Mini Pecan Pie Bites (with Chocolate Chips)

These mini pecan pie bites bake up flaky and gooey with a few melty chocolate chips, perfect for party trays, dessert boards, or the Thanksgiving table. I love the mini size so I can have more than one dessert!

Mini pecan pie bites in phyllo cups with chocolate chips arranged on a white surface, bite size pecan tartlets, one cut open to show gooey filling.

Why We Love Mini Pecan Pie Bites

Delicious-These little sweet treats pack all the gooey sweet butteryness that you love about pecan pie!
Cute Mini Size! – The size of these pecan pies is perfect for a mini dessert board or tray, and they look so cute! These little pies are about one or two bites each and are perfect for the dessert table, especially for Thanksgiving.
Fast to Make– Using Phyllo cups or mini pastry cups (Sometimes called Fillo shells) makes these mini desserts faster to make, as there is no fussing with portioning mini pie crust into small individual bites.

Planning a dessert board or dessert table? Try these served next to my apple crisp cookie cups, my Andes mint cookie cups or with my pumpkin snickerdoodles. A glass of my slow cooker hot chocolate is also delicious, and the slow cooker keeps everything warm!

Ingredients For Mini Pecan Chocolate Pies

Ingredients for mini pecan pies on a counter with text labels.

Find the full printable recipe with specific measurements and directions below in the recipe card.

phyllo pastry shells Often found in the freezer section of the grocery store near frozen pies, you can also find these mini phyllo shells here. You can also use other types of mini tart shells you might find in the freezer section.
pecans chopped. Pecans are soft and can soak up a lot of moisture, so toasting them in this recipe helps to give them a better texture while giving plenty of flavor. No oil is needed to toast the nuts, pecans have enough natural oil to toast dry.
eggs
butter melted
brown sugar (packed) – light or dark brown sugar work, the darker it is the more molasses flavor the filling will have.
all purpose flour
vanilla extract
milk
semi-sweet chocolate chips – These can be optional, and dark chocolate chips are also amazing. I find the chocolate cuts the sweetness a little bit of a traditional pecan pie and makes the bites feel a little richer. Mini chocolate chips also work great.

Kristy’s Tip

Fillo cups are a shortcut and don’t produce a buttery crust flavor, but do give you a flaky crust quickly in a bite size. The pecan pie filling has plenty of buttery flavor in the gooey filling, and these little bites are really delicious. For more of a buttery flavor and a bit of a twist, try the cookie cups with this filling from my apple crisp cookie cups.

How To Make Mini Pecan Chocolate Pies

Preheat oven to 350°F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper. Place phyllo cups on one of the baking sheets with a little space between them.

Placing the empty phyllo shells in a 350°F oven for 3–5 minutes before filling can help to keep them extra crisp so the cups don’t get soggy when you add filling. Cool the shells completely before filling.

Chop pecans for the crunchy pecan filling and spread them out on a second baking sheet. Do not spray baking sheet with oil! Toast nuts in the oven for 5-10 minutes. Check often and stir halfway through the cooking time to ensure the nuts don’t burn and instead are a slightly darker toasty brown color. Set them to the side and let them cool off the pan once toasted. Toasting the pecans makes sure you have crunchy pecans in your filling that aren’t too soft.

Chopped pecans spread on a parchment-lined baking sheet, with empty mini pecan pie shells.

In a large bowl, whisk eggs well. Add melted butter and brown sugar to the eggs and mix well until blended.

A clear glass bowl contains whisked eggs and brown sugar for mini pecan pie. Nearby are a small bowl of flour and a measuring cup with more whisked eggs on a white marble surface.

A glass bowl with mini pecan pies filling being mixed with flour, vanilla extract, and milk on a marble surface, with measuring spoons and a small blue bowl nearby.

Add flour, vanilla, and milk to the egg mixture. Stir and mix well to combine.
Fold in chocolate chips, and nuts to the butter mixture and stir to combine to finish the pecan pie filling.

A glass bowl with mini pecan pie filling being mixed with a wooden spoon; empty tart shells are visible on a baking tray in the background.

A spoon fills mini phyllo pastry shells with a rich mini pecan pie and syrup mixture, surrounded by other empty and partially filled shells on a baking sheet.

