Love homemade pumpkin pie but never have enough room to eat an entire slice after your Thanksgiving dinner? Make Mini Pumpkin Pies this year instead! Everyone will be able to eat a couple mini pies for sure.
Mini Pumpkin Pies From Scratch
Melanie here again from Garnish & Glaze. I’m so happy to be back to share these adorable mini pumpkin pies with you! There is just something about miniature things are irresistibly cute. Well, not only are these mini pumpkin pies adorable, they are also delish!
First, the crust is amazing. So light, tender, and flaky. Then there’s the pumpkin pie filling, which is super simple and packed with cinnamon. You can stop there, but why not add some whipped cream? And then the final touch is to sprinkle the mini pies with a dusting of cinnamon or pumpkin pie spice. Gorgeous!
These mini homemade pumpkin pies are perfect for gatherings where there are lots of desserts and you want to try EVERY SINGLE ONE. It’s the perfect sampling of the classic pumpkin pie, and you can always snag another one… or two.
They’re also great for after your Thanksgiving feast. Everyone can make more room for one of these little guys!
Mini Pumpkin Pies Ingredients
If you’ve ever made a classic homemade pumpkin pie before, you’ll already know how simple the ingredients list is for this recipe. Here’s what you’ll need to make mini pumpkin pies from scratch:
- All-purpose flour
- Salt
- Shortening
- Cold water
- Pure pumpkin puree
- Evaporated milk
- Eggs
- Brown sugar
- Spices
- Whipped cream (optional)
How to Make Mini Pumpkin Pies
These mini pumpkin pies have two components: the homemade pie crust and the pumpkin pie filling. Both are super simple to make and take little time to prep. Here are the basics on how to make mini pumpkin pies:
- Stir together the pie crust ingredients. Once the dough comes together, wrap it in plastic wrap and chill for 30 minutes.
- Meanwhile, stir together the pumpkin pie filling ingredients and set aside.
- Once chilled, roll out the pie dough. Cut circles out of the dough using a biscuit or cookie cutter.
- Press the circles of dough into a muffin tin.
- Pour pumpkin pie filling into the mini crusts.
- Bake the mini pumpkin pies until a knife inserted in the middle comes out clean.
How to Make Pumpkin Pie From Fresh Pumpkin
Pumpkin puree from scratch (actual fresh pumpkin) is easy, and yes, you can definitely use fresh pureed pumpkin instead of the canned kind. Simply substitute in equal amounts (1 cup fresh puree for 1 cup canned).
Here’s how to make fresh pumpkin puree for pumpkin pies:
- Clean the pumpkin under cool water and dry well with a clean towel.
- Cut in half and remove seeds and stringy insides.
- Lay pumpkin upside down on a baking sheet and bake at 350ºF until tender. Or, cut pumpkin in smaller pieces and boil gently until tender, around 20 minutes. Or, steam the pumpkin pieces for about 20 minutes.
- When tender, remove pumpkin pieces and place on a flat surface to cool.
- Once cool enough to handle, but not cold, peel the skin off and scoop out the pumpkin flesh.
- Puree the pumpkin flesh in a food processor, in a food mill, or with a hand-held blender until smooth.
Fresh pumpkin holds a lot of moisture. Before using or storing, line a sieve or fine mesh colander with cheesecloth or a coffee filter and set over a deep bowl. Let drain for about 2 hours and stir occasionally. Then, you can use the fresh pumpkin puree to make these mini pumpkin pies!
Does Pumpkin Pie Have to Be Refrigerated?
Yes, homemade pumpkin pie (including these mini pies) must be refrigerated. Because it’s made with eggs and milk, it’s not safe to leave pumpkin pie out on the counter for more than 2 hours.
How Long Does Pumpkin Pie Last?
If stored, loosely covered, in the fridge, these mini pumpkin pies will last up to 4 days.
Can Pie Dough Be Frozen?
Yes, pie dough will keep very well in the freezer. Press into a ball or disc and cover tightly or place in freezer bag. When ready to use, thaw completely and then roll out and place in pie dish and bake.
Or, roll out, place in pie dish and freeze. Then thaw completely and bake as normal.
Can You Freeze Pumpkin Pie?
Absolutely! To freeze pumpkin pie, cook completely and then let cool on a cooling rack. Wrap tightly in plastic wrap or place inside freezer bag. Freeze for up to 2 months.
Tips for Making Mini Pumpkin Pies
It’s very important that you purchase pure pumpkin puree and not canned pumpkin pie filling. Canned pumpkin pie filling is already sweetened and has spices in it and would make these mini pumpkin pies far too sweet.
Similarly, make sure to buy evaporated milk and NOT sweetened condensed milk. Evaporated milk is unsweetened and is much runnier than sweetened condensed milk.
If you like your homemade pumpkin pie to be quite spiced, you’re welcome to add more cinnamon than this recipe calls for. Or, add in additional pumpkin pie spice to the pumpkin pie filling. Use your best judgement!
More Easy Pie Recipes:
Don’t forget to check out all of our Thanksgiving Recipes while you’re here!
- Easy No-Bake Chocolate Pie
- Apple Cream Pie
- Simple Blueberry Pie
- Sweet Potato Pie with Cheesecake Filling
- Dulce de Leche Banana Cream Pie
- No-Bake Oreo Pie
- Homemade French Silk Pie
- …All of Our Pie Recipes!
Mini Pumpkin Pies
Description
Ingredients
For the Crust:
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 3/4 cup shortening, + 2 Tablespoons
- 5-6 tablespoons cold water
For the Filling:
- 1 can pumpkin puree, 15 ounce
- 1 can evaporated milk, 12 ounce
- 2 eggs
- 1/3 cup brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon ginger
For the Topping:
- whipped cream
- cinnamon or pumpkin pie spice
Instructions
- Mix flour and salt together and then use a pastry blender to mix in the shortening until you form pea-size crumbs.
- Add 1 tablespoon cold water at a time, gently mixing with a fork after each addition.
- When the dough begins to come together and form a loose ball, stop adding water.
- Press dough together into the shape of a dish and wrap in plastic wrap.
- Chill for 30 minutes.
- Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.
- Mix filling ingredients together and set aside.
- Roll out the dough onto a lightly floured surface (dough should look marbled from the shortening). Roll as thin as possible (a few millimeters thick).
- Use a 3 1/2 to 4 inch diameter cookie cutter, biscuit cutter, or cup to cut dough.
- Press the scraps together and repeat.
- Press each circle of dough into the wells of a muffin tin.
- Fill each crust to the top with pie filling (about 3 tablespoons). (Depending on how thin you rolled your dough and how high you pushed it up the sides of each well, you might have leftover filling.)
- Bake for 10 minutes and then lower the temperature to 350 degrees F and bake for another 15-20 minutes until knife inserted comes out clean.
- Cool in pan for 10 minutes and then remove onto a wire rack to finish cooling.
Notes
Nutrition
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