Morning glory muffins are delicious, fruit and veggie packed, and perfect for a quick breakfast or on the go snack.
Muffins are one of my favorite things to whip up. There are no shortage of varieties, they are a breeze to make, and each one is delicious and has something special to offer!
A warm sourdough banana muffin, or classic sourdough blueberry muffin makes for a perfect after school snack.
Sourdough pumpkin muffins with oat crumble and chocolate einkorn protein muffins are great to satisfy a sweet tooth.
Apple and carrot muffins and sourdough chocolate zucchini muffins sneak in veggies in a perfectly sweet, unsuspecting little morsel.
But perhaps my favorite muffin to make in the kitchen, are these morning glory muffins. They are warmly spiced with sweet carrot, apple, and juicy bursts of pineapple. Coconut and pecans add a nutty depth. A zesty sugar topping adds brightness and extra crunch. They are the perfect balance of wholesome and indulgent. Make them ahead for a grab and go breakfast, easy snack, or toss them in a child’s lunchbox. These are perfect for anytime you need a tasty and hearty nutrient boost!
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
Versatile – These hearty muffins can be customized with different mix ins depending on what you have on hand, or based on preferences. Swap out the pecans for walnuts, or experiment with adding and swapping additional fruits and veggies. Add dried cranberries or even use shredded zucchini instead of apples.
Nutrient dense – The variety of elements in this recipe ensures a nutrient-packed snack that is delicious as well! These are perfect for sneaking fruits and veggies into your family’s diet and the nuts add a dose of healthy fats.
Crowd pleaser – Morning glory muffins are an easy treat that will be loved by the whole family, and are kid approved!
Ingredients
Neutral oil – Avocado oil and coconut oil are my two favorite neutral oils for baking. Melted butter can be a good substitute as well.
Vanilla extract – Using homemade vanilla extract elevates any baked good, and is incredibly simple to make from home.
Pecans – You can also use chopped walnuts, almonds, pistachios, or macadamia nuts. If you want a nut free option try adding pumpkin seeds, or even sunflower seeds.
A full ingredient list with exact amounts can be found in the recipe card below.
How to Make Morning Glory Muffins
Step 1: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit (175 degrees Celsius) and line a muffin pan with extra-large muffin liners.
Step 2: Zest the orange and set the zest aside. Squeeze as much moisture as possible out of the crushed pineapple and set aside as well. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon, and salt. Set aside.
Step 3: In a large bowl, whisk together the white sugar, brown sugar, eggs, and oil until smooth and well combined. Add the orange juice, vanilla extract, and freshly grated ginger and whisk again. Stir in the grated carrots, grated apple, and drained pineapple until evenly distributed.
Step 4: Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and gently stir just until combined. Add the toasted coconut and chopped pecans and fold them in, being careful not to over mix.
Step 5: In a small bowl, combine the turbinado sugar and orange zest, rubbing the zest into the sugar with your fingers until fragrant.
Step 6: Divide the batter evenly between the prepared muffin liners (about 115 grams of batter per muffin). Sprinkle the tops generously with the orange sugar.
Step 7: Bake for 25 – 30 minutes, or until the tops are set and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Let the muffins cool slightly on a wire rack before serving.
Tips
- Try toasting the shredded coconut lightly in a frying pan until lightly browned and fragrant before adding to the batter for extra coconut flavor.
- Use extra large muffin liners to fit all the batter in one dozen muffins.
- Stop mixing as soon as the flour disappears. Over mixing will make the muffins tough instead of tender.
- Weigh the batter for bakery-style muffins. Filling each liner with about 115 grams gives tall, evenly baked muffins.
- Optional mix ins: raisins or chopped dates.
Recipe FAQS
This muffin recipe is made up of a basic muffin batter with the addition of orange juice, ginger, and a variety of mix-ins – pineapple, carrot, apple, coconut, and pecans.
The original recipe for these muffins was created by chef Pam McKinstry. They were named after her restaurant, The Morning Glory Cafe on Nantucket Island where they were created. Her healthy morning glory muffin recipe gained quick popularity once the recipe was published in Gourmet Magazine in 1981.
This recipe is full of vitamins and nutrients from the variety of ingredients added into the muffin batter. Making muffins like these from scratch at home offers a great alternative to premade, packaged options from the grocery store.
When mixing, be careful to never over mix your batter. This keeps your muffins light and moist with an airy crumb, rather than dense and tough.
