Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Line a standard 12-cup muffin tin with paper muffin liners, or grease generously with butter and flour.

Melt 1/2 cup of unsalted butter in a small saucepan over medium heat, swirling continuously for 3 to 4 minutes until foamy and flecked with golden-brown nutty specks. Remove from heat immediately and cool for 5 minutes.

In a large mixing bowl, combine dark brown sugar, all-purpose flour, toasted chopped pecans, cinnamon, and sea salt. Stir with a whisk to break up any brown sugar clumps.

In a separate bowl, whisk together the eggs, browned butter, and vanilla extract until glossy. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry mixture and stir with a wooden spoon or spatula just until evenly combined. The batter will be thick, gooey, and studded with pecans.

Divide the batter evenly among the 12 muffin cups, filling each about 2/3 full.

In a small bowl, toss the coarsely chopped pecans with 2 tablespoons brown sugar and 1 tablespoon melted butter. Scatter a spoonful of this crunch mixture over the top of each muffin.

Bake at 350°F (175°C) for 18 to 22 minutes, until the tops are golden brown and a toothpick inserted into the edge comes out clean (the center will remain delightfully soft and gooey like pecan pie filling).

Sprinkle lightly with flaky sea salt while hot. Allow muffins to cool in the pan for 10 minutes to set before transferring to a wire rack. Serve warm with butter and hot coffee!