Made with orange juice, banana, and carrots, Healthy Morning Glory Muffins are an amazing snack or breakfast! Vegan and gluten free.
Do you know the muffin woman? HI.
I've said it once and I'll say it again. If this blog could be all muffin, quick bread, and soup recipes, I'd be happy. If you haven't noticed, they're my favorites!
I assure you that when I write a cookbook someday, it will lean heavy into the muffins section. In the past year, we've dabbled in Healthy Zucchini Muffins, Fluffy Orange Muffins and Fluffy Pumpkin Muffins.
So I found myself thinking...what's a muffin flavor I haven't posted? I thought of good old chocolate chip and blueberry, of course. But then I thought of morning glory, with all those yummy flavor addditions. Winner!
How to make healthy morning glory muffins
The key to this recipe is the flour combo. I love making them with super moist and nutritious almond and oat flour. The texture is incredibly moist, fluffy, and not at all gummy!
Despite the lengthier ingredient list, this recipe comes together quickly. It's as simple as mixing wet and dry separately, then combining, and folding in the add-ins.
- Make your flax egg by whisking together flax and water.
- Mix together wet ingredients (mashed banana, orange juice and zest, maple syrup, oil, vanilla, and flax mixture( in a medium bowl.
- Mix together dry ingredients (almond flour, oat flour, cinnamon, ginger, baking soda, baking powder and salt) in a large bowl.
- Pour in wet ingredients and mix until smooth. Fold in cherries, carrot, and apple.
- Spoon batter into muffin tin and bake!
All the ingredients you need + tips
The best thing about morning glory muffins is the add-ins, and there are LOTS of options here! Don't be alarmed by the long ingredient list--it's mostly spices and add-ins.
- Almond + oat flour: These muffins will not work with wheat flour, all purpose flour, coconut four, or any other flour not listed in the recipe. Steer clear of experimenting with flours here since they're not one-to-one subs and you'd have to change the whole recipe. See the suggestions at the beginning of the post for recipes using alternative flours!
- Nuts: I opted to go without nuts, but chopped pecans or walnuts would be delish if you want more crunch and nutty flavor.
- Coconut: This is super common in morning glory muffins, but I know a lot of people aren't fans. If you are, adding ½ cup of unsweetened shredded coconut would be great.
- Juice: You could do pineapple juice or even non-dairy milk instead of the orange juice, but I love the flavor of fresh orange juice.
- Zucchini: You could use freshly grated zucchini instead of carrot, but be sure to ring it out of extra moisture. These are already very moist muffins!
- Apple: If you don't want apple, you could do equal amounts of zucchini or carrot, or even ½ cup of finely diced pineapple.
- Maple syrup: I haven't tried these with granulated sweetener, but I suspect they'd work with equal amounts of coconut sugar or brown sugar since the batter is so moist.
Foolproof muffin tools
Check out some of my go-to supplies for epic muffins time and time again.
- This sturdy USA made muffin tin is my favorite.
- This box grater to grate the carrots and apple. Love that it catches everything at the bottom.
- These silicone baking cups are a LIFE SAVOR. They make clean up a breeze. No more scrubbing the muffin tin!
- These cooling racks are a must. I use them for everything!
- Muffin scoop for perfect portioning, every time.
- Genius two-sided measuring spoons that stay together in the drawer and take up less space.
How to store muffins
Keep muffins on countertop in an air-tight container for up to three days. They stay moist for a long time! If you still have some left, you can store the fridge for up to a week or more and they will stay moist.
Can I freeze muffins?
These freeze great. You can freeze them on a lined baking sheet and then transfer them into a freezer baggie. To reheat, microwave straight from the freezer until warm and enjoy! Muffins will last up to 3 months in the freezer.
More superb muffin recipes
- Orange Muffins
- Healthy Chocolate Muffins
- Healthy Zucchini Muffins
- Pumpkin Muffins
- Lemon Blueberry Muffins
If you make this Healthy Morning Glory Muffins recipe and love them, please come back and leave a star rating/comment letting me know! Your feedback is super helpful for me as well as other readers.
