Packed with flavor and good-for-you ingredients, these Morning Glory Muffins are a healthy and delicious way to start the day! Veggie-loaded and perfect for a snack or grab-and-go breakfast, these muffins have less sugar than other Morning Glory Muffin recipes, and instead use maple syrup or honey. They’re perfect for making ahead to make a busy day a little easier.
You all know I love my healthier homemade muffin recipes. And, frankly, you all love muffins just as much (especially my Oatmeal green smoothie muffin recipe and Healthy chocolate muffins). They are, hands down, some of my most popular recipes and I totally get why…..muffins are a fun, delicious and EASY way to veggie-load your life!
For reals. I could probably JUST make veggie-loaded muffins from here on out and we’d all be happy as clams.
It was recently brought to my attention that I didn’t have a Morning Glory Muffin recipe in my plethora of muffins on The Natural Nurturer. Say what? A muffin that needs zero tweaking to get veggies in wasn’t already in my line up? I needed to fix that ASAP!
These muffins are quick to mix up and bake to perfection in 20 minutes! Hearty and full of healthy ingredients, they are easily made gluten free and/or egg-free and are vegetarian! They make a nice big batch of 16, so they are perfect to stock your freezer with or include in your meal prep.
There are many different Morning Glory Muffin recipes out there on the big ‘ol bad internet, but they all have a similar flavor combination of carrots + apples + raisins. A truly heavenly blend of flavors that is also packed with fiber and, you guessed it, veggies! Many recipes often throw shredded coconut into the mix, so you can chuck some of that into this batter if you like.
What makes these Morning Glory Muffins different from the ones already on the internet? I have swapped out regular sugar for the natural sweetness of honey or maple syrup, therefore lightening how much added sugar is in these Morning Glory Muffins. Since this type of muffin has apples, raisins, and carrots already in it….they are already going to be packed with Mother Nature’s sweet goodness, so we don’t need to hide that under too much sugar. And yet, these muffins are still a major flavor BOMB! Your taste buds will be dancing with every bite and your body is going to feel amazing from all the healthy goodness that is packed into these muffins.
I only have regular rolled oats and not quick-cooking oats. Can I use those?
You can make your own “quick” oats my pulsing the regular rolled oats in your blender or food processor to break them down. To do this, add 1 1/4 cup of rolled oats to the food processor or blender and then pulse a few times until the oats are chopped but some larger pieces remain. Stop before your oats become a fine powder.
Once the oats are chopped, measure the amount needed into the Morning Glory Muffin batter.
Can I make these egg-free?
Yes! I have had great success making these Healthy Morning Glory Muffins with flax eggs instead of chicken eggs. To make a “flax egg”, I use the ratio of 1 tablespoon ground flax meal + 2.5 tablespoons water = 1 egg.
So, for this recipe, I use 3 tablespoons of ground flax meal + 7.5 tablespoons water to replace the eggs. Be sure to let the flax/water mixture sit for about 5 minutes to allow it to “gel” before adding it to the batter.
How do you grate the carrots and apples for these muffins?
I use the large holes of a box grater and it works perfectly. No need to squeeze out any of the excess moisture before adding them to the Morning Glory Muffin batter!
How should I store these healthy muffins?
These Healthy Morning Glory Muffins can be stored in an air-tight container at room temperature for up to 2 days. After that, I suggest storing them in the fridge or freezer to prevent molding and to keep them as fresh as possible for days to come. They freeze beautifully and make for a great breakfast or snack to stock up on!
Can I replace the flour in this muffin recipe with almond meal or coconut flour?
I haven’t tried these Morning Glory Muffins with almond flour, almond meal, or coconut flour, so I can’t speak to how successful these Morning Glory Muffins will turn out when swapping the flours.
In my experience, almond flour can often be used in place of whole wheat flour, however it creates a much denser baked good. Coconut flour is a much thirstier flour and absorbs a lot more liquid than almond flour or wheat flour. I do not suggest using coconut flour in this recipe.
