SALTED CACAO PUMPKIN TARTLETS

We have an ongoing debate every holiday around here about which pie is better, pumpkin or pecan. I like them both, but if I had to choose, I’d probably pick…both? Is that an option? I think it should be, so I made something that combines the two. Well, kinda.

These bite-sized tartlets are more on the pumpkin side, but they have a pecan crust that gives you the nuttiness you’re looking for in a holiday dessert. And then they get an extra bit of edginess with a sprinkling of coarse Colima Sea Salt, and crunchy cacao nibs. Yum.

The filling is an easy mix of canned pumpkin puree, eggs, and maple syrup, with the addition of my favorite new Pumpkin Pie Spice from Ava Jane’s Kitchen. It’s the freshest blend of pumpkin pie seasoning I’ve ever tasted. While the ones you buy at the grocery store taste kind of flat and dull, this one is bright and spicy. It makes a huge difference.

The crust is coarsely chopped pecans and maple syrup. It’s simple, but delicious. Press it into your tin, top with the filling and bake. It’s so easy. These aren’t super sweet, and taste like pumpkin instead of sugar.

You’ll need a mini muffin tin for this, and some mini cupcake liners make it so easy to remove these from the pan. Trust me — I tried it both ways, and the muffin liners are the way to go. You can use mini chocolate chips instead of Caramelized Cacao for a sweeter more traditional version, or leave them off, but the chocolate flavor really pairs nicely with the sea salt, and it looks pretty too.