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    Home » Recipes » Breads

    Pecan Pie Mini-Muffins

    By Chula King · April 27, 2023 4 Comments

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    Pecan Pie Mini-Muffins.

    If you’re a fan of pecan pie, you’ll fall in love with these irresistible Pecan Pie Mini-Muffins. With a crispy and crunchy exterior, these mini-muffins are filled with a rich, gooey, and moist center that tastes just like a classic pecan pie. Made with the South’s favorite nut, these mini-muffins are an addictive treat that’s sure to delight your taste buds.

    Mini pecan pie bites.

    These mini-muffins actually taste even better the next day if you can resist eating them all at once. And if you’re looking to plan ahead, you can even make them ahead of time and freeze them for later use. Don’t miss out on this delectable treat – try making Pecan Pie Mini-Muffins today!

    Jump to:
    • Why You’ll Love This Recipe
    • Ingredients – Here’s What You’ll Need:
    • Important Step: Preparing the Mini-Muffin Pan
    • Easy Steps to Make the Pecan Pie Mini-Muffin Batter
    • Finishing the Pecan Pie Mini-Muffins
    • Recipe Frequently Asked Questions
    • Recipe Tips and Tricks
    • Other Tasty Treats Using Pecans
    • Recipe

    Why You’ll Love This Recipe

    • Deliciously addictive: These mini-muffins are filled with the rich, gooey, and moist goodness of a classic pecan pie, making them an irresistible treat that you won’t be able to get enough of.
    • Quick and easy to make: With just a few simple ingredients and minimal prep time, you can whip up a batch of these mini-muffins in no time.
    • Convenient to store: These mini-muffins can be made ahead of time and frozen for later use, making them a convenient treat to have on hand whenever you’re craving something sweet.
    • South-inspired flavor: Pecans are a beloved Southern ingredient, and these mini-muffins showcase the nut’s delicious flavor in a totally irresistible way.

    Ingredients – Here’s What You’ll Need:

    A handful of simple ingredients are used to make this delectable treat.

    Ingredients for pecan pie mini muffins
    • Dry Ingredients: For the dry ingredients, I used all-purpose flour, light brown sugar, and salt.
    • Wet Ingredients: The wet ingredients consisted of large eggs, unsalted butter, and vanilla extract.
    • The Star of the Show: Toasted pecan pieces elevate a good recipe into an extraordinary recipe.

    Important Step: Preparing the Mini-Muffin Pan

    The Pecan Pie Mini-Muffins will stick really badly to the mini-muffin pan if it is not adequately greased. This is true even if you have a non-stick pan. The reason is the amount of brown sugar relative to the amount of flour. Therefore, it’s imperative that you properly prepare the mini muffin pan.

    I consistently use Bak-Klene ZT All Purpose Release Spray which I purchase online. It’s similar to Baker’s Joy which contains a combination of oil and flour.

    If you don’t have a spray like this, you can spray the cups of the mini-muffin pan with vegetable spray or grease them with butter. However, you then need to dust the cups with flour. Trust me – you really need to do this!

    You might be tempted to use cupcake papers rather than fooling with the preparation of the pan. Big mistake if you do this. The reason is that the mini-muffins will stick horribly to the cupcake papers and fall apart when you try to peel away the paper. I learned this the hard way!

    Spraying the mini muffin pan with nonstick spray.

    Easy Steps to Make the Pecan Pie Mini-Muffin Batter

    In less than 5 minutes, you can make the batter for these yummy pecan pie bites.

    1. I started by whisking together the flour, brown sugar, and salt in a medium-sized bowl.
    Whisking together dry ingredients in a bowl.
    1. Once the dry ingredients were well mixed, I stirred in the pecans.
    Stirring pecans into the dry ingredients.
    1. Then, I whisked together room-temperature eggs in a measuring cup until they were frothy. The reason for using a measuring cup was to make it easier to pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients.
    Whisking eggs together in a measuring cup.
    1. Next, I whisked cooled melted butter and vanilla extract into the eggs.
    1. After making a well in the middle of the dry mixture, I poured in the egg/butter mixture. I stirred the batter with a wooden spoon just until the dry ingredients were incorporated.

    That’s it – in less than 5 minutes, the batter was ready for these yummy pecan pie bites.

    Pouring the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients.

    Finishing the Pecan Pie Mini-Muffins

    I used a tablespoon cookie scoop (#40) to fill the cups of the prepared mini-muffin pan.