Why are these called “Morning Glory” muffins?
Great question and one I often wondered. There are a few versions how Morning Glory Muffins earned their name.
One theory that I have read is that, because these muffins are packed with so much fiber from their carrots + apples + raisins, they help move the “glory” along in the bathroom. As in poop, TNNers.
Another story I have heard is that the woman who originally created the Morning Glory Muffin, Pam McKinstry, was the owner and chef of The Morning Glory Cafe. The muffins are a signature baked good that her cafe became known for.
How can I substitute applesauce in baking, like these Morning Glory Muffins?
Applesauce offers a lot to a baking recipe, such as natural sweetness and moisture. When swapping out applesauce in baking, my first go-to is mashed banana. I find that I can swap them out one-for-one in a baking recipe with consistent success.
If the recipe you are baking has enough sweetness already from another sweetener, you can also replace the applesauce in a baking recipe with pumpkin puree, cooked and mashed sweet potato, or with yogurt.
Why are my muffins dry and dense?
There are a few possible reasons!
One major reason is overmixing! Mixing activates the gluten in the flour and can make for a really heavy, dense muffin. So don’t dump everything into your mixer and walk away, mix your muffin batter until JUST combined. That is the big secret to fluffy muffins!
Another reason muffins might be dry is overbaking or baking at too high of a temperature. People will take a muffin recipe out of an oven and break a muffin open to find that it is still a bit moist and think they are underbaked, but often they are not. Baked goods continue to bake as they cool down in their baking pan and on the cooling rack. To avoid this, bake your muffins until a toothpick inserted into the middle comes out clean and then let them sit in the muffin tin to cool for at least 10 to 15 minutes. They will firm up as they cool.
I also suggest getting an internal oven thermometer (under $10!) so you can be sure your oven is cooking true to temp. As ovens age, their thermostat might become faulty or need to be calibrated again, leaving you with overbaked or underbaked recipes! If you find that you are running into constantly over or underbaked recipes, double check that your oven is cooking at the proper temperature before dissing or ditching a recipe.
Suggested Adaptations
Make them gluten free. Use a cup-for-cup style gluten free flour blend in place of the whole wheat flour and be sure to use gluten free oats.
Sub the carrots with zucchini. Replace half the grated carrot in the recipe with grated zucchini.
Bake them as a loaf! Combine the ingredients as directed and line a loaf pan with parchment paper. Bake for 45 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the loaf comes out clean. Let cool for 20 minutes before enjoying.
Make them egg free. I found that flax eggs worked great in these Healthy Morning Glory Muffins. To make a “flax egg”, I use the ratio of 1 tablespoon ground flax meal + 2.5 tablespoons water = 1 egg. So, for this recipe, I use 3 tablespoons of ground flax meal + 7.5 tablespoons water to replace the eggs. Be sure to let the flax/water mixture sit for about 5 minutes to allow it to “gel” before adding it to the batter.
Other veggie-loaded muffin recipes you are going to adore
- Healthy Chocolate Muffins (with veggies!)
- Healthy Zucchini Lemon Muffins
- Oatmeal Green Smoothie Muffins
- Cinnamon Zucchini Banana Muffins
- Savory Vegetable Muffins
- Butternut Squash Banana Blender Muffins
- Mini Butternut Squash Blueberry Muffins
Did you try these morning glory muffins and now you’re hungry for more?
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Healthy Morning Glory Breakfast Muffins
Equipment
- Muffin tin
Ingredients
- 1 ¼ cups white whole wheat flour can sub with whole wheat or all-purpose
- 1 cup quick-cooking “instant” oats see notes below for how to make your own
- 2 teaspoons baking soda
- 2 teaspoons cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon ground ginger
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 3 large eggs
- ¾ cup unsweetened applesauce
- 1/3 cup avocado or olive oil
- 1/3 cup maple syrup or honey
- 1 teaspoon orange zest
- ¼ cup orange juice
- 2 cups grated carrot
- 1 cup grated apple (I used 1 medium Honeycrisp apple)
- 1/2 cup raisins
- 1/2 cup chopped pecans optional
- 3 tablespoons ground flax seed (optional)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400℉. Line a standard muffin tin with paper liners (this recipe makes 14 to 16 muffins so use a second muffin tin or make more after the first batch has cooked).
