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Morning Glory Muffins

These morning glory muffins are fluffy, flavorful, and seriously satisfying. Serve them alongside your morning coffee or tea for a hearty and delicious breakfast!

close up of a bit taken out of the morning glory muffin

What makes these morning glory muffins unique and delicious is less sugar and oil than the typical recipe.

Every time I got one of these muffins outside of my home, I’d eat it and think, “These are too sweet and greasy.”

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Have you noticed that? I’m here to tell you that you do NOT have to use a lot of oil or sugar to have a perfectly satisfying muffin. It doesn’t affect the flavor and in fact, not having it be too sweet helps enhance the taste of the ingredients.

Of all the muffins I make, these are the heartiest and most filling ones and a great breakfast option that will stay with you until your next meal.

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Why are they called morning glory muffins?

One of the things I love about living in New England (especially Massachusetts) is all the delicious foods that come from this area. These muffins were created by the chef Pam McKinstry at her Morning Glory Café on Nantucket Island.

Helpful tips

  • The original recipe adds pineapple chunks to these muffins, but I’ve omitted the fruit as I prefer them without them. If you want to add pineapple, add 3/4 cup and increase the flour measurement to 2 1/4 cups.
  • If you don’t want to add almond flour to these muffins, no worries, just use the flour of your choice.
  • Spouted spelt is my go-to flour but white whole wheat flour or all purpose flour are great substitutions.
  • If you don’t have a food processor to shred the vegetables, you can also use a box grater or regular cheese grater.
  • I’m using walnuts in these muffins but you can either omit them or use a different nut like pecans or slivered almonds.
  • My go-to baking oil is a light olive oil, but you can use 1/2 cup vegetable oil or coconut oil if you prefer.
  • Want to make these muffins vegan? Substitute 1/2 cup of applesauce for the eggs. (1/4 cup per egg.)
  • Wash the apple and vegetables with a vegetable cloth to remove any pesticides.
  • You want around 1 1/2 cups of shredded carrots and 3/4 cups of apples. But if it is a little bit more, it’s okay, but don’t have less than those measurements.
  • Some people add shredded zucchini in their morning glory muffins, but I find zucchini throws off the liquid in the recipe because of how watery it is.
  • We regularly freeze muffins because we are a family of 2 and don’t eat them fast enough. So to keep them fresh, just store them in an airtight container like a gallon zip-lock bag and place them in the freezer for up to 3 months or the fridge for up to 2 weeks.
a white plate with two halves of a muffin with melted butter on one piece
Photo Credit: Dishes Delish.

How to make these morning glory muffins

Pre-step

Get your muffin pan, muffin cups or paper liners, large bowl, spatula, and food processor. Attach the shredding attachment in the food processor.

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit and line a muffin pan with 12 baking cups.

Step one

Gather the ingredients – almond flour, spelt flour, white sugar, brown sugar, cinnamon, baking soda, egg, milk, shredded carrots, shredded apple, walnuts, raisins, coconut flakes, olive oil vanilla, and salt.

Ingredients for the morning glory muffins

Step two

Add the almond flour, spelt flour, brown sugar, and white sugar (A) along with the cinnamon, baking soda, and salt to the mixing bowl (B)

Left - flours and sugars in a clear bowl. Right - cinnamon and baking soda added to flour mixture

Step three

With a rubber spatula, mix the dry ingredients together. I use a pastry blender to break up any clumps. You could also use a whisk if you prefer. (C)

Step four

Add the wet ingredients to the flour mixture – egg, milk, oil, and vanilla extract.

Left - dry ingredients mixed together. Right - wet ingredients added to dry ingredients

Step five

Take a spatula and mix the dry ingredients with the wet ingredients until they are almost incorporated. As you can see, it isn’t totally mixed. Don’t worry, you’ll stir it again. (E)

Step six

Wash the carrots and apple.

Add the carrots to the processor, pulse until they are shredded. You want around 1 1/2 cups of shredded carrots. Add the apple and pulse until it is in smallish pieces. You want around 3/4 cup of shredded apples. Don’t worry if it is watery or changes color. That is normal.

