Pecan Pie Mini Treats

8 steps

• Preheat oven to 350F. Using spray oil, thoroughly coat 24 mini-muffin cups.
• Add oats, whole wheat flour, brown sugar, and salt to a food processor and pulse to mix well.
• Chop cold butter into pieces and add to the food processor. Process for about 45 seconds or until a loose dough forms.
• Scoop out 1 level tbsp of dough per mini-muffin. Press dough into the bottom. The dough will feel a bit loose. If you run out of dough before finishing the 24th muffin, just steal a little bit from the other muffin cups to finish.
• Bake for 15 minutes - the crust should be a light golden color. Remove from heat and gently press crust up a little with a spoon so that it slightly climbs up the sides of the muffin cup.
• While the crust is baking, make the filling by adding the eggs, maple syrup, pecans, and vanilla extract to the food processor and pulse until mixed.
• Fill each mini-muffin with 1 tbsp of egg mixture, being careful not to drip on the flat sides of the muffin pan.
• Bake muffins for 10-12 minutes so that sides are browned. Remove from heat and cool on a wire rack for 15 minutes. Gently nudge muffins free with a thin spatula or knife. Serve warm or cool completely on the wire rack before storing in an airtight container. Ideally, store in the refrigerator or freezer.

Tips:
Be sure to spray enough oil into the muffin cups to prevent sticking.

If you do not have a mini-muffin pan, use a regular-size muffin pan, add about 2 tbsp of batter per muffin well, and bake for about 12 minutes. Use the "Copy & Customize" feature to edit the servings from 24 to 12 servings.

Although these treats look like muffins, they taste very much like pecan pie. Don't be fooled by their modest appearance!