Mini Caramel Pecan Derby Pies – Bite-Sized Kentucky Derby Desserts
No Kentucky Derby celebration is complete without a nod to the famous chocolate and nut pie created at Melrose Inn. These Mini Caramel Pecan Derby Pies take that classic inspiration and turn it into the perfect two-bite dessert for your brunch table.
With a rich, gooey caramel filling, crunchy pecans, and a buttery crust, these little pies are everything you love about a traditional Derby pie, just easier to serve and even harder to resist. They’re the kind of sweet treat guests will grab as they mingle, sip, and head back for “just one more.”
Mini Caramel Bourbon Derby Pies
Ingredients
Method
- In a large bowl, whisk together flour, salt, and sugar. Add cold butter pieces. Using a pastry blender or fork, cut the butter into the flour until mixture resembles coarse sand.
- Add ice cold water and use a spatula to fold mixture together. Do not over mix. Dough will be rather dry and crumbly.
- Dump shaggy dough onto a lightly floured work surface. Gently knead dough until it sticks together. Divide dough into two equal parts. Shape into flat disks about 1-inch thick. Wrap the two disks in plastic wrap and allow to chill in the fridge for at least 1 hour up to 2 days.
- Preheat oven to 400°F. Remove pie dough from fridge and allow to sit at room temperature for 5 minutes.
- Working with one disk at a time, place dough on a lightly floured work surface. Roll dough to a thickness of about 1/8-inch. Place upside down 4-inch pie tins over rolled dough. Cut out rounds, allowing a clearance of about 1 1/2-inches from pie tin.
- Transfer cut out rounds onto mini pie tins. Crimp, flute, or decorate the edges of the pie as desired. Chill dough in the fridge for 10 minutes before baking.
- Line each pie with a small piece of parchment paper and fill with weights (or beans). Partially blind bake pie crust for 13-15 minutes until it is a pale golden color. Remove parchment and weights and return pie crusts to oven for another 3 minutes. Remove from oven and allow pie crusts to cool while you prepare filling.
- Hint: Save time by purchasing premade mini pie shells like these by Burry Foodservice on Amazon. Adjust serving size slightly as these are 3 inch shells.
- Reduce oven temperature to 350°F. Set aside chopped chocolate squares and pecans.
- In a large bowl, whisk together sugar and cornstarch. Add brown sugar, corn syrup, and whisked eggs. Mix until combined. Add salt, vanilla, and melted butter. Continue to whisk together until mixture is smooth.
- Distribute reserved chopped chocolate and pecans among cooled pie crusts. Gently pour about 1/2 cup of filling over chocolate pecan mixture. Pieces of the chocolate and pecans may float to the top. Arrange additional pecans over the filling as desired.
- Bake pies for 40 minutes until pecans on top are toasted and filling is boiling. Remove from oven. Cool pies in their tins.
- Once cooled, unmold pie from tin. Serve pies at room temperature with a dollop of bourbon whipped cream and a roughly chopped Ghirardelli square. Drizzle caramel, if desired.
- In a large chilled bowl, combine cold whipped cream, powdered sugar, and bourbon. Use a hand mixer to whip the cream to soft, fluffy peaks. Cover with plastic wrap and keep chilled until ready to use.
Perfect for parties, brunches, and race day celebrations, these Mini Caramel Pecan Derby Pies are a must-have for any Kentucky Derby menu. Their bite-sized simplicity and classic Southern flavor make them an easy, crowd-pleasing dessert you’ll come back to year after year.
