Ah, whipped cream. A sweet, pillowy dollop on a slice of pie, a wedge of…
Mini Salted Rosemary Rum Pecan Pies
Mini Salted Rosemary Rum Pecan Pies are the fun, unique dessert every party needs!
A simple almond flour crust is filled with a maple syrup custard. There’s a big crunch of toasty pecans, an shot of (optional) booze, a subtle herbal hit of rosemary and dusting of sea salt flakes.
So basically these are mini paleo pecan pies with a little something extra. But I guess mini pecan pies are called pecan tassies? So these are actually paleo pecan tassies? I don’t know.
What I do know is that whenever I serve these at family parties, people have one…and then they have more. They’re irresistible.
Luckily they’re easy to make, too. Plus they’re gluten-free, dairy-free and Paleo! And they can easily be made keto as well. But no one will know or care. They’ll just keep eating them.
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Why you should make mini paleo pecan pies
Classic pecan pie is made with corn syrup, which used to be a more common ingredient. Then people realized a) it was in everything and b) that’s not good.
The Paleo diet omits refined sugars, so by using maple syrup we’re using a less-refined sweetener. We’re also using less sweetener overall than most recipes call for because the higher amounts are just not necessary. It’s a healthier choice while still adding the sweetness and dark, smoky flavor we’re looking for.
And by using an almond flour pie crust, we’re swapping out grains for all the protein, fiber and healthy fats of almonds. Plus almond flour makes for a rich, buttery crust. It’s not just a swap, it’s an upgrade that makes for a delicious treat.
I’ve been using both Honeyville almond flour and Oh Nuts! almond flour for years with great results. Both have finely milled flour with no hard little bits that some almond flours have.
And then a few sea salt flakes on top is the final touch that just makes all the flavors pop. You can’t go wrong with Maldon sea salt flakes – again, I’ve used it for years and I love those crunchy little salty flakes.
So you can enjoy these little gluten-free pecan pies no matter what diet you follow. (Unless you’re vegan. Sorry, haven’t tried this with an egg substitute.)
how to make these mini paleo pecan pies
First you’ll make a basic paleo pie crust with almond flour. Once it’s blended with the cooking fat, sweetener and vanilla, you can use immediately or form into a ball, wrap with plastic wrap and refrigerate for up to 5 days.
Then you’ll form the crusts in a mini muffin tray. I love this one from Trudeau. It’s a silicone mold which means baked goods pop out easily but it has a steel frame so it’s easier to handle. Silicone baking molds wobble and fold, making them a pain to handle. This pan solves that problem (not an ad, I just like it).
If the crusts pull apart in any way while you’re working with them, just use your fingers to pat and smoosh them back into place.
You’ll bake the crusts first, without any filling.
While they bake, you make the filling. Just whisk together maple syrup, eggs and ghee or coconut oil (melted and cooled). This is also where you add the rum and rosemary but see below for more options, or leave them out altogether.
The filling may form a yellow layer on top (regardless of your chosen cooking fat) but this won’t affect the texture or flavor. Just whisk again before filling the crusts.
Once the crusts are done, it’s just a matter of filling and baking them. That’s it! Easy, right?
Options for these mini paleo pecan pies
You can leave out the rosemary and/or the rum and you still have a batch of delicious little pecan pies. Or try thyme instead of rosemary (seriously, fresh thyme in desserts is amazing). But either way do NOT substitute dried.
Try whiskey or bourbon in place of the rum.
Feel free to use a different nut or use an assortment – some could have a hazelnut, some pistachios, some a little huddle of pine nuts.
To make it keto, use a keto-approved maple-flavored syrup.
It’s also easy to double and they freeze well (instructions below the recipe).
If you want to go the extra mile, you could even top them with a small dollop of whipped cream (here’s my favorite way to make it).
And that’s it!
I could never be a caterer, making 1,000 little tarts and toasts and treats. But once or twice a year? It’s absolutely worth it. One-bite apps and sweets are my go-to party foods and these fit the bill and then some. They’re perfect for Thanksgiving, Christmas, cocktail parties, open houses or any dessert spread.
You know how some foods are described as a party in your mouth? These are that, no matter what they’re called.
