Easy Pecan Tassie Cookies aka Nut Cups

Looking for a large batch cookie recipe this holiday season? These Easy Pecan Tassies aka nut cups are one of my all-time favorite holiday cookies! They're like mini individual pecan pies but in cookie form, kinda like pecan tarts. They're made with a homemade flaky cream cheese crust which is much easier to work with than pie dough.

These nut cups, aka pecan tassies, have become one of my favorite holiday cookies, along with my Mocha Vanilla Pudding Cookies.

They are surprisingly so easy to make considering they require making your OWN cream cheese dough (from scratch)! You don't even need a mixer for the dough, just your two hands.

They are the perfect cookie to make around Christmas time because they are so unique, unlike sugar cookies, which we see everywhere this time of year. They're more buttery and rich in my opinion. I can guarantee this one will stay in your recipe book for a long time!

Jump to:

• Pecan Tassie Ingredients
• Instructions
• Tips For The Cream Cheese Crust
• Substitutions
• Expert Tips
• Storing Tip
• FAQ's
• Easy Pecan Tassie Nut Cups

Looking for the exact ingredient amounts? Jump straight to the measured ingredient list in the recipe card below. The ingredient notes explain how each ingredient works.

This nut cup filling is a simple combination of eggs, brown sugar, vanilla, butter and pecans. That's it.

I also love that this recipe is made WITHOUT corn syrup because frankly..the stuff is just nasty.

So grab two bowls, your best mini muffin tin and perhaps a cup of coffee and let's get baking!

Pecan Tassie Ingredients

Cream Cheese Crust

• All-purpose flour (2 cups) - Use regular all-purpose flour for a dependable, tender crust.
• Salted butter (½ lb / 2 sticks), softened - This is for the dough; do not melt it. If using unsalted butter, add a pinch of salt.
• Cream cheese (6 oz), softened - Makes the crust tender and cookie-like. Neufchâtel cheese is an option, though the texture may differ slightly.

Pecan Filling

• Light brown sugar (1½ cups) - Gives the filling its rich caramel-like flavor.
• Eggs (3 large) - Use 2 in the filling and reserve 1 for brushing the crust. The filling also needs 2 tablespoons melted salted butter.
• Pecans (1½ cups), finely chopped - Use pre-chopped pecans or chop them using a knife or a sealed bag and mallet.
• Vanilla extract (½ teaspoon) - Adds flavor to the filling.

Instructions

Step 1: Preheat oven to 350°F.

Step 2: Reserve 1 of the 3 eggs for brushing the crust. Gently combine the other 2 eggs, brown sugar, 2 tablespoons of melted salted butter and vanilla in a bowl. Stir in the chopped pecans. Avoid overmixing, which can make the filling foamy. Refrigerate until ready to use.

Step 3: Cream together the softened (not melted) ½ lb butter and softened cream cheese. Add the flour and gently mix just until a soft dough forms. You can use your hands or a mixer.

Step 4: You have two options for filling your muffin tins.

Option 1: Using your fingers, press dough into small muffin tins. Make sure the dough is even on the bottom and sides of the tin. Use more dough if you like a thicker crust.

Option 2: Use a rolling pin to roll out your dough to no more than a ¼" thick. Use a round cookie cutter to cut each cup out. Aim for rounds about 3" in diameter. Then press pre-cut rounds into muffin tins.

Step 5: Spoon about 1–2 teaspoons of filling into each crust, filling each about ¾ full. Leave room for the filling to expand during baking.

Step 6: Lightly beat the third, reserved egg and brush it on the exposed crust edges.

Step 7: Bake at 350°F for about 20 minutes, checking from 18 minutes onward, until the crust is golden and the filling is set. Let rest briefly, then loosen the warm tassies carefully with a thin spatula or knife and transfer to a cooling rack.

NOTE: You can print the FULL recipe with all ingredients & detailed instructions below!

Tips For The Cream Cheese Crust

This "crust" is not your typical pie crust. You do not need COLD butter! This is something I love because mixing in cold butter is always a pain to do especially if you don't want to use a pastry cutter or food processor!

So the temperature of your butter does not matter when we make this nut cup dough. Just keep it at room temperature NOT melted.

This pecan Tassie recipe uses butter, cream cheese and flour. That's it. You have the option to mix your dough by hand or with a mixer. You also don't need to worry about over-mixing. The only thing you want to make sure of is that your dough sticks together. I like using Philadelphia cream cheese for my dough because it is creamy and rich in flavor.

Pressing Your Dough

Once your dough is ready, you'll want to press your cookie dough into your mini muffin tins. HOW to do this is up to you.

Here are two options:

1. Roll your dough until it's about ⅛" thick. Then use cookie cutter or rounds to cut out circles that are a little larger than your muffin cups (about 3" in diameter). This will ensure the thickness of your crust is even.
2. Pinch off a piece of dough and press it into each muffin pan until it reached the rim. You will need to be the judge with how much to use. I recommend using a mini ice cream scoop to keep your cups consistent.

The good thing about a tassie crust is, you can't have too much! Since they are more like a cookie than a pie, the crust should be thicker, in my opinion.

Expert Tips

Pecan tassies are very simple to make. They came out perfectly on my first try! (Well almost perfect...) Here are some cookie tips:

Affiliate disclosure: As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

• If your pecans are whole, give them a rough chop so you have small pieces throughout your filling or purchase the pre-chopped pecans to make it easier.
• Use your hands or a silicone spatula to mix your filling. A mixer may crush the pecans.
• You need a mini muffin/cupcake tin to make these so grab yourself one today. This one from Amazon is a nonstick one that holds 24 cups.
• The cookie crust does not need to be perfectly shaped. Your hands will be the best tools for this.
• The filling will expand slightly in the oven, so fill the cups only about ¾ full.
• Brush some honey over top for an added sheen and sweet bite.
• Grease your muffin pan so they don't stick.
• Use cupcake liners to help your tassies come out easier.
• Add a splash of bourbon to increase the flavor. I also use bourbon in my Greek Almond Cookies. OR you can top your tassies with a dollop of bourbon whipped cream!

FAQ's

Other holiday desserts you may like:

Monkey Bread Mini Muffins

Gingerbread Cannoli Cups

The Best Kourabiedes (Greek Almond Cookies)

The BEST Muddy Buddies (Puppy Chow)

Ridiculously Moist Christmas Cake Balls

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