Morning Glory Muffins
As an amazon associate I earn from qualifying purchases.
Our easy Morning Glory Muffins are hearty and wholesome, sweet but not too sweet, and packed with real ingredients that make you feel good about reaching for one. Perfect for busy mornings or a quick afternoon pick-me-up, these muffins have a soft, tender crumb and are loaded with shredded carrot, juicy apple, and warm cinnamon.
Table of Contents
- Here’s Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Ingredients You’ll Need
- How To Make Morning Glory Muffins
- How To Store Leftovers
- More Muffin Recipes
Not only are these easy to make, but they are a quick and satisfying breakfast option to grab on hectic weekday mornings. They became an instant hit in our house. These muffins are filling, flavorful, and just sweet enough to feel like a treat. There’s so much variety in texture in these muffins, too. Chewy raisins, soft bits of apple, and a little crunch from the nuts and seeds.
Muffins are always on a steady rotation at my house. My kids love them and it’s great because I can make a batch at the beginning of the week and we have ready-made breakfasts for days.
Some of our favorites include chocolate chip muffins, blueberry muffins, and double chocolate zucchini muffins. And right now we are really digging these morning glory muffins.
Have you ever had morning glory muffins?
They are so good. Seriously like the best muffin flavor ever. They’re moist and just sweet enough, with tons of chunky add-ins like apple, carrot, dried fruit, and crunchy nuts.
Here’s Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- These muffins are full of texture and flavor, with just the right amount of natural sweetness from apple, carrot, and raisins.
- The Greek yogurt keeps them moist and tender, while orange juice adds a bright, subtle tang.
- With plenty of fiber, protein, and healthy fats, they make a satisfying grab-and-go breakfast or snack.
Ingredients You’ll Need
The recipe card at the bottom of the post contains the full list with all of the amounts. Refer to that when you’re cooking.
- All-purpose flour: Bread flour can be used in a pinch, but all-purpose is definitely the best options.
- Dark brown sugar: You can use light brown sugar, but dark is more flavorful! I always keep a bag or two in the pantry.
- Baking powder: Helps the muffins rise and stay fluffy.
- Ground cinnamon: Adds a cozy, warm spice that pairs perfectly with apples and carrots.
- Kosher salt: Don’t substitute table salt. The measurements aren’t the same.
- Greek yogurt: If you don’t have Greek Yogurt, sour cream can be substituted instead.
- Unsalted butter: If you sub in salted butter, omit the additional Kosher salt.
- Orange juice: Brightens up the flavor and brings a hint of citrus.
- Eggs: Binds the ingredients together, helping the muffins hold their shape.
- Apple: Honecrisp, gala, and pink lady apples are great options!
- Carrot: Adds color, texture, and a little more natural sweetness.
- Raisins: For chewy bursts of sweetness in every bite.
- Pecans: Roughly chopped for crunch and nutty flavor.
- Sunflower seed kernels: Sprinkled on top for extra texture and a pretty finish.
How To Make Morning Glory Muffins
Step 1: Prep Your Oven and Pan
Preheat the oven to 425°F and line a 12-cup muffin pan with muffin liners.
Step 2: Mix the Dry Ingredients
In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, brown sugar, baking powder, cinnamon, and salt.
Step 3: Mix the Wet Ingredients
In a separate bowl, whisk the Greek yogurt, melted butter, orange juice, and eggs until smooth.
Step 4: Add the Mix-Ins
Fold the grated apple, carrot, raisins, and chopped pecans into the wet ingredients.
Step 5: Combine and Fill
Add the wet ingredients to the dry and fold gently until just combined. Divide the batter evenly between the muffin cups.
Step 6: Top and Bake
Sprinkle sunflower seeds over the tops of the muffins. Bake for 5 minutes at 425°F, then reduce the temperature to 350°F and bake for another 18 to 22 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
Substitutions And Variations For Morning Glory Muffins
If you’d like to make these morning glory muffins even healthier, try using a 50/50 mix of all-purpose and whole wheat flour. Just keep in mind that you may need a little more orange juice to moisten your muffin batter.
You could also make gluten-free morning glory muffins. Just substitute the flour for a gluten-free flour blend. Look for one that that subs 1:1 for regular flour. Here are a few good options:
- King Arthur Flour Gluten-Free Measure for Measure Flour
- Bob’s Red Mill Gluten-Free All-Purpose Baking Flour
- Cup4Cup Multi-Purpose Gluten-Free Flour
If you don’t have or don’t want to use Greek yogurt, you can substitute with sour cream (in equal measure).
