Gluten-Free Morning Glory Muffins

Healthy and delicious, these Gluten-Free Morning Glory Muffins are a wholesome and hearty breakfast! This easy recipe is vegan and allergy-free, loaded with carrots, apples, pineapple, coconut, raisins, and sunflower seeds! Moist, nutritious, and perfectly sweet, these muffins are great to make ahead of time and freezer-friendly for busy mornings and on-the-go snacks!

The famous morning glory muffin, perfectly gluten-free, vegan, and nut-free! Moist, delicious, not to mention healthy too! Loaded with veggies, fruits, and seeds, this wholesome breakfast recipe is going to be a favorite for everyone in your family! Packed with nutrients so you're not weighed down by refined carbs and sugar. These muffins are great to meal prep and keep on hand for busy morning breakfasts, afternoon snacks, and on-the-go fuel!

What Are Morning Glory Muffins?

Invented in 1978 by chef Pam McKinstry, who owned Nantucket’s Morning Glory Cafe, the original morning glory muffin contained grated carrots and apples, raisins, pecans, shredded coconut, and a hefty dose of cinnamon held together by conventional American muffin batter. The recipe was first published in Gourmet Magazine in 1981, in response to its popularity, and in 1991 it was chosen as one of the magazine’s 25 favorite recipes from the past 50 years.

Why Are They Called Morning Glory Muffins?

The muffins were named after McKinstry's Nantucket, Massachusetts cafe, Morning Glory Cafe.

Are Morning Glory Muffins Healthy?

They're the perfect cross between a sugar-filled bakery-style "dessert" muffins and a nutrient-dense and fiber-packed hearty breakfast. A "hippie health food store" muffin that sits comfortably between these two styles. They still contain flour, oil, and sugar, but have veggies, fruits, and nuts (seeds in this case) that provide a dose of healthy energy, fiber, and nutrition. This recipe reduces the added sugar and oil, making them even healthier!

Why You'll Love This Gluten-Free Recipe

These healthy morning glory muffins are just like the original except they're perfectly gluten-free, egg-free, dairy-free, and nut-free! This homemade recipe is:

• Gluten-Free
• Vegan & Vegetarian
• Allergy-free (Dairy-Free, Soy-Free, Egg-Free, Nut-Free, Peanut-Free, Wheat-Free, Sesame-Free, Corn-Free)
• Low in Sugar
• Kid-Friendly
• Make-Ahead & Freezer-Friendly
• Wholesome Breakfast, Snack, or Brunch Option

Ingredients In Gluten-Free Morning Glory Muffins

• Gluten-Free All-Purpose Flour: All-purpose flour is the original base for this muffin recipe and is hearty enough to stand up to all those fruits and veggies!
• Baking Powder + Baking Soda + Salt: For added lift and leavening to keep these muffins fluffy and not too dense.
• Cinnamon: The original recipe calls for a HEFTY dose of cinnamon!
• Flax Eggs: Instead of eggs, to make this recipe eggless and vegan, two flax eggs work perfectly. They add nutrition and blend in with the other add-ins.
• Applesauce: For added moisture and to enhance the natural sweetness of the grated apple. Applesauce also allows you to reduce the amount of oil, sugar, and eggs needed.
• Oil: Using half oil and half applesauce, allows you to reduce the original 1 cup of oil called for in the recipe.
• Vanilla Extract: Every baked good is always better with notes of vanilla.
• Carrots: You must you freshly grated carrots! Don't use matchstick carrots. You need to grate fresh whole carrots to get optimal flavor and sweetness.
• Apple: Any crisp apple will work, but I recommend using granny smith. This type of apple won't turn to mush when grating it and adds a pop or tartness. No peeling either!
• Pineapple: Crushed pineapple in 100% pineapple juice. You'll want to drain the pineapple and squeeze out as much juice as possible before adding it to the muffin batter.
• Coconut: Shredded coconut adds that perfect tropical buttery flavor that goes so well with the other fruits.
• Raisins: Golden raisins are best for these muffins! Golden raisins are slightly sweeter and plumper than conventional Thompson seedless. However, you can use regular ones if you can't find golden raisins.
• Sunflower Seeds: To make these muffins nut-free, use roasted sunflower seeds for a perfect nutty, nutless substitute!
• Sugar + Brown Sugar: The original recipe calls for all white sugar, however, a mix of brown sugar and white sugar adds a deeper sweetness, caramel-like flavor, browning, softness, and moisture. You can use sugar-free sweeteners if you'd like to reduce the added sugar in your muffins. You can also use all white sugar as the original recipe states.

