Preheat the oven to 350°F. Place cupcake liners in a standard, 12-muffin pan. Set aside.
Add the wet ingredients to a large bowl: pumpkin, coconut oil, maple syrup, sugar, flax egg, and vanilla. Whisk until well incorporated
Add the dry ingredients: oat flour, almond meal, baking powder, baking soda, spice and salt. Whisk together until just incorporated, making sure no flour patches remain. If needed, use a rubber spatula to fold in the last bit of flour. Fold in ¾ cup pecans.
Using a large scoop, scoop and drop batter evenly into the muffin pan. I like using this ice cream scoop to create a beautiful round top. If needed, use a rubber spatula to smooth batter into an even layer with a domed top. Note: batter will bake up very close to how it looks raw.
In a small bowl, add Topping ingredients: 1/4 cup pecans and 1 teaspoon maple syrup. Stir and fold until pecans are well-coated in maple syrup. Evenly sprinkle maple pecans over muffins. Gently press into muffin tops. Bake for 18-25 minutes. Mine took 20 minutes.
Allow to cool on a cooling rack for 1 hour, or until completely cool. Enjoy!