PrintHealthy Morning Glory Muffins Recipe
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 23 minutes
- Total Time: 38 minutes
- Yield: 12 muffins 1x
- Category: Muffin
- Method: Oven
- Cuisine: American
- Diet: Vegan
Description
Made with almond and oat flour and packed with fresh orange juice, banana, carrots, these super moist Healthy Morning Glory Muffins are an amazing snack or breakfast! Vegan and gluten free. Inspired by my Cherry Orange Bread.
Ingredients
- 2 medium overripe bananas (¾ cup, mashed)
- 1 large orange, zested and juiced (¼ cup juice)
- 2 tbsp ground flaxseed + 6 tbsp warm water (can sub 2 eggs)
- ¼ cup pure maple syrup
- 2 tbsp avocado oil or melted coconut oil
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 ¼ cups super fine almond flour, packed
- 1 ¼ cups certified GF oat flour*
- 2 tsp cinnamon
- 1 tsp ground ginger
- 1 tsp baking soda
- ½ tsp baking powder
- ½ tsp fine sea salt
- ⅓ cup dried tart cherries (can sub dried cranberries or raisins)
- 1 cup shredded carrot
- ¾ cup shredded or diced apple
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit. Grease a muffin tin.
- Place flax and water in a small bowl and stir to combine. Set aside to thicken for 5 minutes.
- Place mashed banana, orange juice and zest, maple syrup, oil, vanilla, and flax mixture in a medium mixing bowl and whisk until smooth.
- Place almond flour, oat flour, cinnamon, ginger, baking soda, baking powder and salt in a large mixing bowl and whisk until well combined. Pour in wet ingredients and mix until smooth. Fold in cherries, carrot, and apple (if your apple seems too wet, wring it out in a paper towel first to remove the excess moisture).
- Spoon batter evenly into 12 muffin cups. Bake for 8 minutes at 425°F and then reduce the heat to 350°F (keeping muffins in oven) and bake for another 18-22 minutes, or until a knife comes out clean. Cool muffins in tin for 15 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.
Notes
*TO MAKE OAT FLOUR: If you don’t have store bought, make your own by grinding old fashioned oats in the blender until it resembles a very fine flour.
OTHER FLOURS: As always, steer clear of trying alternative flours here (coconut, all purpose, etc) as they are not one-to-one swaps. I cannot vouch for the results if the recipe is made differently than how it is written.
Keywords: healthy morning glory muffins
Kara says
Delicious!!! just made and will definitely make again....used 2 eggs instead of flax only because I had lots of eggs....used dried cranberries because no raisins...the carrot, apple, banana combination just wonderful...thx for the recipe:)
★★★★★
Alexis Joseph says
I'm so happy these were a winner, Kara! Thank you 🙂
Michelle M says
Amazing. Made last night and they are delicious. Thank you for the recipe. I used some other spices like cardamom and nutmeg, and I don’t have berries so I used a small handful of nuts/berries mix and they are great!
★★★★★
Alexis Joseph says
Ohhhh cardamom sounds sooo good! Thanks for letting me know, Michelle!
Susan says
These muffins were delicious ! Even my husband who is very hesitant when it comes to healthier baked goods absolutely loved them. Thank you for creating great recipes.
Alexis Joseph says
Wonderful, thanks for letting me know you loved these, Susan!
Megan T says
I just made a batch of these for our breakfast this week. They smelled so amazing that we sampled them as dessert tonight! They are incredible! Naturally and not too sweet, great flavor and texture… really the best! So looking forward to breakfast now! Also… Added 1/4 cup chopped walnuts =)
Sarah says
Delicious muffins! They taste so good and have a great texture, I don’t think anyone would guess they are vegan and gluten free. Thanks for the recipe, I am sharing it with my gluten free family members now!
Millie says
The perfect breakfast muffin..or afternoon snack muffin..or late night splurge muffin! Delicious and moist and not too sweet. Yum!
★★★★★
Alexis Joseph says
Hahaha yes for late night muffins!!!
