It’s no secret that I love to cheat and start with a mix when making baked goods.  I’m capable of cooking from scratch, but that doesn’t mean I always have time to do it.  These muffins took me less than half an hour to make, and that includes gathering the ingredients, cooking time and cleaning up.  That’s almost faster than my son can inhale them.  Almost.

Pumpkin Muffins

1 17.5 ounce box blueberry muffin mix (I like the fat free Krusteaz)

1 15 ounce can pumpkin

2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice

1/4 cup roasted pumpkin seeds, no shell

2 tablespoons vanilla turbinado sugar

Set the can of blueberries from the muffin mix aside for another use.  I use it to double the berries in blueberry muffins.  Preheat oven to 400 degrees.  Combine the muffin mix and pumpkin pie spice.  Add the pumpkin and mix until combined.  Spoon into a greased muffin pan.  Spread the batter so it covers the bottom.  Sprinkle the pumpkin seeds evenly over the tops.  Repeat with the sugar.  Bake 18 to 20 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean.  Cool.  Makes 12 muffins.

If you’re wondering about the vanilla turbinado sugar, I keep a container of raw sugar with split vanilla beans in the pantry.  I just add more sugar when it gets low.  It adds a crunch to the top of muffins and is great in hot tea.

These muffins are dense and a little chewy.  Mini chocolate chips sprinkled on top would be delicious instead of the sugar.  Hmm…that might be breakfast tomorrow.