This post is sponsored by ALDI. Ingredient prices and availability may vary. Visit ALDI on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, or Instagram.

Everyone loves Thanksgiving, but let’s be honest, it can get expensive, especially when you have several guests to feed. But I’ve got a great little Thanksgiving hack for you. Well okay, maybe two. Thanksgiving hack number one: make these Mini Pumpkin Pies. You get twelve servings with half the amount of ingredients used for a regular-sized pumpkin pie. So instead of trying to slice one pie into razor-thin slices so that everyone gets a bite, be the star of the show with these adorable little Mini Pumpkin Pies. Everyone will die over their cuteness and you’ll be smiling with satisfaction because you just fed more people with fewer ingredients.

Thanksgiving hack number two: get your ingredients at ALDI! I got everything I needed to make these Mini Pumpkin Pies, plus everything else for my Thanksgiving Dinner at ALDI in one quick trip. Grocery stores can be an absolute zoo around Thanksgiving time, but ALDI is strategically laid out with four to six aisles, is well organized, and has exactly what I need so I can get in, get out, and stay on budget.

ALDI carries all of the holiday baking essentials, like what I used in these pumpkin pies, as well as lots of fun specialty items for the holiday season. Customers can get everything they need for a traditional Thanksgiving meal, including the Butterball turkey, sides and pumpkin pie, all from ALDI and all for less than $30.*

*Based on the items and quantities included in the American Farm Bureau Federation’s annual Thanksgiving Dinner Cost Survey for dinner for up to 10 with a 12lb Butterball turkey and additional miscellaneous items (e.g. coffee, butter, flour, sugar, eggs) not included in the survey. Available in-store and online. Tax and online fees not included.

I actually look forward to grocery shopping at ALDI because I can’t wait to see what cool seasonal items they have that week and I know whatever it is, I’ll actually be able to afford it. I’m totally getting one of their Emporium Selection Baking Brie wheels again this year! …and maybe that wine and cheese Advent Calendar. ;) 

What about you? Have you checked out the awesome selection of holiday goods available at ALDI? If so, what’s your favorite? Let me know in the comments below. If you haven’t been to ALDI yet, make sure to click here to see where your nearest ALDI store is and get over there ASAP! :)

No-Fuss Crust

Another reason these mini pumpkin pies are so great is that they don’t use a traditional pie crust. Pie crust can be tricky to work with, especially for new cooks, but these pies use a really unique dough made with butter, flour, and cream cheese. It has a soft moldable texture that is super forgiving and easy to work with. …Because the last thing you need to worry about on Thanksgiving is cracked pie dough.

Make A Double Batch of Mini Pumpkin Pies

As I mentioned above, this recipe basically uses half of the “filling” for a regular-sized pumpkin pie. So you can use your favorite pumpkin pie filling recipe, or even the pumpkin pie recipe on the label of your can of pumpkin purée and just divide it by two to fill 12 of these mini pumpkin pies. Or use the whole recipe and make 24 mini pumpkin pies!

Can I Make them Ahead?

Yes, you can make these mini pumpkin pies one day ahead of time. When preparing them in advance, allow the pies to cool completely to room temperature before covering and refrigerating. You can also freeze the pumpkin pies, but the quality is much better when fresh or refrigerated. So freezing is a great way to enjoy the leftovers for longer, but I wouldn’t freeze before serving to guests.

Pumpkin Pie Topping Options

You can leave the pumpkin pies bare (I love the color they add to a Thanksgiving spread), or you can top them with whipped cream and a little sprinkle of cinnamon. The Friendly Farms Pumpkin Spice Whipped Dairy Topping from ALDI would also be fun! If you plan to let the pumpkin pies sit out for a while, like as part of a Friendsgiving buffet, you may want to use a stabilized whipped cream to make sure the whipped cream doesn’t collapse as it sits (whip 1 Tbsp cornstarch into every cup of homemade whipped cream to stabilize). And, of course, you can get all the ingredients you need to make a stabilized whipped cream at ALDI. ;)

How to Make Mini Pumpkin Pies – Step by Step Photos

Here are all of the ingredients you’ll need for these mini pumpkin pies. The ingredients are all super simple pantry staples (flour, sugar, eggs, butter, cream cheese, evaporated milk, brown sugar, salt, pumpkin purée, cinnamon, ginger, and nutmeg) and you can get ALL of them at ALDI. :)

Start by preheating the oven to 350ºF. Next, add 8 Tbsp room temperature butter and 4 oz. room temperature cream cheese to a bowl.

Beat the butter and cream cheese together until they’re evenly combined and fluffy.

Beat 1 Tbsp sugar into the butter and cream cheese, then start adding the flour, about ¼ cup at a time, beating until it is incorporated (1 cup + 2 Tbsp flour total). The end result will be a very soft dough. No dry flour should remain on the bottom of the bowl.

Divide the dough into 12 equal-sized pieces. To do this, divide the dough into four equal-sized pieces. From there, divide each piece into three equal-sized pieces. Roll each piece into a ball and place them into the wells of a muffin tin. Use your fingers to press the dough down and up the sides of the muffin tin wells. Make sure to get down into the corners of the well where a lot of the dough can accumulate and get too thick.

Next, it’s time to make the pumpkin pie filling. Whisk together ½ of a 15oz. can of pumpkin purée (about ⅞ of a cup), 1 large egg, ¾ cup evaporated milk, ¼ cup sugar, 2 Tbsp brown sugar, ½ tsp cinnamon, ¼ tsp ground ginger, ¼ tsp ground nutmeg, and ¼ tsp salt.

Divide the pumpkin filling among the 12 pie shells. The easiest way to do this is to use a 2 Tbsp scoop or measuring cup and add 2 Tbsp to each one first, then go back and add a bit more to each one until the filling is used up. It ends up being about 3 Tbsp filling per pie.

Bake the pumpkin pies in the fully preheated 350ºF oven for 35 minutes or until the crusts are golden brown and the filling is slightly cracked on top. Allow the pies to cool in the muffin tin for about 10 minutes so they can solidify a bit before attempting removal. Once they’re slightly cooled, run a knife around the edge of each one and they will pop right out!

Allow the pies to finish cooling on a cooling rack. Remember, make sure they are fully cooled to room temperature before refrigeration to prevent condensation. Refrigerated pumpkin pies will stay good in the refrigerator for four days.

I hope these mini pumpkin pies help make your holiday gathering affordable and delicious. And don’t forget, you can take advantage of the great prices and selection at ALDI, online, with curbside pickup, or through Instacart!

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