Morning Glory Muffins

Morning glory muffins are the breakfast game-changer your family needs, packed with carrots, apples, coconut, and walnuts all baked into one delicious, portable treat. Unlike plain muffins, these beauties hide whole grains and fresh produce in every bite, so you’re not just feeding hungry mouths, you’re nourishing them.

The best part? Your kids won’t even realize they’re eating vegetables. These muffins taste like a little indulgence, but they’re actually loaded with real food and wholesome ingredients.

I love making a big batch on the weekend and having them ready to grab all week long. No more scrambling for breakfast ideas on busy mornings!

What You'll Need

This recipe comes together with pantry staples and fresh ingredients you probably already have on hand. The combination of warm spices, grated vegetables, and nuts creates a tender, flavorful muffin that’s hearty enough for breakfast but not too heavy.

• Whole wheat flour: Gives these muffins substance and a nutty flavor while keeping them more nutritious than all-white flour versions.
• Grated carrots and apple: These add natural moisture and sweetness, so you don’t need as much sugar. They also make the muffins incredibly tender.
• Brown sugar, cinnamon, and ginger: The spice blend is what makes these taste like fall in every bite, warm, cozy, and just a little bit fancy.
• Raisins and walnuts: The raisins plump up when soaked in hot water, and the nuts add a satisfying crunch and healthy fats.
• Orange juice: A small amount brightens the flavor and adds moisture without making the batter too wet.

Morning Glory Muffins: Step by Step

Here’s how to pull together these muffins from start to finish:

Step 1: Prep Your Pan and Soak the Raisins

Heat your oven to 375°F and spray a 12-cup muffin tin with cooking spray (or line with paper liners and spray those too). While the oven preheats, pour hot water over the raisins in a small bowl and let them sit, they’ll plump up beautifully and add natural sweetness throughout.

Step 2: Mix the Dry Ingredients

In a large bowl, whisk together the whole wheat flour, brown sugar, baking soda, cinnamon, ginger, and salt. This is where all your warm spices get evenly distributed, so don’t skip the whisking step.

Step 3: Stir in the Wet Vegetables and Mix-Ins

Add the grated carrots, grated apple, shredded coconut, chopped walnuts, and sunflower seeds (if using) to the dry mixture. Stir everything together until it’s evenly combined, you want the vegetables and nuts spread throughout.

Step 4: Combine the Wet Ingredients

In a separate smaller bowl, whisk together the eggs, vegetable oil, vanilla extract, and orange juice until everything is smooth and well blended. This is your wet base that’ll bring everything together.

Step 5: Bring It All Together

Pour the wet mixture into the dry mixture and stir gently until just combined, don’t overmix or your muffins will turn out dense and tough. Drain the plumped raisins and fold them in last.

Step 6: Bake Until Golden

Divide the batter among the muffin cups, filling each almost to the top. Bake for 25 to 28 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean and the tops are golden brown. Let them cool in the pan for 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack.

Tips From My Kitchen

• Use an ice cream scoop to portion the batter, it keeps all your muffins the same size and makes filling the tin so much neater.
• Don’t overmix the batter once you combine the wet and dry ingredients. A few lumps are fine; overmixing makes tough, dense muffins.
• If you’re using gluten-free flour, watch them closely as baking time might shift by a few minutes. Pull them out when they’re just starting to brown.
• Grate your carrots and apple on the large holes of a box grater for the best texture, too fine and they’ll release too much moisture.
• Make sure your raisins are fully plumped before stirring them in; this keeps them moist and chewy in the finished muffin.

Why This One's a Keeper

• Packed with vegetables, fruit, and whole grains, a real breakfast that sticks with you
• Kid-approved flavor that hides nutritious ingredients without any fussing
• Makes a big batch, so you have grab-and-go breakfasts all week
• Freezes beautifully, so you can bake ahead and thaw as needed
• Naturally sweetened with brown sugar and fruit, not overly processed

What Goes With It

• Grab one straight from the pan with a cup of coffee or tea for a quick breakfast on your way out the door.
• Slice and toast one, then spread with a little cream cheese or butter for a more indulgent morning treat.
• Pack a couple in a lunchbox with some fresh fruit and yogurt for a complete, balanced lunch.
• Serve warm with a drizzle of honey or a dusting of cinnamon sugar for a weekend brunch moment.
• More Easy recipes to round out the menu

Make Ahead and Storage

Store

Keep cooled muffins in an airtight container at room temperature for 3 to 5 days. They stay fresh and moist thanks to all the grated vegetables.

Freeze

Freeze in an airtight freezer container or freezer bag for up to 3 months. Individual muffins are easy to grab straight from the freezer.

Reheat

Thaw at room temperature for 30 minutes, or wrap a frozen muffin in a damp paper towel and microwave for 20 to 30 seconds until warm.

For more on safe storage, see the USDA food-safety guidance for storing leftovers.

More Easy Recipes

• Million Dollar Pound Cake
• Chewy Gingerbread Crinkles
• Orange Cake with Fluffy Crumb

You might also like: Tropical Pork Loin Dinner, Copycat Chick-fil-A Sauce, Homemade Mackinac Fudge.

Angela

Morning Glory Muffins

Wholesome, freezer-friendly muffins loaded with grated carrots, fresh apples, coconut, walnuts, and warm spices. Perfect for busy mornings and great for meal prep.

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 15 minutes mins

Cook Time 27 minutes mins

Servings: 4 muffins

Course: Breakfast

Cuisine: American

Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients

  

• ½ cup raisins
• 2 cups Whole Wheat Flour
• 1 cup light brown or dark brown sugar (packed)
• 2 tsp baking soda
• 2 tsp cinnamon
• ½ tsp ginger
• ½ tsp salt
• 2 cups carrots peeled and grated
• 1 large apple (peeled, cored, and grated)
• ½ cup shredded coconut
• ½ cups walnuts (chopped)
• 1/3 cup sunflower seeds or 1/3 cup wheat germ (optional)
• 3 large eggs
• 2/3 cup vegetable oil
• 2 tsp vanilla extract
• ¼ cup orange juice

Equipment

• 12-cup muffin tin
• Paper muffin liners (optional)
• Cooking spray
• Large mixing bowl
• Small mixing bowl
• Whisk
• Box grater
• Measuring cups and spoons
• Toothpick or cake tester
• Wire rack

Method

 

1. Preheat your oven to 375 degrees F, and lightly spray a 12-cup muffin tin with non-stick cooking spray. If you are using muffin liners, then lightly spray the inside of the liners. Set aside.
2. Place the raisins in a small bowl, and cover with hot water. Set aside.
3. In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, brown sugar, baking soda, cinnamon, ginger, and salt
4. Stir in the shredded carrots, apple, coconut, walnuts, and sunflower seeds or wheat germ
5. In a separate smaller bowl, whisk together the eggs, oil, vanilla, and orange juice
6. Pour the egg mixture into the flour mixture and stir until just combined
7. Drain the raisins in a strainer, and stir them into the batter until combined
8. Divide the batter among the muffin cups. They will be almost full to the top
9. Bake in preheated oven for 25 – 28 minutes, or until a cake tester inserted in the center comes out clean
10. Remove from the oven and let cool in the pan for 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely

Notes

Use an ice cream scoop to portion batter for evenly sized muffins. Do not overmix the batter or muffins will be dense. These freeze beautifully for up to 3 months.