Gluten & Dairy Free Free Salted Butter Bourbon Pecan Tarts!
In our family Christmas just isn’t Christmas without Pecan Tarts!
Mini pecan tarts are a delicious bite-sized version of the classic pecan pie, a beloved dessert, especially popular in the Southern United States. These tarts feature a buttery, flaky crust filled with a sweet, sticky mixture of pecans, brown sugar, butter, and eggs, baked until golden and slightly caramelized. They're the perfect dessert for parties, holiday gatherings, or any occasion where you want a little something sweet but more portable and easier to serve than a full-sized pie.
My version takes things up a notch - by incorporating one of my favorite things: BOURBON! :) Don’t worry- the bourbon is fully cooked so there’s no risk with kids enjoying the tarts too! You just end up with a beautiful hint of its flavor. Adding a bit of flaky salt really takes them to another dimension!
Lets talk Pie Crust Options!
I have a number of them… and I also have a suggestion if you aren’t in the mood to make your own but need to stick to gluten free!
Both base and plus members have access to my two favorite options:
Pillsbury Copycat Pie Crust Recipe (Gluten/Grain/Egg/Dairy Free)
Extra Flaky Patee Brisee Pie Crust (Gluten & Dairy Free)
If you are a plus member and have additional dietary restrictions then you also have available:
(All 3 of these crusts are located in the same post- so you’ll just need to scroll through until you find the one you want!)
Nut Free Coconut Flour Pie Crust
Any of these recipes will work! The keto pie crust out of all of them is a little bit more difficult to work with (it can be crumbly).But I do think its still doable. Especially if you are willing to use some starch (tapioca,arrowroot, potato or cornstarch) to roll it out.
I wish that there were more gluten free pie crusts available in stores. Especially in a box (rather than pre-rolled). I have been really pleased with Wholly Gluten Free Frozen Pie crust shells every time I have used them. They turn out really nice and flaky! For this recipe you can let the pans thaw and then flip the crust out onto a sheet of parchment. I would just gather the dough into a ball and roll it out using a touch of gluten free all purpose flour or a little starch! If you go this route and want to make the recipe as I have it written you’ll need 2 pie tins total.
Variation Ideas:
Chocolate Pecan Tarts: Add a layer of melted chocolate at the bottom of the crust before adding the pecan filling for a decadent twist.
Spiced Pecan Tarts: Add spices like cinnamon, nutmeg to the filling to enhance the flavor profile.
Mini Pecan Tassies: These are often considered the same as mini pecan tarts, but "tassies" refer to small, individual-sized pies. The filling is the same :)
Gluten & Dairy Free Free Salted Butter Pecan Bourbon Tarts!
Ingredients
- 4 Tbsp Butter (regular or vegan)
- 1 Cup Brown Sugar
- 1 Tsp Vanilla
- 5 Tbsp Bourbon Whiskey
- 1 Tbsp Better Batter Original Blend (Or other gluten free all purpose flour of choice)
- 2 Large Eggs (Or for egg free- "Just egg" vegan substitute)
- 2 1/2 cups Pecans (Raw/Unsalted) Finely Chopped
- Flaky Salt for the top of Tarts (optional but recommended!)
- 1 Batch of Pie Crust (If you purchase store bought this will the equivalent of 2 rolled out crusts. If making the crust I recommend my Gluten Free Extra Flaky Patee Brisee Pie Crust OR my Gluten Free Pillsbury Copycat Pie Crust Recipe.
- 3 Tbsp Butter (Regular or Vegan)
- 3 Tbsp Bourbon
- 3 Tbsp Heavy Cream- or for Vegan Use Coconut Cream or Silk "heavy cream"
- 1/2 Cup Brown Sugar
- Pinch of Salt
Instructions
- Make the butter pecan filling: Melt the butter in a large glass bowl. Whisk in the brown sugar, vanilla. salt, bourbon, flour and eggs until smooth. Pour in the chopped pecans and stir. Set aside.
- Roll out pie crust (thin- but not too thin! The dough should still be easy to handle without breaking!) Cut 3 inch wide circles. Place each circle and carefully press them into the cups of a nonstick mini muffin tin. Depending how thick your dough is you will end up with about 40-44 circles of dough.
- Preheat oven to 325 degrees.
- Carefully spoon the filling into each mini muffin tin with crust- filling them only halfway to 3/4 of the way full. If you would like a whole pecan piece can be placed in the center of each tart. Flaky sea salt can also
- Bake for 22-25 minutes on the middle rack until the crust is golden brown and the filling is firm to touch.
- Optional: Make the bourbon Caramel! Add all of the ingredients to a heavy bottomed bot and whisk. Gently simmer the caramel for about 15 minutes. Drizzle it over the baked tarts.
