Pecan Tassies are the perfect bite-size dessert to give you that pecan pie flavor. Miniature pecan tassies are the ideal way to decorate your dessert table and serve up for the holidays. The pastry is a unique blend that is light, tender, and flakey, with a pecan custard filling that is sweet.
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My mom makes these every year for Christmas. I needed to come up with a healthier version this year so I wouldn’t miss out on their deliciousness. These are reminiscent of pecan pie and are also called pecan cup cookies. Whatever you call them, they are good. Good. I can’t decide if I prefer them with or without the chocolate, so I generally make half with and half without.
What Are Pecan Tassies
Pecan tassies are little mini pecan tartlets that have a cream cheese base pastry and a creamy filling and crunchy pecans and a sprinkle of chocolate chips. Tassies can also be called pecan tartlets, mini pecan pies, and more. It is just a fun name that many serve up during the holidays.
How To Make Pecan Tassies
Start by creating the pastry. In a bowl mix your butter and cream cheese together until nice and creamy. Then mix in your baking mix, and form 24 balls.
Place those balls in the mini tart pan and use a finger or spoon to help press the dough into a tart shell.
Then sprinkle your pecans and chocolate chips into each cup, making sure evenly distributed.
Then to make the filling you mix eggs, sweetener, molasses, salt, butter, and vanilla together. Fill the tart shells, and bake for 20-30 minutes or until lightly browned.
How Much Filling Do You Use Per Tart
I aim to put around two teaspoons into each tart. Now, if your tart looks a little full before two teaspoons that is okay, do less filling. If you do too much, it will overflow.
My Filling Ran Over The Mini Tart Pan, What Happened
If your filling ran over the mini tart pan, it is because you had too much filling in the tart cup. This can happen, as these pecan tartlets bake up they will rise, and it does happen where they overflow. Just aim to pour less mixture into the cup so that it doesn't happen again.
One thing I do is layout aluminum foil on the bottom rack of the oven so that if the tassies do overflow the mess falls onto the aluminum foil. I do this a lot when I bake pies, tarts, etc. Saves time for a messy cleanup when the occasional overflow happens.
How Long Can Pecan Tassies Keep
You are welcome to store pecan tassies in the fridge or room temperature for up to one week. Just ensure that you properly store them in an airtight container to help preserve them as long as possible. I will say these get eaten fast; we rarely have any left after a couple of days.
Can Pecan Cup Cookies Be Frozen
Yes! Pecan Tassies (or Pecan Tarts) freeze entirely. Just allow them to cool completely on a baking rack. Once cooled you will transfer over to a freezer bag or freezer-friendly airtight container. Then freeze up to two months.
When you are ready to eat them, thaw at room temperature in the container, or place in the fridge and allow to thaw overnight.
How To Get Tassies Out Of The Pan
Getting your pecan tartlets out of the pan can be tricky at times. I grab a fork and gently push on the edge to lift the tartlet right out of the pan. If you find your mixture cooked over you might need to run a knife around the edge to break up any of the custard mix that overflowed. It can be a little sticky.
Can I Use Pie Crust In Replace of Making My Own Pastry
The pastry used in this recipe is sweeter than a regular pie crust and offers a more chewy texture like a cookie. But, if you want more of a pecan pie take, you can use my easy low carb pie crust recipe.
Can you tell these are Keto Pecan Tassies?
This low carb pecan tassies recipe amazed me at how much these tasted like the ones my mom used to make. I could barely notice a difference. If you are on the hunt for a lighter version, than this recipe is calling your name.
Check out these other tasty pecan recipes
Have you ever made homemade pecan tassies before?
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📖 Recipe
Ingredients
Dough:
- ½ cup butter
- 3 oz cream cheese softened
- ⅓ cup almond flour
- ⅓ cup coconut flour
- ⅓ cup ground golden flax (or additional almond flour)
Filling:
- 2 eggs
- ½ cups Joy Filled Eats Sweetener (or see alternatives in recipe notes)
- 1 teaspoon molasses ***
- 2 tablespoon melted butter
- 1 pinch salt
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- ½ cup chopped pecans
- 120 sugar free chocolate chips optional (about 1 cup, 5 per tart)
Instructions
To Make the Pastry:
- Cream butter and cream cheese. Add flours and flax and mix well. Make into 24 balls; place one ball in each cup of a mini tart pan. Use your fingers, a measuring teaspoon, or a tart tamper to press out into a tart shell.
- Divide pecans and chocolate chips (if using) into each cup.
To Make Filling:
- Preheat oven to 350.
- Put the eggs, sweetener, molasses, melted butter, salt, and vanilla into a medium bowl. Mix well. Fill the tart shells. I put 1.5-2 teaspoons onto each. Bake for about 20-30 minutes or until lightly browned.
Notes
Nutrition
Originally Published December 5, 2015. Revised and Republished October 3, 2019.
Judy Lotus says
I tried making this twice. Both times they looked just like your photos. The first time I followed the directions exactly and they had no flavor. The crust crumbled and the filling disappeared into the crust. The second time I used more filling, and added cinnamon and a bit of sweetener to.the crust which improved the crust flavor a bit, but the entire thing was still like a bland, crumbling cookie. I wasted a lot of time, energy, snd ingredients. I’m sorry, I wanted it to be great, but I thought someone should know.
