01 - Preheat oven to 350°F. Line a standard 12-cup muffin tin with paper liners or lightly grease with nonstick spray.
02 - In a large mixing bowl, whisk together all-purpose flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, and cloves until evenly combined.
03 - In a separate bowl, whisk together vegetable oil, light brown sugar, eggs, pumpkin puree, and vanilla extract until smooth and homogeneous.
04 - Add wet mixture to dry ingredients, stirring gently with a spatula until just combined. Avoid overmixing to maintain tenderness.
05 - Evenly distribute the pumpkin batter into each prepared muffin cup, filling about two-thirds full.
06 - In a medium bowl, combine chopped pecans, light brown sugar, maple syrup, melted unsalted butter, egg, vanilla extract, and a pinch of salt. Mix until thoroughly blended.
07 - Spoon 1 to 2 tablespoons of pecan pie topping onto each muffin, gently spreading to cover the surface of the batter.
08 - Bake in preheated oven for 25 to 30 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of a muffin (avoiding the pecan topping) emerges clean.
09 - Allow pan to cool on a wire rack for 10 minutes before removing muffins. Transfer to rack and cool fully before serving.