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Pecan tassies capture everything you love about pecan pie in a buttery, tender cream cheese crust. The filling blends maple syrup, brown sugar, and pecans for a rich, caramelized center that’s sweet without being cloying.
They bake up with crisp edges, gooey centers, and deeply toasted flavor. Each mini cookie cup finishes with nutty tops and a buttery snap.
Also known as pecan pie cookies, these mini tarts are a riff on the Southern classic. The name “tassies” comes from the old-fashioned word for little cups. And that’s exactly what they are: buttery crusts cradling gooey pecan filling.
If you love that classic pecan filling, try my chocolate pecan pie for a deeper, fudgier twist.
Here’s Why This Pecan Tassies Recipe Works
Cream cheese dough = tender crust: Soft, tangy, and rich, this dough stays crisp on the bottom but melts in your mouth.
Maple syrup adds complexity: Instead of corn syrup, maple gives the filling depth and balance. No cloying sweetness here.
Flexible make-ahead option: The dough can be made and chilled up to a day in advance, making prep easier during busy baking days.
Even pecan distribution: Stirring between each fill keeps the nuts from sinking and gives every tassie its fair share of crunch.
Ingredient Notes
Cream cheese: Use full-fat, brick-style cream cheese. Don’t use the whipped or spreadable kind.
Maple syrup: Go for pure maple syrup, not pancake syrup. It adds depth and subtle smokiness you won’t get from corn syrup.
Brown sugar: Light brown sugar keeps the filling rich but not overpowering. Dark works if you want more molasses punch.
Pecans: Finely chop the pecan halves so they distribute evenly and don’t poke through the dough.
Nutmeg (optional): Just a pinch adds warmth and rounds out the sweetness, but skip it if you want a cleaner, classic pecan flavor.
Love pecans in cookie form? Check out these maple pecan cookies for a crisp, buttery version, or try coconut pecan cookies for a chewy, toasty twist.
Recipe Tips
Chill the dough briefly: A 15–20 minute chill firms it up just enough to roll and cut cleanly.
Use a cookie cutter that fits: A 2½-inch round makes perfect shells for standard mini muffin pans.
Don’t overfill: Stick to about ½ tablespoon of filling per tart, too much and they’ll overflow.
Loosen with a paring knife: A gentle twist helps release tassies cleanly from the pan after a short cool.
Dust lightly: A touch of powdered sugar is pretty but optional. These shine on their own.
Work in batches: Keep one half of the dough chilled while working with the other. It stays easier to handle and less sticky.
Finely chop the pecans: Smaller pieces distribute more evenly and avoid air gaps in the filling.
Tap the pan gently: After filling, a light tap on the counter helps settle the filling and reduces bubbling or overflow.
Pecan Pie Cookies
Pecan tassies bring all the cozy, caramelized richness of pecan pie into a crisp, two-bite cookie form. Whether you’re baking for the holidays or stocking a cookie tin, these are small but mighty.
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Pecan Tassies
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Equipment
Ingredients
For the dough
- 2 cups all-purpose flour, 240 grams
- 3 tablespoons granulated sugar
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 16 tablespoons butter, room temperature, 2 sticks; 1 cup
- 8 ounces cream cheese, room temperature
For the filling
- ⅓ cup maple syrup, 104 grams
- ¼ cup brown sugar, packed, 50 grams
- 3 tablespoons butter, melted
- 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
- 1 large egg
- 1 egg yolk
- 1½ teaspoons vanilla extract
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg, optional
- ¾ cup pecan halves, 88 grams, finely chopped
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Arrange a rack in the middle of the oven. Lightly spray the cavities of a 24-cavity mini muffin pan with nonstick cooking spray.
Make the dough:
- In a large bowl using a stand mixer or a hand-held mixer, beat the butter, cream cheese, sugar, and salt until creamy. Beat in the flour just until combined and the dough comes together. Tip the dough out on a floured work surface and shape into a flat disk, wrap the disk in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 15-20 minutes.
- Remove the dough from the refrigerator and divide in half. Roll each half ¼-inch thick, into a large circle. Using a 2 ½-inch cookie cutter, cut 12 circles of dough. Re-rolling the scraps if needed. Place the dough circles into the cavities of the prepared mini-muffin pan, pressing with your fingers to fit. Repeat the process with the remaining disk of dough.Optional method: Skip the rolling and simply pinch off tablespoon-sized pieces of dough. Roll gently into a ball, drop into the muffin pan, and press evenly across the bottom and up the sides with your fingers.
Make the filling:
- In a medium bowl, whisk the maple syrup, brown sugar, melted butter, granulated sugar, egg, egg yolk, vanilla, salt, and nutmeg (if using) until combined and there are no lumps of sugar. Add the chopped pecans and stir to coat the nuts in the maple syrup mixture.
- Spoon about ½ tablespoon of the pecan filling into each dough well. Stir the bowl of filling after each muffin is filled.
- Bake the cookies until puffed, the dough is golden to golden brown around the edges, and the filling is set, 25 to 30 minutes. Cool the tassies slightly in their pan set over a wire rack, about 3 minutes. Transfer the cookies directly to the rack to cool completely. If desired, very lightly dust with powdered sugar before serving.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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