    Once I had filled the cups, I popped the mini-muffin pan into a preheated 350°F oven for about 14 minutes.

    Filling the cups of a mini muffin pan with the pecan pie mini muffin batter.

    After 14 minutes, the mini-muffins were a crunchy golden brown around the edges, and the center was set. I made sure not to overcook the mini-muffins because I wanted the center to be ooey gooey!

    As soon as I removed the mini-muffins from the oven, I placed a wire rack on top of the pan and flipped it to dump the mini-muffins onto the wire rack to cool.

    It’s important to remove the mini-muffins from the pan as soon as they come out of the oven. Otherwise, they’ll stick!

    Mini-muffins cooling on a wire rack.

    I ended up with 24 out-of-this-world Pecan Pie Mini-Muffins. They truly do taste like pecan pie for a fraction of the time. 

    They are crispy and crunchy on the outside and rich, gooey, and moist on the inside, making them a totally irresistible and addictive treat. Yum!

    Pecan Pie Mini Muffins.

    Recipe Frequently Asked Questions

    How long do the mini-muffins last?

    These tasty treats can be stored at room temperature in an airtight container for several days.

    Can the pecan pie mini-muffins be frozen?

    You can freeze pecan pie mini muffins. To do so, let them cool completely before storing them in an airtight container or wrapping them tightly in plastic wrap or foil. Freeze for up to 3 months. When ready to eat, thaw overnight in the refrigerator or at room temperature.

    Can a different nut be substituted for the pecans in this recipe?

    You can substitute other nuts like walnuts, almonds, or hazelnuts in place of pecans in this recipe. However, the flavor profile of the mini-muffins will change accordingly.

    Can chocolate chips be added to this recipe?

    You can add chocolate chips to this recipe. However, because these are mini-muffins, I would use mini-chocolate chips. Simply replace ½ cup of pecans with ½ cup of mini-chocolate chips.

    Recipe Tips and Tricks

    • The first time I made this recipe, I didn’t spray my nonstick mini-muffin pan with the nonstick spray. This was a huge mistake – the mini-muffins stuck horribly. Therefore, it’s critical to make sure that the cups of the mini-muffin pan are well-greased.
    • Another time when I made this recipe, I decided to use cupcake liners. This was a huge mistake as well. The mini-muffins stuck horribly to the cupcake liners.
    • I always toast my pecans in this recipe (and in other recipes using pecans). The reason is that toasting significantly improves the flavor of the nut. To easily toast the pecans, spread in a single layer on a baking sheet, and bake in a preheated 350°F oven for about 8 minutes. Watch carefully.
    • As soon as the mini-muffins come out of the oven, place a wire rack over the mini-muffin pan, and flip to release the mini-muffins. If you leave the mini-muffins in the pan, they will stick regardless of how well you prepared the pan. If you find that you can’t release the mini-muffins, however, return the pan to the oven for several minutes to reheat the mini-muffins.
    • For a thoughtful gift, combine dry ingredients, and transfer to a 2-cup mason jar. Screw on top, and secure a decorative piece of material on the top with a ribbon. Attach a label with directions on both making the batter, i.e., add the eggs, melted butter, and vanilla extract, and baking the mini-muffins.

    Other Tasty Treats Using Pecans

    Pecans are my very favorite nut. Try these other tasty treats using pecans.

    • Southern candied pecans are a perfect make-ahead holiday gift for your friends and family. They're super simple to make, and stay deliciously crunchy when packaged in air tight containers.
      Southern Candied Pecans
    • Chocolate Covered Pecans
      Chocolate Covered Roasted Pecans
    • Chocolate Pecan Toffee Clusters
      Chocolate Pecan Toffee Clusters
    • Toasted Pecan Snowball Cookies
      Toasted Pecan Snowball Cookies

    I hope you liked this recipe for Pecan Pie Mini-Muffins as much as I do. If so, please consider rating it and leaving a comment. Also, if you’d like to receive notifications of new posts by email, enter your email address in the Subscribe box.

    Thank you so much for visiting Pudge Factor. I hope you’ll come back!

