Morning Glory Muffins

Tender and moist, Morning Glory Muffins are a delicious and nutritious grab-and-go breakfast packed with healthy, wholesome ingredients. Perfect for meal prep, and a glorious way to start your morning!

Morning Glory Muffins originated in the late 1970s at chef Pam Mckinstry’s restaurant, Morning Glory Cafe, on Nantucket Island. They quickly gained popularity and are now loved by many. Our version of these muffins are filled with shredded apple and carrots, crushed pineapple, toasty walnuts, and plumped raisins. The use of whole wheat pastry flour and buckwheat flour adds an earthy depth to the batter, resulting in a rich and wholesome taste. The texture is light, tender, reminiscent of carrot cake, but with a unique earthy flavor and less sweetness.

This Morning Glory Muffin recipe not only has less sugar than most traditional recipes, the spices and lemon zest add a delightful burst of flavor that enhances the overall taste experience and makes them a healthier breakfast or snack choice!

While it is true there are a lot of ingredients and it takes a little time to put these together -the great news is- you are packing these yummy muffins with fiber, and good nutrients, they stay fresh for a few days and freeze beautifully! As you create your Morning Glory Muffins, just think about how well you are nurturing yourself and how happy they will make you and your family all week! 😊

Looking for more healthy grab-and-go breakfasts? Give these popular recipes a try: The BEST Vegan Breakfast Cookies and Quick & Easy Egg Bites.

Why You’ll Love Morning Glory Muffins!

1. Delicious Flavor: These muffins are packed with a medley of flavors from shredded apple, carrot, crushed pineapple, walnuts, raisins, and aromatic spices like cinnamon and ginger. The combination of ingredients creates a delightful taste reminiscent of carrot cake with an earthy twist.
2. Health and Nutrition: Morning Glory Muffins are loaded with healthy nutrients. Using whole wheat pastry flour and buckwheat flour adds fiber and a fuller flavor. Carrots, apples, and crushed pineapple provide essential vitamins and minerals. Plus, walnuts contribute heart-healthy fats.
3. Convenient Grab-and-Go Breakfast: These muffins are perfect for busy mornings when you’re on the move. Bake a batch ahead of time and enjoy them as a nutritious breakfast or snack throughout the week. They stay fresh for a few days and can be frozen for later.
4. Versatile Recipe: While the original recipe is fantastic, you can easily customize Morning Glory Muffins to suit your taste and dietary preferences. Experiment with alternative ingredients or add-ons like zucchini, dried cranberries, sunflower seeds, or coconut shreds. Get creative and make it your own!
5. Nurturing Yourself: The process of making these muffins can be a form of self-care. Take the time to create something wholesome and delicious for yourself and your loved ones. Knowing you’re nourishing your body with nutritious ingredients can bring joy and satisfaction.

Ingredients In Morning Glory Muffins

Ingredient Notes

There are so many ways you can play around with substitutions and alter the muffins to use what you have on hand and create your favorite rendition!

• Carrots– use zucchini here if preferred, but just note that large carrots do impart more natural sweetness.
• Apple– Freshly grated, a variety with some good tartness is nice, green apples like granny smith are great but something like Honeycrisp is good, too.
• Crushed pineapple– Add a lovely brightness and sweetness without dominating the flavor-you can use alternatives like unsweetened applesauce, mashed banana, pumpkin, or squash puree for moisture and sweetness.
• Raisins– Even better when plumped up in hot water for a few minutes or you can also add a tea bag here in the soak for a little more flavor- chia, rooibis, and Earl Grey are all nice. You could also use dried cherries, dried cranberries, currants, or dried apricots.
• Walnuts– If you prefer a different type of nut or want to make the muffins nut-free, pecans, sunflower seeds, or hazelnuts are all good options.
• Ginger– Dried ginger is used for a more pungent spice but feel free to use fresh grated!
• Whole wheat pastry flour – This flour adds a fuller flavor to the muffins, but if you don’t have it, you can use all-purpose flour or regular whole wheat flour instead. Or experiment with a cup-for-cup gluten-free flour.
• Buckwheat flour – highly recommended for the earthy depth it gives but you can skip and just add whole wheat flour.
• Spices– Cinnamon and ginger really enhance here.
• Eggs– Bind and hold all the shreds together and keep the muffins airy. Flax eggs will probably work but we have not tried.
• Honey– The flavor is lovely but feel free to use maple syrup or other liquid sweetener.
• Brown sugar– (or coconut sugar or granulated sugar + 1/2 teaspoon molasses)
• Avocado oil– Has a neutral taste and helps the muffins retain their moisture even after a couple of days. Can also use olive oil or melted coconut oil.
• Lemon– Freshly squeezed juice and the zest. You could use orange juice and orange zest but the muffins definitely benefit from the elevated bright tartness.
• Vanilla extract– Just adds that magic that only good-quality vanilla can do.
• Optional additions: coconut shreds, hemp seeds, wheat germ, flax seeds

See the recipe card below for a full list of ingredients and measurements.     

How To Make Morning Glory Muffins

Step one- Preheat the oven to 350F. Oil  12-cup muffin tin or 6-cup tins. The recipe makes about 14-16 muffins. If using paper liners, oil them really well. 

Step two- Add raisins to a small bowl and pour hot water over to cover. (You can also add a tea bag here for a little more flavor- masala chai, roobis, earlgrey are all nice.)

Step three- Toast walnuts in the oven for 8-10 minutes.

Step four- In a large bowl, stir together whole wheat pastry flour, buckwheat flour, baking soda, cinnamon, ginger, and salt.

Step five- In a separate medium bowl, combine the wet ingredients: whisk the eggs, honey, brown sugar, and avocado oil until smooth. Grate the apple and toss with lemon juice. Add carrots, apple, pineapple, lemon zest, and vanilla, mixing until combined.

Step six- Pour the wet mixture into the dry ingredients along with the raisins(drain liquid off first), and walnuts, fold in gently, and do not over mix!

Step seven- Divide batter and fill the muffin pan to the top. Bake for 25- 30 minutes until the internal temperature is 205 F, or test by poking a toothpick in the center; it should come out clean. The muffins should spring back when touched.

Cool muffins on a wire rack.

More Muffins and Quick Breads You will Enjoy

Apple Oat Muffins

Rhubarb Muffins

Blueberry Muffins

Double Spice Pumpkin Bread

• Chocolate Zucchini Muffins
• Banana Bread with Sesame Seed Crust
• Zucchini Pecan Bread

Love this recipe? Please let us know in the comments and leave a 5-star ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ rating below the recipe card.

Print