This recipe is another fabulous one handed down to me from my Mother-in-Law. Thank you Sue! They have a lovely pumpkin taste with great spicy flavor without being overwhelming. The perfect amount of fluff and not too dense.

These perfect little muffins are a favorite at my house and although they are pumpkin and perfect for Fall they make appearances all year 'round for us. My little guy just had his birthday and we made these to celebrate, of course I had to omit the chocolate for him... Crazy kid, but they are good on their own too!

Favorite Pumpkin Muffins

1 1/2 cups flour

1/2 tsp kosher salt

1 cup sugar

1 tsp baking soda

1 cup pumpkin puree (1/2 of a 15 oz can of pumpkin)

1/2 cup vegetable oil (Canola)

2 eggs, lightly beaten

1/4 cup water

1/4 tsp nutmeg

1 tsp cinnamon

1/4 tsp allspice

1/4 tsp ground cloves
3/4 cup chocolate chips, optional

Preheat the oven to 350˚ F degrees. Line two muffin tins with 18 paper cupcake liners or spray with non-stick cooking spray. Then, in a mixing bowl sift together the flour, salt, sugar and baking soda. Set aside.

In a separate bowl, or Kitchen Aid, combine the pureed pumpkin, oil, eggs, water and spices. Mix well until all all the ingredients are evenly incorporated.

Add the dry ingredients to the pumpkin in two additions, mixing only until the flour is incorporated and scraping the bowl in between additions.

If desired fold in the chocolate chips (I use semi-sweet).

Using a large scoop, divide the batter between the pans.

Bake 20-25 minutes until the muffins test done.

Allow to cool in the pans for 5 minutes then remove and cool completely on rack or enjoy while warm.

Makes 18 muffins

This post is part of the Sharing is Caring Thanksgiving Blog Hop hosted by Life With Lovebugs, The Jenny Evolution and, Chicken Scratch NY!

All of the blogs listed below are sharing Thanksgiving or Fall themed posts as part of this event, so click on one or all of the links below to find some great recipes, tutorials, crafts and more!

One of my very favorite parts of fall is baking with pumpkin! If you would have asked me to even eat pumpkin about 10 years ago I would have laughed at you, since then I have come to appreciate and crave the wonderfulness of this fall classic! With comforting spices of cinnamon and ginger you just can't go wrong. I was thrilled when the Behind the Curtain Dessert Challenge this month was Pumpkin and Cream Cheese! Not only did I get to work with some fantastic ingredients but I was offered the chance to play around and try out something new. I loved how these little cuties turned out. I hope you do too!

I was loosing my light quickly so I'm sorry the pictures are a little dark.

Pumpkin Cupcakes with Brown Sugar Cream Cheese Frosting

16 oz can pumpkin
1 15.25 oz yellow cake mix
1 3.4 oz vanilla instant pudding and pie filling
1/2 tsp nutmeg
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp ginger
1/4 tsp cloves
1/4 tsp baking soda
2 eggs
3/4 cup water
1 recipe Brown Sugar Cream Cheese Frosting
2 Biscoff cookies (optional)

Preheat oven to 350˚ F. In a mixing bowl combine the cake mix, vanilla pudding, nutmeg, cinnamon, ginger, cloves, and baking soda.

Add the pumpkin, eggs, and water. Beat 2-3 minutes until the mixture is thick and all the pumpkin is evenly distributed.

Line 2 muffin tins with paper liners and spray lightly with non-stick spray. Transfer the batter to the pan with a large scoop.

Bake at 350˚ F for 20 min or until a toothpick comes out of the center of the cupcakes clean. Let cool for 5 minutes in the pans then remove to a rack to cool completely.

Frost the cupcakes with the brown sugar cream cheese frosting. Grate the Biscoff cookies over the frosting for a flavorful sprinkle! I used a microplane.