Step 1: Preheat your oven to 375°F (190°C). Line a 12-cup muffin tin with paper liners or grease and flour each cup thoroughly. This ensures your pumpkin muffins won't stick.
Step 2: In a large bowl, whisk together the dry ingredients: flour, baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, cloves (or pumpkin pie spice), and salt. Set aside.
Step 3: In a separate medium bowl, whisk together the wet ingredients: granulated sugar, brown sugar, pumpkin puree, vegetable oil (or melted butter), eggs, milk, and vanilla extract until well combined and smooth.
Step 4: Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients. Mix with a spatula or wooden spoon until just combined. Be careful not to overmix; a few lumps are okay. Overmixing will result in tough pumpkin muffins.
Step 5: Divide the batter evenly among the 12 prepared muffin cups, filling each about two-thirds full. For perfectly domed tops on your pumpkin muffins, you can fill them slightly higher (about 3/4 full).
Step 6: Bake for 20-25 minutes, or until a wooden skewer or toothpick inserted into the center of a muffin comes out clean. Baking time may vary slightly depending on your oven.
Step 7: Let the pumpkin muffins cool in the muffin tin for 5-10 minutes before transferring them to a wire rack to cool completely. This prevents the bottoms from becoming soggy. Serve warm or at room temperature.