Two classic holiday desserts combined into one delicious treat in these Gingerbread Pecan Pie Tarts. You're going to love them!
If you're a lover of gingerbread for the holidays, I urge you to check out some other delicious (and maybe unexpected) recipes I have for you. Gingerbread Toffee with Almonds make a wonderful gift, Gingerbread Chicken is a savory and slightly sweet dinner entrée, Gingerbread Forest Cake is a magical creation without any fuss, and the iconic Gingerbread Christmas Trees and Snowflake Cookies are the things Christmas dreams are made of.
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Table of Contents Found Here
- The ingredient list:
- Kitchen tools and equipment needed:
- Can the gingerbread cookie dough be made in advance?
- How to thaw frozen gingerbread dough for rolling:
- Can these gingerbread pecan pie tarts be made in a mini pie tins?
- What's the best rolled thickness for the gingerbread dough?
- Important steps to ensure an even ¼" thickness when rolling dough:
- To chill or not chill (the dough). That is the question:
- The step-by-step photo instructions for making Gingerbread Pecan Pie Tarts:
- Can these pecan pie tarts with gingerbread crust be frozen after baking?
- Can this recipe be made into one large tart or pie instead of mini's?
- Additional festive holiday recipes:
- Printable Recipe Card
- Please comment if you've made this recipe.
The ingredient list:
*Please note that the exact measurements along with a "shop the recipe" feature from Instacart and Walmart is available inside the printable recipe card.
For the gingerbread:
- granulated sugar
- molasses
- butter
- egg
- pure vanilla extract
- all-purpose flour
- ground ginger
- ground allspice
- ground cloves
- ground cinnamon
- baking soda
- kosher salt
For the pecan pie filling:
- eggs
- kosher salt
- granulated sugar
- brown sugar
- maple syrup
- butter
- pure vanilla extract
- maple extract
- ground ginger
- chopped pecans
Kitchen tools and equipment needed:
- mixing bowls
- hand mixer or stand mixer
- whisk
- spatula
- measuring cups and spoons
- muffin tins (shown)
- holiday muffin liners
- mini tart pan/mini pie pan (alternative, and optional)
- baking sheets
- rolling pin
- rolling bands (optional)
- silpat rolling mat (optional)
- 4" round cookie cutter
- baking spray
- fork
- nut chopper (optional)
- cutting board
- plastic wrap
- kitchen timer
- cooling rack
- mini bows (optional)
- airtight freezer containers
Can the gingerbread cookie dough be made in advance?
You bet!
You can wrap it well in plastic wrap and store it in the fridge for up to 5 days, or you can freeze it for up to 3 months.
How to thaw frozen gingerbread dough for rolling:
Place the frozen dough in the microwave on the lowest setting and microwave at 10-second intervals until the dough gives just a tiny bit when pressed.
*Note - you do not want the dough to be too warm and pliable. A little bit of stiffness is what you're looking for.
Can these gingerbread pecan pie tarts be made in a mini pie tins?
Yes, but please be aware that the baking time will be different from the baking time listed in the recipe card for the muffin tin.
When I made mine, I used both a muffin tin and mini pie pans. The mini pie pans took a shorter amount of bake time because the mini pie tarts will be wider and thinner.
What's the best rolled thickness for the gingerbread dough?
A quarter-inch (¼") thickness is best. Any thicker than that and your gingerbread tart crust will be too heavy and take too long to bake.
Important steps to ensure an even ¼" thickness when rolling dough:
There's a simple trick to that and it has to do with little silicone rings that slip on both ends of a rolling pin.
Once rolled, run your open hand lightly over the surface of the dough and you'll be able to feel any uneven areas (if there are any).
Another important step is to sprinkle a light layer of flour on your rolling surface (i.e. countertop) and another light sprinkling on top of the gingerbread dough to prevent it from sticking to the rolling pin.
To chill or not chill (the dough). That is the question:
The answer is CHILL!
Once the gingerbread dough is made, make sure to wrap it well in plastic wrap and chill it in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes before rolling and baking.
Keeping the dough chilled will prevent it from shrinking as it bakes in the oven. Once the dough is in the muffin tins, return the tins to the refrigerator while making the pecan pie filling.
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The step-by-step photo instructions for making Gingerbread Pecan Pie Tarts:
For preparing the gingerbread tart crust:
- Roll the chilled gingerbread to an even ¼" thickness (wrapping and chilling the remaining dough until needed).
- Use a 4" round cookie/biscuit cutter to cut circles from the dough and press the dough evenly up and around the wells of a muffin tin that has been liberally sprayed with baking spray. *Note - Gently use your fingertips to press out any rips or tears that may occur during this process.
- Use the tines of a fork to dock the bottom of each gingerbread crust.
- Return the tins to the refrigerator to keep the dough chilled while preparing the pecan pie filling.
For preparing the pecan pie filling:
- Finely chop 3 cups of pecans and set aside.
- In a large bowl, whisk together 3 eggs, salt, granulated sugar, brown sugar, corn syrup, maple syrup, softened butter, ground ginger, maple extract, and vanilla extract.
- Add the chopped pecans and stir well to combine.
Filling and baking gingerbread pecan pie tarts:
- Fill the chilled gingerbread muffin cups just shy of full (using approximately ½ cup of the pecan pie filling) for each tart.
