Maple Pecan Cupcakes

These rich, dense chocolate cupcakes are topped with a light whipped maple pecan frosting that is out-of-this-world delicious! 

I know. Maple pecan things are a dessert for the fall- not early summer! I just couldn’t resist. Maple and pecan are two of my favorite flavors together! I thought about saving this post for November and I couldn’t make myself wait to share it with you because it is just that good! These are delicious. So if you can’t bring yourself to make them, pin the recipe for later- but pin it. You will want this one someday!!! Promise.

Here is how we made these (printable recipe here)

INGREDIENTS: (makes 24 cupcakes)

• One boxed chocolate cake mix plus oil and eggs to make according to box
• Milk- enough to replace the water required by boxed mix.
• 1 (3.9 oz.) box of chocolate pudding (instant)
• 3 cups chopped pecans (divided)
• 24 pecan halves
• 2 sticks salted butter (softened)
• 2 sticks unsalted butter (softened)
• 3 cups of powdered sugar
• 3 teaspoons of maple extract or flavoring

DIRECTIONS:

• Preheat oven to 350F degrees
• Mix 1 and 1/2 cups of chopped pecans with dry cake mix.
• Add eggs and oil according to package, and add milk instead of water- in the same amount as listed on package.
• Add box of instant chocolate pudding.
• Beat on high for 2 minutes until smooth.
• Scoop evenly between 24 cupcake liners placed in muffin tins and bake according to package- until a toothpick inserted into the center of a cupcake comes out clean.
• Gently remove from tins and allow cupcakes to cool on countertop.
• Make frosting by placing butters, powdered sugar and maple flavoring in a large mixing bowl.
• Beat on high until light and very fluffy (2 to 3 minutes).
• Fold in one cup of chopped pecans (this leaves 1/2 cup for sprinkling on top!)
• Use a cookie scoop to place a dome of frosting on each cooled cupcake. Press a pecan half on top and sprinkle with a bit of chopped pecans. 

• Store in a loosely sealed container for up to 3 or 4 days. Refrigerate to keep a day or two longer.
• Enjoy!

My thoughts: You are going to love these! If you want to simplify, just make the boxed cake mix as-is plus nuts. The milk and pudding make the cupcakes more dense, rich and moist- but you could skip adding these extra ingredients to save time. It’s that frosting… even my friends who aren’t big frosting lovers were licking this stuff off the top of these cupcakes. Yum. Hope you get a chance to try them- now- this fall- whenever!! 🙂 Enjoy! ~r

Other maple and/or pecan recipes to try! (click on a photo to see instructions)