Tis’ the season for all things pumpkin! This easy pumpkin muffins recipe is soft and tasty with a hint of orange. You can make them in less than half an hour for breakfast, lunch boxes or snacks. Pumpkin is packed with beta-carotene and vitamin C, so it's nice to know you're getting a little dose of nutrition inside a yummy treat.

Here’s a pro tip for you: Don’t over mix the batter. Why? If you do, it you’ll have some really dense chewy muffins. Basically the gluten in the flour forms elastic gluten strands when you over mix.

You can use coconut sugar instead of regular sugar if you'd like, but expect a darker muffin, and a slightly different taste. You can also substitute 1/2 cup white sugar with 1/3 cup apple sauce; just make sure you also reduce the oil by 1/4 cup.

Ingredients

1 ¾ cup all-purpose flour or whole wheat

1 cup white sugar

½ cup brown sugar

1 teaspoon baking soda

½ teaspoon salt

1 tablespoon cinnamon

1 teaspoon allspice

1 teaspoon nutmeg

15-ounce can unsweetened pumpkin puree

2 eggs

½ cup coconut oil or vegetable oil

2 tablespoons orange zest

1 tablespoon vanilla

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350°F. Line muffin tin with muffin liners. In a large mixing bowl whisk together all-purpose flour, white sugar, brown sugar, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, allspice and nutmeg. Set aside. Combine pumpkin puree, eggs, coconut oil, orange zest and vanilla in a separate mixing bowl. Fold together the flour mixture and pumpkin mixture. Combine ingredients, but make sure to not over mix. Fill the liners ¾ of the way and bake for 18-22 minutes.

MORE RECIPE IDEAS

Want more tips like these? NBC News BETTER is obsessed with finding easier, healthier and smarter ways to live. Sign up for our newsletter and follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.