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Kickstart your mornings with these wholesome Morning Glory Muffins! Made with a harmonious blend of ingredients like carrots, apples, raisins, nuts, and coconut, this small batch muffin recipe is perfect for one or two people. Enjoy the taste of fruit-filled carrot cake in muffin form, conveniently portioned and spiced to perfection with a dash of cinnamon.
Are you in search of more single serving and small batch muffin recipes? We’ve got a wide variety! Check out our delicious selections, including small batch Banana Muffins, a delightful Apple Muffin, a classic Blueberry Muffin, and a rich, indulgent Chocolate Chip Muffin!
Check out our other single serving breakfast recipes for more morning meal ideas.
Table of Contents
Why You’ll Love These Healthy Muffins
- Exceptionally Flavorful: These morning glory muffins boast a moist, spiced crumb and are bursting with flavors, including a delightful touch of orange citrus.
- Highly Customizable: Whether you’re swapping nuts or leaving out raisins, this muffin recipe is adaptable to your tastes without compromising on quality.
- Easily Scaled: This recipe yields 6 to 8 scrumptious muffins depending on how full you fill the muffin wells, making it simple to double if you need more.
- Simple to Prepare: Don’t be daunted by the ingredient list; making these morning glory muffins is straightforward. Plus, check out tips on utilizing any leftover ingredients.
What Are Morning Glory Muffins?
Morning glory muffins are a substantial, healthy breakfast, snack, or post-workout treat. Although they’re incredibly delicious the day they’re made, I think they may taste even better a day after baking, when the flavors really come together.
Morning glory muffins were created by Chef Pam McKinstry, owner of the “Morning Glory Cafe” in Nantucket in the 1970s. They’re called morning glory muffins because they’re packed with so many healthy ingredients that they’ll give you a burst of energy to start your day.
Ingredients
If you have any ingredients leftover from this morning glory muffin recipe, check out our Leftover Ingredients Recipe Finder.
- Fruits and vegetables: This recipe features grated carrots and apples, along with raisins for natural sweetness and texture. You could also add crushed pineapple, a popular choice in many morning glory muffin recipes.
- Flour: While all-purpose flour is the go-to, the recipe works well with King Arthur Gluten Free Measure For Measure Flour for a gluten-free alternative.
- Brown sugar: Essential for adding that caramel-like sweetness to the muffins.
- Baking soda: The leavening agent that ensures your muffins rise and become fluffy.
- Spices: We use a generous blend of ground cinnamon and ground ginger, along with a pinch of salt to bring all the flavors together.
- Coconut: Unsweetened shredded coconut is the preferred choice, but sweetened shredded coconut works too. If you’ve got leftover coconut, consider using it in a small batch of Ambrosia or Butter Pecan Granola.
- Nuts: The recipe calls for either walnuts or pecans as well as sunflower seeds. For a nut-free version, swap in dried cranberries or extra raisins. If you’ve got a handful of nuts leftover, use them in a single serving Banana Nut Bread or in a small batch of Blondies.
- Egg: One large egg is essential as it binds ingredients together, adds moisture, and enhances the overall flavor of the muffins.
- Oil: Avocado oil adds a mild, nutritious fat source, but canola oil, vegetable oil, or melted butter are suitable replacements.
- Orange juice: Imparts a subtle, tangy note to the muffins. Pineapple juice or milk can be used as a substitute. If you’ve got a bit of orange juice leftover from this recipe, consider using it in a small batch of Cranberry Orange Scones.
How To Make Morning Glory Muffins
These step-by-step photos and instructions help you visualize how to make a small batch of morning glory muffins. See the recipe below for ingredient amounts and full recipe instructions.
- Preheat the oven to 375°F (190°C). Lightly grease 6 to 8 wells of a muffin tin or a 5×7-inch baking dish.
Pro Tip: The easiest way to grease muffin tins is to use melted butter or oil and a pastry brush. If you don’t have a pastry brush, dip a paper towel into melted butter or oil and use it instead. You can also use cooking spray and lightly spray the wells of the pan.
- In a small bowl, cover the raisins with hot water, and set them aside to soak.
Pro Tip: It’s always a good idea to soak raisins in hot water before adding them to baked goods. Raisins are dry and tend to absorb the liquid from baked goods which may cause what you’re making to be less moist. Soaking raisins in hot water plumps them up and also prevents burning as they bake.
- Use a box grater or a food processor to grate the carrots and the apple. Set them aside.
Note: I have a small food processor so I had to grate the carrots and apple separately. If your food processor is larger you can grate them together.
- In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, brown sugar, baking soda, spices, and salt.
- Stir in the grated carrots, apple, coconut, walnuts, and sunflower seeds.
