📋Healthy Morning Glory Muffins recipe

healthy morning glory muffins on a wire rack

5 from 4 votes

📋Healthy Morning Glory Muffins recipe

These Healthy Morning Glory Muffins are chock-full of wholesome ingredients like whole wheat flour, unsweetened apple sauce, carrots, coconut, orange, walnuts, and sunflower seeds! They are the perfect on-the- go breakfast, snack and ideal for packing along in the lunch box!

Course Breakfast, Dessert, Snack

Cuisine American, Canadian, North American

Keyword carrot, morning glory, muffins

Special Diet Dairy-free, Vegetarian

Prep Time 15

Cook Time 20

Total Time 35

Servings muffins

Calories 211kcal

Author Terri Gilson

Equipment

muffin tin

Ingredients

½ cup all-purpose flour
⅔ cup whole wheat flour
½ teaspoon salt
1 ½ teaspoon baking soda
1 tsp cinnamon
½ cup quick rolled oats
1 teaspoon grated orange zest
⅔ cup chopped walnuts, lightly toasted
4 large carrots, grated (2 cups shredded) * if using frozen, defrost and drain off excess water, but do NOT squeeze out
⅔ cup brown sugar
4 large eggs, room temperature
⅔ cup unsweetened applesauce
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
⅓ cup shredded, unsweetened coconut

Garnish

2 tablespoon raw, shelled, unsalted sunflower seeds

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F/175 degrees F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Scatter walnuts on sheet and bake for 7-10 minutes until fragrant. Cool and set aside. *You can chop them once cooled, if you're not using pre-chopped walnuts.
⅔ cup chopped walnuts, lightly toasted
Line a 12 cup muffin pan with liners or non-stick cooking spray.
Add the flours, salt, baking soda, cinnamon, oats and zest into a medium mixing bowl and stir together.
½ cup all-purpose flour, ⅔ cup whole wheat flour, ½ teaspoon salt, 1 ½ teaspoon baking soda, 1 teaspoon cinnamon, ½ cup quick rolled oats, 1 teaspoon grated orange zest
Add the walnuts and shredded carrots to dry ingredient mixture.
4 large carrots, grated (2 cups shredded)
Add brown sugar, eggs, applesauce, and vanilla to a separate large mixing bowl and stir until combined.
⅔ cup brown sugar, 4 large eggs, room temperature, ⅔ cup unsweetened applesauce, 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Add the flour and carrot mixture to the egg mixture, then add coconut.
⅓ cup shredded, unsweetened coconut
Mix until combined.
Scoop the batter evenly among the 12 prepared muffin cups and sprinkle on sunflower seeds, dividing seeds evenly between all 12 muffins
2 tablespoon raw, shelled, unsalted sunflower seeds
Bake until a tester inserted in the middle comes out clean (about 20 -22 minutes)
Cool on wire rack for at least 10 minutes.

Notes

Expert Recipe Tips:

- Toast the Walnuts for Maximum Flavor. Toasting enhances the natural oils and deepens the nutty flavor. Spread them on a baking sheet and toast at 350°F (175°C) for 7-10 minutes until fragrant. Let them cool before adding them to the batter.

- Don’t Overmix the Batter. Overmixing can lead to dense muffins. Stir the ingredients just until combined to keep the muffins light and fluffy. A few lumps in the batter are totally fine!

- Use Freshly Grated Carrots. Pre-shredded store-bought carrots tend to be dry and don’t add as much moisture. For the best texture and flavor, grate your own carrots using a food processor or box grater.

- Measure Flour Correctly. For accurate measuring, spoon the flour into the measuring cup and level it off with a knife. Scooping directly from the bag can pack in too much flour, leading to dry muffins.

- Adjust Sweetness to Taste. If you prefer a less sweet muffin, reduce the brown sugar to ½ cup or replace it with coconut sugar. If you like a bit more natural sweetness, add ¼ cup of golden raisins or chopped dates.

- Use Unsweetened Applesauce for Moisture. Applesauce replaces oil while keeping the muffins soft and moist. Make sure it's unsweetened to avoid adding extra sugar.

- Bake Until Just Done. Overbaking can make muffins dry. Check for doneness by inserting a toothpick into the center. If it comes out with a few moist crumbs (but no wet batter), they’re ready!

Storage:

Store these sunshine muffins in an airtight container for up to 2 days at room temperature and up to 4 days in the fridge.

They can be frozen for up to 3 months in a sealed container or Ziplock freezer bag.

Nutrition