Description
Delight in these charming Mini Pumpkin Pies, perfect for individual servings at any festive gathering. Featuring a flaky, buttery crust and a smooth, spiced pumpkin filling, these pies bring the comforting flavors of classic pumpkin pie in a convenient, bite-sized form. Ideal for autumn celebrations or whenever a cozy dessert craving hits.
Ingredients
Scale
Pie Crust
- 1.5 cups All-purpose flour
- 0.5 teaspoon Salt
- 1 tablespoon Granulated sugar
- 0.5 cup Unsalted butter, cold and cubed
- 4-6 tablespoons Ice water
Pumpkin Filling
- 1 can Pumpkin puree
- 0.75 cup Brown sugar
- 0.5 teaspoon Ground cinnamon
- 0.25 teaspoon Ground nutmeg
- 0.25 teaspoon Ground ginger
- 0.25 teaspoon Ground cloves
- 0.5 teaspoon Vanilla extract
- 2 large Eggs
- 0.5 cup Heavy cream
Instructions
- Prepare the Crust: In a mixing bowl, combine the all-purpose flour, salt, and granulated sugar by whisking until evenly mixed. Add the cold, cubed butter and cut it into the flour mixture using your fingers or a pastry cutter until it looks like coarse crumbs.
- Add Ice Water: Gradually pour in 4 tablespoons of ice water, stirring gently to bring the dough together. Add an additional tablespoon if the dough feels too dry. Shape the dough into a disk, wrap it in plastic wrap, and refrigerate for 30 minutes.
- Preheat Oven: Set your oven to 375°F (190°C) to prepare for baking the pies.
- Make the Filling: In a large bowl, whisk together pumpkin puree, brown sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, cloves, and vanilla extract until smooth. Beat in the eggs one at a time, ensuring each is fully incorporated before adding the next. Finally, stir in the heavy cream until the filling is smooth and well mixed.
- Roll Dough: On a lightly floured surface, roll out the chilled dough to about 1/8-inch thickness. Using a cutter or glass, cut circles slightly larger than the cups of your mini muffin tin.
- Form Pie Shells: Carefully press each dough circle into the cups of the mini muffin tin, trimming away any excess dough to fit neatly.
- Fill Shells: Spoon the pumpkin filling into each crust, filling to about three-quarters full to allow space for the filling to set during baking.
- Bake Pies: Place the muffin tin in the oven and bake for 20-25 minutes, until the filling is set and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
- Cool: Let the mini pies cool in the tin for 10 minutes before transferring them to a wire rack to cool completely.
- Serve: Enjoy the mini pumpkin pies on their own or topped with whipped cream and a dusting of cinnamon for an extra touch of flavor.
Notes
- Ensure the butter is cold to achieve a flaky crust texture.
- If you don’t have a cutter for mini muffin tins, use a glass slightly larger than the tin cups.
- You can prepare the dough a day ahead and refrigerate it tightly wrapped.
- For a dairy-free option, substitute heavy cream with coconut cream.
- Leftover pies keep well in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
