Pumpkin pies are a staple of the fall season. However, to someone who has never made pies before, they can seem to be a daunting task, and they are not the easiest dessert to bring somewhere. These miniature pumpkin pies offer some variety to the traditional dessert, are more easily portable, and will be loved by family and friends alike! The recipe I used can be found here.
Gather ingredients
This recipe calls for one or two small muffin tins (the recipe makes 24 pies), a 3-inch cookie cutter that can be a rounded or a scalloped edge, two rounds of pie dough (it can be homemade or store bought, for this recipe I bought mine), one cup of pumpkin puree, a half a cup of heavy cream, one egg, a fourth of a cup of brown sugar, three tablespoons of granulated sugar, a teaspoon of pumpkin pie spice, half a teaspoon of ground cinnamon, a fourth of a teaspoon of kosher sea salt, and a half teaspoon of vanilla extract.
You will also need a large mixing bowl, cooking spray, and possibly a rolling pin.
Cut out pie crusts
Preheat the oven to 350º and spray the pan. Then roll out your pie crusts onto a flat surface. I used a circular pan and aluminum foil for easier cleanup, but you can use whatever works best for you. Use the cookie cutter to cut out your pie crusts. My pie dough could only fit about eight of the crusts, so once I separated them I combined the excess dough and rolled it flat so there would be enough crust for the last eight pies.
Press the pie crust into the pan.
Press the pie crusts down into the pan so that the middle of the circle is roughly in the middle of the muffin pan. Press against the sides so there will be more space for the pie filling. Once you have put all of the pie crusts in the pan, set the pan in the freezer so they can chill while you mix the filling.
Combine the pumpkin puree, heavy cream, egg, sugars, spices, salt, and vanilla extract
Add all of the other ingredients into a large mixing bowl. Whisk them together. Once you are done they should look something like this.
Add the filling into the pie crusts
The recipe I used suggested one and a half tablespoons of filling per pie crust, but I found that to be too much. I recommend using a spoon or small measuring cup until the pie filling is about even with the top of the muffin tin. Tap against the counter to get a smoother surface on your pies. They should look something like this.
Bake for around 20 minutes
The recipe calls for the pies to be baked for 18-22 minutes, or until the crust appears to be golden-brown. I baked mine for about 19 minutes, but it could vary depending on the oven. When you are done they should look like this:
Let them cool down. They can be served at room temperature or chilled, and can be served with whipped cream.
You have now successfully made mini pumpkin pies! Enjoy!
The McNicholas Milestone 