Pecan Pie Muffins: Recipe and 3 Baking Tips
Written by MasterClass
Last updated: May 25, 2022 • 2 min read
Individually portioned pecan pie muffins (or mini muffins) are perfect for a weekend brunch or Thanksgiving potluck. Learn how to make this beloved pie in muffin form.
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What Are Pecan Pie Muffins?
Pecan pie muffins are muffins flavored with brown sugar and pecans, like a classic pecan pie. Swirl salted caramel throughout the muffins or dip the muffin tops in soft caramel to mimic gooey pecan pie filling. Serve the muffins as part of a breakfast or brunch spread, or enjoy them as an afternoon snack with a cup of tea or coffee.
What Are the Differences Between Muffins and Cupcakes?
The main difference between muffins and cupcakes is that the latter contain more sugar and fat and usually feature a frosting on top. The baked goods also call for different mixing methods. Cupcakes use the creaming method, which involves beating room-temperature butter with sugar and eggs before adding the ingredients.
On the other hand, muffins follow the same process as other quick bread recipes, incorporating the wet ingredients (including melted butter) into the dry ingredients and mixing by hand, which gives them a denser, heartier texture than cupcakes. Learn more about the difference between cupcakes and muffins.
3 Tips for Making Pecan Pie Muffins
Follow the tips below to get the authentic flavor of pecan pie in a soft muffin.
- 1. Toast the pecans. Intensify the flavor of the pecans by toasting them in the oven before adding them to the muffin batter. Toasting the pecans also helps the nuts retain their crunch while baking.
- 2. Mix the batter by hand to prevent overmixing. Some muffin recipes, and most cake recipes, call for using a stand mixer. However, a stand mixer is sometimes too powerful to mix delicate muffins, especially with added ingredients like chopped nuts. Mix the muffin batter with a wooden spoon or rubber spatula for tender, soft muffins.
- 3. Use brown sugar for a caramelized flavor. Baking recipes typically use a combination of granulated sugar and brown sugar. Brown sugar captures the taste of sweet, thick, and caramelized pecan pie filling without making caramel.
Easy Pecan Pie Muffins Recipe
makes
About 18prep time
15 mintotal time
52 mincook time
37 minIngredients
- 1
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
- 2
Line 2 standard muffin tins with paper liners (or grease them with cooking spray).
- 3
Place the pecans on a rimmed baking sheet.
- 4
Toast the pecans in the oven until fragrant and golden brown, about 7 minutes.
- 5
Roughly chop the toasted pecans.
- 6
In a large bowl, whisk together the all-purpose flour, salt, baking powder, baking soda, and ground cinnamon.
- 7
In a large, microwave-safe bowl, melt the butter in the microwave, about 30 seconds. (Try melting the butter in 10-second increments to prevent splattering.)
- 8
Add the brown sugar and toasted pecans to the melted butter.
- 9
Whisk in the eggs and vanilla extract.
- 10
Pour the pecan mixture into the flour mixture.
- 11
Using a wooden spoon, gently combine the wet ingredients and dry ingredients.
- 12
Add the milk, starting with a ½ cup.
- 13
If the batter is too thick, add the rest of the milk.
- 14
With an ice cream scoop or spoon, fill the muffin cups ¾ full.
- 15
Bake the muffins in the oven until a toothpick inserted into the center of one comes out clean, about 25–30 minutes.
- 16
Transfer the muffins to a wire rack to cool to room temperature.
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