Mini Sweet Potato Pecan Pies

5 from 5 votes

These little Mini Sweet Potato Pecan Pies are the perfect sweet treat for the entire family! Made with a nutty crust, creamy spice-filled sweet potato filling, and a delicious pecan topping.

Prep Time15

Cook Time45

Total Time1

Course: Breakfast, Brunch, Dessert, Snack

Keyword: baked, crust, dairy-free, easy, gluten-free, healthy, kid-friendly, pecans, pies, southern, sweet, sweet potatoes, sweets, vegan

Servings: servings

Calories: 245kcal

Author: Shanika

Ingredients

CRUST:

1 cup pecans, toasted
1 cup Graham crackers, roughly chopped (Vegan-friendly crackers; About 7-8 sheets)
½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
½ teaspoon sea salt
3-4 Tbsps vegan butter, melted

SWEET POTATO FILLING:

2 cups sweet potato puree (About 1 lb. sweet potatoes; See Post for How To)
½ cup full-fat coconut cream/milk
½ cup pure maple syrup
3 Tbsps Arrowroot starch (See Notes!)
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
¼ teaspoon ground ginger
½ teaspoon ground nutmeg
¼ teaspoon ground allspice
Pinch of sea salt
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 Tbsps vegan butter, melted (See Notes!)

PECAN 'PIE' TOPPING:

1 cup pecans, chopped or halved + toasted (See Notes!)
¼ cup organic brown sugar
3 Tbsps vegan butter
2-3 Tbsps full-fat coconut cream/milk
Pinch of ground cinnamon
Pinch of ground nutmeg

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

TO MAKE THE CRUST:

Preheat oven to 325 degrees Fahrenheit and prepare a 12-cavity cupcake pan with cupcake liners.
Grind the pecans + graham crackers, until almost finely ground (it’s OK to leave a few medium chunks, if your’e a lover a little crunch!). Combine the Pecan-Graham cracker mixture, cinnamon, salt and melted butter in a small bowl and mix with a spatula until well incorporated.
Divide the mixture between the cupcake liners (about 2 Tbsps per well) and press down into the bottoms with your fingers (focusing on the middle) to ensure that it’s perfectly covering the bottom and sides (like a deep well).
Bake the crusts for about 5 minutes and then remove from oven and allow it to cool until you’re ready to use.

TO MAKE THE SWEET POTATO FILLING:

In a large bowl, add the sweet potato puree along with: coconut cream/milk, vanilla extract, melted butter, maple syrup, cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice, sea salt, and arrowroot starch, whisking everything together until combined and smooth, using an electric hand-mixer on high-speed. NOTE: Filling mixture should be thickened at this point.
Add a small amount of filling to each cupcake liner (about 2 Tbsps), repeating until all batter is used.
Bake the cheesecakes for 35-40 minutes, then turn off the oven and allow them to sit in the oven for another 5 minutes with the oven door halfway open to avoid mini pies from deflating.
Remove mini pies from the oven and allow them to continue to cool for another 25-30 minutes or until at room temperature coolness, before adding topping.

TO MAKE THE PECAN 'PIE' TOPPING:

In a medium saucepan over medium-low heat, add the butter and brown sugar, stirring until it begins to bubble. Add in the cinnamon, nutmeg, and coconut cream/milk, and whisk until well combined. Add in the toasted pecans and stir until pecans are fully coated. Once done, remove from heat and let cool (at room temperature) so that the sauce thickens, about 5-6 minutes.
Once cooled enough, remove the mini pies from the fridge and remove cupcake liners. Top each one with the 'Pecan Pie' topping. NOTE: let the sauce further 'set' as both the topping + mini pies continue to cool.
Grab a bite and enjoy.
Bon Appetit!

Notes

STORAGE: Keep leftover mini pies tightly sealed in an airtight container or foil and refrigerated for 3-4 days. Re-heat each one when serving.
SWEET POTATO PUREE: See post for more + how to make this!
ARROWROOT: If you don’t have arrowroot starch, feel free to substitute with regular cornstarch or all-purpose flour, which both act as a thickening agent.
COCONUT CREAM: If you don't have full-fat coconut cream on hand, you can use canned full-fat coconut milk and refrigerate it overnight so that it thickens into a "cream", which you separate from the water in the can.
EQUIPMENT: Here, I’ve curated a list of cooking + baking essentials that I use to achieve my favorite baked goods or cooked meals, especially with these Mini Sweet Potato Pecan Pies. Everything from my fave baking sheet, liners, pie weights, hand-mixers, mixing bowls, and more.SEE THEM HERE!
TOASTED PECANS: Add chopped pecans to a baking sheet and toasting them in the oven (400 degrees Fahrenheit) for 5-10 minutes, tossing them halfway to avoid browning on one side.
GLUTEN-FREE OPTION: To make these mini pies entirely GF, simply ensure that graham crackers are certified gluten-free or substitute with GF rolled oats.

Nutrition