- In a medium bowl, whisk the flour, oats, baking soda, cinnamon, ginger, and salt until well combined. Set aside.
- In a large bowl, whisk eggs, applesauce, oil, maple syrup, orange zest, and orange juice until well combined.
- Pour the dry ingredients into the bowl with the wet and stir until just combined. Do not overmix.
- Using a large spoon or spatula, fold in the grated carrot, apple, raisins, pecans, and ground flax, if using.
- Scoop batter into prepared muffin cups filling them to the top. Sprinkle each muffin with extra pecans, if desired.
- Bake until golden brown and a toothpick inserted in the center of a muffin comes out clean, about 22 to 24 minutes. Cool muffins for 10 to 15 minutes, then enjoy warm or at room temperature.
Notes
Nutrition
The nutritional information is provided as an estimate only and may vary based on the product type, servings and other factors. If you are following a diet, please consult with a professional nutritionist or your doctor. Stay healthy!
Comments
These are heavenly! The flavors mesh into such a dreamy, buttery taste…. I think they’re my new favorite.
I’m so glad you enjoyed them as much as we do!
Absolutely Delicious! Only thing I swapped out was cashew milk for the OJ & orange zest, (can’t have citrus). Thank you for sharing this very yummy, healthly recipe! A favorite in my collection & will be made often.
Yay! I am so happy to hear that, Tammy! Thank you for taking the time to leave a review and sharing a successful swap!
Can I use coconut oil instead of olive?
Sure! I would just melt it first so it incorporates easily.
I backed in loaf for 40min and burned. I wonder if I changed oven setting to 370?
Hmmmm. Noted it worked for me, but maybe your oven has a hot spot (or mine had a cool spot). But lowering the temp is always a good place to start
I’m excited to make these!! Any idea how much time to add if you use a jumbo muffin pan?
Hmmmm. I’m just guessing but I’d cook them closer to 26-30 minutes, but that is totally untested. Id watch then closely after 22 minutes and bake until a toothpick inserted into the middle of a muffin comes out clean. If you give it a go, let us know how they turn out!
These look delicious!! Could I sub the wheat flour for a gluten free mix?
I find that the Bob’s Red Mill cup-for-cup gf flour blend works well!
We really like these. I made a few changes to use what I have used mashed banana instead of applesauce. Did not have ginger or flax seed . They were delish. I want to try with ginger. I think it will add a nice spice.
Those are great swaps! The ginger adds an extra level of warmth to them, so certainly try the next batch with…but I am SO glad you enjoyed them!
These turned out great! I’m always looking for something I can eat on the go for breakfast and these are delicious and filling. I swapped hemp seeds for the flax seeds.
What a great swap! I love that and I’m so glad you enjoy then, Jake. Thanks for taking the time to share!
What can be a good substitute for applesauce? Would mashed bananas work?
Yes, I find mashed bananas to work great in place of applesauce in many baked goods
So yummy and perfect for busy mornings with coffee!
Oh yum! Excellent pairing! So glad you enjoyed, Courtney!
Have you added coconut?
I have not tried these with added coconut yet. If you give it a try, I’m sure others would love to hear how it turns out!
I made these tonight and they hit exactly the mark I was looking for – keeping the recipe as healthy as possible while still being tasty enough to serve to breakfast guests. I subbed chopped dates for raisins. Also, the muffins stuck to my paper muffin liners, but released well from the foil liners. It’s a keeper!
I’m so glad you enjoyed them, Linda! I feel like the liners used with healthier muffins is so key! Less oil can lead to this. I use parchmentpaper liners and they work like a dream, but it is good to know that foil ones work too!