- Bake the tarts in a preheated 350-degree Fahrenheit oven for 40-45 minutes or until the pecan pie filling is still only slightly jiggly and puffed in the center. *Note - the filling will drop slightly as the tarts cool.
- Remove the pan from the oven and cool the tarts on a wire rack before serving.
- To release the tarts from the pan, run a butter knife around each muffin well and gently lift the tarts from the tin.
- Place each tart into a paper cupcake liner (if desired) and decorate however you see fit. I used mini bows to make them extra festive.
Can these pecan pie tarts with gingerbread crust be frozen after baking?
Yes!
Store them in a single layer (with parchment paper between layers, if needed) in an air-tight freezer container.
These can be frozen for up to 3 months.
Can this recipe be made into one large tart or pie instead of mini's?
Yes, but I can't give 100% accurate bake times for those changes.
However, what I can tell you is to bake a large gingerbread pecan pie or tart in a preheated 350-degree Fahrenheit oven until the center is just set and no longer jiggly.
I'm guessing the bake time will be approximately 40 minutes (for a standard pie or tart) but check it at the 30-minute mark, and then keep a close eye on it from there.
Also, do not overfill the pie or tart as the filling will puff and expand as it bakes.
Additional festive holiday recipes:
*Apple Croissant Breakfast Bake (shown below)
Treat your family and friends to a breakfast gift this year with this Easy Make-Ahead Christmas Morning Croissant Apple Breakfast Bake. It will be a deliciously sweet start to a very wonderful day!
*Pistachio Dried Cranberry Caramel Tart from Sweet ReciPEAS
*White Chocolate Christmas Popcorn (shown below and featured in the video)
Looking for food gift ideas that won’t break the bank and that any skill-level in the kitchen will be successful with, even the kiddos? Look no further. This Easy Delicious White Chocolate Christmas Popcorn is a tasty treat everyone on your gift-giving list will enjoy receiving!
*French Silk Tart from That Skinny Chick Can Bake
*Gingerbread Pecan Pie Tarts (shown below) THIS IS THE PLACE!!
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Printable Recipe Card
Gingerbread Pecan Pie Tarts
Ingredients
FOR THE GINGERBREAD DOUGH:
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- ½ cup dark molasses
- ½ cup butter softened
- 1 large egg
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 2½ cups all-purpose flour
- 1½ teaspoons ground ginger
- 1 teaspoon allspice
- ½ teaspoon ground cloves
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1½ teaspoons baking soda
- ⅛ teaspoon kosher salt
FOR THE PECAN PIE FILLING:
- 3 eggs beaten
- ⅛ teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- ½ cup packed brown sugar
- ½ cup pure maple syrup
- ½ cup corn syrup
- 5 tablespoons butter softened
- ½ teaspoon ground ginger
- ½ teaspoon maple extract
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 3 cups chopped pecans
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit (175 degrees Celsius).
TO MAKE THE GINGERBREAD DOUGH:
- Cream the butter, sugar together until light and fluffy (approximately 3-4 minutes)
- Add the molasses, egg, and vanilla and blend until combined.
- In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, ginger, allspice, ground cloves, ground cinnamon, baking soda, and salt.
- Add half of the flour mixture to the butter and sugar mixture and blend, scraping down the sides of the bowl, as needed.
- Add the remaining flour mixture and blend until a soft dough forms.
- When ready to bake, unwrap the chilled dough.
- Lightly flour a work surface and roll the gingerbread dough to an even ¼" thickness.
- Use 4" round cutters to cut the dough into circles, rerolling the remaining dough to make additional tart crusts as needed.
- Gently press the cut gingerbread rounds evenly in and up the sides of muffin tins that have been liberally sprayed with baking spray.
- Dock the bottom of each gingerbread tart dough several times with the tines of a fork.
- Chill the dough-filled muffin tins in the refrigerator while preparing the pecan pie filling.
TO MAKE THE PECAN PIE FILLING:
- Finely chop 3 cups of pecans and set aside.
- In a large bowl, whisk together 3 eggs, salt, granulated sugar, brown sugar, corn syrup, maple syrup, softened butter, ground ginger, maple extract, and vanilla extract.
- Add the chopped pecans and stir well to combine.
TO FILL AND BAKE THE GINGERBREAD PECAN PIE TARTS:
- Fill the chilled gingerbread muffin cups just shy of full (using approximately ½ cup of the pecan pie filling) for each tart.
- Bake the tarts in a preheated 350-degree Fahrenheit oven (175 degrees Celsius) for 40-45 minutes or until the pecan pie filling is still only slightly jiggly and puffed in the center. *Note - the filling will drop slightly as the tarts cool.
- Remove the pan from the oven and cool the tarts entirely on a wire rack before serving.
- To release the tarts from the pan, run a butter knife around each muffin well and gently lift the tarts from the tin.
- Place each tart into a paper cupcake liner (if desired) and decorate however you see fit. I used mini bows to make them extra festive.
Notes
Nutrition
I sincerely hope you've enjoyed today's delicious holiday dessert recipe for Gingerbread Pecan Pie Tarts as much as I've enjoyed bringing it to you!
Should you have any questions or comments regarding anything you've seen on my site, please don't hesitate to reach out to contact me. It is always my distinct pleasure to get back with you just as soon as I possibly can!
Thank you so much for visiting me today in my Kudos Kitchen. I hope you found something you'll love and that you will come back and visit me often. Please know that there is always room for you around my kitchen table!
Until we eat again, I hope you have a delicious day!
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