Go Back
Pecan tassie nut cup cookies on white plate.
AGT Editorial Team

Easy Pecan Tassie Nut Cups

5 from 4 votes
Whether a holiday party or tea party, these Easy Pecan Tassies are the perfect bite-sized dessert to bring! They're like mini pecan pies but in cookie form and made with a homemade cream cheese crust!
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 25 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Total Time 45 minutes
Servings: 48 mini tassies
Calories: 125
Ingredients Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Nut Cup Dough
  • 2 cups flour
  • ½ lb butter, room temperature *see note
  • 6 oz. cream cheese, room temperature *see note
Nut Cup Filling
  • 3 large eggs
  • 1½ cups light brown sugar
  • 2 tablespoon salted butter, melted
  • ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1½ cups pecans, chopped small *see note

Method
 

  1. Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C). Lightly grease a mini muffin pan.
  2. Set aside 1 of the 3 eggs for brushing the crusts. In a medium bowl, gently combine the remaining 2 eggs, brown sugar, 2 tablespoons melted butter, and vanilla. Stir in the chopped pecans. Avoid vigorous mixing, which can make the filling foamy. Refrigerate the filling while preparing the crust.
  3. In a large bowl, cream the softened (not melted) ½ lb butter with the softened cream cheese until combined. A fork or mixer works.
  4. Add the flour and stir with a spatula, then gently bring the dough together with your hands. Stop mixing once a soft dough forms.
  5. Shape the crusts using either method:
    Option 1: Press a small ball of dough evenly across the bottom and up the sides of each mini muffin cavity.
    Option 2: Roll dough about ⅛–¼ inch thick, cut roughly 3-inch circles (adjust for your tin), and gently fit them into the mini muffin cavities. Avoid leaving very thick bottoms.
    Dough in a muffin pan
  6. Spoon about 1–2 teaspoons of pecan filling into each crust, depending on the size of your pan. Fill each about ¾ full, leaving room for the filling to expand.
    Muffin tin with dough and filling.
  7. Lightly beat the third, reserved egg and brush it onto the exposed crust edges, avoiding excess egg wash in the filling.
  8. Bake at 350°F for about 20 minutes, starting to check at 18 minutes. The crust should be golden and the filling set, not liquid. Let stand briefly, then carefully loosen the warm tassies with a thin spatula or knife and transfer to a rack to cool. Baking time may vary by pan size and oven.

Notes

Dough tip: Use room-temperature butter and cream cheese for the crust; do not melt the dough butter. The 2 tablespoons of melted butter belong in the pecan filling. Chop pecans small for even filling.
Yield and nutrition: Makes approximately 48 mini tassies depending on the size of the muffin cavities and crust thickness. Calories are estimated per tassie and will vary with yield.
Food Safety Tip: Because this is an egg-rich pecan filling, refrigerate cooled tassies in a covered container within 2 hours, and enjoy within 3–4 days. Freeze for up to 1–2 months for best quality; thaw in the refrigerator. The USDA Food Safety and Inspection Service recommends refrigeration and a 3–4-day storage window for homemade pecan pie.