A question: I want to make these muffins but I was wondering, can they be made with sourdough starter? If so…how would you do it?
I am new to sourdough but I just made a new starter that is very active, would love to make these with my new starter
What an interesting idea! I have never tried adding sour dough starter to these muffins (but now I want to), so unfortunately, I won’t be very helpful. Perhaps some of our readers who are a bit more versed in sour dough will chime in with ideas!
Do these freeze well?
They do!
My kitchen smells DIVINE!!! Cannot wait to try these in the morning with my coffee!!!!
I baked them on 400°F and only needed 18 min! Might try a lower temp next time as they seemed to rise up and bake really quickly in my oven!
I am so glad! Enjoy!
Hi there. I’m wondering if anyone has made these without eggs and if so, what substitute in place of them?
Thx
I found that flax eggs worked great in these morning glory muffins. I use the ratio of 1 tablespoon ground flax meal + 2.5 tablespoons water = 1 egg. So, for this recipe, I use 3 tablespoons of ground flax meal + 7.5 tablespoons water to replace the eggs. Just be sure to let the flax/water mixture sit for about 5 minutes to allow it toe “gel” before adding it to the batter.
Why did my muffins turn out so dense and wet?
I followed the recipe perfectly..
I have tried to make morning glory muffins a couple times now and they always turn out this way 🙁 what amni doing wrong ??
Are you possibly over mixing them? I find this is the issue many times when people people mention that their muffins are dense. As for wet, is it possible that they need to bake longer? Sometimes ovens don’t cook true to temp and that can really mess with baked goods turning out properly.
Hi
Can these be made with regular sugar instead of honey/maple syrup?
Thanks!
Hi Ash! It can be a bit tricky to replace maple syrup with sugar for a few reasons. Sugar isn’t as sweet and flavorful in a recipe as syrup, so you might need to add more sugar to make these sweet enough. I’d say, to replace the maple syrup in these, I’d use 1/2 cup of sugar. Also, maple syrup is a liquid that adds moisture to these muffins, so you might need to add a little more orange juice to (maybe 1/3 cup) to replace that liquid. I haven’t tested these with sugar, but that is where I’d start! If you give it a go, please let us know how they turn out.
Sadly these were not so great for me. My oven seems to be reliable and bakes accurately according to other recipes I use. However, before the minimum 22 mins at 400 degrees these muffins had begun to burn. Once cooled, the muffin liners stuck to the muffins, but this could have been prevented if I’d greased them first. I may try again after knowing what went wrong for me the first time.
Sorry to hear they burned! I feel like every oven cooks a bit differently, so maybe 20ish minutes will work for you. Were they cooked through? As for them sticking to the liner, I find it depends so much on what liners I use. I love the If You Care liners because I don’t think anything sticks to them. Since I tend to add less oil to my baking recipes, greasing is always helpful to ensure there is enough fat to help the muffins release easily if your liners tend to stick.
Can I use blueberries instead of raisins
Hi J! I have not tried this recipe with blueberries and feel like the berry would add too much moisture to the muffin. You could omit the raisins entirely or sub with more nuts or even a few chocolate chips.
The muffins are so delicious! They are tasty & moist. I included all optional ingredients I have tried many healthy muffin recipes & this is the only one that I enjoy eating.
I’m so glad, Jacqueline! What a compliment! Thanks for taking the time to share your experience and review.
Hi! Looking forward to trying this. How long can I keep these in the fridge before I should transfer them to the freezer? When taking them out of the freezer, do you recommend letting them thaw or throwing them into a microwave oven?
I would say 4-5 days. The fridge will help keep them nice and fresh for as long as possible, especially if stored in an air-tight container. I like to let mine thaw on the counter overnight but will zap on in the microwave for 30 seconds in a pinch.
I made these and love them. One thing though…how do you ensure these come out so bright and orange? Mine came out dark…not orange at all.
So glad you enjoyed them! Unsure what to say about the color, as mine have always been an orange or light brown color from the carrots and orange. Perhaps your maple syrup was darker than mine? Or did you perhaps use date syrup? I know that darker sweeteners have changed the color of my bakes in the past.
