Mini Pumpkin Pies

Mini Pumpkin Pies combine flaky sourdough pie crust and a maple pumpkin filling for an adorable version of classic pumpkin pie. These mini pies are so fun to bake and share with friends during the holidays!

Pumpkin pie is my brother’s favorite dessert during Thanksgiving and Christmas. And honestly, I don’t blame him! Smooth, creamy, spicy filling in a buttery pie crust is hard to resist, especially with a little whipped cream on top.

Baking any dessert in an individual size always makes it cuter, and these mini pumpkin pies are a great example of that. Instead of using a traditional pie dish, these mini pies are baked in a muffin tin. Because of their smaller size, mini pies take less time to bake, which is great for a few reasons. Obviously, a shorter bake time means you get to enjoy your pumpkin pie sooner. 🙂 Additionally, in regular pies, the crust normally browns before the filling is done baking, which can lead to burnt crust. However, with mini pies, the filling is done sooner, which means you can take them out of the oven before the crust gets too brown.

If you’re looking for an easy, delicious treat to bring to holiday gatherings this year, these mini pumpkin pies are just what you need!

What are common pumpkin pie mistakes?

Pumpkin pies can be a bit tricky to bake properly. For starters, it’s hard to tell when they are done, so they are easy to under or over-bake. Furthermore, it can be challenging to make sure the filling is baked through without burning the crust. Lastly, pumpkin pie filling can crack on the top after you take it out of the oven, which doesn’t affect the taste, but does change the appearance a bit.

The good news is that baking pumpkin pie in individual tins often solves these problems. You can more easily tell when they are done, and the crust and filling bake at a more similar rate.

How to tell if a pumpkin pie is fully baked?

When you take out a pumpkin pie from the oven, the center should still be a tiny bit jiggly. The edges will be browned, and the pie filling may look a bit puffy. The pie filling will continue to set up after you remove it from the oven. If you stick a toothpick into the middle of the pie, it should come out pretty clean with a few crumbs. If the toothpick has gooey filling all over it, the pie still needs to bake a bit longer.

Tips for making Mini Pumpkin Pies

• Feel free to mix up the spices a bit if you like! I like to keep it simple by using just cinnamon and allspice, but you can add in ginger, nutmeg, cloves, or even use a pumpkin pie spice blend if you prefer.
• While these pies taste yummy on their own, they are even better with whipped cream. 🙂 Sprinkle the whipped cream with a little cinnamon for a pretty presentation.
• Because pumpkin pie has dairy and eggs in it, refrigerate these mini pies once they cool to keep them from spoiling. Of course, they will taste best if you enjoy them the same day you make them, but they will last for a few days in the fridge.

Tools you will need

To make these mini pumpkin pies, you’ll need a mixing bowl, measuring cups and spoons, a rolling pin, parchment paper, a circle cookie cutter, and a muffin tin.

Ingredients you will need

• 8 oz pumpkin puree – This is about 1/2 a can of pumpkin puree.
• 1 egg
• 1/4 cup Greek yogurt – Whole milk Greek yogurt will be the creamiest, but you can use whatever you have on hand.
• 1/4 cup maple syrup – Maple and pumpkin go so well together! If you want, you can use honey instead, but it will change the flavor.
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 1/2 tsp allspice
• 1/2 batch of pie crust – You can use store-bought, but making your own crust is very easy! You can even use your sourdough starter for this. 🙂

How to make Mini Pumpkin Pies

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Use the convection setting if you have it for best results.

If you are using homemade pie crust, make the pie crust dough and wrap it in plastic wrap. Refrigerate the dough for at least 1 hour before you roll it out. (If you’re using store-bought dough, you can skip this step.)

On a floured sheet of parchment paper, roll out the pie dough so that it is about 1/4 inch thick. Use a circle cookie cutter to cut the dough into circles.

Place the circles of pie dough in a muffin tin. You may need to fold the edges of the crust a bit so that they fit in the muffin tin. Refrigerate the pie crusts while you make the filling.

In a medium bowl, stir together the pumpkin, egg, maple syrup, Greek yogurt, vanilla, cinnamon, and allspice. Make sure not to leave any lumps in the batter!

Spoon the pumpkin pie filling into the crusts, filling them right up to the edges. The filling won’t expand much when it bakes, so you don’t have to worry about it running over the edges.

Bake the mini pumpkin pies for 30 minutes, until the top is set and the edges of the pie crust are golden brown.

Let the pies cool for at least 10 minutes before you remove them from the muffin tin.

Looking for more holiday dessert recipes?

If so, make sure to head over to the Kitchen Counter for lots of yummy treats. Here are a few favorites:

• Peppermint Brownies
• Sourdough Sugar Cookies
• Sourdough Star Bread
• Cranberry Dessert
• Sourdough Chocolate Babka

If you make this recipe and enjoy it, let me know in the comments section below! You can also tag me on instagram @oldfashionedinspiration with a picture of your creation.