Gluten-Free Pecan Tassies are simple to make and so delicious! These mini tarts feature a gooey pecan pie filling inside a buttery cream cheese crust, it's the perfect not-too-sweet bite! These elegant cookies are perfect for any occasion from Christmas cookie trays to bridal showers! These gluten-free cookies are just like the easy recipe from Pampered Chef!
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These Gluten-Free Pecan Tassies are the perfect holiday dessert. They look elegant and fancy but are basically miniature pecan pies that you bake in a mini muffin pan. The best part is they could not be easier to make!
Speaking of pecan pie, be sure to give my easy, gluten-free pean pie recipe a try! And speaking of pie, this gluten-free apple pie is a beautiful sight to see!
This tasty recipe is buttery and delicious, not too sweet, and I promise no one will ever notice they are gluten-free!
Pecan Tassies are generally considered a cookie rather than pie, so you can definitely add this recipe to your Christmas cookie line-up! And while a lot of people only make Pecan Tassies around the holidays, they can be made year round or for other occasions too, like Easter or bridal and baby showers!
These Pecan Tassies start with a soft dough made from cream cheese, butter, and gluten-free flour. The dough is pressed into mini muffin tins with a tart shaping tool. The uncooked pastry is then filled with a buttery, brown sugar pecan pie filling. As they bake, the filling puffs and forms a sort of "top of the brownie"-like crispy crust, while the inside stays perfectly gooey and delicious! The end result is a two-bite treat hardly anyone can resist!
What Are Pecan Tassies?
I think anyone who was alive in the 90's, particularly around a pampered chef dealing lady, has probably heard of or even made Pecan Tassies! I'm not sure if Pampered Chef invented the Pecan Tassie or is the creator of the original recipe, but from my childhood memories, they surely must have had a role in their popularity with the sales of their infamous tart shaper.
Pecan Tassies are basically just mini pecan pies. Although the dough in this recipe is more of a tart dough than a pie dough.
The word 'tassie' comes from Scottish origin and means 'small cup'. Which is appropriate here, since Pecan Tassies are little pecan pie cups!
Simple Ingredients
- Gluten-Free All Purpose Flour Blend for Baking: I used Cup4Cup but I would also be confident in recommending King Arthur Measure for Measure. Use an all purpose blend for baking with xanthan gum or another binder already included.
- Cream Cheese: You can also use low-fat Neufchatel cheese if desired.
- Brown Sugar: You can use granulated sugar in a pinch, but try to use brown if possible. It will add a lot of extra flavor. You could also substitute coconut sugar if desired.
- Egg: A flax egg or egg replacer should work as an egg free option.
- Butter
- Pecans
- Vanilla Extract
Equipment Needed
In order to make this recipe properly, you will need a mini muffin pan and a mini-tart shaper. A tart shaper is an inexpensive wooden tool used to help you shape the dough. These two items allow you to make perfectly sized and shaped pecan tartlets each and every time!
To use the tart shaper, you simply dip the tamper in flour so the dough doesn't stick to it. Then use the tamper to press down on the dough that is in the muffin cups. The dough will rise up along the sides and have the perfect even thickness all around. Even though I don't use this tool very often, it does come in handy for recipes like this!
Recipe Variations
If you'd like to add your own flair to this recipe you can try some of these suggestions!
- Use the tart dough but add any other gluten-free pie filling you like, mini apple pies or cherry pies would be delicious!
- Add just a splash of bourbon to the pie filling for a unique, adults-only kick of flavor.
- Add a few mini chocolate chips or raisins to the pie filling.
Instructions
Pecan tassies look like they are complicated to make, but in fact these delightful little treats are actually quite simple to make! Even a beginner baker could handle this recipe. The whole process is just two main steps, making the dough and making the filling, both of which are basically just stirring ingredients together.
Step 1: Make the Tart Dough
- To make pecan tassies, you will start by making a simple tart dough. First beat the butter and cream cheese together until smooth, and then blend in the gluten-free flour. You can do this by hand or with a hand mixer.
- Next you will take 1 tablespoon of dough and roll it into a ball. Place each ball of dough in separate cups of the mini muffin pan.
- Dip your tart tamper in gluten-free flour. Press straight down on the dough until it rises up to the top of the muffin cup. Gently remove the tamper and you should reveal a tart shell!
- Set the tarts aside while you make the pecan filling.
Step 2: Make the Pecan Pie Filling
- To make the pecan pie filling, you simply mix the melted butter, brown sugar, egg, pecans, and vanilla together until well combined.
- Then you'll scoop about 1 tablespoon of the filling into each tart shell, taking care not to overfill the shells as the filling will puff slightly as it bakes.
- Then bake the tarts until golden brown.
- Let the tarts cool. Then dust them with a sprinkle of powdered sugar, if desired.
