No Bake Pecan Pie Mini Tarts make a healthy Thanksgiving dessert or holiday dessert recipe. They are vegan, gluten-free, and refined sugar-free, too!
Pecan Pie Tarts for Thanksgiving
Can you believe Thanksgiving is only a month away?!
Are you already starting to sweat just thinking about all of the food that needs to be prepared, the dishes that will have to be cleaned, and the work that goes into making a meal for a huge group of people?
Stress no more… I have a super awesome solution for you.
One of my favorite things to make are no-bake, refined sugar-free mini tarts. I like to make their crust from nutritious nuts such as almonds and pecans, hearty gluten-free oats and then sweeten them with either maple syrup or honey.
These no bake pecan pie mini tarts are particularly amazing because they taste like a slice of homemade pecan pie without all of the guilt. And on top of that… you can make them ahead of time!!
These No Bake Pecan Pie Mini Tarts will keep
for up to 2 weeks in the refrigerator!!
How to Make Your Holiday Meals Less Stressful:
- Prep ingredients beforehand.
- Pick some dishes that you can make ahead of time (like these No Bake Pecan Pie Mini Tarts!)
- Go easy on yourself. Remember, you can always ask other people to bring a dish!
What is your favorite dessert at Thanksgiving? Are you more of a pecan pie, apple pie or pumpkin pie lover?
I would love to hear in the comments section below!
Happy Pecan Pie Tartin’!
No-Bake Pecan Pie Mini Tarts
No Bake Pecan Pie Mini Tarts make a healthy Thanksgiving dessert or holiday dessert recipe. They are vegan, gluten-free, and refined sugar-free, too!
Ingredients
Tart Crust
- 2 c. almonds raw
- 1 c. quick cooking oats gluten free
- 1 c. pecans raw
- 1/4 c. maple syrup pure
- 2 T. coconut oil melted
- 1/4 t. salt
Pecan Pie Filling
- 1 c. dates pitted, coarsely chopped
- 1/3 c. water
- 1/2 t. cinnamon
- 1 T. coconut oil melted
- 3 T. maple syrup pure
- 1/2 t. vanilla extract
- 1 c. pecans pieces
- sea salt optional
- whole pecans optional
Instructions
For the Tart Crust:
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In the bowl of a food processor place almonds, oats and pecans. Process for 2 minutes or until a fine powder forms.
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(If you do not have a food processor you can always try a Nutribullet or other high-speed blender. All of the ingredients probably will not fit so simply divide them in half and “process” in batches.)
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Add maple syrup, coconut oil and salt. Process for an additional minute or until a ball of “dough” begins to form.
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Fill 24-28 mini muffin cup cavities with cupcake liners.
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Scoop 1 ½ - 2 T. sized amounts of tart “dough” into each liner. Compact the tart mixture until it becomes dense and fills each cavity to about 7/8 full. Repeat with remaining dough.
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For this next step you can either use the blunt end of a piece of silverware measuring about ½-¾-inch in diameter, or your thumb.
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Simply push the end of the silverware into the middle of each compacted tart, making sure not to hit the bottom of the cupcake cavity.
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Spin the silverware, or your thumb, to make a rounded center for your pecan pie filling. It should be about ¾-inch wide and ¾-inch deep.
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Round and smooth the edges of the hole to make them look like the picture below.
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Place tarts in refrigerator while you prepare the pecan pie filling.
For the Pecan Pie Filling:
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Place dates, water, cinnamon, oil, maple syrup, and vanilla in the bowl of the food processor. (You can just lightly wipe it out from the previous steps. No washing needed!)
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Pulse ingredients 5-10 times. Once water has started to get incorporated and is no longer splattering, process pecan pie filling for 3-4 minutes. Scrape the sides of the bowl every 30 seconds to ensure even processing.
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Once pecan pie filling is smooth, add pecan pieces. Pulse filling 4-5 times to incorporate the pecans.
