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Chocolate Bourbon Pecan Pie Cupcakes with Butter Pecan Frosting.…pecan pie, but in cupcake form and so good. Extra chocolatey cupcakes made with warming bourbon and generously stuffed with gooey pecan pie “filling”. Each cake is frosted with the most delicious creamy brown sugar frosting and finished off with a sprinkling of cinnamon-spiced brown sugar pecans. Sooo much to love here! You can’t beat these cute little bite-size pecan pie cupcakes. They’ll be the hit of your Thanksgiving desserts!

side angled photo Chocolate Bourbon Pecan Pie Cupcakes with Butter Pecan Frosting

Happy last Friday before Thanksgiving guys!! This week was a lot, and of course, took some unexpected turns. But the good news is that we have so much to look forward to in the coming days. And the best cupcakes to bake up this weekend.

I’m excited, and looking forward to a very low key holiday and a good amount of pie. Or pie cupcakes actually!

So…pecan pie? How do you guys feel about it? Do you love it or would you prefer pumpkin pie? With my family, any kind of chocolate pie is much preferred. We do have a few oddballs that love a pumpkin pie. But the majority of the fam always go for the chocolate.

Personally, I am a pecan pie lover all the way. It’s what I grew up on, and also what I look forward to every holiday season. My mom never did pumpkin pie, but I’ve always said that her chocolate bourbon pecan pie is one of my all-time favorites. It’s all about that gooey filling and sweet chocolate. Gets me every time.

And that brings me to these cupcakes. They’re everything I love about my mom’s pecan pie, but in the form of a cute chocolate cupcake.

overhead photo Chocolate Bourbon Pecan Pie Cupcakes before frosting

The history on these cupcakes…

This is a recipe I shared a long, long time ago. It’s been a favorite ever since, but I hadn’t made them in a while. Actually, since 2013, so quite a longggg while.

With things being so crazy this holiday season, I wanted to make our Thanksgiving extra special and really pull out all the stops. Somehow that lead me back to these cupcakes. Once I had the idea to make these, I knew I needed to get the recipe perfect before sharing. I spent a few days testing and retesting and I’m pretty excited to share the final product with you guys.

These cupcakes are GOOD. The kind you’ll have a hard time not going back and grabbing a second. They’re made rich and flavorful with a good splash of bourbon, the pecan pie filling is gooey, and swirled with toasted pecans, and the brown sugar frosting? Well, it definitely seals the deal.

overhead photo of Chocolate Bourbon Pecan Pie Cupcakes before being frosted

The details.

I’m going to get this out there, these cupcakes require some time to prepare and do have a few steps. But they’re no harder than baking up your own pie. So while the recipe is longer, don’t let that scare you. You can easily make these!

I like to start with the pecan pie filling. Basically, this is pecan pie filling, but instead of it being in pie crust, it’s in the cupcake. Making it is kind of like making pudding. Just mix eggs with cornstarch, add brown sugar and maple syrup, then thicken it up on the stove. Then stir in cinnamon-spiced bourbon pecans and now you have your pecan pie “filling”. Also known as pecan pie, cooked on the stove, and minus the pie crust.

side angled photo of Chocolate Bourbon Pecan Pie Cupcakes with Butter Pecan Frosting

Once you have the filling made, bake the cupcakes. And guys? These are extra special cupcakes. It’s all about the bourbon which really helps to highlight the rich, sweet chocolate. Originally, I used a full cup of bourbon, but I felt that it was just a smidge overpowering. So I took the bourbon down a bit and came out with the perfect chocolate cupcake that has subtle notes of bourbon. So delicious.

Each cupcake is incredibly moist, so soft, and perfectly sweetened. The flavor truly comes from the bourbon.

The bourbon pecan pie filling is so gooey and delicious. Over time the filling begins to seep into the cupcake and create the moistest, most flavorful chocolate cupcake with a pecan center. They’re roll your eyes back delicious!

side angled photo of Chocolate Bourbon Pecan Pie Cupcakes with Butter Pecan Frosting

On to the butter pecan frosting…

This frosting is everything and has to be one of my favorites. I drew inspiration from a few of my older recipes, but especially from these sweet brown sugar cookies, and also these butter pecan frosted fudge brownies. And more recently, my chai pumpkin cupcakes.

There are two simple secrets to this frosting…

One, use a mix of brown sugar and powdered sugar. Powdered sugar adds practically zero flavor. The brown sugar adds hints of warm molasses and really deepens the flavor to create a frosting that’s perfectly rich and sweet.

The second secret…vanilla, and sweet cinnamon bourbon spiced pecans swirled throughout. SO GOOD. Think creamy, buttery, and hinted with brown sugar, vanilla, and filled with nutty pecans. Honestly? you’ll want to slather on more than you think your cupcakes will actually need. You may even want to think about doubling that frosting.

side angled photo of Chocolate Bourbon Pecan Pie Cupcakes with Butter Pecan Frosting cut in in half to expose the filling

Now, stuff, frost, decorate…and eat.

I didn’t do anything fancy here. I stuffed the pecan pie filling into the center of each cupcake. Then simply dolloped a generous swirl of the brown sugar frosting overtop. Then I finished with those yummy toasted pecans.

And that’s it. Not the simplest, but worth every bit of extra effort. And so very good. Each bite is filled with sweet chocolate cupcake, gooey pecan pie filling, light, fluffy frosting, and bourbon-glazed pecans.

Oh my gooosssh, SO amazing.