What Do Morning Glory Muffins Taste Like?

Dubbed "the everybody muffin" by the former head pastry chef at Tartine Bakery, Laurie Ellen Pellicano, these muffins truly are a kitchen sink of ingredients and flavors. A cross between carrot cake, hummingbird cake, and bran muffins, there's something for everyone to love. From sweet and tart fruits, nutty crunch, and chewy coconut, these muffins keep you guessing with each bite and have so much textural intrigue!

How To Make Morning Glory Muffins

1. Whisk together the dry ingredients in a large bowl.
2. Mix together the wet ingredients in a separate bowl to thoroughly combine.

3. Add the wet mixture to the dry ingredients and mix to combine.
4. Now add in all the fruits, veggies, and seeds to the muffin batter.

5. Fold in the add-ins, careful not to overmix the batter.
6. Fill a greased muffin tin with the muffin batter (about 3 heaping tablespoons each), for about 14-16 muffins.

7. Bake the muffins in a preheated oven at 375°F for 16-18 minutes, until the tops are golden brown.
8. Remove the muffins from the oven and allow them to cool for a few minutes in the tin before transferring them to a wire rack to cool completely before storing them.

Recipe Tips & Substitutions

• When grating the carrot and apple, you do not need to peel either of them. Use a box or cheese grater. (Bonus: Go crazy and use tri-colored carrots like purple, white, and yellow!)
• Don't bother squeezing the liquid out of the shredded apple. The only time you want to squeeze the liquid out is for the crushed pineapple. It doesn't need to be completely dry either.
• If you don't like pineapple you can leave it out. You can also swap the raisins with another dried fruit like craisins, currents, or dried blueberries.
• Don't overmix the batter. These muffins are "loosely" held together and should not be dense, You want the muffins to remain fluffy, even with all the bulky add-ins.
• If you don't want to use sunflower seeds to can leave them out or use the original called for chopped pecans (or walnuts). You can also use pumpkin seeds or hemp seeds!
• You must allow the muffins to cool slightly in the muffin pan before transferring them to a wire rack. Be careful turning them out of the tin as they are very soft and delicate.
• If you want to add more veggies, add in some shredded zucchini (make sure to squeeze the zucchini of excess liquid as you would in zucchini bread).
• Add some dried ginger in along with the cinnamon and an extra spice or grate in ½ to 1 teaspoon of fresh ginger!

How To Store Muffins

You can store leftover muffins in an airtight container at room temperature for 2-3 days. Placing a paper towel on the bottom of the container will help absorb excess moisture. You can store them longer in the fridge for up to 7 days. Storing them in the fridge is best due to the water content of all of the fruits and veggies in the muffins.

How To Freeze

To freeze the muffins right away for meal prep or longer-term storage, first, allow the muffins to cool completely before freezing them solid on a baking tray and then transferring them to an airtight container or freezer bag. You can also wrap muffins individually in plastic wrap and foil before freezing. Store for 4-6 months for best quality. Allow frozen muffins to thaw overnight in the fridge before bringing them to room temperature or quickly warming them in the microwave or toaster oven.

More Healthy Gluten-Free Muffins:

• Cranberry Orange Muffins
• Chocolate Chip Banana Muffins
• Power Breakfast Muffins
• Bakery-Style Blueberry Muffins
• Apple Cinnamon Muffins
• Bakery-Style Chocolate Chip Muffins
• Blackberry Muffins

Print

It's a glorious gluten-free morning when you have a fresh from-scratch morning glory muffin to enjoy! Grab a hot cup of coffee or tea and enjoy the morning sunrise!

So tell me:

+ What's your favorite breakfast muffin?

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