More Delicious Recipes from the Farmhouse
- Freshly Milled Dutch Baby Pancake
- Homemade Pancakes With Freshly Milled Flour
- Apple Cinnamon Muffins
- Chocolate Chip Cookies With Freshly Milled Flour
- Sourdough Orange Cinnamon Rolls
If you try this recipe and love it, I would love it if you could come back and give it 5 stars! Tag me on Instagram @farmhouseonboone.
Healthy and Delicious Morning Glory Muffins
Ingredients
Dry Ingredients
- 2 cups all purpose flour, 280 grams
- 1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 2 teaspoons cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
Wet Ingredients
- 1/2 cup white sugar, 96 grams
- 1/2 cup brown sugar, 100 grams
- 3/4 cup neutral oil, I used avocado oil, 168 grams
- 3 large eggs
- 2 tablespoons fresh orange juice
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1 1/2 teaspoons freshly grated ginger
Mix ins:
- 8 ounce can of crushed pineapple, moisture squeezed out
- 2 cups finely grated carrot, small side of a box grater
- 1 peeled and grated apple, grated on the large side of box grater
- 1/2 cup unsweetened shredded coconut
- 1/2 cup chopped pecans
Optional Topping:
- 3 tablespoons turbinado sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon orange zest
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit (175 degrees Celsius) and line a muffin pan with extra-large muffin liners.
- Zest the orange and set the zest aside. Squeeze as much moisture as possible out of the crushed pineapple and set aside as well. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon, and salt. Set aside.
- In a large bowl, whisk together the white sugar, brown sugar, eggs, and oil until smooth and well combined. Add the orange juice, vanilla extract, and freshly grated ginger and whisk again. Stir in the grated carrots, grated apple, and drained pineapple until evenly distributed.
- Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and gently stir just until combined. Add the toasted coconut and chopped pecans and fold them in, being careful not to over mix.
- In a small bowl, combine the turbinado sugar and orange zest, rubbing the zest into the sugar with your fingers until fragrant.
- Divide the batter evenly between the prepared muffin liners (about 115 grams of batter per muffin). Sprinkle the tops generously with the orange sugar.
- Bake for 25 – 30 minutes, or until the tops are set and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Let the muffins cool slightly on a wire rack before serving.
Notes
- Try toasting the shredded coconut lightly in a frying pan until lightly browned and fragrant before adding to the batter for extra coconut flavor.
- Use extra large muffin liners to fit all the batter in one dozen muffins.
- Stop mixing as soon as the flour disappears. Overmixing will make the muffins tough instead of tender.
- Weigh the batter for bakery-style muffins. Filling each liner with about 115 grams gives tall, evenly baked muffins.
- Optional mix ins: raisins or chopped dates.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
What adjustments would I need to make if I wanted to use maple syrup instead of the sugar or in place of some or all of the sugar?
I love that so many of your recipes either already do this or have notes on how to swap out the more processed ingredients! Thanks so much for sharing nutrient dense recipes with us!
Your site is always the first place I look for recipes.
You can use a 1-1 swap.
Question: 1/2 white and 1/2 brown sugars seems a lot … and I like to stay away from too much processed sugar. Have you made these muffins with a substitute of both of these and what would be the proper amounts (example: honey)?
Yes, you can sub for honey.
Can you sub the flour for 100% fresh milled grain? What kind would you use and what adjustments would need to be made?
Yes you can. No adjustments needed. I would weigh the flour instead of using volume. Freshly milled flour seems to be a lot lighter and fluffier than packed all purpose or wheat flour from the store.
Another great recipe by Farmhouse on Boone
I needed a filling healthy muffin for school lunches and a quick breakfast at times.
These Morning Glory muffins are full of ingredients I had on hand and taste great.
I will probably ease back the white sugar a little, and used olive oil.
Will definitely make again,
Thank you.
Hi, can you perhaps use something in place of the pineapple?
Yes, you could substitute it with another fruit or omit it.
Anything that could be substituted for the coconut?
No, I would just omit them!
Can these be made with less sugar? How much could I reduce without compromising the recipe?
Yes, you can reduce half the sugar.
these muffins are AMAZING!! thanks for the recipe, Lisa!
can this be turned into a Sourdough Recipe?
Sure can!
Thanks!
How do I do these Sourdough? You said it can be but did not give the ratios???