Easy Pecan Pie Muffins Recipe for a Quick No-Crust Fall Treat
These pecan pie muffins have all the rich, gooey brown sugar and pecan flavor of a classic pecan pie, baked into a muffin tin with no crust to roll out. They’re ready in about 35 minutes, make 16 muffins, and come together in one bowl.
Pecan pie muffins are what happens when you love pecan pie but don’t love dealing with a crust. No rolling pin, no blind baking, no crimping edges, just a batter that bakes up rich and a little dense, almost like the filling of a pecan pie with a bit of muffin structure holding it together.
They’re also a lot more forgiving on time. A full pecan pie takes the better part of an afternoon between the crust and the long bake. These are in and out of the oven in under 20 minutes.
If your table already has a full pecan pie on it, these make a nice second option for anyone who just wants a smaller bite. My pecan tassies are another good mini option if you want to compare.
Why You’ll Love These Pecan Pie Muffins
- All the flavor of pecan pie with none of the crust work
- Ready in about 35 minutes start to finish
- Just one bowl and a muffin tin
- Great for a smaller pecan pie craving
- Freezer-friendly for make-ahead gifting
Ingredients
- 1 cup (115g) pecans, chopped
- 1 cup (220g) packed light brown sugar
- 1/2 cup (63g) all-purpose flour
- 2/3 cup (150g) unsalted butter, melted
- 2 large eggs
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- Pinch of salt
Ingredient Notes and Substitutions
- Butter: Use real unsalted butter, not margarine or a butter substitute. These muffins are meant to be rich and a little dense like pecan pie filling, and the wrong fat can leave the bottoms greasy instead of set.
- Pecans: A few readers have swapped in walnuts with good results if that’s what’s on hand. Other flour or sugar swaps are harder to predict here, this is a simple batter where the ratios matter.
- Muffin liners: Grease the liners well even if they’re nonstick-style, this batter is sticky enough to grab onto bare paper.
How to Make Pecan Pie Muffins
Step 1: Mix the Batter
Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C) and line a standard muffin tin with paper liners, spraying the liners well with cooking spray. In a bowl, stir together the chopped pecans, brown sugar and flour. In a separate bowl, whisk the melted butter, eggs, vanilla and salt, then pour it over the dry ingredients and stir just until combined.
Step 2: Fill the Liners
Divide the batter evenly among the muffin cups, filling each about two-thirds full. Resist the urge to overfill, a cup packed too full needs longer in the oven and is more likely to fall apart when it’s time to unwrap it.
Step 3: Bake
Bake for 18 to 20 minutes, until the tops look set and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Ovens vary more than you’d think here, if the center still looks wet and jiggly at 18 minutes, give it a few more minutes rather than pulling it early.
Step 4: Cool Before Unwrapping
Let the muffins cool in the pan for about 10 minutes, then peel the liners away while they’re still a little warm. Waiting until they’re fully cooled makes the liners more likely to stick and tear the muffin as you peel.
Tips for the Best Pecan Pie Muffins
- Spray the liners even if they’re the nonstick kind, this batter is sticky enough to grab onto bare paper either way.
- Don’t expect a fluffy muffin crumb, a dense, pie-like texture is correct here.
- Fill cups to about two-thirds full rather than to the top, overfilled muffins need longer to bake and are more prone to falling apart.
Pecan Pie Muffins
Ingredients
Method
- Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C) and line a muffin tin with well-sprayed paper liners. Stir pecans, brown sugar and flour together in a bowl. Whisk melted butter, eggs, vanilla and salt in a separate bowl, then combine with the dry ingredients.
- Divide batter evenly among the cups, filling each about two-thirds full.
- Bake 18 to 20 minutes until set and a toothpick comes out clean.
- Cool in the pan about 10 minutes, then peel liners away while still slightly warm.
Notes
- Grease the liners well, this batter is sticky even with nonstick-style liners.
- Don’t overfill the cups, it extends bake time and makes muffins more likely to fall apart when unwrapped.
- Nutrition is an estimate calculated from the ingredients and will vary with brands and portion size.
Add These to Your Fall Baking List
These come together fast enough for a weeknight, which makes them an easy way to get a pecan pie fix without committing to a whole pie. They also travel well in a lunchbox or a gift tin.
They freeze nicely too, so a double batch now means a treat ready to thaw whenever the craving hits later in the season.
If you make a batch, leave a star rating and let me know how your muffins turned out.
For more mini pecan treats you will love:
