Morning Glory Muffins are the perfect healthy breakfast muffins. This morning glory muffin recipe is filled with all kinds of good stuff that will help you start the morning right!
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What’s in this Morning Glory Muffin Recipe?
Besides the basic baking ingredients (flour, sugar, eggs, and oil), these breakfast muffins are filled with some amazing things. Lots of good stuff to fill you up!
- Oats: Old-fashioned oats make the perfect fiber-filled crunchy topping.
- Butter: Salted butter helps the oats brown in the oven.
- Baking Soda: Helps the muffins rise in the oven.
- Spices: Ground cinnamon and ginger add a warm and fresh flavor.
- Carrots: Shredded carrots help keep these muffins super moist and enhance their sweet flavor.
- Raisins: Golden raisins are packed with fiber and sweetness.
- Pecans: Honey-roasted pecans are a little sweet, a little salty, and a great source of both protein and fat.
- Coconut: Sweetened flaked coconut adds sweetness, fiber, and minerals.
- Apple: Shredded apple adds even more sweetness and fiber.
- Orange: Orange zest adds a balancing fresh acidity to the batter.
- Vanilla: Pure vanilla extract adds warmth and enhances the sweetness of these muffins.
Variations on Breakfast Muffins
The great thing about these morning glory breakfast muffins is how versatile they are. Use whatever you have on hand to make delicious muffins. You can swap out the carrots for zucchini, the golden raisins for any dried fruit, the pecans for any nut, the apple for applesauce, and the orange zest for any other citrus zest.
How to Store and Reheat
Store leftover morning glory muffins in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 days or in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. Enjoy at room temperature or gently warmed in the microwave.
How to Freeze
Freeze morning glory muffins individually wrapped in plastic wrap for up to 3 months. Let thaw overnight in the refrigerator before enjoying.
Serving Suggestions
If you manage to cook a nice big breakfast for your family every morning, we applaud you! But a quick, easy breakfast that you can eat on the go is more realistic for a lot of us. That’s why we love these morning glory muffins. These breakfast muffins are easy enough to bake when you wake up… and even easier to bake the night before so they’re ready to grab before you start the day!
These muffins, plus a cold brew (another make-ahead masterpiece!) or a mango smoothie are the perfect quick and easy breakfast.
Notes from the Test Kitchen
This morning glory muffin recipe is made with carrots, oats, apples, raisins, pecans, and lots more good stuff. It may come in the form of a sweet baked good, but these breakfast muffins are definitely the right way to wake up. It’s so easy to make these first thing in the morning for you and your family, or make them in the evening so they’re ready to grab and go on busy weekday mornings.
5-Star Review
“These are a total mom win for getting my kids to eat breakfast! Great on the go option.” -Sabrina
Morning Glory Muffins Recipe
Equipment
- Kitchen Scale (optional)
Ingredients
For the Topping
- ½ cup old-fashioned oats 15 grams, divided
- 2 tablespoons salted butter 28 grams, melted (¼ stick)
For the Muffins
- 2 cups all-purpose flour 240 grams
- 1¼ cups granulated sugar 250 grams
- 2 teaspoons baking soda 12 grams
- 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon 6 grams
- 1 teaspoon ground ginger 3 grams
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt 3 grams
- 2 cups shredded carrots 180 grams, excess moisture squeezed out (from about 6 carrots)
- ½ cup golden raisins 85 grams
- ½ cup chopped honey-roasted pecans 57 grams, Fresh Gourmet recommended
- ½ cup sweetened flaked coconut 30 grams
- ½ cup shredded apple 57 grams, core and peel discarded
- 1 teaspoon orange zest 2 grams
- 3 large eggs 150 grams
- 1 cup vegetable oil 200 grams
- 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract 8 grams
Instructions
For the Topping
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Spray a 12-count muffin tin with nonstick spray and set aside.
- Spread the oats on a small baking sheet and bake 8-10 minutes until fragrant and golden. Remove from the oven to cool.½ cup old-fashioned oats
- In a small bowl, combine ¼ cup of the toasted oats with the melted butter. Mix well and set aside.2 tablespoons salted butter
For the Muffins
- In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, baking soda, cinnamon, ginger, and salt. Set aside.2 cups all-purpose flour, 1¼ cups granulated sugar, 2 teaspoons baking soda, 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon, 1 teaspoon ground ginger, ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- In a medium bowl, mix together the shredded carrots, raisins, pecans, coconut, shredded apple, orange zest, and the remaining ¼ cup toasted oats.2 cups shredded carrots, ½ cup golden raisins, ½ cup chopped honey-roasted pecans, ½ cup sweetened flaked coconut, ½ cup shredded apple, 1 teaspoon orange zest
- Add the carrot mixture to the flour mixture and mix to combine.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together eggs, oil, and vanilla.3 large eggs, 1 cup vegetable oil, 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
- Add the egg mixture to the flour/carrot mixture and combine just until no flour is visible.