This is an awesome recipe! I followed directions exactly and they turned out great. My oven runs a bit hot, so they were done in 18 minutes. My 6, 5, and 2 year old all loved these muffins, and I love them because they have fruits, veggies, and NO processed sugar. We made a big batch and froze some for future breakfasts and school snacks.
We also personally thought these tasted even better the day after we made them. The flavors seemed to really soak in overnight!
I’m so glad, Ashley! Thanks for sharing.
Wow! These Muffins are amazing! I didn’t have any carrot so used a large sweet potato (I microwaved after shredding) and I substituted a 1/4 of flour for almond flour….and voilà!
Oh what a wonderful sub! Thanks for sharing, Vonita! I’m sure other readers will appreciate it.
I’ve also made the recipe replacing all the liquid (not eggs) with left over vegan pumpkin pie mix (with coconut cream for fats) and it was amazing too!
Yum! What great additions!
Hi! This recipe really sounds delicious and is super versatile – thanks for sharing! I’ve actually just pulled mine out, but they were done quite a bit earlier than the recipe calls for – at about 16 min. Hoping they turn out ok!
Hi Saman! Did they turn out? I hope so! These are a favorite of many and hope you got to enjoy them too.
FYI: I have found that keeping an internal thermometer ($5 on Amazon) is a great way to make sure your oven is cooking true to temperature. After cooking in many ovens over the years, I found that most ovens don’t! I’m wondering if your oven might be running a bit hot.
400-degrees for 20+ min left all my muffins burned. I’d definitely lower the oven temp and shorten the time.
Hi Tracy! Bummer to hear your muffins burned. Many other people have had lots of success with the recipe written as is, so I can’t help but wonder if your oven isn’t cooking true to temperature. I find this is very common with ovens, even newer ones! Perhaps get an internal oven thermometer (they are $5 on Amazon) to see if your oven is baking hotter than you are thinking.
These are delicious! I like to have a smoothie for breakfast, but wanted something healthy to go with. These are perfect. I did substitute 1cup of zucchini for part of the carrot, and since I don’t like raisins I added dried cranberries instead. Very moist, crunch from the pecans, not too sweet. Froze them and then used my food saver to shrink wrap so I can pull them out when needed. Recipe makes a lot. Love them!
So glad you enjoyed them, Ronda! Love the swaps you made. Sounds delicious! Thanks for leaving a review!
I made these muffins and these are my new favorite! They are super healthy, filling and most importantly, my kids loved them, even with all the veggies and nuts! I didnt have a couple of ingredients (orange juice and zest), but they tasted delicious anyway. I made 12 muffins and poured the remaining batter into a mini loaf tray and baked for the same time and the mini loaf was also done. Thanks for sharing this amazing recipe.
I’m so glad, Rajani! Thank you so much for taking the time to share and leave a review!
Hello. Was wondering where the 1 gram of Trans Fat comes from? Can I substitute it with something else? Thank you, they are delicious!
Hi Michael! I think you swapped some of fat values. There is 0.004g of trans fat in these muffins and 1 gram of saturated fat, likely from the oil, nuts and ground flax.
No. The nutritional values have definitely been adjusted since I first commented. It had 1 trans fat and originally never listed polyunsaturated or monounsaturated fats at all. Not sure who made the adjustment. Doesn’t really matter, just glad to see the new values. Thanks, Michael
The nutritional information is automatically generated by my recipe card based the ingredients and amounts in the recipe. The recipe has not changed and those amounts were there when I looked after your last comment, so it must have simply been populating the nutritional information incorrectly for a period of time. Glad you were able to see the accurate info!
I made these! And still making them!
What a blessing to have these muffins as a go to for lunch. My adult daughter is in university and asks me to make a batch to freeze so she has them on hand.
You did good with this recipe Taesha xxoo
I’m so glad to hear that, Kathleen! Thank you for your kind words!
