With quicker bake and cool times, plus no need for blind baking the pie crust, there’s no denying that mini pumpkin pies are easier than the full-size version. They’re fun, festive, and baked in a mini muffin pan. This recipe uses my homemade pie crust and a deeply spiced filling like my original pumpkin pie.
Pumpkin spice lattes, pumpkin donuts, pumpkin cookies, pumpkin chili, pumpkin spice potato chips (they exist!), pumpkin scented candles, and about a billion other pumpkin spice items this time of year. But where does it all begin? The Iconic Pumpkin Pie, of course.
The motherhood of everything pumpkin spice, pumpkin pie is the original source for our pumpkin fix. It’s a very popular recipe this time of year and one of the most frequent questions I receive is “how can I turn this into mini pumpkin pies?”
I’m always happy to answer this, but I figured it’d be most helpful to have a separate post dedicated to Mini Pumpkin Pies. Instead of telling you how I do it, let’s show you the process. These are FUN and let’s be honest… the cuteness is hard to resist on a dessert table next to your other Thanksgiving pies!
You Will Love These Mini Pumpkin Pies Because:
- They’re fun to make with kids
- Unlike the full-size version, there’s no blind baking the crust (YAY!)
- They’re deeply spiced and sweetened with flavorful brown sugar
- Bake time & cool time are a lot quicker than regular pie
- Decoration can be minimal with a simple dollop of whipped cream
- They’re handheld & easy to serve, just like mini cinnamon sugar pumpkin muffins
If larger pies intimidate you, try shrinking it. Or if you don’t want to mess with pie crust at all, you’ll appreciate my easy pumpkin pie bars instead.
Overview: How to Make Mini Pumpkin Pies
Have you made my mini pecan pies or mini quiches before? We’re doing the same thing here, only switching the filling. (One note, if you ever try my mini pecan pies, you need to pre-bake the crusts since the filling is so thin. Not necessary today though.)
Filling is Adapted From My Favorite Pumpkin Pie
These mini pumpkin pies are an adaptation of my favorite pumpkin pie recipe.
- Reduced Amount: The most notable change is the reduced amount of filling. We don’t need as much filling as we would for a large 9-inch pie. These mini pumpkin pies are dough heavy—lots of crust in each bite. The filling really has to stand out, so we’ll use flavorful brown sugar and extra pumpkin pie spice. You can use homemade pumpkin pie spice here!
- No Cornstarch: Cornstarch thickens the filling for the full-size pie so we’re guaranteed neat slices. We’re not slicing these mini pumpkin pies—and the crust already keeps the filling tight and compact.
- Black Pepper: Black pepper is our secret ingredient. I learned about the addition of black pepper to pumpkin pie filling over at King Arthur Flour a few years ago. I’m forever changed. Seriously! This little bit of spice turns your pumpkin pie into the BEST pumpkin pie. No one will know it’s there—all they’ll taste is a delightfully spiced flavor. I’m just going to shout it: IT’S SO GOOD.
This recipe uses 1 and 1/4 cups (285g) of pumpkin puree and if you have more to use up, here are recipes to make with leftover pumpkin puree.
Mini Pumpkin Pies Recipe
Ingredients You’ll Need
Instructions
- I like to make sure my pie dough is prepared before I begin the mini pies. Make pie dough the night before because it needs to chill in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours before using.
- In a large bowl with a handheld or stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment—or simply using a whisk and mixing bowl—beat/whisk the pumpkin, brown sugar, heavy cream, milk, egg, salt, cinnamon, pumpkin pie spice, and black pepper together (on medium high speed if using a mixer) until completely combined, about 2 minutes. You’ll have about 3 cups of filling. Cover and refrigerate filling until step 6.
- Preheat oven to 375°F (191°C). Grease two 24-count mini muffin pans. Nonstick spray is best. (If you only have 1 mini muffin pan, bake these in batches. Roll out first pie dough, shape, fill, and bake then roll out the second pie dough, shape, fill, and bake.)
- Working with 1 chilled pie dough at a time, place the dough onto a floured work surface. Roll into a large 12-inch circle. Use your warm hands to mold any cracking edges back together if needed. From the circle, cut rounds using a 2.5 inch cookie cutter. (Sometimes I use my 1/3 cup measuring cup, which is 2.5 inches in diameter.) You’ll have to re-roll the dough scraps a few times. Work quickly, as the dough becomes much more delicate the longer it’s at room temperature. You’ll get about 24 rounds per pie crust. Repeat with 2nd chilled pie dough for a total of about 48.
- Place the dough rounds into greased 24-count mini muffin pan(s). Press the dough flat into the bottom of the crevice and up the sides.
- Evenly spoon cold filling into each unbaked crust, filling to the top.
- Bake mini pies until the center is just about set and edges are lightly browned, about 21–25 minutes. Allow to cool for 5 minutes before removing from the pan. If greased well, the mini pies pop right out using a spoon to scoop them up. Cool, then serve at room temperature or refrigerate until chilled and serve cold. Filling deflates a bit as they cool. Top with whipped cream if desired..)
- Cover leftover pies tightly and store in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
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