Bite Size Pumpkin Pies

Holy toledo, you’ve been invited to a group thing or a party or a whatever last minute during the holiday season.  What can you bring?!

Or oh boy, you’ve got a crowd for a holiday shindig, one pie won’t cut it.  And with the plates and the utensils and the stuff and the junk  …..yikes.

Or.  You feel like changing it up a bit.

Or!  You love pumpkin any time of year, why not!

Or whoops, ya ran outta time.

What to do?!  “Ack, I need a last minute wonder,” you cry out!

Here, I gotcha covered!  Bite Size Pumpkin Pies!  Cheering all around!

Aren’t they precious?!

Wow do these come together in a jiff and before you know it, you, you my friend are a party maven.  Whew!!

I made these several years ago for a Thanksgiving with Mike and my folks.  Everyone loved ‘em, replete with the swooning and the eye fluttering and the ooh’ing and ahh’ing.  I did try one then and it was um all right, but as I had mentioned last time, I’m not so much for pumpkin.  Sacrilege, sure sure. 

I wasn’t prepared at the time to try my hand at a full on pumpkin pie.  Not that it’s difficult, mind you.  I had the vastly more illustrious chocolate cream pie to make.

Heh, for a pumpkin non-fan, I’ve been quite pumpkin oriented of late.  Heh.  If you find you’re in need of a pumpkin respite, try out this chocolate cake.  Yesss.  Chocolate.

Part of what makes these a near-instantaneous treat?  Pre-baked, store bought mini “fillo” (phyllo) shells. 

They’re cheap (at the grocery store, not on Amazon*), they’re easy, and they’re a lifesaver when you’re in a bind.  Find ’em in the frozen department, usually near the dessert section.

I know, kinda lame I didn’t make my own here, going with store bought but sometimes buying something that’s complicated to make on your own is worth it.   And lil’ baby phyllo shells with their frilly fluted edges, yeah, I’ll leave that to someone else for now.

Aren’t they sweet?  So tiny and flaky and crispy.

The original recipe found over at My Baking Addiction called for mini tart shells but I have yet to come across the size she used.  I suppose if I or you had a mini tart shell pan, that’s definitely an option.  For what it’s worth, I think the phyllo is more enticing with its light, crispy, and flaky delicate crunch.

They’re also easier to cram right into your pie hole.

Hahaha!

We always have cans of pumpkin in the house, year ‘round.  It’s a hold-over from Finn’s arrival and his related um, issues.  Pumpkin is uh, good for dogs and their uh, that uh, general vicinity.  I really am trying very very hard not to be unpleasant in a food blog.

But as it is with dogs, now he poutily refuses to eat his meals without a heaping spoonful of pumpkin mixed in.  It could be worse, right?  

Ok, for reals though, we’re not here to talk about Finn and his weirdness, we’re here to talk about Bite Size Pumpkin Pies.

One of the great (or scary) things about these too is they’re a grab and go.  No need for plates.  No need for utensils.  Pick ‘em up and pop ‘em in and go.  No one will ever see you.  No one will ever know.

Too, it’s merely a simple blend, scoop, and bake.  You’re totally done in about a speedy half hour.  I know, right?!

This is the lightning round so gather everything you need.

So you’ll need pumpkin pie spice for this which rrrgg, I make my own and the recipe is included here.  Unfortunately, I’m unsure where it came from so I can’t give proper credit where credit is due, my apologies.  

The spice recipe though, it makes far too much so feel free to halve it or quarter it or third it with some extra creative math, that way you don’t have a mountain of it sitting around doing nothing.

Or feel free to purchase it too if you don’t have the spices.  I know, it’s definitely convenient to buy but for me, making a tiny amount and knowing it’s fresh, or fresher, then not having a big jar gathering dust feels less wanton.

Personally too and no offense, I’m one a’ those with that whole pumpkin pie spice thing, eeerrrfff grates on my nerves, heh.  Ah, pun!  ..…grate…spice, heh.

But anywhooo!

Dump everything but the shells into your mixer* and using the whisk attachment, give it a swirl until everything is mixed, like a minute or two.  Or your food processor is better, try that.

Bam.  Done.  Hallelujah.

Yeah.  That’s it.  Huh?  What?  Yep.  That’s it.

I placed the shells in that mini muffin tin I have, I think mostly to keep control of them and also to make myself feel better for having purchased that darn thing.

