Mini Pumpkin Pies made in a muffin tin with a buttery shortcrust pastry, and a filling made of pumpkin puree, eggs, milk, sugar and spices, then topped with whipped cream, some delicious mini beauties for your Thanksgiving or Harvest celebration. Very easy to make, these pies will go down a treat with the whole family.
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There is no such a thing as a Thanksgiving feast without the good old pumpkin pie. It has become such a popular dessert, that Fall and pumpkin pie go hand in hand.
There are different ways to get a perfect pumpkin pie filling, and for my Easy Pumpkin Pie with Condensed Milk I chose to use condensed milk rather than regular cow's milk. That means that there is no need for added sugar, since the condensed milk does an excellent job at sweetening the pie up.
So for my mini pumpkin pies I went the traditional way and used milk and sugar - both granulated and brown, one to add sweetness, the other one a deeper colour and extra taste.
The mini version of the classic recipe looks a lot more impressive if you have a posher gathering at your Thanksgiving table. And there aren't any more difficult to make than the traditional pie.
Plus, the mini pumpkin pies are perfect if you don't have a large crowd at your Thanksgiving dinner, my Small Thanksgiving Dinner Recipes could be a source of inspiration if you don't want to cook massive amounts of food.
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Note!
Go to the recipe card at the bottom of the post for exact quantities and detailed instructions!
Ingredients overview - the crust
- plain flour - or everyday flour
- butter - salted or unsalted, cold from the fridge
- granulated sugar - to sweeten up the crust
- egg- the binding agent, it also makes the pastry soft and delicious
- milk - acts as a binding agent too
Ingredients overview - the pumpkin pie filling
- pumpkin puree - canned or roasted
- dark brown sugar - adds a wonderful touch of caramelisation
- granulated sugar - adds sweetness
- milk - I went for full-fat milk, semi-skimmed also ok
- pumpkin pie spice - for a taste of Fall
- egg - at room temperature
- cream - to top the mini pies
Step-by-step photos and instructions
THE CRUST
Start by making the crust, as it needs time to chill in the fridge as well. It's a basic sweet shortcrust pastry that only requires 5 ingredients: butter, flour, eggs, milk and sugar. The flour to butter ratio is 2:1, so from here you can adjust your portions accordingly.
- in a bowl, add the sifter flour and cold butter cut into cubes - the butter has to be cold from the fridge, softer butter won't create the breadcrumb texture we need
- add the egg, sugar and milk and knead well to get a dough that does not stick to the hands
- wrap the dough with clingfilm and refrigerate for 30 minutes
THE FILLING
The filling is super easy to make, and this is what we need: pumpkin puree, milk, eggs, sugar, cinnamon and pumpkin spice.
- add the sugar and egg to a large mixing bowl, and use a hand mixer to beat well
- add the milk, pumpkin puree and pumpkin spice and beat again to get a smooth filling
Step-by-step photos and instructions - the pies
- use a rolling pin to roll the dough, and use a large cookie cutter with a diameter of 4 inches/10 cm to cut out rounds - if you use a regular-sized cookie cutter, the dough won't be enough to cover the muffin tin hole, so make sure you cut it big enough
- butter and flour a 6-hole muffin tin and press down the dough circle to mould the muffin hole
- repeat with the rest of the dough
- divide the filling between each pastry crust and bake in the preheated oven at 180 degrees Celsius (350 Fahrenheit) for 23-25 minutes until the pastry is golden and the filling is set
- leave to cool completely before decorating with whipped cream - or you'll get a big mess
Expert tips
The pastry does not need to be blind baked before adding the filling. The muffin tin holes are small enough for the heat to be distributed well, so the pastry is baked well without any problem. I love making the crust myself, but you can also use ready-made shortcrust pastry or puff pastry.
Alternatively, you can use graham crackers/digestive biscuits to create a crust similar to a mini cheesecake, and add the filling the same way.
If you want to use condensed milk instead, just add the same amount as you do with the milk, and leave our the sugars, to me, that's sweet enough. The whipped cream is optional, although it adds a nice touch and flavour. Alternatively, you can cut out different shape of dough and decorate it, but it's up to one's liking.
The pumpkin puree can be replaced with sweet potato puree, I used it in my Old-Fashioned Sweet Potato Pie and it was a real treat. Enjoy!
Other pumpkin desserts
If you’ve liked my MINI PUMPKIN PIES or any other recipe on the blog then don’t forget to rate the recipe and let me know how you got on in the comments below, I love hearing from you! You can also FOLLOW ME on FACEBOOK, INSTAGRAM and PINTEREST to see more delicious food and what I’m getting up to.
Mini Pumpkin Pies
Ingredients
For the crust
- 230 g plain flour (1 ¾ cup)
- 110 g salted butter (½ cup)
- 2 tablespoon granulated sugar
- 1 egg
- 2 tablespoon milk
For the filling
- 125 g pumpkin puree (½ cup)
- 65 ml milk (¼ cup)
- 1 small egg
- 50 g granulated sugar (¼ cup)
- 50 g brown sugar (¼ cup)
- 1 teaspoon pumpkin spice
- whipped cream for decorating (optional)
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Instructions
- To make the crust, cut the cold butter into cubes and add it to a bowl together with the sifted flour.
- Use your fingertips to until you get a rub the flour with the butter until you get a breadcrumb -like texture.
- Add the sugar and mix well.
- Beat the egg and add it to the bowl together with the milk.
- Knead well to get a smooth dough.
- Cover the dough in clingfilm, and refrigerate for 30 minutes.
- Use a rolling pin to cut out circles of 4 inches/10 cm in diameter.
- Place the dough circles in each cavity of the muffin tin and press down gently to cover it.
- To make the filling, use a hand mixer to beat the sugar and egg together.
- Add the pumpkin puree, egg and pumpkin spice and beat again.
- Divide the filling between each pie crust, and bake in the preheated oven at 180 degrees Celsius (350 Fahrenheit) for 25-30 minutes until the crust is golden and the filling is set.
- Leave to cool completely before decorating with whipped cream.
Video
Notes
- The pastry does not need to be blind baked before adding the filling. The muffin tin holes are small enough for the heat to be distributed well, so the pastry is baked well without any problem. I love making the crust myself, but you can also use ready-made shortcrust pastry or puff pastry.
- Alternatively, you can use graham crackers/digestive biscuits to create a crust similar to a mini cheesecake, and add the filling the same way.
Nutrition
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