Taryn says
I'm sorry you didn't like it. This shouldn't be flavorless. Just the pecans give it a nice flavor. Toasting then first can increase their flavor.
Next time please email me before you try a recipe the second time. I always have ideas and tips.
Peggy says
I am not a fan of coconut flour. How can o substitute with all almond flour
Taryn says
Just use a little extra.
Maria says
I made these last week exactly as written (using the extra almond flour instead of the flax) and they were fabulous! I am making a second batch as we speak! I have made many of recipes and they never disappoint!
Leanne says
Hi Taryn, I’m looking forward to trying your recipe. I made pecan tartlets yesterday and I’m less then thrilled with the results of the crust. I think yours will be perfect and the addition of the cream cheese is really inspired! I will also add some ginger and some cinnamon to the crust because I enjoy a more flavourful crust on the pecan tarts. As for the filling what I did instead of using molasses, I used maple extract in addition to vanilla extract. I began the filling in a saucepan melting the butter and turning it in to a brown butter which also amped up the flavour and then I added surkin gold sweetener and mixed it until it was well melted into the butter then I removed from the stove and added the extracts and then let the entire mixture cool before adding the beaten eggs. I also dry roasted the pecans in a pan prior to putting them in to the baked shell. I don’t know if it really makes a difference but it does bring out the natural oils in the pecans and makes them extra crispy and full of flavour. Just have to be careful not to burn them. I also made the tartlets in silicone muffin cup pan makes it soooo much easier to get them out even if they happen to overflow. I was lucky mine didn’t. I’m not sure if I would like them with chocolate or not so I think I’ll melt the choc chips with a little coconut oil and just drizzle some overtop of the cooked tartlets.
Denise says
Salted or unsalted bitter?
Taryn says
I use salted. If you use unsalted add a pinch of salt.
Jen says
Delicious!! I appreciate all the time you put into preparing these recipes. Question- do you ever add a little sweetener to the pastry part?
Taryn says
I don't. You can if you'd like. I like the contrast of the slightly savory crust to the sweet filling. Almond flour has a bit of natural sweetness too.
Taylor says
Will there be too much of a taste difference if I use regular flax meal v. golden flax meal? I just realized I used the former when I noticed that my crust looked a whole lot darker than yours! 🤦🏻♀️
Taryn says
There might be. Sorry! The regular flax does have a stronger flavor.
Taylor says
Thanks! I tried it(thankfully before I baked it) and it was not good. So I used thm flour instead and they’re in the oven now. 🙂
Beth b says
Do you think they freeze/thaw well? Would love to make ahead for the holidays....
Taryn says
They do! I made them ahead last year and froze them.
Sue E. says
Your recipe calls for 1/3 cup ground Golden Flax OR additional Almond Flour. HOW MUCH ADDITIONAL ALMOND FLOUR, PLEASE.
Taryn says
1/3 cup
Carlene says
Can you use a cupcake pan instead?
Taryn says
This recipe is similar and makes cupcake sized tarts: joyfilledeats.com/pecan-pie-tarts
Joy says
Can I substitute a dairy free option for the cream cheese?
Taryn says
You can sub in this crust: https://joyfilledeats.com/pie-crust/ which doesn't have cream cheese.
Arica says
Can I just make this into a full pie?
Taryn says
I have a recipe for a pecan pie coming next week. I'm not sure if it would work for this, especially this particular crust.
Vanessa from Mexico says
Hi!!!, I would like to bake this yummies!!! Can I substitute molasses by honey?
Taryn says
Sure
Bryan says
Hi Taryn,
Is there a Keto substitute for the molasses? Or, can it be left out?
Cheers,
Bryan
Taryn says
One teaspoon of molasses has 5 grams of carbs. This recipe uses 1 tsp divided by 24 servings. That is less than .25 grams of carbs from the molasses. If you prefer you can just omit it.
Karen says
Just wanted to take the time to thank you, Taryn. I'm no cook or baker so having a resource like yours is so helpful!
I made these for my mom tonight and she loved them. She's one of those diabetics who thinks if something is sugar free than it's okay to eat - I've finally convinced that is not the case and being able to make her some "treats" that have healthier flours and minimal non processed sugar will go along in my helping her.
Halved the recipe and the only tweak I made was adding Brown Butter Ghee instead of regular butter.
Thanks Again.
Amy A. says
If I were to use Truvia, do you have a recommended amount?
Thank you!
Taryn says
Truvia would be the same amount as the sweetener listed.
Cheryl says
Would you please add molasses in the directions? I had it out but in following directions, I misssed putting it in, Thanks.
Shirley says
Is it possible to use THM baking blend ?
In your blend can something being substituted for the almond flour?
Thank you
Taryn says
Yes, you can sub in baking blend.
Laruebridge says
Am I subbing THM baking blend cup for cup?
Taryn says
Yes, you can.
Trina Robinson Sterr says
These look delicious! Your recipe says at the top it makes 24 cookies but the instructions say to divide dough into 48 balls... can you tell me which is correct? I want to try these tomorrow! Thanks for sharing
mercyandgratitude says
Thanks for catching that! It should say 24. I'll edit it now.