Pumpkin Pecan Crunch Muffins

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 425°F. Lightly grease a muffin pan with baking spray or line with paper liners. This recipe usually makes 15 muffins, so you can bake 12 first and then the remaining 3 in the same pan.
2. In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the pumpkin puree, canola oil, eggs, and granulated sugar until smooth.
3. Evenly sprinkle the baking powder, baking soda, salt, nutmeg, ginger, and cloves over the wet mixture. Whisk again until everything is well combined.
4. Add the all-purpose flour to the bowl and fold it in gently with a spatula or wooden spoon just until no dry spots remain. Evenly distribute the batter among the prepared muffin cups.
5. In a separate small bowl, mix the brown sugar, finely chopped pecans, and ground cinnamon with a fork. Sprinkle this mixture evenly over the muffin tops.
6. Bake at 425°F for exactly 5 minutes, then reduce the oven temperature to 350°F (without opening the door) and continue baking for another 12-15 minutes. The muffins are done when they have a coppery crust and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out with moist crumbs but no raw batter.
7. Allow the muffins to cool in the pan for 10-15 minutes, then transfer them to a wire rack to cool completely.