Now I’m wondering if this recipe is why I purchased that mini muffin tin* initially.  Nah, it can’t be.  I suppose I’ll be eternally plagued as to why I bought it.

Conversely, line up a cookie sheet with parchment paper or those fancy pants silicone baking mats* for a less wasteful baking adventure and plop the shells on there.

I used a melon baller* to scoop and fill as it was the perfect amount, just over a very fat teaspoon.
 

A pudgy rounded scoop with my handy dandy melon baller, a gift from my pal Aden eons ago, and it’s the perfect amount.

We are so close now, mm hm.

Pop those puppies in the oven to bake and voila!  Bite Sized Pumpkin Pies!

And voila, ta da, whoop-dee-do, dessert is done!  Yeah!

You can get all ooh-la-la and dollop them with splops of lightly sweetened whipped cream, maybe sprinkle on a tiny smidgeon of extra spice and you are good to go, my friends.  Party. Maven. 

Holiday cheer in an instant.  Sweet, yeah? 

Note:  This content originally appeared on Flaky Bakers.

Bite Size Pumpkin Pies

Yield

48 mini pies

Prep time

5 Min

Cook time

17 Min

Total time

22 Min

Sweet little bites of pumpkin pie holiday cheer baked in delicate, crispy mini phyllo shells that come together in a flash.

Ingredients

• 4 boxes mini “fillo” shells 15 per box (aka phyllo)
• 1/3 cup (66 g) granulated sugar
• 1/4 teaspoon (1.5 g) fine sea salt
• 1 1/2 teaspoons (15 g) pumpkin pie spice
• 1 large egg
• 1 cup (227 g) pumpkin puree, not pie mix
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 5 oz. can (148 ml) evaporated milk, small can
• whipped cream for serving, optional

Instructions

1. Begin preheating the oven to 350° F (176° C) and with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat, line a cookie sheet. Place the mini shells on the sheet, as many as can fit without overcrowding.
2. Add all the ingredients except for the shells to a mixer or food processor and blend until combined.
3. With a melon baller or a measuring teaspoon, scoop a fat amount of the pumpkin mixture into each shell, leaving about an 1/8” from the top edge of the shell.
4. Bake for approximately 15-17 minutes or until the edges of the phyllo are golden brown and the filling begins to crack or look set.
5. Remove to a cooling rack to cool completely and serve with dollops of whipped cream if desired.

Notes:

Adapted from My Baking Addiction.

Nutrition Facts

Calories

97.84

Fat (grams)

0.70

Sat. Fat (grams)

0.31

Carbs (grams)

23.00

Fiber (grams)

0.24

Net carbs

22.76

Sugar (grams)

21.53

Protein (grams)

0.59

Sodium (milligrams)

21.74

Cholesterol (grams)

4.92

Please see the "info" section for nutrition details.

pie, pumpkin, Thanksgiving

recipes

American

Pumpkin Pie Spice

Yield

1/3 cup approximately

Prep time

5 Min

Total time

5 Min

A simple recipe to make your own pumpkin pie spice easing the leftovers you’ll have on hand. This makes a bunch so half, quarter, or third the recipe as needed.

Ingredients

• 3 tablespoons (23 g) cinnamon
• 2 teaspoons (4 g) powdered ginger
• 2 teaspoons (5 g) ground nutmeg
• 1 1/2 teaspoons (3 g) ground allspice
• 1 1/2 teaspoons (4 g) ground clove

Instructions

1. Place all the spices in a bowl and mix.
2. Alternately, add them to a storage jar and shake.
3. Store in a jar or container as necessary.

Notes:

Adapted from several sources online.

Nutrition Facts

Calories

92.93

Fat (grams)

2.22

Sat. Fat (grams)

1.34

Carbs (grams)

24.01

Fiber (grams)

14.09

Net carbs

9.92

Sugar (grams)

0.73

Protein (grams)

1.45

Sodium (milligrams)

5.91

Cholesterol (grams)

0.00

The nutritional information is based on the entire amount. Please see the "info" section for nutrition details.

spice, pumpkin pie spice

recipes

American

*The stand mixers, mini fillo (phyllo) shells, mini muffin tins, silicone baking mats, and melon baller are Amazon affiliate links.  Happy baking, thanks!  Please see the "info" tab for more, well, info.