Pecan Pie Cupcakes Recipe You’ll Want to Make for Every Sweet Occasion
Pecan Pie Cupcakes are the perfect way to bring all the rich, gooey goodness of the classic dessert recipe into a fun handheld treat!
If you love that sweet, buttery filling and crunchy pecan topping but don’t want to fuss with making a full pie, you’re going to fall hard for these cupcakes.
They bake up with a deliciously soft center, a caramel-like flavor, and just the right amount of crunch on top.
Whether you’re planning a holiday dessert table, hosting a brunch, or just craving something cozy and sweet, this easy recipe is sure to wow everyone.
After just one bite of these cupcakes and you’ll see why they’re a favorite for family gatherings, celebrations, and everything in between.
Want all of the details to learn how to make pecan pie cupcakes from scratch? Scroll down to snag the full printable — it’s got everything you need to whip up a batch (or two)!
Start by whipping up a rich chocolate cupcake batter with flour, cocoa, sugar, butter, eggs, sour cream, and a splash of vanilla.
Bake them until perfectly fluffy and let them cool.
While they’re baking, make a gooey pecan pie filling by cooking sugars, cornstarch, corn syrup, butter, and eggs together, then stir in vanilla and plenty of chopped pecans.
Next, mix up a creamy brown sugar buttercream frosting. Pop the brown sugar buttercream in the fridge while you’re working on the cupcakes — it pipes so much better when it’s a little firmer.
Once everything’s fully cooled, scoop a little center out of each cupcake, fill it with the pecan pie goodness, and frost generously.
Top with extra pecans, caramel, or chocolate drizzle for the ultimate sweet treat!
Light Karo syrup is the traditional choice for pecan pie because it gives a sweet, classic flavor without overpowering the pecans. Dark Karo syrup creates a richer, deeper flavor with hints of molasses and makes the filling darker. Both work great — it just depends if you want a lighter, sweeter filling or a more robust, old-fashioned taste!
If you prefer not to use corn syrup, you can try using maple syrup or honey, but the texture might be a little softer and less gooey pie like.
You can freeze the cupcakes without the filling and frosting. Just wrap them tightly and freeze for up to 2 months. Thaw, then add the filling and frosting fresh.
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If you love sweet, nutty treats, you’ll definitely want to check out these other delicious ideas too!
- Pecan Pie Cake is the perfect way to turn your favorite holiday pie into a rich, decadent layer cake everyone will rave about.
- Mini Pecan Pies make it easy to enjoy all the gooey goodness of classic pecan pie in adorable, bite-sized portions.
- Caramelized Pecans are a sweet and crunchy snack that’s just as perfect for topping desserts as it is for munching straight from the bowl.
Pecan Pie Cupcakes Recipe
Ingredients
Cupcakes
- ¾ cup flour
- ¾ cup cocoa
- ½ tsp baking powder
- ¼ tsp salt
- 1 cup sugar
- ¾ cup butter
- 3 eggs
- ½ cup sour cream
- ½ tsp vanilla
Pecan Pie Filling
- ¼ cup sugar
- ¼ cup brown sugar
- 2 tbsp cornstarch
- ¾ cup light corn syrup
- 4 tbsp butter melted
- ½ tsp salt
- 2 eggs beaten
- 1 cup chopped pecans
- 1 tsp vanilla
Brown Sugar Buttercream Frosting
- ¾ cup butter softened
- ½ cup brown sugar
- 4 cups powdered sugar
- 1 tsp vanilla
- 1 tbps milk
Instructions
- Start by preheating your oven to 350 degrees.
- Make your cupcakes. In a large bowl, whisk together flour, cocoa, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.
- In another bowl, cream butter and sugar together, until fluffy. Add eggs, beating well between each addition, then mix in vanilla.
- Add half of the dry ingredients to the wet, and mix until combined. Mix in sour cream.
- Add the remaining dry ingredients and mix again
- Line a muffin tin with cupcake liners, and fill the liners ¾ full.
- Bake 20-22 minutes, until the cupcakes are cooked throug
- While your cupcakes are baking, make your pecan pie filling.
- In a saucepan, whisk together sugar, brown sugar, and cornstarch.
- Stir in corn syrup, melted butter, salt, and beaten eggs.
- Cook over medium heat, stirring frequently, until mixture begins to boil.
- Remove from the heat and stir in chopped pecans and vanilla. Set this mixture aside to cool to room temperature. It will thicken some as it cools.
- Make your brown sugar buttercream icing. In a large bowl, cream together butter and sugar until fluffy.
- Add vanilla, and mix.
- Add powdered sugar slowly, mixing with each addition.
- Then, add milk, if needed, to reach the proper consistency for your frosting.
- Store this in the refrigerator while you finish your cupcakes.
- Once your cupcakes and your pecan pie filling have cooked and cooled, cut a small circle out of the middle of your cupcakes.
- Add 1-2 tbsp of the pecan pie filling to each cupcake, pushing it into the space in your cupcake and then spreading it evenly over the top of the cupcake.
- Finish by frosting your cupcakes and garnishing with leftover pecan filling.
Those look so good! You have squished my two favorite sweet treats into one uber sweet treat! I can’t wait to make this!
Pecan pie is one of my favorites! I love this recipe already, and I haven’t even made it! It looks delicious!
Pecan Pie is my favorite!! I love how yummy it is, but pecans can be so pricy! I want to try these out!
Shut up shut up! I am totally making these this weekend and not even waiting for the fall to get here! Thank you!
I love pecan pie and I love cupcakes. Putting them together for a new dessert is genius.
I just love pecans. I’ve never had pecan pie before. I know I have to remedy that. I can’t wait to try these cupcakes though.
I am so ready for fall! Bring on all the pecan pie and sweet treats!
I saved the recipe. I am going to try my best to make these cupcakes. My sister makes a mean pecan pie. I’ll share this recipe with her too.
Hi, I can’t wait to try these, but I have one question. How many eggs?
thank you for letting me know I left that out! Just updated the recipe!
Please clarify the number of eggs used. In the instructions for the cupcakes you say to beat the eggs but don’t say how many. In the instructions for the filling you again say to cook the beaten eggs but don’t say how many. The ingredient list only shows 3 eggs, total. I’m confused!
The directions on the top are the same as in the recipe card. It’s 3 eggs total going into the cupcake batter. Hope that helps!
You still need to clarify how many eggs are in the filling . You say 3 eggs go in the cake then it says to add eggs to the filling
Thank you for letting me know this wasn’t clear. I just updated it.
@2momma lew,
Sounds and looks delish. I wish I could see one cut in half. Going to try this recipe. Thanks for sharing!