Mini Pumpkin Pie Cups in a Muffin Tin
These pumpkin pie cups have all the flavors of your favorite fall dessert in a little bite-sized package! They have buttery pie crust, spiced custard filling, and a nice dollop of fluffy whipped cream. And just 30 minutes of prep time! They're the absolute best for holidays, parties, and get-togethers! No slicing required.
Ingredients
- 1 recipe homemade pie dough (or 2 9-inch store-bought pie crusts)
- 1 large egg, room temperature
- 52 grams brown sugar, packed (1/4 cup)
- 25 grams white sugar (2 Tablespoons)
- 260 grams canned pumpkin purée, I recommend Libby's (1 cup)
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/2 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice or apple pie spice, plus more for garnish
- 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1/4 teaspoon cardamom
- 1/8 teaspoon Kosher salt
- 160 milliliters half-and-half (2/3 cup)
- Whipped cream, for serving
Equipment
- 1-2 mini muffin pans (24 or 48 cup pans will work)
- 2 1/2-inch circle cookie cutter
Instructions
Form the Pie Crusts
- Preheat the oven to 375°F (190°C). If your mini muffin pan is not non-stick, grease it with baking spray.
- Next, roll the pie dough until it's about 1/16-inch thick. Using a 2 1/2-inch circle cookie cutter, cut as many circles out of the dough as you can. Re-roll the dough as needed until you have about 36 pie dough circles. Don't let the pie dough warm up too much, or it will stick and come out dense.
- Press the pie dough circles into the cups of the mini muffin tin. Make sure to press the dough flat into the sides and bottoms of the mini muffin cups. You want plenty of room for the filling! I use a dough tamper to do this, but a muddler or teaspoon will work too. Refrigerate the pie doughs while you make the filling.
Make the Filling
- Add the egg, brown sugar, and white sugar to a large mixing bowl. Whisk the mixture until it's thickened and pale, about 2-3 minutes.
- Add the pumpkin, vanilla extract, pumpkin pie spice, cinnamon, cardamom, and salt. Stir just until the filling is smooth. Then, while whisking constantly, add the half-and-half. Mix the filling just until it's combined.
Bake & Serve
- Using a scoop, evenly fill the unbaked pie crusts with pumpkin custard all the way to the top (about 1-1 1/4 Tablespoons per pie dough cup).
- Bake the mini pies for 18-20 minutes, just until the filling is set and the crust is golden-brown. If the filling is still a bit runny, bake the pies for another 1-2 minutes.
- Let the pies cool in the pan for about 5-10 minutes. Use a spoon or butter knife to gently pop the pies out of the pan. Transfer the mini pies to a wire rack to cool completely. Then, refrigerate for 2-3 hours until the custard is completely set.
- Right before serving, top each pie with whipped cream. Sprinkle the tops with extra pumpkin pie spice, if desired. Enjoy!
Notes
To make sure the recipe comes out perfect every time, I always recommend weighing ingredients in grams with a kitchen scale instead of measuring with cups. Measuring cups are not always accurate and may lead to different results.
Make sure you're buying pumpkin purée, not pumpkin pie filling!
It's important to roll out the pie dough as thin as you can. If the dough is too thick, you won't have room for the filling. Roll the pie dough (even store-bought!) until it's about 1/16-inch thick.
No cookie cutter? Just use a jar lid or drinking glass to cut out the pie dough circles.
Don't be afraid to fill the pies all the way to the top. The filling will puff up in the oven, but it will deflate back down as it cools.
It can be more difficult to tell when mini pies are done compared to a full pie. They are ready when the crust is golden and the filling is just set. The filling should not be browning in the centers.
If you only have 1 mini muffin pan, you will need to work in batches. Make sure to let the muffin pan cool completely before adding the pie dough circles. Pie dough needs to stay as cold as possible for those flaky layers!
If you like a shinier pie crust, you can brush the pie crusts with egg wash before you fill them. Totally optional but it looks pretty!
Serving: 1mini pie, Calories: 55kcal, Carbohydrates: 6.5g, Protein: 0.7g, Fat: 3g, Saturated Fat: 0.7g, Cholesterol: 7mg, Sodium: 54mg, Potassium: 32mg, Fiber: 0.3g, Sugar: 2.7g, Calcium: 10mg
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