespoons coconut oil
- 3 tablespoons maple syrup
For the filling:
- ½ cup chopped pecans + 16 whole pecans for topping
- ½ cup minced dates
- ⅓ cup plus 1 tablespoon pure maple syrup
- ¼ cup date sugar
- ¼ teaspoon salt
Instructions
- Grease 2 mini muffin tins liberally with coconut oil spray. Set aside.
- Add the almond meal to a large bowl and set aside. In a small saucepan, heat the coconut oil and maple syrup until melted. Pour this over the almond flour and stir to combine. Take 1 tablespoon of the crust dough and press it into one of the mini muffin tin cups. Be sure to evenly cover the sides and bottom, like a mini pie crust. Repeat with the remaining dough. Place the trays in the fridge to chill for 1 hour.
- While the dough is chilling. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Spread the chopped pecans out on a small baking tray. Bake for 5 minutes, or until fragrant and lightly toasted. Add into a medium bowl.
- Add the remaining filling ingredients into the pecans and stir to combine. Set aside.
- Once the dough has chilled, bake for 10 minutes. Remove from the oven and let cool completely.
- Evenly split the filling between all of the cups. Top each with a whole pecan and bake for another 10 minutes. Remove from the oven and let cool completely in the tart cups. Using a butter knife or spoon, loosen the cookies from their cups and remove. Serve.
Karly says
Okay, THEE cutest things I've seen since, like, ever. Love me some pecan pie, but love it even more when it's bite-sized and I can eat it with my hands! Ha!
Laurel says
Karly, You are speaking my language! Thanks for the compliment!
Val says
I reduced the sugar a bit and added 1 square (20-25g) of dark chocolate! Delicious! I will be giving those away tomorrow night as a small gift for the host... if I don't eat them all! Thank you for sharing it.
Laurel says
That addition of chocolate sounds AMAZING! I just have to give that a try!!! Have a wonderful Christmas!
Sana says
Absolutely delicious! You would never know these are gluten free. I will be making these again and again. Thanks!
Laurel says
Hi Sana, It absolutely makes my day to hear that you are enjoying the cookies so much! Happy baking!
Christine says
Can you please confirm that this yummy looking recipe makes 48 cookies for the 48 servings stated? The “16 whole pecans for topping” to “top each” is throwing me off. Thanks!
Laurel says
Hi Christine! I am SO sorry about that error. We switched our website over to a new platform recently and it caused a few glitches within the recipes. It should be 16 cookies and 16 pecans :) I have updated the recipe too. Thank you and happy baking!