Ingredients

Vegetable oil spray for misting the pan
1 package (17.8 ounces) chocolate chip muffin mix (or use blueberry muffin mix, minus the blueberries, plus 1 1/2 cups chocolate chips)
1 cup canned pure pumpkin (not pumpkin pie filling)
1/2 cup milk
1 large egg
1/2 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice

Directions

Place rack in center of the oven and preheat oven to 400 F. Prepare muffin tin by misting the bottoms of 12 cups with vegetable oil spray. Set pan aside. (You can also make your muffins in the shape of a pumpkin by using 2 1/2-inch Bundt muffin pans. Serve them fluted side up.)

Place muffin mix in a large mixing bowl and make a well in the center. Place the pumpkin, milk, egg and pumpkin pie spice in the well and stir the wet ingredients with a fork to combine and break up the egg yolk. Stir the wet and dry ingredients together with a wooden spoon just until combined, about 20 strokes. The batter will still be a little lumpy. Spoon or scoop 1/3 cup batter into each prepared muffin cup, filling it three quarters of the way full. Place the pan in the oven.

Bake the muffins until they spring back when lightly pressed with a finger, 20-22 minutes. Place pan on a wire rack to cool 5 minutes. Run a dinner knife around the edges of the muffins, lift them up from the bottoms of the cups using the end of the knife, and pick them out of the cups carefully with your fingertips. Place them on a wire rack to cool for 15 minutes. Makes 12 muffins.