- Evenly scoop the batter into all 12 muffin tin wells. The cups will be very full, and the muffins may have a “muffin top” when done, but that makes them extra cute.
- Top each muffin with the prepared oat/butter topping.
- Bake at 350°F for 20 minutes, or until a wooden toothpick inserted in the middle of one of the center muffins comes out clean.
- Transfer the muffins to a cooling rack and cool 5 minutes before removing the muffins from the muffin tin and placing directly on the cooling rack. Serve warm or cold. These muffins are terrific either way.
Video
Becky’s Tips
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
How to Make Morning Glory Muffins Step by Step
Prep the Pan: Preheat your oven to 350°F. Spray a 12-count muffin tin with nonstick spray and set aside.
Make the Topping: Spread ½ cup of old-fashioned oats on a small baking sheet and bake for 8-10 minutes, or until fragrant and golden. Remove from the oven to cool. In a small bowl, combine ¼ cup of the toasted oats with 2 tablespoons of melted butter. Mix well and set aside.
Whisk the Dry Ingredients: In a large bowl, whisk together 2 cups of all-purpose flour, 1¼ cups of granulated sugar, 2 teaspoons of baking soda, 2 teaspoons of ground cinnamon, 1 teaspoon of ground ginger, and ½ teaspoon of kosher salt. Set aside.
Combine the Mix-Ins: In a medium bowl, mix together 2 cups of shredded carrots, ½ cup of golden raisins, ½ cup of chopped honey-roasted pecans, ½ cup of sweetened flaked coconut, ½ cup of shredded apple, 1 teaspoon of orange zest, and the remaining ¼ cup toasted oats.
Mix the Dry Ingredients and Mix-Ins Together: Add the carrot mixture to the flour mixture and mix to combine.
Whisk the Wet Ingredients: In a medium bowl, whisk together 3 large eggs, 1 cup of vegetable oil, and 2 teaspoons of pure vanilla extract.
Combine the Muffin Batter: Add the egg mixture to the flour/carrot mixture and combine just until no flour is visible.
Portion the Muffins: Evenly scoop the batter into all 12 muffin tin wells. The cups will be very full, and the muffins may have a “muffin top” when done, but that makes them extra cute. Top each muffin with the prepared oat/butter topping.
Bake the Muffins: Bake at 350°F for 20 minutes, or until a wooden toothpick inserted in the middle of one of the center muffins comes out clean. Transfer the muffins to a cooling rack and cool 5 minutes before removing the muffins from the muffin tin and placing directly on the cooling rack. Serve warm or cold. These muffins are terrific either way.
The secret to moist muffins is to use room-temperature ingredients and plant-based oils.
Each of these muffins packs 5 grams of protein!
Can I replace the sugar by the monk fruit sweetener?
You can give it a shot!
I don’t see where/when to add the orange zest – did I miss it? I stirred it in with
the carrots, apples, etc. Putting them in the oven now!
My mistake, you’d add it to the carrot mixture!
how many calories etc…??
When you go to the recipe card you can click “Nutrition Information” at the bottom and it will display all the info you are looking for, Karlie!
In the recipe, it calls for 3/4 cup oatmeal, 1/4 cup for topping and 1/4 cup mixed into the batter. That is only 1/2 cup. Is 3/4 cup a miss print? If not where does the other 1/4 cup go? Thanks!
That was a typo! I’ll fix that! Thank you!!
I was ready to make the muffins then I realized that I didn’t know what to do with the other 1/4 cup of oats. 1/4 + 1/4 = 1/2, not 3/4. So do I put 1/2 c of oats in the topping or 1/2 c in the muffins? Or am I only supposed to toast 1/2 c of oats instead of 3/4 cup? Can’t wait to try these!
You use all 3/4 C for the topping!
Hi! Reading through the recipe for these muffins and want to try them. Do you have a recommendation for a flour that might work if we wanted to do these with gluten-free ingredients?
I LOVE Bob’s Red Mill 1:1 Gluten Free Baking Flour. It’s awesome!!
I loved the mix of carrots, apples, and raisins in these muffins! Such a delicious way to start the morning!
Thanks Jocelyn!
These are a total mom win for getting my kids to eat breakfast! Great on the go option.
YES! I love being sneaky when it comes to the good stuff.
Amazingly delicious! Substituted orange zest with lemon…still worked really well!
That sounds delicious! I’ll have to try it!
Oh my, these muffins are wonderful!!! I would LOVE a few with my morning coffee!! YUM!
Hey girl hey! Thanks so much :)
These Muffins are amazing! I’m going to make a big batch and freeze some for later
I love the way you think!