Mini Derby Pies
Try a bite-sized derby pie for the Kentucky Derby! These mini treats have pecan pie filling with bourbon and semisweet chocolate chips. Yum!
The next few days are back-to-back holidays. We have Cinco de Mayo on Thursday, the Kentucky Derby on Friday and Saturday, then Mother’s Day on Sunday!
Yesterday I shared my recipe for no bake margarita cheesecake bites and today I’m sharing a recipe for these mini derby pies.
What is in a derby pie?
Is anyone wondering what a derby pie is? I can explain. A derby pie is a chocolate and nut tart in a pie shell and it was created by George Kern in Kentucky around 1950.
The majority of derby pie recipes call for pecans and semisweet chocolate. It is also common to add a bit of bourbon to the mix for an extra kick. Naturally this dessert was adopted by Kentucky Derby fans and quickly became their go-to treats during the horse race. Kentucky butter cake is another popular dessert!
How to make mini derby pies
- Preheat oven to 325° F. Spray mini muffin pan with nonstick spray.
- Prepare pie crust: Using a 2 1/2-inch round cookie cutter, cut out circles of pie crust dough and place in the muffin pan. Sprinkle pecans and chocolate evenly in bottom of each pie shell. Set aside.
- Make filling: Bring corn syrup, sugar, brown sugar and bourbon to a boil and whisk for 3 minutes. Set aside. In a separate bowl, whisk together eggs, butter, cornmeal, vanilla and salt. Add a quarter of the hot mixture to the egg mixture to temper the eggs. Then transfer the egg mixture to the saucepan, whisking constantly. Divide mixture among prepared pie crusts, filling each cup about two-thirds full.
- Bake at 325° F for 25 minutes.
Love mini pies? Try my mini blueberry pies or mini apple pies next!
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes. Individually wrap the cooled pies, place in an airtight container and freeze for up to one month. Defrost in the refrigerator before bringing to room temperature and serving.
Yes. This recipe can be halved and doubled easily.
Yes. Bourbon may be omitted. Replace with equal amounts of water or apple cider. You can also substitute with 2 teaspoons bourbon extract.
They were likely baked too long or your oven was too hot. The filling should be soft and crunchy.
Dessert recipes for the Kentucky Derby
Are you throwing a viewing party for the Kentucky Derby? Once you have your hat picked out, be sure to plan your menu. I highly suggest making mint julep cupcakes. They are inspired by the Derby’s signature cocktail and have a kick of bourbon in them as well! An easier, no bake recipe are my bourbon chocolate pecan truffles. Other popular desserts include chocolate walnut pie and red rose cupcakes (for the Run of the Roses!)
Whether you watch the Kentucky Derby every year or you are attending your first derby-themed party with friends, I promise you these mini derby pies will be a hit.
Did you love this recipe? Please leave a 5-star 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟 rating in the recipe card below and if you REALLY loved it, consider leaving a comment further down the page.
Get the Recipe: Mini Derby Pie
Ingredients
- 2 packages refrigerated pie crusts, (4 pie crusts)
- 1 ½ cups (187 g) chopped pecans
- 48 pecan halves for topping pies
- 1 cup (175 g or 6 oz) semisweet chocolate chips
- 1 cup (235 ml) dark corn syrup
- ½ cup (100 g) granulated sugar
- ½ cup (100 g) firmly packed brown sugar
- ¼ cup (62 ml) bourbon, substitute water if you prefer
- 4 large eggs
- ¼ cup (56 g) unsalted butter, melted
- 2 teaspoons cornmeal
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- ½ teaspoon salt
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 325° F. Spray mini muffin pan with nonstick spray.
- Using a 2 1/2-inch round cookie cutter, cut out circles of pie crust dough and place in the muffin pan. Sprinkle pecans and chocolate evenly in bottom of each pie shell.1 Set aside.
- In a large saucepan, combine corn syrup, sugar, brown sugar and bourbon. Bring to a boil over medium heat and stir constantly for 3 minutes.2 Remove from heat and set aside.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together eggs, butter, cornmeal, vanilla and salt. Gradually whisk about one-fourth of the hot corn syrup mixture into the egg mixture (this will help the eggs from solidifying)3. Transfer egg mixture to the large saucepan with remaining hot mixture, whisking constantly.
- Pour two teaspoons of filling into prepared pie crusts, taking care not to overfill.4 Fill about two-thirds full (a small cookie scooper is a good measurement). Once filled, top each pie with a pecan half.
