For many people, the tell-tale sign that fall is here is the opportunity to indulge in pumpkin-flavored everything. Muffins made from this quintessential autumn squash seem to be everywhere these days, and judging by the number of stores I had to go to yesterday to find canned pumpkin (five!), I think it's safe to say a lot of people are also making them at home. Here's the quandary, though: These little cakes are often better suited to dessert than breakfast, with their chocolate chips or other dessert-y add-ins, and their high fat content. Could there be a healthy recipe out there that's still delicious, but not so loaded up with guiltless ingredients that it's dry and bland?

Yes. Domenica Catelli's Pumpkin-Chia Seed Muffins are rich and cakey, with a hearty pumpkin flavor but no butter or sugar. Instead, the recipe calls for high-quality extra-virgin olive oil (I used Whole Foods' 365 Organic Arbequina olive oil, which is fruity and a little peppery) and either maple syrup or agave nectar (I used agave). Other perks: Whole wheat flour and ground, omega-3 fatty acid-rich chia seeds, whose mild nutty flavor is almost undetectable here, thanks to other flavorful ingredients such as cinnamon, nutmeg and vanilla. (Chia seeds also show up in Lisa Oz's lentils-and-rice dish.) And an entire 16-ounce can of organic pumpkin gives them a deep orange color (using fresh pumpkin probably wouldn't make a difference, taste-wise, since the canned version is more consistent and fresh can vary.)

If I could only find a way to justify eating this other fall classic with my morning coffee.