Mini Salted Rosemary Rum Pecan Pies
Ingredients
Crust
- 1/3 cup cooking fat, like avocado oil or melted and cooled coconut oil
- 3 tbsp. honey or maple syrup
- 1/2 tsp. vanilla
- 2 1/4 cups blanched fine almond flour (not almond meal, must be blanched)
- heaping 1/4 tsp. fine sea salt
Filling
- 1/4 cup maple syrup
- 2 eggs
- 1 tbsp. melted and cooled ghee or coconut oil
- 1 tbsp. dark rum (optional)
- 1/2 tsp. vanilla
- 1/2 tsp. minced fresh rosemary (do NOT use dried)
- 1/2 tsp. fine sea salt
Also:
- 2/3 cup pecan halves, toasted and cooled
- approx. 1 tsp. flaky sea salt
Instructions
Make the crust:
- Heat the oven to 350 degrees. Grease each muffin cup if necessary (I used silicone pans so I didn't grease mine and they released just fine).
- In a large bowl, whisk the oil, honey/maple syrup and vanilla. Set a sieve over the bowl and sift in the almond flour and salt. Blend until combined. The texture should be like wet sand - when you squeeze a small amount in your hand it should clump together.
- Using a spoon or small scoop, add 1 packed tablespoon of dough to each mini muffin cup. Keep a glass of water nearby and dip your two index fingers in to get a little wet, then use your fingers to press the dough down and up the side of the cups up to the top. Dip your fingers in the water for every 1-2 crusts.
- Bake in the oven for 10-15 minutes, swapping and rotating the pans every 5 minutes, until the tops of the crusts are golden brown. Remove from the oven.
While the crusts are baking, make the filling:
- In a medium bowl, whisk the filling ingredients until they're well blended. As it sits, you might notice a yellow layer form on top (whether you use coconut oil or ghee). This is normal - just whisk again to blend.
- When the crusts are done (you don't have to wait for them to cool), add a pecan half to each cup. Spoon 1.5-2 tsp. of the filling into each cup almost, but not quite, up to the top of the crust.
- Bake for 10-15 minutes, rotating and swapping the pans every 5 minutes, until the filling is set.
- Remove from the oven, sprinkle each with a smidge of flaky sea salt and let cool completely before popping them out of the pans.
Notes
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What a perfect healthy & treat for thanksgiving 🙂
You can totally make this keto by adding sugar free maple syrup
Also I really love anything with Rosemary so will definitely have to try!
Ooh, that’s such a good call. I should maybe update this with that info. Thanks!
These look so special and so delicious, and festive!! LOVE all the ingredients, definitely not too much. YUM.
Thanks. 🙂
How cute are those. Perfect for our Thanksgiving.
Exactly!
Honestly, I’ve never like the name “tassie” . . . mini pecan pie makes much more sense and your version looks TDF!
I don’t get it. We don’t call anything else tassie (pumpkin tassies?), so why this?
Great small bites for holiday parties!
Exactly!
Thank you so much for this recipe! I can now eat Pecan Pie (one of my favorites) without feeling bad about it.
Exactly! Only joy and happiness around here. 😉
Wow this name grabbed my attention! Such a unique flavour combo but bet these little bites tastes pretty good!
Thanks!
Pecan pie was my favorite as a girl! I haven’t had it in years…because, you know, high fructose corn syrup 🙁 So glad to have found this Paleo recipe!
Ugh, I know. I love pecan pie but it does NOT need to be made like that. Glad you found it, too!
I’m not surprised that people take seconds of these! They’re amazing! They remind me of the butter tarts we make in Canada.
Oh, they are! I just had my first butter tart in Toronto and loved it.
So good! I could eat the whole pan!!
I pretty much have – the benefits of recipe testing. 😉
These would be good for just about any time of year. And I pretty much have everything I need for them… so it must be a sign.
It is! Go for it!
these sound lovely, we use maple syrup in most of our baking, yes to the optional booze !
Yeah, I love baking with maple syrup. I use it as much as I can.
The name might be a mouthful but these little beauties look divine! I absolutely love uncommon flavor pairings!
Thanks! I do, too.
I am a huge fan of almond flour and nuts! Will definitely add this to my list to make for the holidays!
These babies have all five senses just dancing with delight and anticipation 🥰
Ha, love it!
Great! It’s a crowd-pleaser. 🙂
Boozy dessert? I’m ALL about this. These are perfect for Christmas!
Ha, exactly! A little shot of booze won’t hurt. 😉
Love these tasty treats! Perfect for fall weather!
Exactly! You get it. 😉