- In a separate bowl, beat together the egg, oil, vanilla, and orange juice.
- Add to the flour mixture and stir until combined.
- Drain the raisins and stir them in.
- Divide the batter among the wells of a lightly greased muffin pan.
Note: I fill the wells to just below the top.
- This step is optional but I love to sprinkle a few sunflower seeds over the tops.
- Bake the muffins for 18 to 20 minutes, until they’ve risen nicely and a toothpick inserted in the center of one of the muffins comes out clean.
- Remove from the oven and let cool for 5 minutes in the pan on a rack.
- Transfer the muffins to a plate or a cooling rack to finish cooling.
Expert Tips
- Recipe Guidance: Before diving into the recipe, take a moment to read through the entire post, including the Ingredient Notes and any accompanying process photos. This comprehensive guide offers valuable insights into each step, ensuring your morning muffins turn out flawless every time. All essential tips and information are included in the post, so make sure to read it thoroughly for the best results.
- Versatile Batter: This recipe is not just for muffins; you can also make a scrumptious morning glory cake. For a cake, simply pour the batter into a 5×7-inch baking dish and adjust the baking time to 25-30 minutes (see below for more information).
- Reduce calories in this recipe by using Swerve brown sugar replacement instead of regular brown sugar.
- Substitutions: See the Ingredient Notes section for substitutions I’ve tested.
Transform Your Muffin Batter Into A Morning Glory Cake
If you’re loving the flavors in these morning glory muffins but are in the mood for something a little different, why not turn the batter into a scrumptious morning glory cake? It’s a simple twist that can make your breakfast or dessert even more special. Pour the batter into a 5×7-inch baking dish and you’re on your way to a delightful cake version of this classic muffin recipe.
- Lightly grease a 5×7-inch baking dish and pour the batter inside. Sprinkle the top of the cake with sunflower seeds if desired, and place the baking dish on a rimmed baking sheet to catch any possible spills.
- Bake for 25 to 30 minutes until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean.
- Remove from the oven to cool.
Serving Suggestions
Let’s be honest; these morning glory muffins (or cake!) are great all by themselves. However, if you’re in the mood for a more elaborate breakfast or brunch, consider these:
- Fresh Fruit Smoothie: A colorful green smoothie full of your favorite fruits provides a refreshing contrast to the rich, spiced flavors of the muffins.
- Oatmeal or Overnight Oats: Complement the complex flavors in the muffins with a simple bowl of oatmeal or overnight oats, topped with a drizzle of honey or maple syrup.
- Greek Yogurt with Honey: Adding a side of Greek yogurt sweetened with a little honey offers a creamy texture that pairs delightfully with the crunch of the nuts in the muffin.
- Avocado Toast: If you’re all about savory-meets-sweet, try serving these muffins alongside a slice of avocado toast seasoned with a pinch of red pepper flakes.
Frequently Asked Questions
The term “healthy” can be subjective, but these morning glory muffins offer more nutritional benefits than many other muffin varieties. They contain fresh fruits and vegetables, providing a nutrient-rich option, despite also including some sugar and oil.
Up to 5 days in an airtight container.
Certainly! This muffin recipe has been successfully made with King Arthur Gluten Free Measure For Measure Flour. If you’re aiming for gluten-free morning glory muffins, this brand of flour is highly recommended.
Yes, you absolutely can. Doubling the ingredients will yield approximately 12 muffins, making it a convenient option if you’re serving a larger group.
No problem at all! If you prefer your morning glory muffins without nuts, feel free to omit them. You can add extra raisins or even dried cranberries as a replacement.
Yes, the Morning Glory Muffins freeze well for up to 3 months. To freeze, let the muffins cool on a cooling rack for about 30 minutes. Wrap tightly in plastic wrap and place in the freezer. Defrost in the microwave or in the fridge overnight.
Ways To Use Leftover Ingredients
If you have any ingredients leftover from this recipe, check out our Leftover Ingredients Recipe Finder or you might like to consider using them in any of these single serving and small batch recipes:
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If you’ve tried this small batch morning glory muffin recipe or any recipe on One Dish Kitchen please let me know how you liked it by rating the recipe and telling me about it in the comment section below.
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Small Batch Morning Glory Muffins
Equipment
Ingredients
- ¼ cup raisins
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- ½ cup brown sugar , packed
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- 1½ teaspoons ground cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon ground ginger
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 1 cup shredded carrots -(about 2 large)
- ½ cup shredded/grated apples -(about 1 small apple, peeled and cored)
- ¼ cup unsweetened shredded coconut
- ¼ cup chopped walnuts , or pecans
- 2 tablespoons sunflower seeds -plus 1 tablespoon more for sprinkling over the tops of the muffins
- 1 large egg
- ⅓ cup avocado oil , or vegetable oil, canola oil, or melted butter
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 3 tablespoons orange juice
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375°F (190°C). Lightly grease 6 to 8 wells of a muffin tin or a 5×7-inch baking dish.
