Pecan Pie Cupcakes

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These Pecan Pie Cupcakes are a soft brown sugar cupcake stuffed with gooey pecan pie filling and topped with velvety pecan pie buttercream! It’s perfect for fall and will blow your go-to Thanksgiving dessert out of the water!

Gourmet Pecan Pie Filled Cupcakes

The only thing better than a homemade Thanksgiving dinner is the festive dessert spread that follows it. We all have that one relative who eats half the pecan pie every year – right after saying they were full. In my family, it just so happens to be me! And these crave-worthy treats are the perfect representation of pecan pie in the form of a cupcake.

The brown sugar cupcakes are moist and tender with a touch of cinnamon for added flavor. Nestled inside is a classic pecan pie filling that delights with every bite. To top it off, there’s a swirl of creamy frosting made with the extra filling sans the pecans. Trust me, there’s no such thing as “no room for dessert” when it comes to these cupcakes!

What You’ll Need

Let’s review the ingredients that go into the cupcakes, the filling and the frosting. The full amounts are included in the recipe card beneath this post.

Brown Sugar Cupcakes

• All-Purpose Flour: It’s best to use a food scale, but if you won’t have one use the spoon and level method. Fluff up the flour, then spoon it into your measuring cup bit by bit. Use a butter knife to level it off at the top once the cup is overflowing. This process helps prevent over-measuring.
• Ground Cinnamon
• Baking Powder
• Salt
• Unsalted Butter: Brought to room temperature.
• Vegetable Oil: Or canola oil.
• Granulated Sugar
• Light Brown Sugar: In contrast to the flour, this should be packed tightly into the measuring cup.
• Vanilla Extract
• Large Eggs
• Milk: Go ahead and grab any kind you’ve got in the fridge. I use 2% milk.

Pecan Pie Filling

• Light Brown Sugar
• Dark Corn Syrup
• Unsalted Butter: Cut into cubes.
• Large Eggs
• Vanilla Extract
• Salt
• Pecans: Toasted and chopped.

Pecan Pie Buttercream

• Unsalted Butter: Room temperature.
• Powdered Sugar
• Pecan Pie Filling: Some of the cupcake filling will be set aside for the frosting before the pecans are added.

Can I Use Canned Pecan Pie Filling?

I highly, highly recommend making your pecan pie filling from scratch. I promise it’ll be worth it! But if you really have no other option, you can reach for the canned stuff. It just might be hard to add it to the frosting.

How to Make Pecan Pie Cupcakes

Let’s talk logistics! These cupcakes may be fancy, but they’re also easy to make.

Make the Cupcakes

1. Prep for Baking: Preheat the oven to 350°F and prepare a cupcake pan with nonstick liners.
2. Combine Dry Ingredients: Combine the flour, cinnamon, baking powder and salt in a medium-sized bowl. Set the mixture aside.
3. Beat Butter, Oil, Sugars & Vanilla: Add the butter, vegetable oil, granulated sugar, brown sugar and vanilla extract to a large mixer bowl and beat until the mixture is light in color and fluffy, about 2-3 minutes. Do not skimp on the creaming time.
4. Add Eggs: Add the eggs one at a time, mixing until mostly combined after each addition. Scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed to be sure all of the ingredients are well incorporated.
5. Start Adding Dry Ingredients: Add half of the dry ingredients to the batter and mix until mostly combined.
6. Add Milk: Slowly add the milk and mix until well combined. The batter may look a little curdled, but that’s okay.
7. Finish Adding Dry Ingredients: Add the remaining dry ingredients and mix until well combined and smooth. Scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed. Do not over-mix the batter.
8. Bake: Fill the cupcake liners about 3/4 of the way full and bake the cupcakes for 15-18 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
9. Let Cool: Remove the cupcakes from the oven, transfer them to a cooling rack and allow them to cool completely.

Make the Filling

1. Combine Everything But Pecans: Combine all of the filling ingredients except for the pecans in a saucepan.
2. Bring to Boil: Heat the mixture over medium until it begins to boil, stirring it constantly.
3. Cook: Allow the mixture to boil for 30 seconds, then remove it from the heat and pour it into a bowl.
4. Set Some Aside: Remove half a cup of the mixture and set it in the fridge to cool completely.
5. Add Pecans & Chill: Add the toasted pecans to the remaining mixture and stir to combine. Refrigerate the pecan pie filling until it has cooled and thickened.

Make the Buttercream

1. Beat Butter: Add the butter to a large mixer bowl and beat until smooth.
2. Start Adding Powdered Sugar: Add about half of the powdered sugar and mix until smooth and well combined.
3. Add Pie Filling: Add the pecan pie filling that was set aside earlier and mix until the frosting is well combined and smooth.
4. Add Remaining Powdered Sugar: Add the remaining powdered sugar and mix until smooth.

Build the Cupcakes

1. Fill Cupcakes: Use a cupcake corer or a knife to remove the centers of the cooled cupcakes. You can discard the cores since you won’t need them. Fill each cored cupcake with one tablespoon of the filling.
2. Frost & Garnish: Pipe the buttercream onto the cupcakes (I used Ateco tip 847). Sprinkle on some finely chopped pecans if desired and enjoy!

Tips for Success

Use these tips to make sure your pecan pie cupcakes are nothing short of perfect.

• Cream It Like You Mean It: It’s important to cream the butter and oil mixture until you notice it lighten in both color and texture. This indicates that it’s sufficiently combined. You also don’t want to over cream it. Two to three minutes on medium speed should be just right.
• Avoid Over-Mixing the Batter: Stop mixing your batter as soon as the last of the dry ingredients are well incorporated. If you mix it too much, the cupcakes won’t come out as fluffy.
• Let Your Cupcakes Cool Completely: You don’t want to core the cupcakes until they’ve fully cooled. If they’re still warm, they’ll be too delicate.
• Finesse the Frosting: In my experience, this buttercream always has the right consistency. If yours seems too thick, mix in a small amount of cream at a time until it’s just right.

Storage Instructions

These cupcakes should be kept in an airtight container in the fridge. It’s best to enjoy them within 3-4 days. I like to bring them to room temperature before I serve them.

Can I Freeze These?

Yes, you can totally freeze these cupcakes if you’d like. First, place them onto a parchment-lined baking sheet and flash-freeze them until the frosting has solidified (about 2 hours). Wrap each frozen cupcake in clear wrap or foil and freeze them in an airtight container for up to 3 months. Unwrap your cupcakes, thaw them out in the fridge and bring them to room temperature before you dig in.

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More Pecan Desserts to Try

• Caramel Apple Pecan Layer Cake
• Butter Pecan Cookies
• Pecan Streusel Pumpkin Cheesecake
• Pecan Caramel Turtle Candy Bars