Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Muffins - Dairy Free

Katie here! Has anyone noticed the pumpkin craze on Pinterest?  Well I am right there with them and decided to set out to create a dairy free pumpkin chocolate chip muffin for our 703 Mommy and Me followers.  I took the base recipe of chocolate chip pumpkin muffins from joy of baking.com and altered a few procedures to decrease the prep time and then used my favorite dairy alternatives.  I was relieved when all taste testers loved them.  When it comes to butter substitutes I love Earth Balance.  It cooks and tastes the closest to butter.  Also I was tipped off by Midori on dairy free chocolate chips from Trader Joe's.  Also I had doubled this recipe when I made it with no issues.  Below yields 12 muffins.

1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp ground ginger
1/4 tsp ground cloves
1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 cup of earth balance butter substitute or any other non-dairy butter substitute at room temperature
1 cup white sugar
2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla extract
3/4 cup canned pumpkin puree
1 cup of semisweet chocolate chips -dairy free (I used Trader Joe's)

Heat oven to 350.  Place rack in middle of oven.  Spray each muffin tin with veggie or canola oil (I used canola).  In a large bowl mixed together flour, baking soda, all spices, and salt.  In another bowl mix together the butter and sugar until creamy (I did it by hand). Add the eggs one at a time and continue mixing.  Add vanilla and mix.  Add the flour mixture in batches, in addition to the pumpkin puree.  Keep mixing until well blended.  Fold in the chocolate chips.

Fill muffin cups evenly.  Place in oven and bake for approx 18-20 minutes or until firm to the touch and a toothpick inserted in middle comes out clean.