If you don’t like raisins, you can either leave them out entirely, or substitute with dried cranberries. Or honestly any kind of dried fruit would work! Try morning glory muffins with dried apricots, dried cherries… anything your heart desires!
You can also substitute any kind of nut you prefer. Pecans are my favorite, but I think walnuts or pistachios would be great too.
I like to sprinkle the tops of my morning glory muffins with sunflower seeds, but pepitas (pumkin seeds) would also work really well.
How To Store Leftovers
Wrap your morning glory muffins loosely with plastic wrap, and they’ll keep for 2 to 3 days at room temperature.
They can also be kept in the refrigerator. They’ll last about 1 week to a week and a half.
You can even freeze your morning glory muffins! Wrap them tightly and they should be good for a couple months. Just thaw them in the microwave for about 20 to 30 seconds, and enjoy!
Bake up a big batch of these hearty, wholesome morning glory muffins! You’ll love the combination of tastes and textures, and they’re a terrific way to start the day!
Helpful Tips and Tricks
- Be careful not to overmix the batter. Stir just until the flour disappears.
- Use a scoop to evenly portion the batter into the muffin tin.
- Let the muffins rest in the pan for 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack.
- For even more flavor, lightly toast the pecans before adding them to the batter.
More Muffin Recipes
- Chocolate Muffins
- Hearty Bran Muffins Recipe
- Banana Chocolate Chip Muffins
- Zucchini Muffins
- Double Chocolate Zucchini Muffins
- Lemon Poppy Seed Muffins
- Cranberry Orange Muffins
Morning Glory Muffins
Ingredients
- 3 cups (375 g) all-purpose flour
- 1 cup (220 g) dark brown sugar,, loosely packed
- 1 tablespoon baking powder
- 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- 1/4 teaspoon (0.25 teaspoon) kosher salt
- 1 cup (200 g) Greek yogurt
- 1/2 cup (113.5 g) unsalted butter,, melted
- 1/4 cup (62 g) orange juice
- 2 large eggs
- 1 medium-sized apple,, peeled and grated
- 1/2 (0.5) large carrot, , peeled and grated
- 1/2 cup (72.5 g) raisins
- 1/2 cup (49.5 g) roughly chopped pecans
- about 1/4 cup sunflower seed kernels, for garnish
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F and line a muffin pan with papers.
- Place the flour, brown sugar, baking powder, cinnamon, and salt in a large bowl and whisk to combine.
- Place the Greek yogurt, melted butter, orange juice, and eggs in a smaller bowl and whisk to combine.
- Fold the apple, carrot, raisins, and pecans into the yogurt mixture, and then pour it into the larger bowl with the dry ingredients.
- Fold the liquid ingredients into the dry until just barely combined, then transfer the batter to the prepared pan.
- Sprinkle the tops of the unbaked muffins with sunflower seed kernels, for garnish
- Bake for 5 minutes at 425 degrees F, then turn the oven temperature down to 350 degrees F and continue to bake for 18 to 22 minutes more, or until a toothpick inserted in the thickest part of a muffin comes out clean or with a few moist crumbs.
It’s best to store muffins and other quick breads wrapped loosely in a lint-free towel. If you store them in plastic where they can’t breathe, they get sticky and gross. Muffins rarely make it to day 3 in my house.
This is a great tip. I have the same issue with muffins and quick breads, when kept at room temp. I think it’s better if they can breathe a little bit. That’s why I recommend covering them loosely. Airtight does seem to make them soggy and reduces their shelf life. Thank you!
If I don’t freeze them, I always use a paper lunch bag to store on the counter. Works Great!
That is a great tip! TYSM for sharing!
I have everything for these muffins but the orange juice – can I sub. something for it? Thank you!
I love Morning Glory muffins. I now have a family member allergic to eggs.
could you please tell me what the best egg substitute would be for these muffins ?
Thank you,
Hey Lucile! So sorry to hear about your family member’s new sensitivity! You can find info on ingredient substitution in this article: How to Stock your Baking Pantry. The directions for how to make an egg substitute are listed under the heading “Refrigerated.” I hope that’s helpful!
So sorry- forgot to include the link. Here it is: How to Stock your Baking Pantry.
Have you tried duck eggs? It’s a lot more common to be allergic to chicken eggs than eggs from other kinds of birds, so it might be worth trying out and seeing if it works for your family.
Love the flavors going on in these muffins! They are perfect for breakfast meal prep!
These muffins look and sounds so delicious and perfect for brunch!
I love morning glory cakes- muffins or bread. All so delicious and good for you!
Perfect morning glory muffins! One of my favorites!
Do you have the nutritional info for the morning glory muffins ?
Hey Terry! You can find that info just after the notes section of the recipe card.