Mini Pecan Hand Pies
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You will love this updated version of the fall classic: pecan hand pies! It has all of the flavor you love from pecan pie bars, with the added bonus of a buttery, flaky double pie crust. Pecan pie has always been one of the top-rated Thanksgiving pies on our website, so we wanted to turn it into a more travel/party-friendly treat for the holiday season!
Many readers agree—our pecan pie (and it’s variations) is simply the best:
So, what about these hand pies? Well, they’re just as delicious as a slice of freshly baked pie…just easier to eat on-the-go! It’s still one of my absolute favorite desserts and we have made it every Thanksgiving, alongside our cutie pumpkin pie cookies.
Let’s Talk About These Pecan Hand Pies
- A super simple no-cook filling
- Easy to prep in-advance for a busy schedule
- Buttery, flaky golden pie crust
- Extra pecan filling in every bite
- Tastes amazing with vanilla ice cream 😉
There are only 2 parts to this recipe. If you’ve ever made our Strawberry Hand Pies, these two recipes are pretty similar. First, we have the buttery, flaky pie crust, then the brown sugar pecan filling. It’s SO simple! Let’s start with the crust. Have you ever made pie dough from scratch before?
Start With A Good Crust
Pie crusts are notoriously tricky, but they don’t have to be! All you need are a few simple ingredients. Flour, salt, fat, and ice cold water. While you can make pie crust from shortening or butter, we prefer to make our pie crust with butter.
Why? As the cold butter melts in the oven, steam is release, which aids in creating flakiness. It also gives the crust an unparalleled flavor that shortening just can’t replicate.
#1 Pie Crust Success Tip
Keep the pie dough cold whenever you aren’t working with it. Leave the pie dough in the refrigerator while you make the filling.
The Best Ingredients For Filling These Pecan Hand Pies
- Pecans: For this recipe, make sure your using unroasted pecan halves. The pecans will gently roast in the oven as the pies bake, which add to the nutty flavor inside each hand pie.
- Sugar: To keep things as close to the classic pie, we’re using brown sugar for flavor and a little bit of corn syrup. If you’d prefer, you can use 100% pure maple syrup in place of the corn syrup.
- Vanilla: A splash of vanilla makes everything taste better!
Recipe Testing Notes ♡
For the filling, we made three different versions. The first was a traditional pecan pie filling, like we use in our classic pecan pie or pecan pie bars, the second was a cooked filling, and the third was a dry filling. The filing that consistently gave us the best results was the dry filling, which we are using today!
These Step-by-Step Photos Will Help
The pie crust recipe you will find in the printable recipe card below makes enough dough for 13 hand pies. Start by rolling out your bottom pie crust and cutting it into 2 ½ inch pieces (we used these cutters and loved it!).
Next, spoon the prepared pecan filling onto the crust. You may think, “There is way too much filling per hand pie, there’s no way it will seal!” But it will, I promise. Pile it high!
Take the remaining pie dough and cut any desired shape into the tops. I used a mini acorn and leaf cutter, and then a knife to cut an X into some of them…just to give it some variation! Place over the filling and crimp the pie crust edges with a fork, sealing in all that pecan goodness.
Before baking, brush the tops with a quick 2 ingredient egg wash, for that beautiful golden sheen. This is exactly how we make our blueberry hand pies, too!
When you make these Mini Pecan Hand Pies, leave a comment down below! We love hearing from you and answering any questions you might have! Also, be sure to tag us on social media and hashtag it #BakersTable.
Happy baking!
x, Caylie
Mini Pecan Pie Hand Pies
Ingredients
Filling
- ⅓ cup brown sugar, firmly packed
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 2 Tablespoons corn syrup
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 cup pecans, chopped
Pie Crust
- 1⅜ cups all purpose flour
- ⅜ teaspoon salt
- ½ cup unsalted butter, cold, sliced
- 3½ – 4 Tablespoons ice water
Egg wash
- 1 large egg, room temperature
- 1 Tablespoon water
Instructions
Filling
- In a medium bowl, combine brown sugar, salt, vanilla, corn syrup, and pecans.
- Mix well. Set aside.
Crust
- Heat oven to 375℉/190℃.
- Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper. Set aside.
- Combine flour and salt in the bowl of a food processor fitted with the dough blade.
- Pulse a few times to combine.
- Add butter, a few slices at a times, pulsing after each addition.
- Add ice water 1 Tablespoon at a time until ingredients form a dough.
- Turn out onto a lightly floured, non-stick surface.
- Roll to ⅛ inch thick.
- Use a 2½ inch cutter to cut out circles, re-rolling until you have used all the dough.
Assembly
- Place half of circles on prepared pan.
- Place 1½ teaspoons filling in the center of each circle.
- Use a small cutter in your choice of shape to cut the center of each remaining dough circle.
- Place the cut circles on top of the filling.
- Use a fork to seal the edges.
- Make egg wash by whisking the egg and water together in a small bowl.
- Brush the top of each pie with the egg wash.
- Place in freezer for 20 minutes.
- Bake for 25 minutes, or until golden brown.
Notes + Tips!
- Make Ahead/Freezing Instructions: A couple ways to make ahead of time! The pie dough can be prepared ahead of time and stored in the fridge for up to 5 days or in the freezer for up to 3 months. Remember to thaw in the fridge before using. The filling can also be prepared ahead of time. Cover tightly and store in the refrigerator for up to 2 days. Assembled and unbaked hand pies can be covered and refrigerated for up to 3 days or frozen for 2-3 months. If frozen, no need to thaw before baking! Simply add a couple of extra minutes to the bake time. The baked hand pies can be frozen for up to 3 months. Thaw in the refrigerator, then bring to room temperature before enjoying.
- Double Recipe: If you want to use a larger cutter, you will need to double the recipe. You can easily do this by clicking the “2x” button in the recipe card.
Tools You May Need (affiliate links)
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