Morning Glory Muffins

This Morning Glory Muffin recipe is a perfect healthy breakfast especially for busy mornings. A favorite classic muffin recipe, packed with wholesome ingredients and carrot cake flavors! Easy to make and a perfect way to start the day off right with a cup of coffee or a delicious snack option.

These easy to make muffins are a great way to the day! The easy recipe is bursting with loads of homey flavors. Whether eaten as a grab-and-go breakfast option or snack.

In addition to the wholesome, nutritious ingredients, they taste like eating cake for breakfast with moist crumbs!

Delicious morning glory muffins have remained favorite muffins and no doubt why!

Jump to:

• What Are Morning Glory Muffins?
• Recipe Ingredients Notes
• How to Make Morning Glory Muffins
• Variations
• Expert Tips
• How to Store
• More Recipes You’ll Love!
• Recipe

What Are Morning Glory Muffins?

The original morning glory muffins were created by Chef Pam McKinstry in 1978 for her Morning Glory Cafe restaurant on Nantucket Island. The original recipe was first published in Gourmet Magazine in 1981, and was then chosen in 1991 as one of the magazine’s 25 favorite recipes from the past 50 years.

They are typically made with whole wheat flour, grated carrot, cinnamon and a variety of other ‘add in’s like raisins, pineapple, coconut, and nuts. Packed with wholesome and hearty ingredients to fuel your day.

Morning Glory muffins taste similar to carrot cake. They are moist, light and cakey as well as filled with wonderful textures and flavors.

Recipe Ingredients Notes

Don’t let the long list of ingredients scare you! Most of the healthy ingredients do not require preparation, just to be measured and thrown in!

Whole wheat flour. This is the traditional type of flour used for healthy morning glory muffins. Regular all purpose flour or gluten-free measure-for-measure flour can be substituted. We use and recommend Bob’s Red Mill gluten-free 1-to-1 baking flour for gluten-free muffins.

Crushed pineapple. You’ll use 1 1/4 cup which is 1 8-ounce can.

Nuts. A half cup of chopped nuts are used. Walnuts, almond or pecans are all delicious.

Unsweetened coconut. Unsweetened grated coconut or coconut flakes can be used.

Granny Smith apple. You’ll use a grated tart apple. We love Granny Smith apples for this. The tartness offsets the other sweet ingredients. Rinse and core the apple before grating it. It does not need to be peeled (but CAN be peeled if preferred).

Unsweetened applesauce. Either store bought or homemade applesauce can be used. We love this Instant Pot Applesauce recipe!

Carrots. Peel and grate the carrots yourself with a box grater. Though grated carrots are sold at the grocery store they often are dry and have a distinct flavor that does not bake out of the muffins (we tested it).

How to Make Morning Glory Muffins

This recipe is easy to prepare. It does not need a mixer! All ingredients are stirred together by hand.

STEP 1. Preparation

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line muffin cups of muffin tins with baking liners.

STEP 2. Make the muffin batter

In a large mixing bowl combine the dry ingredients: granulated sugar, brown sugar, salt, cinnamon, flour and baking soda (photo 1). Whisk to full mix together (photo 2).

Add the grated carrots, nuts, coconut, raisins, pineapple and grated apple (photo 3). Stir to combine (photo 4).

Add the wet ingredients into the flour mixture: oil, unsweetened applesauce, vanilla extract and large eggs (photos 5-9). Stir together. NOTE: the batter will be thick (photo 10).

STEP 3. Scoop and Bake

Fill the muffin liners 3/4’s full using a cookie scoop. Bake for 20-22 minutes until a toothpick inserted comes out clean.

STEP 4. Cool

Allow muffin pan to cool slightly on a cooling wire rack then transfer the muffins to the rack to cool completely before eating.

Variations

Add some seeds. Sunflower seeds (the hulls) or hemp hulls add some crunch and healthy fat!

Add some orange zest. Just a little bit of orange zest will brighten the muffin flavors.

Coconut sugar. You can swap the granulated sugar for coconut sugar if desired.

Expert Tips

Use a cookie scoop. Using a cookie scoop is a fast, easy and mess-free way to fill the muffin liners! I used a size #40 (1 1/2-2 tablespoons) for these muffins.

Dress up the muffins. As delicious and nutritious as these muffins are, they lack ‘curb appeal’. After they are baked they are mainly a brown muffin. 

Though there are no rolled oats IN the recipe, I sprinkle some on top before baking just to give them a prettier appearance! A completely optional step.

Great the next day! These muffins taste even better the day after making them.

How to Store

The cooled muffins can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days. If in hot or humid conditions, store them in the refrigerator.

In the Freezer

Place the cooled muffins in a freezer plastic bag or freezer-safe container for up to 3 months.

To reheat: wrap in a paper towel and microwave for 45 seconds (or until warm) right out of the freezer! Time my vary slightly depending on the microwave. 

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Recipe

Originally published: April 29, 2020