Pecan Pie Muffins

All you need is 5 ingredients to make these moist and deliciously rich pecan pie muffins, which have all the flavors and the smell of a freshly baked pecan pie.

Raise your hand if you love pecan pie. It’s one of those must-make desserts every Thanksgiving and holiday season, right? Down South, we can never resist a pecan pie. Well, if you love a Southern pecan pie as much as the next Southerner, you’re in for a treat today with this pecan pie muffin recipe. I first posted this recipe for pecan pie muffins back in October of 2008. It’s been a family favorite for quite a long time.

But frankly, there’s a lot to love. This is such an easy muffin recipe and you only need 5 ingredients: flour, brown sugar, butter, eggs, and pecans. Then all you have to do is combine the dry ingredients, combine the wet ingredients, and add them together. Then place the muffin batter into a muffin tin and bake. From start to finish the recipe takes about 30 minutes. 

These decadently rich Southern pecan pie muffins have all the flavors and the smell of a freshly baked pecan pie, just in muffin form. These densely moist pecan-studded muffins are a beloved fall treat and perfect for breakfast, coffee breaks, church potlucks, or any other excuse you can come up with to make them.

Recipe Ingredients

• Brown sugar 
• All-purpose flour
• Eggs
• Butter
• Pecans

How To Make Pecan Pie Muffins

Place brown sugar, flour, and chopped pecans in a large bowl.

Stir this up until it’s mixed up well. 

Beat eggs in a separate mixing bowl with a wire whisk until just foamy.

Stir in the cooled but melted butter and beat again to combine. 

Make sure your butter is melted but cooled. We don’t want it hot enough to cook the eggs.

Pour the wet ingredients into your dry ingredients. 

Mix all of that up with a spoon until just moistened.

Look at that! It smells and tastes like pecan pie at this point.

Grease your muffin tin well (I used cooking spray) and if you use muffin papers, you still need to spray them.

Make sure you don’t skip this step. Spray either the tin OR the papers, whatever you use has to be sprayed.

Fill cups 2/3 full and bake at 350 for 20-25 minutes or until done.

Insert a toothpick in the center of a muffin and if it comes out clean, they’re done.

Remove the baked muffins from the pan immediately and allow them to cool on a wire rack.

Oh, how pretty! 

Ring the bell and watch the stampede.

Oh my goodness, are these ever good! If you want something different in a muffin, if you want a real treat, if you want to pamper yourself, EAT THESE!

Enjoy!

Storage

• Store leftover pecan pie muffins in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days. You can reheat them in the oven, air fryer, or microwave if you like, let them sit at room temperature for a few minutes, or serve them cold. It’s up to you.
• You can also freeze muffins for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the fridge or at room temperature before serving.

Recipe Notes

• I use dark brown sugar because I like a stronger flavor but you can use light or dark, whichever you prefer or have on hand.
• For extra flavor, add 1 teaspoon of almond extract or vanilla extract when you’re combining the wet and dry ingredients.
• On the other hand, you could also add 1/2 teaspoon of ground cinnamon and/or 1/4 teaspoon of ground nutmeg.
• For a decorative touch, top each unbaked muffin with one pecan half before baking.

Recipe FAQs

Can I use other types of nuts?

Absolutely! Chopped walnuts are a frequent substitution for pecans and would work perfectly. Other nut types I’d recommend are almonds and macadamia nuts.

Why don’t you use a leavening agent?

These pecan muffins are meant to be dense muffins that don’t rise. Leavening agents like baking powder and soda would change this texture.

How do you make chocolate pecan pie muffins?

To make chocolate pecan pie muffins, fold in 1/2 cup of mini chocolate chips when you combine the wet and dry ingredients.

How do you make moist muffins?

The key to moist muffins is to mix together the wet and dry ingredients separately and then to not overmix the batter. Just mix until combined, that’s it!

Can I make mini pecan pie muffins?

Absolutely! Follow the steps and just use mini muffin liners in a mini muffin tin and reduce the cooking time by about 5 minutes.

How do you serve pecan pie muffins?

Now, these obviously taste delicious as is. But I love to serve them warm with a spread of butter. For dessert, I’ve also been known to be a little indulgent and enjoy a pecan pie muffin with a scoop of vanilla ice cream… and a drizzle of caramel sauce. 

Check out these other perfect pecan desserts:

Pecan Bars

Faux Pecan Pie

Pecan Pie Cake

Maple Pecan Pie Recipe

Pecan Pie Cheesecake

Pecan Snowball Cookies

Thank you so much for reading SouthernPlate!