Even Better Than? The Best Pumpkin Muffins

I took this recipe from The PPK and adapted it.

It's certainly hard to top THE BEST pumpkin muffin, but I'm ready for the challenge...

I have been trying my hardest not to use white sugar lately. I have a legitimate problem with sugar, and I'm hoping making homemade treats with organic / all natural white sugar alternatives will help wean me off the seductive white powder. ;) So I mixed up some of the proportions / substituted agave and brown rice syrup for the original recipe's sugar.

I've also been trying to put different flours into my baked goods to get some whole grains in there, and to add diversity to my diet.

Here's my recipe! Mwahahaha!

1 cup all-purpose unbleached flour
3/4 cup spelt flour
1/4 tsp salt
1 tbsp baking powder
1/2 cup brown rice syrup
3/4 cup agave nectar 
1 1/2 tbsp Trader Joe's Pumpkin Spice (Best purchase I've made this holiday season...)
1 cup pureed pumpkin (My fresh pumpkin puree I made a few weeks ago! Yay!)
6 tbsp coconut milk (stuff from a can!)
2 tbsp Frangelico's hazelnut liqueur
2 tbsp molasses
1/2 cup unroasted / unsalted sunflower seeds

1. In a medium-sized bowl, mix the brown rice syrup and agave together. The brown rice syrup is VERY thick and pasty, so the agave mixed into it will liquefy it a bit.
2. Mix pumpkin, coconut milk, Frangelico's, and molasses into sweetener mixture. Set aside.
3. In a large bowl, mix flours, baking powder, salt, and spices. Pour pumpkin mixture into flour mixture. Mix well, then mix in the sunflower seeds.
4.Grease the insides of a muffin pan. This is very important! I wish I'd done these without the paper cups, because they stuck like a mofo to those things.

5. Bake in a 400 degree oven for 13-18 minutes.
6. Eat. Eat them all now.

RATINGS:

Deliciousness: 6/5 
I actually think I'm going to dare to say that these muffins are even better than the original recipe. They are more moist and spicy. I think the Trader Joe's spice is the BOMB, though, so that could be why. As for the moistness, I'm gonna bet that that sticky-sticky brown rice syrup is the reason for such delightfulness. Yum.

Ease of Preparation: 4/5
Easy baking recipe. :)

Prettiness: 4/5 
The sunflower seeds poking through the muffin tops add a nice touch, and the goldeny pumpkin color is always ever-so-festive. Fuck yeah.