Alyssa says
So good!! Love that they sneak in some veggies!
★★★★★
Alexis Joseph says
Yayyy thank you, Alyssa!!!
Abby says
So fresh, delicious and satisfying - will definitely make again! 🙂
★★★★★
Alexis Joseph says
Terrific, thanks for letting me know Abby!
Elena says
These are delicious! I love all of the fruity flavors and the cinnamon + ginger really add to it. Def will make again!
★★★★★
Alexis Joseph says
Yayyy thanks, Elena!
Kim says
Basically heaven in a muffin. Love that these use cherries! I had never tried that in a morning glory recipe before.
★★★★★
Suzanne says
These were delicious and moist. The apple and carrot flavor was more dominant than the banana. As I am not a huge banana flavor person, that was good with me.
I don't always have almond flour handy and I'm not gluten free. Do you think I could substitute whole wheat pastry flour for the oat and almond flour? I saw your note about substituting flours, So it was nervous to try.
★★★★★
Cl pea says
Love these but I am not a banana fan. Is there a good substitute for them?
Alexis Joseph says
Hmmmm I have only tested them as written with banana, but you could try applesauce or pumpkin? They would be way less sweet though so you'd need to add more dry sweetener as to not throw off the wet to dry ratio...I'd definitely taste the batter to make sure it's to your liking if you don't use banana. As a disclaimer, I haven't tried this myself so I can't vouch for the results unfortunately!
Valerie says
WOAH...! Made these and am in loooove!! They even smelled insane in the oven but the taste is incredible! So well-balanced in flavor with the delish carrot, orange, cranberries, cinnamon, and ginger.. My husband declared them his fave muffin! Def a keeper and will be making again! Highly rec following the recipe as is - it’s a gem! 😊
★★★★★
Alexis Joseph says
Fabulous!! Isn't that smell the best?? Sending you a big Monday hug, Valerie!
Jenna says
Just made a batch of these for the week! So yummy!
★★★★★
Alexis Joseph says
Wonderful!! Best news, thanks for taking the time to comment, Jenna.
Abby says
So delicious! Perfect! Great recipe!
★★★★★
Alexis Joseph says
Sweeeeeet thank you tons, Abby!!
Rachael says
SO good!! Our whole family loved them. Perfect for my egg/dairy allergy 1 year old - it's the first baked good he's devoured!! Will definitely make again, thanks!
★★★★★
Alexis Joseph says
How sweet!! Thanks so much for letting me know, Rachael!
Stephanie says
These took awhile to make but sooo worth it! They were super delicious! I added the coconut and also some pecans but otherwise followed the recipe as written. Will for sure make again! Hopefully they freeze well!
★★★★★
Alexis Joseph says
Lovely!! They do indeed freeze well. Thanks, Stephanie!
Alex says
Love these! They are perfect for breakfast as they are not too sweet. I love that they are packed with fruits and veggies...what a great way to start the day!
★★★★★
Alexis Joseph says
Awww thank you, Alex! That means a ton!
Leslie says
Loved them! Followed the recipe as written. Every bite is a nice surprise with all the mixed in things. Sweet enough, but not too sweet.
★★★★★
Alexis Joseph says
I'm thrilled you loved these, thanks Leslie!!
Shelley says
So incredibly good! My entire extended family loved these muffins! I omitted the ginger and they were fantastic! So grateful for another wonderful allergy friendly recipe for my two toddlers! Will be making these often!! Appreciate you so much!
★★★★★
Alexis Joseph says
I'm so glad these were a winning recipe for the whole fam! Thanks a ton Shelley.
Dylan says
So good with a big ole cup of coffee!
★★★★★
Alexis Joseph says
I so agree!! Thanks, Dylan 🙂
Jenny Papineau says
These are so amazing!! I made my second batch last night, a week after the first batch. So delicious and healthy! Even my husband loved them!
★★★★★
Alexis Joseph says
Thank you so much, Jenny! I totally messed up and didn't mean to publish this post yet--I'm going to take it down (it'll go live again in January) but I'm going to email you the recipe right now so you have it 🙂