These will make the perfect Thanksgiving cupcakes! My best advice is to bake these up this weekend. You’ll need to test out the recipe before Thanksgiving Day. Then take the extras to neighbors to share and make again for Thanksgiving next week. By the second round, you’ll have the process perfected and plenty of delicious cupcakes to enjoy!

overhead photo of Chocolate Bourbon Pecan Pie Cupcakes with Butter Pecan Frosting

Looking for other Thanksgiving desserts?? Here are my favorites: 

Molten Chocolate Crackle Pie

Gooey Chocolate Chip Cookie Pie

Brown Sugar Maple Chocolate Pecan Pie Bars

Lastly, if you make these Chocolate Bourbon Pecan Pie Cupcakes with Butter Pecan Frosting, be sure to leave a comment and/or give this recipe a rating! Above all, I love to hear from you guys and always do my best to respond to each and every comment. And of course, if you do make this recipe, don’t forget to tag me on Instagram! Looking through the photos of recipes you all have made is my favorite!

Chocolate Bourbon Pecan Pie Cupcakes with Butter Pecan Frosting.

Author: Tieghan Gerard
Prep Time 1 hour
Cook Time 30 minutes
Chill Time 1 hour
Total Time 2 hours 30 minutes
Servings: 20
Calories Per Serving: 487 kcal

Nutritional information is only an estimate. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.

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Ingredients

Pecan Pie Filling

Bourbon Chocolate Cupcakes

Butter Pecan Frosting:

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

  • 1. To make the pecan pie filling. Preheat oven to 350° F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. On the baking sheet, combine the pecans, 2 tablespoons bourbon, 1 teaspoon vanilla, 2 tablespoons brown sugar, and the cinnamon. Bake 8-10 minutes, until toasted. Sprinkle with sea salt. Roughly chop the pecans, reserving 22 whole pecans for topping.
    2. In a large pot, whisk together the egg yolks, cornstarch and 1 tablespoon water until fully combined. Add 1/2 cup brown sugar, the maple syrup, and a pinch of salt. Set the pot over medium-high heat and bring the mixture to a boil. Cook, stirring continuously, until the mixture thickens, about 5-8 minutes. Remove from the heat. Strain through a fine mesh sieve into a heat proof bowl. Stir in about 1 cup of the chopped pecans and 2 teaspoons vanilla. Transfer to a bowl, cover, and chill in the fridge until set, about 1 hour.
    3. Meanwhile, make the cupcakes. Preheat oven to 350° F. Line 20-22 cupcake molds with paper liners.
    4. In the bowl of a stand mixer (or use a hand-held mixer) beat together the coconut oil, bourbon, coffee/water, eggs, yogurt, and sugar until combined. Add the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt. Mix until smooth and no lumps remain in the batter.
    4. Divide the batter evenly among the prepared pan. Transfer to the oven and bake 18-22 minutes, until the tops are just set, and no longer wiggly in the center. Remove and let cool.
    5. To make the frosting, melt together 4 tablespoons butter, the cream, and brown sugar in a medium saucepan. Bring to a boil and cook for one minute or until the sugar has dissolved. Remove from the heat and add to the bowl of a stand mixer. Place the bowl in the freezer (or fridge for longer) for 15-20 minutes or until cool to touch.
    6. Grab the cooled butter mixture from the freezer and add the remaining 12 tablespoons of butter, 1 tablespoon vanilla, and the powdered sugar to the bowl. Beat together until well combined. Stir in 1/2-1 cup of the finely chopped toasted pecans.
    7. Using a paring knife, cut a cone-shaped piece from the center of each cupcake. Fill the hole with the cooled pecan pie filling. Frost each cupcake and sprinkle with the remaining pecans. Top each with the reserved whole pecans.

Notes

For an Intense Bourbon Flavor: If you want a cupcake that really tastes like a good shot of bourbon, use 1 cup bourbon and omit the coffee. This is an especially delicious cupcake with strong hints of bourbon. 
For a Mild Bourbon Flavor: For less bourbon, use 1/4 cup bourbon and 3/4 cup coffee/water.
Can You Serve These To Kids? Yes the alcohol cooks out while baking. Asher loves these! If baking with 1 cup of bourbon, however, I would not serve to kids as they will taste the bourbon. 
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side angled photo of Chocolate Bourbon Pecan Pie Cupcakes with Butter Pecan Frosting

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Comments

    1. Hi Jacqualin,
      You could try honey, but I have not tested this. The maple flavor is not prominent here, just adds some moisture and sweetness. I hope you love this recipe! xx

      Reply

  2. I made these today and, they are delicious! I didnt change anything with the recipe. I was just wondering if you store them in the refrigerator because of the frosting? Also, how long do they last in the refrigerator? It is Saturday, and I’m wanting to share them on Monday when I go back to work. Thank you for sharing.

    Reply

    1. Hey Wanda,
      Awesome! Love to hear that this recipe turned out well for you, thanks for making it! Yes, you can go ahead and store these in the fridge, they should be great on Monday for work! Happy Sunday! x

      Reply

  3. Thank you very much for the amazing recipe. It turned out to be extremely delicious, but I remade muffins 3 times, because I had a rising issue. In the end I use 1/2 tsp of baking soda and 2 tsp of baking powder. After following the original recipe I had horrible soda taste in muffins

    Reply

    1. Hey Anna,
      So glad to hear you enjoyed this recipe, thanks so much for making it! Sorry about the baking soda issue, thanks for sharing what worked well for you! Happy Labor Day! xT

      Reply