Pecan Pie Muffins

Pecan Pie Muffins with just 6 ingredients are the easiest sweet treat on your dessert table all season long. They’re even better the next day!

Pecan Pie Muffins are a delicious holiday Muffin that are surprisingly easy to make. Whip up a batch for enjoying at home or put together a holiday gift basket that your neighbors (and maybe the HOA board) will love! Be sure to include Apple Crisp Muffins and Cinnamon Streusel Muffins too!

Sabrina’s Pecan Pie Muffins Recipe

Pecan Pie Muffins are one of my absolute favorite, go to recipes I used to use for clients during the holidays. They are the slightly larger cousin to the Pecan Tassies cookie with all the flavors of a classic Pecan Pie you love all holiday season long. Every year I’d give my clients holiday gifts or birthday gifts and one of my go to’s was this recipe. Why? Because it is the kind of recipe no one would guess is so easy to make.

Recipe Card

About this Recipe

These muffins are buttery, rich and just the perfect size to feel satisfied without feeling like you had too much dessert. The butter and brown sugar create a sort of a streusel texture in the bites while the muffin form which means they bake in the same amount of time it takes to make cupcakes. The hardest part of making this recipe is to chop your pecans and dice your unsalted butter. Some recipes for this call for creaming the butter (I don’t) but even easier than that is to just throw these ingredients together in a stand mixer and scoop it into your muffin cups for the perfect treat.

Can this be made ahead of time?

These muffins are the best muffin for making in advance. When you leave this for a day in a covered container, all the butter and brown sugar overwhelm the small amount of flour and flax meal and make it even more decadent. Who knew that muffins would taste better the next day?

Baking Tips & Tricks

• If you don’t use muffin cups be sure you grease or use cooking spray on your muffin pan or mini muffin pan well.
• I do NOT cream the butter. The little streaks of butter I tell you to leave make a more pecan pie like texture. I find if you cream the butter it turns into a spongier cake.
• You can use a whisk to make this in a large bowl but if you do don’t take too long to mix it, we want to see streaks of unsalted butter in the mixture.
• I like to refrigerate the batter before baking if I am doing a bunch of batches.
• Do not use the toothpick test for this recipe, you want the muffins to come out of the oven while still looking moistened as they’re meant to taste more like pecan pie, not pecan muffins.
• I remove the muffins from the tin before they cool (very carefully) because if they cool they may stick to the pan even if you’ve sprayed it.
• If you have the patience, wait until the next day to serve. It will be even more caramel like in flavor.
• If you want warm them, reheat for 5 seconds in a microwave. They will taste like a cross between pecan pie and a sticky bun.

How to Store

• Serve: Serve these muffins the next day to allow the flavor to become even better!
• Store: Allow muffins to cool completely before storing in an airtight container. Your muffins will stay good at room temperature for up to 3 days. You can also store them in the refrigerator for up to one week.
• Freeze: Muffins can also be kept frozen in a freezer safe bag or container for up to 6 months.

Ideas to Serve

These Pecan Muffins are the perfect holiday dessert recipe. In fact I’ve been making a whole bunch of holiday dessert recipes you may want to try out to serve at your dessert table. Make a dessert buffet and try my Classic Gingerbread Cake, Cranberry Orange Bread, and Maple Cinnamon Rolls. Or make them for a delicious gift basket for your neighbors or your child’s teacher.

Mini Muffins

Yes, you can also make this recipe in a mini-muffin pan, cook them for 12-14 minutes instead of 20-22 minutes. Mini Muffins are the perfect size for a one bite treat you can use for cookie exchanges or potlucks or office Christmas parties.

Variations

• Maple: You can switch out half of your brown sugar and add in maple syrup. This will give your muffins a deeper, rich flavor.
• Bourbon or Rum: Add in a splash of your favorite bourbon or rum for a traditional Southern pie flavor.
• Cinnamon Spice: Add in cinnamon, nutmeg into your batter for some extra warmth and depth.
• Bacon Pecan Muffins: Have leftover bacon from breakfast? Chop it up into little pieces and add it into your batter. You are going to love the savory flavor this adds to your sweet muffins.
• Glaze: Add a delicious glaze over the top of the muffins after they bake. Just whisk together 2 cups powdered sugar, 2 tablespoons softened butter, 1 teaspoon vanilla, and 3-4 tablespoons milk.
• Caramel: Adding a drizzle of Easy Caramel Sauce is a great way to enhance the carmel flavor to these muffins.

Related Recipes

More Pecan Recipes to Try!

Pies & Pastries

Pumpkin Pecan Streusel Pie

Brownies and Bars

Pecan Brownies

Candy

Pecan Pie Bark

Baked Goods

Caramel Pecan Cinnamon Rolls

Photos used in previous version of this post