Mini Chocolate Nut Butter Pies
- Total Time: 3 hours 10 mins
- Yield: 24 mini pies 1x
Description
Mini pies make it possible to sample lots of different desserts at parties. But you might just want a bunch of these.
Ingredients
- Pie crust (homemade listed below OR store bought)
- Large biscuit cutters
- Mini muffin pan
- Ghirardelli dark chocolate melting wafters
- Nut butter of your choice (I used Justin's maple almond butter), melt
- Sea Salt
Ingredients for pie crust:
- 2 1/2 cups (600 ml) of all-purpose flour (I used King Arthur)
- 1 1/2 tbsp of sugar
- 1 tsp of salt
- 1 cup (yes it's a lot of butter), use the best butter you can attain (I used Irish butter), ice cold and cut into small cubes
- 3/4 cup (180 ml) of ice water
- Egg wash (yolk whisked)
Instructions
- If you have a pastry cutter you will mix the ingredients into a bowl and use the pastry cutter to incorporate the ingredients. If you don’t have a pastry cutter, place the ingredients (minus the water) into your food processor and process until the butter and flour are lumpy and still retaining the texture (think crumbles). Then drizzle the cold water through the spout and process until incorporated. Divide the dough, wrap with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 1 1/2-2 hours.
- Place all of the ingredients into a bowl and using your pastry cutter/knife, cut the cold butter into the flour – breaking it down as much as you can. Then add the water. Knead with your hand – working the dough until no flour remains at the bottom of your bowl. This will take a few minutes. Then divide the dough into two balls, wrap individually with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 1 1/2-2 hours. You will visually see chunks of butter in the dough and that is expected. That will make the pastry crust so flaky and absolute perfection!
Mini Pie Directions:
- Preheat your oven to 425 degrees and spray your mini muffin pan with baking spray. Set aside. Once the dough is rolled out to about 1/4 or so inch thick, cut it with your largest biscuit cutter. Gently place your dough circles into each muffin well. Prick the bottoms/sides with fork to help release the steam while baking. Repeat until all of the pie crust has been used. Take your egg wash (basically egg whites) and brush it on the inside of each pie crust. Bake for 10 minutes or so or until the crust is golden brown. Remove and let cool.
- Next up, melt your nut butter in the microwave. I started with about 1/3 cup. Melt until completely liquified. Spoon about a tsp or two (fill about half way up the mini pie crust) with nut butter. Then while that is cooling, melt your chocolate wafers according to your microwave recommended settings or the product’s recommendations for melting. I started out with about 5 oz of wafter. Remove after 30 seconds, stir and repeat until melted. Then spoon over the top of the nut butter. Dust each with sea salt. Refrigerate until the chocolate sets up, about 40 minutes. I store these on the counter under a cloche for several days.
- Prep Time: 3 hours
- Cook Time: 10 mins
- Category: Dessert
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 2 mini pies
- Calories: 220
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Frequently Asked Questions
Why does the crust dough need to chill for 1½ to 2 hours, and what should it look like?
The long chill firms up the 1 cup of butter, which is incorporated in visible chunks — the recipe notes this is expected and intentional. Those cold butter pieces create steam pockets during baking that make the crust “so flaky and absolute perfection,” as described in the instructions.
Why brush the inside of each pie shell with egg wash before filling?
Brushing the inside of each dough-lined muffin well with egg wash (whisked yolk) before baking creates a moisture barrier that helps the baked shells stay crisp when the melted nut butter and chocolate are added later.
How do I assemble and set the filling?
Melt approximately 1/3 cup of nut butter (the recipe uses Justin’s maple almond butter) until fully liquid, spoon it into the cooled shells filling about halfway up. Then melt about 5 oz of dark chocolate wafers in the microwave in 30-second increments, stirring between each, and spoon the chocolate over the nut butter. Dust each with sea salt, then refrigerate about 40 minutes until the chocolate sets. 
How should the finished pies be stored?
The recipe says to store them on the counter under a cloche (a covered cake dome) for several days — refrigeration is not mentioned as necessary once the chocolate has fully set.
These mini pies look absolutely delicious! What a great idea… Pinned. :)
~Lorelai
Life With Lorelai