Step seven

Add shredded carrots, shredded apple, raisins, shredded coconut, and chopped walnuts (F) and mix with a rubber spatula until just incorporated.

Left - dry and wet ingredients mixed together. Right - nuts, carrots, apple, coconut, and raisins added

Step eight

Spoon the batter into the paper liners.

Step nine

Bake for 20 minutes.

Either use a cake tester or a toothpick to make sure the muffins are done. The tester should come out clean after sticking it in the middle of a muffin.

Muffins fresh out of the oven cooling on a rack

Mmmmm.

Let the muffins cool for 5 minutes before removing them to a wire rack to cool completely.

Muffins taken out of the tin and cooling on the wire rack

Time to plate a muffin.

Muffins on plates with more on the rack in the back

Now to break one in half and slather some butter on it so I can eat it.

A muffin torn in half with butter on one half with more muffins in the back

Yes!

Overhead view of a white plate with a muffin torn in half with muffins off to the sides

I take a bite.

A bite taken out of a muffin on a white plate

So delicious. I hope you enjoyed this morning glory muffins recipe!

Other scrumptious muffins

And as always, may all your dishes be delish!

If you’ve tried this or any other recipe on the blog, I’d love the hear what you thought about it in the comments below.  I love hearing from you!  You can also FOLLOW ME on FACEBOOKTWITTERINSTAGRAM and PINTEREST  to see more of my delicious food and delightful cocktails!

square photo of a muffin slathered with butter on a white plate

Morning Glory Muffins

These morning glory muffins are fluffy, flavorful, and seriously satisfying. Serve them alongside your morning coffee or tea for a hearty and delicious breakfast!
5 from 11 votes
Print Pin Rate
Course: Muffins and Breads
Cuisine: Breads
Keyword: hearty muffins, morning glory muffins
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 20 minutes
Total Time: 25 minutes
Servings: 12 muffins
Calories: 324kcal

Ingredients

Dry Ingredients

  • 1 cup spelt flour (or flour of choice)
  • 1 cup almond flour
  • 1/2 cup sugar
  • 1/2 cup brown sugar
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

Wet Ingredients

  • 2 eggs
  • 1/2 cup almond milk (or milk of choice)
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla
  • 1/2 cup olive oil (or oil of choice)

Addons

  • 1 1/2 cups shredded carrots (about 3 carrots)
  • 1 macintosh apple (shredded – cortland or honeycrisp is a good option as well)
  • 3/4 cup raisins
  • 1/2 cup shredded coconut
  • 3/4 cup walnuts

Instructions

  • Preheat oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit and line a muffin tin with 12 baking cups.
  • Put the shredding attachment in the food processor and add the carrots first – shred. Take out of the processor and set aside. Shred the apples next and set aside.
    1 1/2 cups shredded carrots, 1 macintosh apple
  • In a medium mixing bowl, add dry ingredients and mix together.
    1 cup spelt flour, 1 cup almond flour, 1/2 cup sugar, 1/2 cup brown sugar, 1 teaspoon baking soda, 1/2 teaspoon salt, 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
  • Add eggs, milk, vanilla and oils and mix with a spatula until just incorporated.
    2 eggs, 1/2 cup almond milk, 2 teaspoons vanilla, 1/2 cup olive oil
  • Add carrots, apple, raisins, coconut and walnuts and stir until just combined.
    1 1/2 cups shredded carrots, 1 macintosh apple, 3/4 cup raisins, 1/2 cup shredded coconut, 3/4 cup walnuts
  • Spoon batter into muffin cups filling to the top. Bake for 20 – 22 minutes.
  • Let cool in the pan for 5 minutes before transferring the muffins to a wire rack.
  • Eat
  • Smile
  • Enjoy
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Notes

