Healthy Morning Glory Muffins packed with wholesome ingredients like carrots, apples, whole wheat flour, raisins and maple syrup. These healthy muffins are the perfect grab and go breakfast or midday snack!
Reader’s Review
I’ve been making these quite a lot, it’s my go to recipe for muffins! Thanks!!
Maureen
Why You’ll Love These Muffins
If your worst nightmare is plain foods, then these healthy morning glory muffins are your multi-textured, flavorful, and delicious healthy breakfast dream come true!
They are hearty and satisfying, 100% whole wheat or gluten-free, moist and flavorful with glorious texture muffins!
This healthy morning glory muffins recipe contains very few empty calories. Instead, they are loaded with fiber, heart-healthy fats, vitamins, and minerals. Also lower in sugar thanks to maple syrup.
Best of all, these healthy breakfast muffins can fit into a variety of dietary lifestyles.
Ingredients for Healthy Morning Glory Muffins
While the ingredients list may seem long, it’s primarily pantry staples.
- Flour: I have tested this recipe with whole wheat flour and spelt flour. I do think gluten-free flour will work. For all-purpose flour, go with 2 cups.
- Egg: You’ll need one large egg. I am confident you can use chia seed egg or flax egg instead.
- Applesauce: Using unsweetened applesauce helps reduce amount of oil needed, keeps muffins moist and adds sweetness. Mashed banana or pumpkin puree are great too! Even plain Greek yogurt may work in its place but muffins will be less sweet.
- Sweetener: I like to use honey or maple syrup. I can’t guarantee results with any dry sugar like brown sugar or coconut sugar but a few readers have used it successfully.
- Oil: Just 1/4 cup (around 1.5 teaspoons per muffin) and I prefer avocado oil, or coconut oil.
- Fresh fruit and vegetables: Shredded carrots and shredded apples. I recommend using the large holes on a box grater and leaving the peel on apples for extra fiber. There is no need to squeeze out any excess liquid.
- Flavorings and spices: Pure vanilla extract, cinnamon and salt to enhance the flavor in these muffins.
- Leavening agents: Baking powder and baking soda to achieve the correct consistency.
- Dried fruit: I used raisins. Other options include dried cranberries, chopped dates, apricots, prunes, figs, etc.
- Coconut flakes: I use unsweetened shredded coconut flakes because I like their texture in muffins. You can totally omit them, if they are not your jam.
- Walnuts: You can gently crush walnuts by hand rather than having to dirty a chopping board. Pecans, almonds, pine nuts, and sunflower seeds can be substituted.
How to Make Healthy Morning Glory Muffins
First, preheat the oven to 425 F and spray a nonstick 12-cup muffin pan with non-stick spray. I like to use parchment paper liners but they are optional. Set aside.
- Whisk wet ingredients: In a large bowl, whisk egg, applesauce, oil, maple syrup, vanilla, cinnamon, salt, baking powder and baking soda. It’s easier to dilute leavening agents now.
- Add flour: Gently fold in flour and mix with spatula just until combined.
- Add veggies, fruit and nuts: Stir in grated carrots and apple, dried fruit, coconut flakes and walnuts. Don’t overmix.
- Fill the muffin tin: Divide batter evenly among openings of your muffin tin. I like to use a trigger cookie dough scoop. If you like, you can stud them with oats before baking.
- Bake: Bake muffins for 7 minutes at 425 F (creates a nice dome top) and then reduce heat to 350 F (without removing the muffins from the oven) and bake for another 13 minutes. Or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean or with just a few crumbs but not wet. Cool for 10 minutes and enjoy!
Variations
These healthy morning glory muffins are truly versatile. Here are just a few ways you can adapt the recipe to your liking!
- Citrus zest: Add a teaspoon of orange zest for a subtle layer of flavor.
- Zucchini: Instead of apple, use shredded zucchini, squeezing out the excess liquid.
- Crushed pineapple: Another addition in place of shredded carrots and apple is crushed pineapple. Use 1 cup with excess juice squeezed out. These are often called sunrise muffins.
- Orange juice: Use unsweetened orange juice or pineapple juice in place of some of applesauce for citrusy flavor.
- Mini muffins or jumbo muffins: You’ll need to adjust the baking time accordingly. Do an initial bake time at 425 F for 7 minutes, and afterwards: for mini, check after 6 minutes; for jumbo, check after about 17 minutes, until a toothpick comes out clean.
How to Store
Allow morning glory muffins to cool entirely and then store them at room temperature for 2 days. You can also keep them in an airtight container in the refrigerator up to one week.
I fully endorse baking a double or triple batch. Especially when you can freeze them for up to 3 months in a resealable freezer bag. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator.
If you want to enjoy a warm muffin, you can reheat it for 30-40 seconds in the microwave.
