Mini pumpkin pies! You know that feeling you get at the end of a big meal, when everyone has eaten way too much? And then someone suggests dessert, but you don’t even want to get up to make coffee, let alone put together everyone’s dessert plate. (Or is that just me?)
When you finally do get the energy to serve the 3 beautiful desserts that someone went to tons of effort to make, everyone is so full that they don’t eat more than a few bites.
The solution? Mini pumpkin pies! Rather than overwhelming yourself and your guests with too much of a good thing, let them enjoy a bite sized treat. There’s always room for something mini!
This is the combination of spices that my family has always used for pumpkin pie, and it has always been delicious!
It’s so simple so make your own pumpkin spice – and you probably already have the spices in your cupboard!
Tip: Add some pumpkin pie spice to strong coffee with some cream and sugar to make your own pumpkin spice latte. You can add canned pumpkin if you want, but it’s not necessary.
These mini pumpkin pies are unique enough that they don’t have to be limited to Thanksgiving. I love that they could just as well be served at a brunch or dinner party, or even Christmas. I definitely recommend giving them a try!
Check out our video for how to make mini pumpkin pies:
If you’re looking for more delicious pumpkin desserts, here’s a few of our favourites:
How to Make Mini Pumpkin Pies:
Mini Pumpkin Pies
Ingredients
- 2 small eggs
- 1-1/3 cups canned pumpkin puree (I accidentally used canned pumpkin pie filling and it still turned out, so I guess either one is fine)
- 1/2 cup Sugar
- 1/4 tsp Salt (slightly heaping)
- 3/4 tsp cinnamon
- 1/4 tsp ginger (slightly heaping)
- 1/4 tsp cloves
- 1/4 tsp nutmeg
- 1-1/8 cups evaporated milk
- 30 mini tart shells defrosted
Instructions
- Beat the eggs with a whisk.
- Blend in the remaining ingredients.
- Spread the tart shells out onto a cookie sheet.
- Pour 2 Tablespoons of pumpkin filling into each tart shell.
- Bake at 375F for approximately 30 minutes or until crust is golden.
Notes
Adapted from the recipe on my mom’s old pie plate.
I know this is cheating, but using pre-made tart shells is so much easier than rolling out your own dough. And they end up looking so perfect in the end! This momma does not have time to be rolling out 30 tart shells.
Pour 2 Tablespoons of pumpkin pie mixture into each tart shell:
Here they are before they went into the oven:
I baked them at 375F for 30 minutes. They puffed up a little bit, but they collapsed really quickly after they cooled off.
Do you remember those pie plates that had the recipe written right on the plate? My mom had one for pumpkin pie, and it was truly the most delicious pumpkin pie I’ve ever had. I’ll be honest though – the past few years (…or ten years…) life has been too busy to make a pumpkin pie from scratch, so we have been buying them from Costco. *gasp* I know…
One of the reasons I stopped making homemade pumpkin pie (besides being lazy busy of course), is that it makes such a huge amount and such a thick pumpkin pie, that it’s hard to get through the whole thing. I love pumpkin pie, but I find it a very strong flavour and enjoy having it in smaller amounts, rather than a giant piece that makes you so full that you swear you won’t eat anything else for days.
Which is why I love the idea of mini pumpkin pies. These were seriously delicious! Way faster to make than rolling out your own dough, but they still have the homemade taste that you just can’t buy in any store bought pumpkin pie.
These were way easier than I was expecting. I have convinced myself for years that pumpkin pie from scratch was too time consuming to make but these were done in less than an hour, and most of that was baking time!
Heathernoel says
These look amazing, where did you purchase the tart shells? These would look wonderful on a dessert buffet. Thank you for sharing.
Debbie @ One Little Project says
Thanks! The tart shells were at my regular grocery store in the freezer section, right beside the frozen pie crusts. The store was Loblaws, which I think is only in Canada, but I’m guessing most stores would carry them.
Aggie says
Hi Debbie, Who makes the tart shells? I have not been able to find any in my local supermarket. Thanks
Debbie @ One Little Project says
Hi Aggie, Mine were just a no name brand. In fact, the brand might have actually been called “No Name”. Amazon has these http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0052SJIKI?ie=UTF8&creativeASIN=B0052SJIKI&redirect=true&ref_=as_li_ss_tl you never know, they might arrive in time?
David says
These look great! thanks for the idea…..off to see if my store has tart shells
Shauna - The Best Blog Recipes says
These look so delicious! I LOVE everything mini 🙂 Saw your link over at Whimsy Wednesday and had to stop by and pin! You’re always welcome to link up @ The Weekend re-Treat that’s going on right now too on The Best Blog Recipes!
Shauna @ The Best Blog Recipes
Debbie @ One Little Project says
I love everything mini too! It seems to be a theme lately with my posts!! 🙂
I just linked up to your party. Thanks for stopping by!
Kiddie Foodies says
Looks really awesome Debbie! Thanks for sharing at Foodies & Crafties Soirée!
Marissa Pazos says
These are too cute! Perfect size for kid hands. Thanks for sharing and lovely photos.
Angel says
Your pies look delicious. I didn’t know you could buy tart shells like that. I will give them a try, they are the perfect size especially for my little ones. Thanks for sharing your recipe at our Thursday Favorite Things Blog Hop.
Angel
Elie says
Hey Debbie! Love this recipe! Thanks for sharing.
Melissa says
Love these! Pumpkin Pie is one of my favorites! Stopping by from “Thursday Favorite Things”!
Gurvy Green says
Hi Deb,
Fab pictures and thanks for sharing these yummy miniature pumpkin pie tarts!
Sarah Puleo says
They’re adorable and I love that you’re keeping it real with store bought pie crust. Thanks for sharing at the Foodies and Crafties Soiree!
Debbie @ One Little Project says
haha… I’m pretty sure I’d go crazy if I had to roll out 30 mini pie crusts. That and my kids would be neglected for almost an entire day. 🙂