Helpful tips
  • The original recipe adds pineapple chunks to these muffins, but I’ve omitted the fruit as I prefer them without them. If you want to add pineapple, add 3/4 cup and increase the flour measurement to 2 1/4 cups.
  • If you don’t want to add almond flour to these muffins, no worries, just use the flour of your choice.
  • Spouted spelt is my go-to flour but white whole wheat flour or all purpose flour are great substitutions.
  • If you don’t have a food processor to shred the vegetables, you can also use a box grater or regular cheese grater.
  • I’m using walnuts in these muffins but you can either omit them or use a different nut like pecans or slivered almonds.
  • My go-to baking oil is a light olive oil, but you can use 1/2 cup vegetable oil or coconut oil if you prefer.
  • Want to make these muffins vegan? Substitute 1/2 cup of applesauce for the eggs. (1/4 cup per egg.)
  • Wash the apple and vegetables with a vegetable cloth to remove any pesticides.
  • You want around 1 1/2 cups of shredded carrots and 3/4 cups of apples. But if it is a little bit more, it’s okay, but don’t have less than those measurements.
  • Some people add shredded zucchini in their morning glory muffins, but I find zucchini throws off the liquid in the recipe because of how watery it is.
  • We regularly freeze muffins because we are a family of 2 and don’t eat them fast enough. So to keep them fresh, just store them in an airtight container like a gallon ziplock bag and place them in the freezer for up to 3 months or the fridge for up to 2 weeks.

Nutrition

Serving: 1Muffin | Calories: 324kcal | Carbohydrates: 40g | Protein: 5g | Fat: 20g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Cholesterol: 27mg | Sodium: 142mg | Potassium: 209mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 21g | Vitamin A: 2720IU | Vitamin C: 2.2mg | Calcium: 63mg | Iron: 1.7mg
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From lighting up stages with her BA in theater to food journalist, Elaine Benoit's journey is a testament to passion's transformative power. As the CEO of Dishes Delish, she offers a blend of healthy, comforting recipes and exquisitely crafted cocktails. Beyond the kitchen, Elaine voiced her culinary adventures on her podcast, "Dishing," and co-owns Food Blogger Help, extending her expertise to guide budding food bloggers to success. Whether it's for a heartwarming dish or insights into food blogging, Elaine's diverse experiences make her a beacon in the culinary digital landscape.

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30 Comments

  1. It’s always a good day when it starts with a muffin. I love that is has carrot and apple in it too – starting the day with lots of fruit and veg.

  2. I love that these are lower in sugar and oil but still look totally epic! I’ll be whipping up a batch of these soon for sure!

  3. These look fantastic – we can never get enough muffins in my house! Pinning to try these next!

  4. I love muffins for breakfast and these have so many good things snuck in there. Such a great recipe.

  5. Lainee, this looks like something I can easily convert to gluten free. Not sure if I should use Almond and Coconut flours or Almond and a GF flour mix I put together. Any ideas on what my choice should be?
    R

    1. I would use almond and GF mix, that way it will keep moist. The coconut will take away the moistness. 🙂 Enjoy Robin.

  6. Yummy muffins packed with the best ingredients to keep me satisfied till lunchtime! Pinned!
    My stepgranddaughter’s nickname is Lainey, short from Alaina 🙂

  7. Nice nickname, Lainey 🙂 These muffins are so tempting. These are great with morning coffee or tea.

  8. These muffins were perfectly fluffy and so delicious! I froze half the batch to enjoy throughout my week for breakfast or snacks.

  9. I love all the add ins in these muffins. They really help to bulk the muffins up and make them even more filling. These make a great breakfast or mid day snack.

  10. These muffins will be a great snack to have during my mid day breaks. I just love coffee with any baked goods.

  11. This is such a wonderful recipe, I love making a batch of these to have for easy breakfasts during the week

  12. I love that these morning glory muffins have less sugar and oil. I didn’t miss it because they are loaded with good stuff. A delicious, healthy start to the day.

    1. Thanks, Colleen. I almost always use less sugar. I feel like our palates have been ruined by all the sugar we consume. Thanks so much for your comment.

  13. That morning glory muffin looks so delicious and it looks so easy to make.
    I like that it has less sugar. Thank you!

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