These mini pecan pie muffins taste just like pecan pie and are quick and easy to make! They’re gooey with a delicious caramel and pecan flavor.
Back when I just started the blog, a friend of mine gave me a beautiful recipe card with this pecan pie muffin recipe and told me that I had to make it. Unfortunately, the card easily got lost in my messy drawer, and I forgot about it, until I finally organized my mess this week (yep, it’s about time) and found it. I decided to give it a try, and I’m so glad I did!
These little bites are so yummy and addictive. It’s a good thing I had to save some for the next day to take photos, otherwise I’d eat the whole batch in 5 minutes. And yes, I’m being serious.
Do they really taste like pecan pie?
Yes, they do! I love pecan pie so much, I’ve created several pecan pie recipes in various forms, including my pecan pie brownies and chocolate pecan pie. These muffins are like a gooey sticky pecan pie filling, but in muffin form (they’re as good as they sound, I promise). The brown sugar gives them a caramel flavor, and with the butter and pecans they taste just like a nostalgic pecan pie.
They are so easy to make, they’ll be ready in no time! 10 minutes of preparation, short baking time, short cooling time, and then straight into your belly, one after the other.
How to make pecan pie muffins
This recipe takes about 5 minutes to put together! Here’s how to make them.
- Combine the dry ingredients and pecans. In a bowl, mix together the flour, baking powder, salt, and pecans.
- Whisk together the eggs and sugar. In a separate bowl, whisk the eggs and sugar together until airy and light in color, about 30 seconds. Add the melted butter and vanilla extract and combine.
- Combine. Add the dry ingredients to the wet, combining gently to avoid overmixing. I like to use a spatula to help do this because it aggravates the batter less, which will help prevent your muffins from being dense.
- Bake. Pour the batter into your prepared muffin pans and bake until a toothpick inserted comes out clean.
Tips for making perfect pecan pie muffins
- Make sure to grease your muffin pan well. These muffins are sticky, so greasing the pan is necessary to prevent them from sticking to the pan. I used a silicone muffin pan, so it was easy! If you have one, make sure to use it. I greased it as well.
- You can also make standard size muffins with this recipe. I baked a few standard-size muffins to see if it works well too, and it does. I do prefer the mini ones though, because these muffins are ideal as a small bite. If you want to make 12 standard size muffins, I recommend multiplying this recipe by 1.5 to ensure you have enough batter. You should also increase the baking time by a few minutes because the muffins will be larger.
- Don’t overmix the batter. Doing so will result in tougher, more dense muffins (and we’re going for light and fluffy here)
More amazing pecan recipes
- Sweet Classic Pecan Pie. This classic pecan pie recipe has a buttery, flaky pie crust and is filled with the most luscious, decadent pecan pie filling.
- Chocolate Pecan Espresso Cake. Tender, moist, and bursting with rich, delicious flavors. A holiday hit!
- Coffee Nut Shortbread Cookies. Buttery, crumbly shortbread cookies are combined with toasty pecans for a truly exquisite cookie.
- Maple Sticky Buns. Sticky and sweet, no other sticky buns can quite measure up.
- Pecan Pie Bars. Just like pecan pie, but in bar form.

- 1/2 cup (70 g) all-purpose flour
- 1 cup coarsely chopped pecans
- 1/4 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 2 large eggs
- 1 cup (200 g) light brown sugar
- 1/2 cup (1 stick/115 g) unsalted butter, melted
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
-
Preheat oven to 375°F/190°C. Grease well 24 mini muffin cups. It's best to use a silicone pan. Don't skip that part because these muffins are sticky.
-
In a large bowl mix together flour, pecans, baking powder, and salt.
-
In a medium bowl whisk eggs and sugar for 1 minute until well combined. Stir in melted butter and vanilla extract. Add the mixture to the flour mixture and mix until combined.
-
Divide the mixture between the muffin cups, filling them almost all the way to the top. Bake for 11-13 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the muffin comes out clean. Allow pan to cool for several minutes, then run a knife around the edges of the muffins cups, and gently remove from pan.