Top Recipe Tips
- While I highly recommend using a tart shaper for this recipe, you may be able to roll out the dough with a rolling pin instead. Once rolled, cut the dough into circles and then place it into the muffin tins. This will definitely be a bit more work and you'll need some extra flour to help you roll out the dough. You may also be able to press the dough into the muffin tins with your fingers, but likely won't get an even thickness. If you have a small shot glass or something similar that will fit in the muffin tin, that my work as well.
- You don't have to grease an already non-stick muffin tin for this recipe but you can spray the pan with gluten-free non-stick spray if you want to be sure they don't stick. You can also use festive mini cupcake liners to make them easier to remove and serve.
- Be sure not to overfill the cups. The filling will rise a little and if it overflows, that could cause the pecan tassies to stick to the pan.
- If you'd like, you can save some larger pecan pieces to place on top of each tassie for a pretty presentation. You can also sprinkle the tops with powdered sugar as well.
Make Ahead and Storage Options
- Like most gluten-free cookies, these are best eaten as fresh as possible. Definitely consume these cookies within 2-3 days.
- If you decide to bake them further in advance, you can freeze the pecan tassies after they have cooled. Just place them in an airtight container before placing in the freezer. Thaw overnight at room temperature.
- You can make the dough about 1 day in advance of baking. Store the dough in the refrigerator in a bowl covered with plastic wrap or a lid.
- You can even "freshen up" these pecan tassies by placing the cookies on a baking sheet. Then pop them in a 300°F oven for a few minutes, just until they are heated through and crisped up again.
More Gluten-Free Christmas Cookies
If you're looking for more gluten-free Christmas cookies to bake this holiday season, let me share my favorites with you!
- Gluten-free Buttercream Thumbprint Cookies are another traditional favorite! That little bite of icing is just perfection. This is another great recipe to use up the rest of your pecans!
- This gluten-free double chocolate chip cookie is one of the most popular recipes here on the site! For good reason too, they are so chocolatey and chewy, a cross between a brownie and a cookie.
- These gluten-free sugar cookies are perfect for Christmas cut-outs! They hold their shape well and work with many of the popular gluten-free flour blends.
- This gluten-free jam-filled thumbprint recipe has been in my family for generations. Filled with raspberry or apricot preserves, this gluten-free cookie is delicious and easy to make!
- This is the perfect gluten-free snickerdoodle recipe. The cookies are soft with a bit of chew!
- Don't miss out on the classic gluten-free peanut butter blossoms or this completely flourless peanut butter blossoms!
- Another classic, gluten-free oatmeal raisin cookies, are perfectly chewy with crisp edges!
These homemade chocolate marshmallows would also be a stunning addition to your cookie trays!
I hope you enjoy this easy gluten-free recipe for pecan tassies! These cookies with their buttery crust and sweet pecan filling is the perfect addition to your holiday dessert table!
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Recipe
Gluten-Free Pecan Tassies
Ingredients
Tart Shells
- ½ cup butter, softened
- 3 ounces cream cheese, softened
- 1 cup gluten-free flour blend, Cup4Cup or King Arthur Measure for Measure preferred.
Pecan Pie Filling
- 2 tablespoons butter, melted
- ¾ cup brown sugar
- 1 cup chopped pecans
- 1 large egg
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- powdered sugar, optional
Instructions
Make the Tart Dough
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Grease a mini muffin tin or line with mini muffin cup liners.
- Beat ½ cup butter and cream cheese together in a large mixing bowl until well blended. Add the flour and mix until well combined and a soft dough forms.
- Use a small cookie scoop to shape 1 tablespoon-sized portions of dough into small balls. Place one dough ball in each muffin cup.
- Dip the tart shaper in gluten-free flour. Then steadily press the tart shaper straight down into each ball of dough until the dough rises up the sides and is even with or slightly above the top of the muffin cup. Set aside.
Make the Pecan Filling
- Melt the remaining 2 tablespoons of butter in a medium mixing bowl. Stir the brown sugar, pecans, egg, and vanilla into the butter until well combined.
- Scoop one tablespoon of filling into each tart shell, taking care not to overfill the cups as the filling will puff slightly as it bakes.
- Bake for 20-22 minutes or until the cookies are light golden brown.
- Cool in the pan for a few minutes before removing to cool completely on a wire rack. Once cool, you can sprinkle the tassies with a light dusting of powdered sugar, if desired.
Nutrition
* Nutritional information is provided as a courtesy and should be used as an estimate only. See the nutrition policy for more information.
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Jessica
Sooo good! The dough is tender and buttery. Here are my notes. I used Cup4cup like recommended and it was perfect. All I had was a silicone mini cupcake pan and while I normally hate baking with silicone, it’s what we had and it ended up working out great. I have heard it can be hard to get them out of the pan but the silicone (when sprayed with coconut oil) popped them right out. I did not have the special tool for this, so I used the small part of the pestle from a mortar and pestle sprayed with coconut oil and it worked out perfect. I had more filling than dough, so I needed up having to make another batch of dough, but it wasn’t a big deal. My parents loved these, they said it reminded them of old world type bakery. 100 percent recommend this recipe.