Step 1: Prepare the Pie Crust Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C).
Roll out the refrigerated pie crust on a lightly floured surface. If using homemade crust, roll it to about 1/8-inch thickness.
Using a round cutter (like a glass or cookie cutter), cut circles from the pie dough large enough to fit into your mini muffin tin or tartlet pans.
Press the dough circles into the cups, making sure to fit them snugly. You can trim any excess dough hanging over the edges.

Step 2: Prepare the Filling In a medium-sized bowl, whisk together the brown sugar, corn syrup, melted butter, egg, vanilla extract, and a pinch of salt.
Stir until the mixture is smooth and well-combined.

Step 3: Fill the Pies Place 3-4 pecan halves (or a tablespoon of chopped pecans) into each pie crust.
Pour the filling mixture over the pecans, filling each mini pie almost to the top. Be sure not to overfill, as the filling will bubble up during baking.

Step 4: Bake the Mini Pecan Pies Place the mini muffin tin or tartlet pans in the preheated oven and bake for 20-25 minutes. The edges of the crust should be golden brown, and the filling should be set but slightly jiggly in the center.
Check the pies about halfway through baking and rotate the pan for even cooking if necessary.

Step 5: Cool and Serve Let the mini pecan pies cool in the pan for 10 minutes before transferring them to a wire rack to cool completely.
Once cooled, serve immediately or store in an airtight container.