-
Muffins will keep for 5 days in the fridge. They can also be frozen for up to 2 months. To thaw, leave them at room temperature for an hour or overnight in the fridge.
22 Comments
Rachel
January 23, 2018 at 10:56 amHi, can I replace the butter for oil?
Shiran
January 26, 2018 at 5:56 pmThese muffins are delicate in texture, so I recommend sticking to the recipe in this case for the best texture and pecan pie flavor.
Tori//Gringalicious.com
January 23, 2018 at 11:39 amOh yes please! Gorgeous pics as well. Thanks for the recipe!
Ayesha
February 5, 2018 at 4:10 amHi. Tried them and they were amazing. Just wanted to check how long to keep them in the oven if I make normal sized ones rather that minis.
Shiran
February 5, 2018 at 1:33 pmThanks Ayesha! Baking time will be 15-20 minutes.
Rabz
August 9, 2018 at 1:13 pmHi Shiran. Beautiful recipe ? One question..can I replace pecans with some other nuts like Almonds? I don’t have pecans at the moment but really want to try a nutty recipe ? Thanks
Shiran
August 12, 2018 at 9:24 amHi, the recipe would work with other nuts but I’m not sure how the flavor will be. Some nuts can be more bitter than others.
Linda
June 25, 2019 at 2:11 pmMay i sub oat (or any non dairy) milk for the whole milk?
Ingrid Lanzoni
February 26, 2021 at 1:56 pmI made them here in Brazil and everyone loved it! Thank you for the recipe!!
Tina W.
May 14, 2020 at 10:18 pmThese are delicious. I made regular size and ended up with 9.
Tamsyn
June 15, 2020 at 3:56 pmThese “puffins” were delicious! Perfect combination of a Pecan Pie and a muffin. New family favorite.
Thank you for sharing!!!
Blessings from South Africa 🙂
Lexi
October 23, 2020 at 9:39 pmOmg. These are delicious, crunchy top and gooey center as described. I used baking cups with no grease and they were easy to remove! Thanks for sharing; I will definitely be making these again!
Ingrid Lanzoni
February 26, 2021 at 1:57 pmI made them here in Brazil and everyone loved it! Thank you for the recipe!!
Carol
December 24, 2021 at 11:13 amI tried putting the muffins in 12 regular size muffin tin but I filled each cup to the top which was way too much. They were delicious & I will be making more 1/2 cup each. The recipe will make probably 24 cups I added 1 tsp vanilla, 1/4 tsp baking soda, 1/4 tsp baking powder & a pinch of salt. My husband loved them. New favorite for Christmas or anytime!
Melica
March 6, 2021 at 3:30 pmHi, I was wondering how the muffins will turn out if I use white sugar instead of brown sugar.
Cyndy
May 10, 2021 at 5:50 pmSo good. I used mini paper baking cups and got a full 24 mini muffins that didn’t stick at all. I could have eaten them all by myself. Just as good at room temp as they are warm. Thank you so much for posting.
Shivani
June 9, 2021 at 5:13 pmThese look amazing. One quick question as I want to make these at the weekend. Does the melted butter have to cool before you stir it into sugar and egg mix?
Shiran
June 21, 2021 at 2:17 amIt should be just slightly cooled 🙂
Landis Shook
July 4, 2021 at 11:42 pmHas anyone tried doubling the recipe to make more full size muffins? Any advice.
Carol
December 24, 2021 at 11:08 amI tried putting the muffins in 12 regular size muffin tin but I filled each cup to the top which was way too much. They were delicious & I will be making more 1/2 cup each. The recipe will make probably 24 cups. My husband loved them. New favorite for Christmas or anytime!
Kristin C
April 28, 2023 at 9:56 amI halved the recipe and it made 6 regular muffins. Delish, definitely adding to my repitoire
Stephanie @ Pretty.Simple.Sweet.
April 29, 2023 at 3:53 pmThanks, Kristin!