📖 Instructions

1. Preheat your oven to 375°F (190°C). Line a 12-cup muffin tin with paper liners, or grease it well. Nobody likes muffins sticking to the pan!
2. In a large bowl, whisk together 1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour, 1 teaspoon baking soda, 1/2 teaspoon baking powder, 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon, 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg, 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves, and 1/4 teaspoon salt. Make sure there aren't any clumps! Clumps are the enemy.
3. In a separate bowl, whisk together 1 cup granulated sugar, 1/2 cup vegetable oil, 1 cup pumpkin puree (not pumpkin pie filling!), and 2 large eggs. I prefer using a whisk for this; it helps get everything nicely combined.
4. Gradually add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients, mixing until just combined. Be careful not to overmix! Overmixing leads to tough muffins, and nobody wants that.
5. In a small bowl, prepare the streusel topping by combining 1/2 cup all-purpose flour, 1/4 cup packed brown sugar, 1/4 cup cold unsalted butter (cut into small pieces), and 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon. Use a pastry blender or your fingers to cut the butter into the flour mixture until it forms coarse crumbs. This is where the magic happens.
6. Fill each muffin liner about 2/3 full with the pumpkin batter. Sprinkle the streusel topping evenly over each muffin. Don't be shy with that streusel!
7. Bake for 18-20 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Keep an eye on them! Ovens can be tricky things, you know.
8. Let the muffins cool in the muffin tin for a few minutes before transferring them to a wire rack to cool completely. Or, you know, just eat one while it's still warm. I won't judge.
9. Enjoy those Simple Pumpkin Streusel Muffins! I like them with a hot cup of coffee on a crisp autumn morning.