Excellent recipe, I made a few substitutes based on what I had on hand and it came out great. My 4yo loves it too..
subs I made- milk instead of orange juice. Banana instead of apple sauce cranberries instead of raisins, coconut oil instead of olive oil and Meusli instead of oats.
Thank you for the recipe!
So glad it was a success, Sabs! Thanks for taking the time to share!
Very delicious!!! I was looking for some good breakfast muffins to eat quickly for breakfast for my race (half marathon) and I’m so happy to have found your recipe. I’m glad I made double batch because my kids and husband loved them so much. I did made few changes; very important oven temperature, I baked them on 360F for like 25 minutes because I know my gas oven will burn them on 400F, instead of raisins I used chopped dry apricots and also added some chocolate chips for kids and they turned out PERFECT!
I’m getting ready for my own half marathon and now I am going to totally make these for race morning! Thanks for the inspiration and I am so glad you enjoyed them so much!
These are excellent! Mine were done at 16 minutes, but my oven has always run a little hot. I subbed dates & walnuts in for the raisins and pecans, because that’s what I had. These will be great with some coffee tomorrow 🙂
Oh love the subs, Wildkey! So glad you enjoyed them. Cheers!☕️
I love this recipe! I recently made it with. Blueberries rather than raisins and it was yummy. Am about to try to sub pumpkin for the applesauce and may use pumpkin pie spice. My husband loves crunch on top, so may put a.teeny sprinkling of the larger grain sugar before I bake them. I’ve shared with friends who think they’re the best muffins ever! I do, too!
So glad you enjoy them, Sharon! Love the idea of blueberries in them. Must try!
I’ve made this recipe twice now. Both times I used GF 1:1 flour and coconut oil, and this time I used chopped pistachios, mashed banana (instead of applesauce) and a handful of shredded coconut. SO SO SO GOOD! I love this recipe!
I’m so delighted to hear that you love this recipe, Krysta! I deeply appreciate you taking the time to leave a review!
Cooked for 22 minutes. Muffins were moist inside, however the outsides stuck to the paper liners, had to be scraped off. The taste was nothing special. Could have been a tad sweeter.
Hi Karen. Sorry to hear these were not your thing. I called these “healthy” because they are lower in added sugar than other morning glory muffins and want people to know what to expect…that they will not be overly sweet. While this recipe is enjoyed by many other people, perhaps one with a bit more sugar would be more to your preference. As for the sticking, did you let them cool? I find that muffins right out of the oven are always going to stick and letting them cool or even chill helps the wrapper to release.
Hi! It’s no longer apple season, sadly. I have the applesauce, but what can I sub for the apple? Can’t wait to try these!
Hi Eliza, I haven’t tried replacing the apples with anything in this recipe yet. Perhaps pear, more carrots, or even zucchini.
I subbed beet for apple and banana for applesauce. Wanted a more savory muffin for breakfast and snacks. Turned out great! Started at 400°, then turned it down to 375° when I put them in. 21 minutes was good. Doubled the recipe and made 24 (big) muffins. Thank you for the recipe!
Woah! Those sounds like amazing swaps!
Five stars!
Yay! So glad you loved them, Emma!
Hi Taesha, love these Healthy Morning Glory Muffins. I doubled the recipe and got 32 muffins and they were perfect. Due to nut allergies I put pumpkin seeds. With all the fruit, veggies and orange juice in these I wondered if the maple syrup could be further reduced or eliminated? And if yes should I increase another ingredient? I will definitely try some of your other recipes. Val.
Hi Val! If you don’t mind a mildly sweet muffin, you could replace the maple syrup with extra applesauce.
Hi Taesha, thanks so much for the recipe! Tastes delicious. I will make these again and again! I just have a question if I may about the oven temp. I was wondering if 400f is for fan forced or a convection oven? Thankyou 🙂
Hi Karen! So glad you enjoyed it! 400F is for fan forced. If baking in a convection, I’d suggest dropping the temp to 367F