Using a teaspoon, fill phyllo shells to the top with pecan filling. I recommend filling these on the pan, as any spills then stay on the parchment paper and pan. They can be easy to spill if you fill them off the pan, and then try to move them.
Bake the mini pecan pies for 20-25 minutes or until the filling is no longer bubbly. They will look a little glossy in the center, but will set as they cool. Remove from oven, let cool, then enjoy! They should have just a little bit of a gooey center.

Mini Pecan Pie Variations

No Chocolate – swap 1/4 cup of chopped pecans for the chocolate chips to make more of a classic version.

Try A Touch Of Maple – Swap in two tablespoons of real maple syrup for two tablespoons of the brown sugar to give just enough maple flavor.

Mix Up The Nuts – Try swapping half the pecans for chopped walnuts for a deeper flavor, or even half for pistachios for a texture more like baklava.

Add Some Salt – A tiny sprinkle of flaky sea salt will bring out all the other flavors!

Baked mini pecan chocolate pies on the pan close up

FAQ For Mini Pecan Pies

Do mini pecan pies need to be refrigerated?

Yes, because the filling has an egg base the pecan pies will need to be stored in the refrigerator. They can safely sit out on the counter for about two hours before needing refrigeration again.

Can I use pie crust in a mini muffin pan instead of phyllo?

Yes! Press 2-inch rounds of refrigerated pie dough into a mini muffin pan. Fill with 1–2 teaspoons of filling and bake 12–16 minutes at 350°F, until edges are golden and centers are just set. Cool in the pan 5 minutes, then loosen gently.

Can I add spray cooking oil to the pans instead of parchment paper?

If you are using spray cooking oil instead of parchment paper for this recipe, use it only on the pan that the Phyllo cups are baking on. Do not add extra oil when toasting the nuts.

Why doesn’t your recipe use corn syrup?

Many pecan pie recipes use corn syrup as it acts as a binder, can prevent the sugar from crystalizing and becoming gritty, and can help the filling just set correctly. These mini pecan pie bites do give you that classic gooey center without corn syrup, and are sweet, gooey and flavorful. While I would use a liquid sweetener for a full pecan pie where there is more filling per bite, these small bites work great without it.

What’s The Difference Between Pies and Tarts? Are These Tarts?

Pies typically have a flaky crust that goes up on the sides, while tarts are typically baked in a pan with a removable bottom and only have the bottom crust.

The two terms are often blurred though, so you could also easily call these mini chocolate pecan tarts or even tartlets. A tartlet is the word for a mini tart. There are a few other small differences between pies and tarts that you can read about in this article if you are curious.

Can I Make These Mini Pecan Pies Ahead Of Time?

Yes, these little mini pecan pies keep wonderfully in the fridge and can be made ahead of time. I recommend making this little pecan pies recipe no more than 24 hours in advance for the best taste and texture. Refrigerate within 2 hours of baking, as the filling contains eggs.

The pies can be enjoyed straight from the fridge, or crisped in the oven at 350°F degrees for 3-5 minutes.

How To Store Mini Pecan Chocolate Pies

I recommend storing these mini pies in the refrigerator in a covered airtight container. Pecan pies will last for 3-4 days once refrigerated.

Can I Freeze Mini Pecan Pies?

Yes, you can totally freeze these mini pecan pies! I recommend once they have cooled wrapping each pecan pie in aluminum foil or plastic wrap so they don’t stick together, and then putting them in a freezer zip-top bag. This will give you the best results later when you defrost the mini pies

These mini pecan desserts taste best if enjoyed within 1-2 months when freezing.

When ready to eat simply let them defrost on the counter for at least an hour before serving or the night before in the refrigerator. You can crisp them in the oven for 3-5 minutes at 350°F degrees or until the center is warm and gooey before serving.

Mini pecan chocolate pie bites topped with whipped cream close up

How To Serve Mini Pecan Pies

These mini pecan chocolate pies can be served warm or cold depending on your preferences. These mini pies are equally as delicious straight from the refrigerator and don’t need time to come to room temperature before serving.

If you are topping these delicious bites with whipped cream make sure the pies have completely cooled or are cold. Adding whipped cream to warm mini pies will cause the whipped cream to melt right off the pies!