- In a small bowl, cover the raisins with hot water, and set them aside to soak.
- Use a box grater or a food processor to grate the carrots and the apple. Set them aside.
- In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, brown sugar, baking soda, cinnamon, ginger, and salt.
- Stir in the grated carrots, apple, coconut, walnuts, and 2 tablespoons of sunflower seeds.
- In a separate bowl, beat together the egg, oil, vanilla, and orange juice. Add to the flour mixture and stir until combined.
- Drain the raisins and stir them in.
- Divide the batter among the wells of a lightly greased muffin pan. Sprinkle sunflower seeds over the tops of the muffins.
- Bake the muffins for 18 to 20 minutes, until they've risen nicely and a toothpick inserted in the center of one of the muffins comes out clean.
- Remove from the oven and let cool for 5 minutes in the pan on a rack.
- Transfer the muffins to a plate or a cooling rack to finish cooling.
Notes
- Recipe Guidance: Before diving into the recipe, take a moment to read through the entire post, including the Ingredient Notes and any accompanying process photos. This comprehensive guide offers valuable insights into each step, ensuring your Morning Glory Muffins turn out flawless every time. All essential tips and information are included in the post, so make sure to read it thoroughly for the best results.
- Versatile Batter: This recipe is not just for muffins; you can also make a scrumptious morning glory cake. For a cake, simply pour the batter into a 5×7-inch baking dish and adjust the baking time to 25-30 minutes.
- Reduce calories in this recipe by using Swerve brown sugar replacement instead of regular brown sugar.
- Substitutions: See the Ingredient Notes section for substitutions I’ve tested.
Nutrition
The information shown is an estimate provided by an online nutrition calculator. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.
These muffins bring back lovely memories of the the natural foods movement taking off and various magazines racing to spread recipes for Morning Glory Muffins. Now we have this delicious treat at just the right scale. Wonderful!
This was the best muffin recipe! I’m going to be one of those annoying commenters that describes the substitutions I made, purely because it was an early morning impulse to bake them and I had to go with what I had in the kitchen. Followed the recipe *exactly* but had to make the following changes: 1.5 cup carrot, no apple; 1/2 cup chopped walnut, no seeds or coconut; subbed dried cranberries for raisins (don’t skip the rehydration); 4 or 5 tbls orange juice depending on how dry batter looks; chopped grated zest of 1 orange. Made 7 muffins, not huge ones, filled batter to top of the tray. Like a not too sweet carrot cake, very yummy. Thanks for the step by step photos too.
I love your additions! I’ve done the same and used what I had on hand. It’s a very adaptable recipe, I’m so happy you enjoyed them muffins – thank you!
Very good recipe, it’s a keeper.
Thanks for sharing!
Can I add oat flour?
While I haven’t personally tested the Morning Glory Muffins recipe with oat flour, it’s an intriguing idea! Because oat flour has a different absorption rate and lacks gluten, the texture and moisture level of the muffins may vary from the original recipe.
If you’re feeling adventurous and want to try oat flour, I’d recommend starting with a small test batch first. Use a 1:1 substitution ratio for the flour, and keep an eye on the liquid measurements—you may need to tweak them. Also, be aware that the baking time could change.
Since I haven’t tried this variation, I can’t say for certain how it will turn out. But if you do give it a go, please share your experience! Your insights could be valuable for others thinking about making the same substitution.
Delicious!! This is definitely a winner! This is a great recipe. It’s so moist and tasty. The balance of flavors, the fruit, coconut and carrots, makes it flavorsome. I used dried cherries instead of raisins. I soaked them in water as you suggested with the raisins. I’m going to try dried blueberries next time. Thank you for all your fantastic recipes.
Looking forward to trying these muffins. Have you ever made them with whole wheat flour ? Must say, you write “the most complete” recipe …. the only other author I’ve run across who is as thorough writes “recipetineats” from Australia or New Zealand. Kudos !
Hi Toni, thanks so much! I haven’t made Morning Glory Muffins with whole wheat flour but another reader just emailed me that she used half all-purpose and half whole wheat flour with success. If you want to use only whole wheat flour, you will probably need to add more liquid (orange juice) and I would actually add more grated apples and/or carrots to give the muffins more moisture.
Made these Morning Glories today! WOW! Fantastically delish!! Thank you.. and they looked just like yours! You’ll have to trust me.. they are all gone already!!!
Good recipe.