It's that time of year again- time for all things pumpkin! And while we concede that maaaybe the pumpkin spice fad has gotten a leeetle bit out of hand (pumpkin spice toothpaste? what?), we can't deny that we love a good homemade pumpkin bread. Sweet and moist and wafting that cinnamon-spice scent all through the house... no autumn is complete without at least one batch!

So today we're serving up our household recipe for perfect pumpkin muffins! We even baked them in pumpkin-shaped muffin tins, just to make them extra festive!

Ingredients

• 2 cups pumpkin puree (Bonus points if you grow the pumpkin yourself! But if you go with the canned stuff, that's 1 standard 16oz can)
• 1 1/2 cup brown sugar
• 1/4 cup vanilla soymilk or almond milk (Any brand will work, but we're particular fans of Pacific Natural Foods vanilla milks)
• 1/8 cup molasses (blackstrap if ya got it, but Grandma's will do if you don't)
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 3/4 tsp salt
• 3/4 tsp baking soda
• 2 tsp baking powder
• 2 tsp ground cinnamon 
• 1/2 tsp ground cloves
• 1/2 tsp ground ginger
• 1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
• 1 bag semi-sweet chocolate chips (10 - 12oz)
• Chopped pecans
• 2 1/2 cups flour
• Raw (turbinado) sugar for sprinkling on top (optional)

In a bowl, combine the pumpkin puree, sugar, soymilk, molasses, and vanilla. Mix it up real well. Add the salt, soda, powder, and spices. Mix until everything is well blended and  you don't see any lumps or soda, powder, or spice. Stir in the chocolate chips and pecans, then add the flour and stir until thoroughly combined.

Bake at 375ºf until the top starts to brown and a knife comes out clean. For muffins this is usually about 20 minutes, and for loaf pans closer to 30. But ovens vary and environmental factors can influence  bake times, so check it often and rely more on your eyes than your timer. 

And there you have a delicious seasonal treat! And also, your house now smells amazing!
Enjoy!