These have been a standby for years at our house.

Preheat your oven to 400°

I start with my usual flour blend of Almond, Quinoa, Flax and Whole Wheat – a half cup of each, for a total of 2 cups (but you can use whatever blend you choose – or just use regular flour).

Mix in 1 teaspoon of baking soda, a half teaspoon of salt and the spices: 1 teaspoon of cinnamon, a half teaspoon each of ginger and nutmeg, and a quarter teaspoon of cloves.

In a second bowl, mix a half to three-quartets of a cup of brown sugar with 3 tablespoons of molasses, a quarter cup of canola oil and two eggs (I use a whisk at this stage). Then add a cup of canned pumpkin (I usually buy the big can and then freeze the leftovers as one cup portions in small freezer bags) and a teaspoon of vanilla.

Now switch to a wooden spoon and mix together half of the flour with three-quarters of a cup of buttermilk (if you don′t have buttermilk, you can use regular milk or a blend of milk and yogurt).

Put your mix into muffin cups, give the muffin tin a bit of a tap to make sure there aren′t any air pockets and the put some pepitas (pumpkin seeds) on the top.

Cook for 22 minutes.

This recipe is based on one by Ellie Krieger.