Maple Pecan Madeleines

These Maple Pecan Madeleines are wonderful little shell-shaped sponge cakes brimming with the flavor of maple syrup and the crunch of toasted pecans. 

These little cookie cakes incorporate two of my favorites, madeleines and maple syrup (plus toasted pecans). I love the combination of flavors and had a hard time stopping myself from eating them warm from the oven. 

About Madeleines:

Madeleines are tiny shell-shaped sponge cakes that are believed to have originated in the Lorraine region of France. They are lauded by Proust in a passage in his lengthy novel In Search of Lost Time. They are made from a génoise batter consisting of beaten eggs and sugar, flour, and melted butter (the same batter used to make lady fingers). 

They are wonderful dunked in tea or coffee for a snack or as part of afternoon tea. I've been known to have them for breakfast. 

They are baked in a special pan with shell-shaped indentations for shaping the madeleines. Do you need the special pan? I haven't tried it but I've heard you can make these in a mini muffin tin. However, if you like madeleines, getting the pan is worth it for the cute scalloped shell shape, the delicate crispy edges, and the bump that pops up in the middle of the back of the cakes. 

Madeleine pans come in different configurations, including non-stick (both dark and light colored), traditional tinned steel made in France, and even silicone. The pans also come in a standard size as well as a mini size. 

I used a light colored nonstick 16-well pan for these. I like the light color because it doesn't cause over browning (although I do use a darker nonstick mini madeleine pan with great results). Yes, I do have more than one madeleine pan (I actually have five) .... I can't help myself. 

Making Madeleines:

Ingredients:

Basic Madeleines are made with cake flour, salt, eggs, sugar, and melted butter and perhaps some vanilla or lemon zest. This recipe also includes chopped toasted pecans and maple syrup. I've also made them with pistacchio, pumpkin, chocolate hazelnut,  and hazelnut and cacao nib. You can definitely get creative!

Very traditional madeleines do not include baking powder in the geniose and get all of the lift from the air that is beaten into the eggs. You have to very gently mix in the flour and melted butter to not deflate the batter. This recipe also includes baking powder for extra insurance. 

Process:

First, melt the butter and set it aside so that it can return to room temperature. Then, whisk together the flour, baking soda, and salt and set it aside. 

Next, beat the eggs and the sugar in a stand mixer until they are a pale yellow and almost doubled in size. This should take several minutes. Briefly beat in the maple syrup and then gently fold in the flour mixture, the melted butter, and the toasted pecans. 

After that, chill the batter for about an hour. 

When you are ready to bake, spoon the batter into the prepared pan and bake the madeleines in a preheated oven for about 10 minutes. Immediately turn them out of the pan to cool on a wire rack. 

Recipe Variations:

You can lightly dust the finished madeleines with confectioners' sugar right before serving. 

You could also brush them lightly with a maple syrup and confectioners' sugar glaze or partially dip them in a thin frosting and then sprinkle them with more toasted pecans. 

For more maple flavor, if you have it available, a 1/4 teaspoon of maple extract will enhance the "maple-ness." 

Many madeleine recipes call for chilling the pan along with the batter. I skipped this step and didn't see much difference. 

Tips for Success: 

To prepare the pan, although most recipes recomment buttering and flouring your pan, I found that using a nonstick spray with flour included, such as Bakers Joy, readily available in the supermarket, works just fine when using a nonstick pan. I have not used it on the tin-lined pan. I'll let you know! 

To determine if the madeleines are done, watch them to see when the edges are just turning brown and the center has puffed up. You may not necessarily get a "bump" in the center, but it's a lot of fun when you do. 

Madeleines are best when served the day they are made. Feel free to serve them warm from the oven. Store any leftovers in an airtight container. They will still be moist but might be a bit denser. 

More Recipes with Maple Syrup You May Also Enjoy:

Maple Syrup Pancake Cookies

Maple Cake with Maple Frosting

Sourdough Maple Pecan Muffins

Oatmeal Maple Bread

Apple Jack Rabbit Cocktail

Overnight Oats

Pork Chops with Cranberry Maple Sauce

"M" is for Madeleines, Maple, Milk, Mango, Mocha, Mushrooms, Mint, Meatballs, and more!

To continue the 2025 Alphabet Challenge, we are sharing recipes that begins with "M" or include ingredients that that begin with "M."

• Food Lust People Love: Milk Roasted Chicken with New Potatoes and Mushrooms
• Blogghetti: Movie Night Charcuterie Board 
• Sneha’s Recipe: Mango Bread Pastry - No Bake Dessert 
• Jolene’s Recipe Journal: Mocha Milkshake 
• Karen’s Kitchen Stories: Maple Pecan Madeleines 
• A Day in the Life on the Farm: Steak and Mushroom Bites 
• A Messy Kitchen: Mini Lemon Cupcakes with Marionberry Frosting (Doctored Cake Mix)
• Mayuri’s Jikoni: Moong Dal Salad | Kosambari 
• Magical Ingredients: Mint Mascarpone Dip 
• Faith, Hope, Love, & Luck Survive Despite a Whiskered Accomplice: Pineapple Ketchup Ground Turkey Skillet Meatballs 
• Culinary Cam: Mini Peach Galettes

Last year, for the letter M, I made Overnight Muesli! It's a fabulous breakfast. 

Maple Pecan Madeleines

Yield: 26 Madeleines

Author: Karen Kerr

Prep time: 20 MinCook time: 10 MinInactive time: 1 HourTotal time: 1 H & 30 M

These Maple Pecan Madeleines are wonderful little shell-shaped sponge cakes brimming with the flavor of maple syrup and the crunch of toasted pecans. 

Ingredients

• 70 grams (5 tablespoons) unsalted butter
• 90 grams (3/4 cup) cake flour
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 3 large eggs, room temperature
• 100 grams (1/2 cup) granulated sugar
• 1 tablespoon pure maple syrup
• 55 grams (1/2 cup) toasted chopped pecans

Instructions

1. Melt the butter and set aside to cool.
2. In a small bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.
3. Add the eggs and granulated sugar to the bowl of a stand mixer and mix on medium high for five to six minutes, until pale yellow and almost doubled.
4. Fold the flour mixture and melted butter into the eggs with a rubber spatula. Next, fold in the chopped pecans.
5. Cover the bowl and place in the refrigerator for an hour (and no more than 12 hours).
6. Heat your oven to 400 degrees F.
7. Butter and flour your madeleine pan, or spray with nonstick spray that includes flour.
8. Spoon the batter into the pan, filling each indentation about 3/4 full (about one heaping tablespoon).
9. Bake the madeleins for 8 to 10 minutes, until puffy and with lightly browned edges.
10. Turn the finished madeleines out onto a wire rack.
11. Let the pan cool. Prep your pan again and repeat with the rest of the batter.

Nutrition Facts

Calories

72

Fat (grams)

4 g

Sat. Fat (grams)

2 g

Carbs (grams)

7 g

Fiber (grams)

0 g

Net carbs

7 g

Sugar (grams)

4 g

Protein (grams)

1 g

Cholesterol (grams)

27 mg

https://www.karenskitchenstories.com/2025/06/maple-pecan-madeleines.html

Karen's Kitchen Stories

madeleines, cookies, maple

dessert

French

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Adapted from We Love Madeleines (2012).