- Bake at 325° for approximately 25 minutes or until pies are set and crust is golden. Cool in pan for 5 minutes, then remove pies and cool completely on wire rack.
Notes
- I placed 1 scant teaspoon of chopped pecans and 3 Ghiradelli chocolate chips in each shell.
- I suggest using a silicone spatula to stir. This helps to keep the mixture from sticking to the bottom of the pan.
- If some of your egg bits solidify, pour your filling through a fine mesh strainer before adding into your pie shells.
- Overfilling will make the mini pies harder to remove from the muffin pan. I used a small cookie scooper as a good measurement.
- Store mini pies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days.
- To freeze mini pies (up to 2 weeks in advance): Bake and cool completely. Individually cover the pies in plastic wrap and then aluminum foil. When you are ready to eat them, unwrap the pies and defrost them in the refrigerator (should take 2 to 4 hours). Then either bring to room temperature or reheat in the oven.
Recipe adapted from Home Is Where the Boat Is.
21 Comments on “Mini Derby Pies”
We used to make a sheet pan version of this pie, but never bite-sized. I have to try these next time we have a Derby party!
Yes! I’ve done the full pie version too, but wanted to try a bite-sized treat. Perfect for entertaining!
Are these made in the min tins or a regular tin? Thank you
Hi Verna! They are made in a mini tin.
Can these be made ahead and frozen?
Hi Amber – yes, they can. I advise making them no more than two weeks in advance. After the mini pies cool completely, individually cover them in plastic wrap and then aluminum foil. When you are ready to eat them, unwrap the pies and defrost them in the refrigerator (should take 2 to 4 hours). Then either bring to room temperature or reheat in the oven. It’s important that you defrost in the fridge first because if you defrost at room temperature they will thaw too quickly and get soggy from condensation. Enjoy!
Can I make these 2 days ahead and just keep them in airtight container without refrigeration?
Hi Deette! Yes, you can although everything tastes better when made the day of! But sometimes you do have to bake things ahead of time. Store them in a cool location out of direct sunlight in an airtight container.
Does it matter if you use white or yellow cornmeal?
The picture looks like a regular sized cupcake pan. Is that right? Or is it the minis? 4 inch circle seems like it would fit a regular one.
Hi Melissa, it’s a mini cupcake tin. I just double checked the cookie cutter I used for this recipe and it is 3-inches in diameter. Thank you for bringing this to my attention. I have updated the recipe.
Just made these last night to send in for my daughter’s 4th grade “Taste of Kentucky.” I had to sample one, of course. It was pretty much amazing! I may or may not have added extra chocolate LOL. And I do dark chocolate. I also just left out the cornmeal as I didn’t have any of that. I halved the recipe but now I wish I would’ve done the full amount LOL!
my goodness call me when you make the next batch 😗
These are very similar to canadian butter tarts…except we use raisins in place of chocolate chips. Sometime walnuts are added, but that is optional. I’m wondering what the purpose of the cornmeal is? I just made butter tarts the other day. Used refrigerated pie crusts and used a 4” cutter for regular sized muffin tins. You can buy unbaked mini tart shells here as well. Might be something for your readers to do if they don’t want to cut pastry. Then they’re already in a foil tin and they just have to place them on a cookie sheet to bake. Sounds like a good recipe to try! Thanks for sharing!
Hi. How long can theese be stored? And can the be frozen? I am making this for a weddingparty..
I plan on making these but was curious why you used cornmeal? Or should it be cornstarch?
Hi Debra – Traditional southern pecan pies use cornmeal. I know it might seem out of the ordinary, but it’s correct! If you don’t have cornmeal, cornstarch may be used as a substitute.
This recipe looks amazing! However, there were too many things going on in the screen for me to read the instructions. Too many ads too many buttons
Hi Tammy – The ads help pay for my website. If you’d like, you can click the “print recipe” and it will open up a tab with the recipe card and no ads.
The best mini KY Derby Pie recipe! Cooking the bourbon, corn syrup, and butter really makes all the difference in how these pies taste. Really allows the flavors to meld together wonderfully.
And your tip for removing the minutes after 5 minutes of cooling, spot on.
So glad I found your site!
I made a batch to take to a derby party. Perfect yummy treat. This makes probably twice as much filling as is needed. I can’t taste any. I re-rolled the dough and made 18 more and still had leftover filling. I also think it needs a little more bourbon. I’ll definitely make these again.