More Healthy Muffin Recipes to Try
- Healthy oat bran muffins
- Banana carrot muffins
- Healthy apple muffins
- Healthy carrot muffins
- Chocolate veggie muffins
Healthy Morning Glory Muffins
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 large egg
- 2/3 cup applesauce, unsweetened
- 1/2 cup + 2 tablespoons maple syrup or honey
- 1/4 cup mild oil, I like to use avocado oil
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 2 teaspoons cinnamon
- 2 teaspoons baking powder, aluminum free
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1 1/2 cups whole wheat or gluten free flour
- 2 cups carrots, shredded
- 1 cup apple, shredded
- 1/2 cup raisins, unsweetened
- 1/2 cup coconut flakes, unsweetened
- 1/2 cup walnuts, coarsely chopped
- Cooking spray, I use Misto
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 425 degrees F and spray non-stick 12 muffin tin with cooking spray. Set aside.
- In a large mixing bowl, add egg, applesauce, maple syrup, oil, vanilla extract, cinnamon, baking powder, baking soda and salt; whisk well to combine.
- Add flour and gently mix until combined. Do not over mix.
- Add carrots, apple, raisins, coconut flakes and walnuts. Stir gently until incorporated.
- Using large trigger scoop, distribute batter evenly between 12 openings of a tin. Bake at 425 degrees F for 7 minutes, then reduce heat to 350 degrees F and bake for another 13 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the centre comes out clean.
- Remove muffins from the oven and let them cool off for 10 minutes on a cooling rack. Enjoy warm or cold!
Notes
- Store: Store at room temperature for 2 days or in the refrigerator for 1 week in an airtight container.
- Freeze: Muffins freeze well for up to 3 months in a resealable bag. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator and warm up in the microwave before enjoying.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
These muffins were fabulous! I used 1/2 applesauce and 1/2 crushed pineapples and sprinkled chocolate chunks on the tops of half of the batch. Everyone loved them and they were even better the second day, a keeper!
I’m so happy your family loved the recipe. And your additions sound so good I want to make these muffins with them myself right now.
Excited to try this recipe, as I love morning glory muffins. I live in the UK, and they don’t really have the apple sauce we have in the US (it’s more of a condiment). For the 2/3 cup of apple sauce, would you substitute one mashed banana and some greek yogurt? Wasn’t sure on how much of a quantity. Many thanks! Love your recipes.
Interesting. Yes, use both banana and yogurt of total 2/3 cup. I wouldn’t recommend only yogurt as muffins won’t be sweet enough.
Thank you, Olena! x
Mine are still in the oven. But, I already know they will be fabulous. I used banana as I had no apple sauce and also added a free slivered almonds I had left. Can’t wait to bite into one. I see you are from Ukraine. I salute you and pray for your country. Hoping for the best. It is heartbreaking. What Putin is doing is evil in every sense of that word.
All the best to you. 🙏🙏❤️ For Ukraine
Thank you so much for your kind words, Jackie! Hope you enjoy the muffins.
Ahh…mazing!! I used what i had so i used regular flour 1:1 ratio and mango unsweetened pulp instead of applesauce and peaches drained (2cups) and 1 cup carrots 😁(my arm hurt)…thanks for all the alternate options you give. I love your recipes. Keep up the good work!
Thanks for letting us know your variations! So glad to hear they came out amazing! 🙂
Can I use regular flour?
The recipe has not been tested as such, but you might be able to. The usual conversion is 1 extra Tablespoon of all purpose flour per every 1 cup of whole wheat flour.
Could you post a link to the “old recipe” with the oat bran, please and thanks?
Hi Joanne, I will email you the previous version.
Can you email me the oat bran version too?
Thanks!
Sure!
Hi Olena!
These muffins take some time to put together but they are WORTH it! My house smells wonderful and these muffins are way better than the ones at our local coffee shop. The are so moist and delicious!
I added chopped dates and left out the coconut flakes.
Thanks so much for sharing this muffin recipe ~definitely a keeper!
So glad you enjoyed them Cindy! Agreed, they make the house smell so good!
Wow, so yummy! I ended up with slightly more shredded apple and less carrot by 1/4 cup each and added small chopped pieces of candied ginger. Used white/wheat flour and followed the rest of the recipe. Cooked an extra 2 mins because of more shredded apple. I’ll definitely make again and again. Thanks for the great recipe!
Sounds amazing, thanks for making and glad you are enjoying them!
Hi! What about sorghum flour. l bought it and can’t remember why. Probably for a recipes I haven’t made.
Hi Mary. I would give it a go…Might be a bit different texture but I think will work in these hearty muffins.
I’m wanting to try this recipe and have most of the ingredients, but I noticed some reviewers mentioned oat bran and I didn’t see that in the ingredients list. Am I missing something?
That was old recipe and I just improved and updated it. You do not need the oat bran, just follow the recipe in the recipe card. 🙂