Makes 12 muffins

Ingredients

1¾ cups all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

½ teaspoon baking powder

½ teaspoon salt

1½ teaspoons cinnamon

½ teaspoon ground ginger

¼ teaspoon nutmeg

2 eggs

1 cup pumpkin purée

½ cup brown sugar, packed

⅓ cup white sugar

½ cup vegetable oil

1 teaspoon vanilla

1/2 cup chopped walnuts

Directions

Heat oven to 350°F. Line or grease a 12-cup muffin pan.

In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg and walnuts.

In a large bowl, whisk eggs, pumpkin purée, brown sugar, white sugar, oil, and vanilla until smooth.

Add dry ingredients to the pumpkin mixture. Stir just until combined—do not overmix.

Divide batter between muffin cups, filling each about ⅔ full.

Bake 18–22 minutes, until a toothpick in the center comes out clean. Let cool in the pan 5 minutes, then move to a rack.

How to Make Homemade Pumpkin Purée

Use a small sugar pumpkin/baking pumpkin—not the big carving pumpkins.

Heat oven to 375°F.

Wash the pumpkin. Cut it in half from stem to bottom and scoop out the seeds and stringy insides.

Place pumpkin halves cut-side down on a rimmed baking sheet. Add about ½ cup water to the pan.

Roast 45–60 minutes, until the pumpkin is fork-tender and the skin pulls away easily.

Let it cool enough to handle. Scoop the soft pumpkin flesh away from the skin.

Purée until smooth in a food processor or blender. If it seems watery, place it in a fine strainer over a bowl for 30–60 minutes.

Use right away, refrigerate up to 5 days, or freeze in 1-cup portions.

One small baking pumpkin usually gives you about 2 cups of purée—enough for this muffin recipe plus another fall treat.