I'm not going to say these are the best pumpkin muffins

. . . but I will say they are good ones.

Don't tell me you're not tired of bloggers peddling everything they do/make/create as The Best _________! The Perfect __________! The Only _________! 

Honestly. Unless there has been meticulous research and taste-testing and documentation of each and every possible muffin variation, then how about just titling that post My Favorite Pumpkin Muffins instead of The Greatest and Most Magnificent Pumpkin Muffins In The Universe!!?

And for that reason, I will not try to tell you these are the best pumpkin muffins. I have no idea if they are the best pumpkin muffins. What I do know is that I have come back to this recipe dozens of times. I love them, and my family loves them. They are moist and flavorful. They taste like pure autumnal glory, fresh from the oven and slathered in butter. 

As written, this recipe produces 3 dozen muffins. They freeze beautifully--I always leave some out to eat right away, and put the rest in the freezer for later. If you'd like, feel free to mix in a cup or so of chocolate chips or raisins for some variety--I've tried both and loved it!

Also, you're better off not using any type of muffin liner in your muffin tin. There isn't a lot of fat in these muffins, and you're likely to peel half the muffin away when you try to take the liner off. Just spray the pan and plop the batter right in.

Pumpkin Muffins

adapted from All Recipes

4 3/4 cups all-purpose flour (if you're feeling healthy, swap out half of this amount for whole wheat flour!)

3 cups white sugar

1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda

1 1/2 teaspoons salt

1 1/2 teaspoons ground nutmeg

2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

1 teaspoon ground cloves

6 eggs

1 (29 ounce) can pumpkin puree

1 cup unsweetened applesauce

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease your muffin tin.

In a large bowl, combine all dry ingredients and whisk thoroughly. In a separate bowl, combine remaining ingredients and whisk to combine. Add the pumpkin mixture to the dry ingredients and fold together, stirring just until moistened.

Fill muffin tins 2/3rds full, and place in prepared oven. Bake for 18-20 minutes or until muffins test done. Don't overbake!