    Recipe

    Pecan Pie Mini-Muffins

    Pecan Pie Mini-Muffins

    Pecan Pie Mini-Muffins are crispy and crunchy on the outside and rich, gooey, and moist on the inside. They feature the South’s favorite nut in a totally irresistible and addictive treat. Pecan Pie Mini-Muffins take minutes to put together and are even better the next day if they last that long. In addition, they can be made ahead of time and frozen for later use.
    4.71 from 17 votes
    Print Pin Rate
    Course: Bread, Brunch, Dessert
    Cuisine: American
    Prep Time: 5 minutes minutes
    Cook Time: 15 minutes minutes
    Total Time: 20 minutes minutes
    Servings: 24 Mini-Muffins
    Calories: 126kcal
    Author: Chula King

    Ingredients

    • 1 cup (7.5 ounces) light brown sugar, firmly packed
    • ½ cup (2.5 ounces) all-purpose flour
    • ¼ teaspoon salt
    • 1 ½ cups (6 ounces) chopped pecans, toasted (See Tip 1)
    • 2 large eggs, room temperature
    • ½ cup (4 ounces) unsalted butter melted and cooled (See Tip 2)
    • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

    Instructions

    • Preheat oven to 350°F. Spray the mini-muffin pan with Baker's Joy or vegetable spray and flour. Set aside. (See Tip 3)
    • Combine brown sugar, flour, and salt in a medium-sized bowl. Add pecans; stir well to combine. Make a well in the center of the mixture.
    • Whisk eggs until frothy. Add melted butter and vanilla extract; add dry ingredients, stirring just until combined.
    • Using a tablespoon cookie scoop (#40), add batter to the mini-muffin cups. 
    • Bake at 350°F for 12 to 15 minutes or until done. Remove from pan immediately, and cool on wire racks. (See Tip 4)
    • Yield: 24 Pecan Pie Mini-Muffins.

    Chula’s Expert Tips

    1. To toast pecans, spread in a single layer on a baking sheet. Bake in preheated 350° F oven for 8 or 9 minutes until lightly toasted. Watch carefully.
    2. If you use salted butter, omit adding the salt.
    3. Because of the amount of sugar in these Pecan Pie Mini-Muffins, you should avoid using cupcake papers. The mini-muffins will stick horribly to the paper. If you don’t have Baker’s Joy or a similar product, liberally grease the wells of the mini-muffin pan or spray with vegetable spray. Then, dust with flour. 
    4. As soon as the mini-muffins come out of the oven, place a wire rack over the mini-muffin pan, and flip to release the mini-muffins. If you leave the mini-muffins in the pan, they will stick regardless of how well you prepared the pan. If you find that you can’t release the mini-muffins, however, return the pan to the oven for several minutes to reheat the mini-muffins.
    5. For a perfect back-to-school gift, combine dry ingredients, and transfer to a 2-cup mason jar. Screw on top, and secure a decorative piece of material on the top with a ribbon. Attach a label with directions on both finishing the batter, i.e., add the egg, melted butter, and vanilla extract, and baking the mini-muffins.

    Nutrition

    Calories: 126kcal | Carbohydrates: 11g | Protein: 1g | Fat: 8g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Cholesterol: 23mg | Sodium: 32mg | Potassium: 45mg | Sugar: 9g | Vitamin A: 140IU | Vitamin C: 0.1mg | Calcium: 15mg | Iron: 0.4mg
    Tried this recipe?Please leave a comment below and/or give this recipe a rating. On Instagram? Take a picture and tag @pudgefactor or #pudgefactor.

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    Filed Under: Breads, Desserts, Mother's Day, Muffins, Southern

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Anonymous says

      May 09, 2023 at 8:08 am

      In step 2 of the recipe, what is the purpose of making a well in the center of the mixture?

    2. Chula King says

      May 09, 2023 at 8:18 am

      There are several reasons for making a well in the center of the dry ingredients before adding the wet ingredients: (1) to prevent the wet ingredients from running all over the place; (2) to help distribute the wet ingredients more evenly; and (3) to minimize overmixing the ingredients which can lead to gluten formation and tough baked goods.

    3. Liz says

      May 09, 2023 at 4:52 pm

      Hi, these look delicious. I love that they’re very simple.

      Quick note: sugar/brown sugar is a wet ingredient…

    4. Chula King says

      May 09, 2023 at 7:14 pm

      Hi Liz,

      You’re right – I know that sugar is a wet ingredient! However, I wasn’t sure how else to describe the steps.

      By the way, these pecan pie mini-muffins really are amazing.

      Chula

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