These pecan tarts are awesome! They really taste like pecan pie. The pinch of salt really makes these mini pecan pies sing. I hope that you love them as much as I do.
You can make the filling ahead of time, and just stir through the toasted pecans through right before serving. I’d make the candied pecans the day you want to serve them so that they stay crunchy.
This recipe makes 4 tarts, which is sort of a funny amount, so I’ll put the measurements for 12 tarts at the bottom of post just in case you want to make 12 instead. You may have to slightly adjust the cooking times for the bigger batch of toasted and candied pecans.
You can use this recipe to make the gluten free tart shells.
Pecan Tarts
Makes 4 tarts
For the filling
¼ ts. vanilla extract
1/3 cup raw cashews
3 tbsp. maple syrup
6 diglet dates – about a scant 1/3 cup
1 tbsp. water
pinch salt
Instructions
1. Grind the cashews in a food processor until they look like breadcrumbs. Scrape down the sides of the processor occasionally, and add in the maple syrup and blend until the mixture looks like heavy cream, with little bits of cashews running through it.
2. Chop the dates into ¼ inch dice and add them to the cashew mixture. Blend for 3-4 minutes until relatively smooth, a few lumps of cashews or date here and there are ok.
This is what the mixture should look like when it’s done.
3. Scrape the mixture out into a bowl and set aside.
Toasted Chopped Pecans
¼ cup whole pecans
Instructions
1. Chop the pecans into ¼ inch dice. Cook them in a dry pan over medium heat for 2-3 minutes, stirring constantly until toasted and fragrant.
2. Add the toasted pecans to the cashew mixture and stir until mixed through.
3. Allow the pan to cool, then carefully wipe out any tiny bits of leftover toasted pecans with a bit of folded paper towel, as they can burn when you use the same pan to cook the candied pecans.
Candied Pecans
12 whole pecans (3 pecans per tart) about ¼ cup
2 tbsp. maple syrup
Instructions
1. Toast the whole pecans until fragrant in a dry pan over medium heat for about 2 minutes, stirring frequently so they don’t scorch.
2. Add in the maple syrup and stir the pecans constantly for another 30 seconds, then take the pan off the heat. Continue stirring the pecans off the heat until the caramel coats the nuts.
3. Pour the candied pecans onto a silpat or a piece of parchment paper (on in pinch, a lightly oiled plate) and arrange them with two forks so they aren’t touching each other, and allow to cool.
Don’t touch the hot caramel or the candied nuts until they are cool. It’s super tempting to touch hot sugar, but you don’t want to burn yourself.
If you stir the nuts too long over the heat, the syrup can crystallize, and the coating on the pecans can go cloudy and rough textured. If this happens, it’s ok! It just means that the pecans will be extra crunchy, and they will still taste great.
4. Add about 1 ¾ tbsp. of filling to each tart shell. Top each tart with 3 candied pecans (4 candied pecans is two sweet, and 2 isn’t sweet enough) and serve.
Getting the leftover caramel off of utensils and saucepans is really easy. Just put the caramel covered utensils in the pot that you candied the pecans in, pour in some warm water and let the pan sit for an hour or two. The sugar will dissolve into the water, and you can just pour it out and put everything straight into the dishwasher.
For 12 tarts
For the filling
¾ ts. vanilla extract
1 cup raw cashews
½ cup + 1 tbsp. maple syrup
18 diglet dates – about a scant 1 cup
3 tbsp. water
3 pinches of salt
Toasted Chopped Pecans
¾ cup pecans
Candied Pecans
36 whole pecans (3 pecans per tart) about ¾ cup
6 tbsp. maple syrup