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Fill each tart with about 1 tablespoon of pecan pie filling. Top tarts with one whole pecan and sprinkle with a touch of sea salt. Refrigerate for at least 1 hour before serving.
Recipe Notes
Keep pecan pie tarts refrigerated between servings. These Mini Pecan Pie Tarts will keep for up to 2 weeks if kept adequately refrigerated. Also, feel free to wrap them individually in saran wrap and then place in an airtight zip-top bag to freeze. Frozen tarts can last for up to 2-3 months!
Want more recipes like these No Bake Pecan Pie Mini Tarts?
Super Soft Pumpkin Snickerdoodle Cookies
No-Bake Pumpkin Pie Balls (Vegan)
Pumpkin Butter Recipe
Pumpkin Pie Spice
Roasted Beet Salad with Goat Cheese
Pumpkin Banana Bread
Courtney says
Just made these in preparation for thanksgiving! Sampled one.. and my “not really a sweets eater” guy said “SUPER DELICIOUS!” My FIL just experienced a heart attack, but is obsessed with sugar and sweets. This will be his replacement for corn syrup filled pecan pie. Thanks for the great recipe! I did get a little lazy and instead of making 2 trays of cups, used the remaining crust/filling to make pecan pie bars. Hopefully those turn out just as good!
London says
Yay, Courtney!! So so happy they’re a big hit. It’s amazing how good naturally sweetened desserts can be! The bars should turn out great – I’ve done them like this before, too! Hope you and your family have a wonderful Thanksgiving 🙂
Dexter says
Tarts turned out great, my boy licked the spoon and the bowl so I know it meets his standards. I was a little worried I wouldn’t get the consistency/taste as “real” pecan pie that was loaded with corn syrup but I was surprised how well the dates made it turn out. My father in law,sister in law and wife are all gluten and dairy free, I know they will enjoy them.
London says
Hi Dexter!! I am so happy to hear you and your little one enjoyed the tarts so much. It’s amazing what dates can do, right? Thanks so much for your comment and rating! 🙂
Hannah says
Hi! My daughter’s name is London ❤
How do I measure 7/16 cup of maple syrup? I have glass measuring cups for liquids and standard plastic ones for dry.
Thanks for sharing this recipe. Can’t wait for next week!
London says
Hi Hannah!! That’s SO cool that we have the same name! I like to use the individual measuring cups for 1/4, 1/2, and 1 cup amounts of liquid. For the 3 tablespoons, I would just use a 1 tablespoon measuring spoon. Can’t wait to hear what you think 🙂
Neli says
These look incredible and so perfect for the holidays. Can’t wait to try them!
London says
Thank you, Neli! They are great for Thanksgiving and Christmas!
Lisa says
These look wonderful but I have 2 questions. Are they 276 calories per tarts? And is there something else to use besides dates? I just don’t like them. Thanks!!
London says
Hi Lisa! Thank you so much for asking. I just double-checked the nutrition and they are actually 154 cals/tart. Sorry for the confusion! As for replacing the dates, you can always try dried figs. They have a very similar texture and consistency. I have not personally tried using figs, but if you do please let me know how it turns out!
Spark*amy says
These are wonderful!!! Made these for Thanksgiving. Father in law told MIL to get the recipe! Next time I think I will soak dates in warm water measure instead. My processor flung the water too much. Delicious!! Thanks!
London says
So happy you and your in-laws enjoyed them! The processor definitely has a tendency to fling the water!! Thanks so much for your comment 🙂
Moondragon007 says
Can you recommend a substitute nut for the almonds? I’m allergic to almonds, peanuts, and pistachios.
London says
I would try increasing the pecans to 2 cups and the oats to 2 cups to replace the almonds. I have not personally tried this out, but would love to hear how it turns out!!
cakespy says
These are simply perfect! Adorable, and everything I see in the ingredients looks delectable!
London says
Thanks so much!! They are loaded with nutrition but still taste like a guilty treat 🙂