Veggie-Packed Breakfast Heroes
Raise your hand if you need a breakfast that tastes like carrot-cake but still sneaks in fruit, veggies, and whole-food goodness. Same.
These gluten-free Morning Glory muffins check every box: naturally sweetened, loaded with grated carrots and apple, a little coconut for sunshine vibes, and that classic warm-cinnamon aroma. I’ve tinkered with the flour blend and moisture ratio so they bake up tall and tender! Here’s a few highlights:
- One-bowl, 15-minute batter → hot muffins in under 40 minutes.
- Fiber & healthy fats from fruit, veggies, and nuts keep you full till lunch.
- Dairy-free & refined-sugar-free with easy swaps for nut-free or paleo.
- Freezer-friendly—stash a batch and reheat on the busiest mornings.
Looking for more delicious, healthy muffin recipes? Try these oatmeal chocolate chip muffins,
Reader Reviews
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ “This recipe is wonderful! I make this every week and after sharing them with family, I eat one for breakfast before work everyday.” – Joan
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ “This muffin recipe is incredible. We will be making this again and again. I used crushed pineapple instead of raisins and added unsweetened shredded coconut. My kids gobbled it up! Perfect for quick breakfasts or on the go and it’s so healthy!” – Kayli
Table of Contents
What is a Morning Glory Muffin?
Morning glory muffins are made with shredded fresh fruits and veggies and usually include some sort of raisin and nuts. The flavor is a little savory and a little sweet, with spice from the cinnamon.
The recipe originated from The Morning Glory cafe in Nantucket. The ingredient list is long, but don’t be scared! They’re all things you probably have in your pantry.
Ingredient Notes
Dry ingredients
- Gluten free flour: you can use white all purpose flour (not gluten free) or you can use a combination of 1 3/4 cups almond flour and 1/2 cup tapioca flour to keep them paleo.
- Baking soda: this is the leaven in the recipe and reacts with acid in the sugars to help these muffins rise.
- Ground cinnamon: this spice is what makes the recipe so cozy. Highly recommend it! You can even add a pinch of ground ginger for more spice.
- Ground flax: you can omit this all together, but I like it for the fiber and taste!
Wet ingredients
- Eggs: if you want to keep these vegan you can mix the flax with water to create a few flax eggs. You can also swap the 3 eggs for 3/4 cup of unsweetened applesauce.
- Coconut sugar: I don’t recommend swapping this ingredient for a liquid sweetener because it will change the consistency of the muffins.
- Raw honey: I love the sweetness from this ingredient, but you could swap it for maple syrup or more coconut sugar.
- Coconut oil: this is the fat in the recipe and shouldn’t be forgotten! I use unrefined coconut oil so you don’t end up with any coconut flavor.
- Almond milk: you can use regular milk or any other non-dairy milk like coconut milk or oat milk.
- Carrots: you could swap this out for shredded zucchini, just be sure to pat out some of the moisture from the zucchini before adding to the batter.
- Apples: I recommend shredding the apple yourself! A great sub for this is crushed pineapple from the can!
- Golden raisins: this is the traditional ingredient used in gluten free morning glory muffins, however, other dried fruit like regular raisins, cherries or cranberries work well.
- Optional nuts: some favorites are walnuts or chopped pecans.
How to Make Gluten Free Morning Glory Muffins
Mix the wet ingredients
- Whisk together the eggs, coconut sugar, honey, melted coconut oil, almond milk, vanilla, shredded carrots and shredded apple in a medium bowl.
- Next, add all of the dry ingredients to a large bowl then add the wet ingredients to the flour mixture then stir well until just combined, being careful not to over mix.
Fill muffin tins
- Add the raisins to the batter and stir until just combined, being careful not to over mix again.
- Divide the batter evenly into the muffin pan, filling each one all the way to the top. We want them to bake high over the rim.
Bake
- Bake the muffins in the preheated oven for 5 minutes tat 425°F then reduce the heat to 350°F and bake for another 17-19 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
- Cool in the muffin tins for 5-10 minutes then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
Gluten Free Morning Glory Muffins
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Ingredients
- 2 cups 1:1 gluten free flour (I like bob's Red Mill or King Arthur's flour blends), see notes for paleo option
- 2 teaspoons baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- 3 large eggs see notes for vegan option
- 1/2 cup coconut sugar
- 1/4 cup raw honey
- 1/2 cup melted coconut oil
- 1/3 cup almond milk
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 2 cups shredded carrots (about 4 large carrots)
- 1 cup grated apple (about 1 large apple) don’t squeeze juice out
- 1/2 cup golden raisins or other dried fruit
- 1/3 cup chopped walnuts optional
Instructions
- In a large mixing bowl, combine the gluten free flour, baking soda, ground cinnamon, and salt.2 cups 1:1 gluten free flour, 2 teaspoons baking soda, 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon, 1/2 teaspoon salt
- In a separate medium bowl, whisk together the eggs, coconut sugar, honey, melted coconut oil, almond milk, vanilla, carrots and apple.3 large eggs, 1/2 cup coconut sugar, 1/4 cup raw honey, 1/2 cup melted coconut oil, 1/3 cup almond milk, 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract, 2 cups shredded carrots (about 4 large carrots), 1 cup grated apple (about 1 large apple)
- Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and fold together until just combined and all the pockets of flour are gone. Add the raisins and stir until just combined, being careful not to overmix. Cover with plastic wrap and let it rest for 20 minutes.1/2 cup golden raisins
- Preheat the oven to 425°F and line two muffin tins with paper liners in every other muffin cup. Spray with nonstick spray.
- Divide the batter evenly between the muffin cups all the way to the top, slightly overflowing. Bake the muffins in the preheated oven for 7 minutes then, with the muffins still in the oven, reduce the heat to 350°F and bake for another 18-22 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Work in batches as needed. You may not get 12 full muffins if you fill them up overflowing (which I recommend).
- Cool in the muffin tins for 5-10 minutes then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
Notes
- Paleo option: swap the gluten free flour for 1 3/4 cups almond flour and 1/2 cup tapioca flour.
- Vegan option: create 3 flax eggs by mixing 3 tablespoons of flax with 3 tablespoons of water in a separate bowl. You can also swap the eggs for 3/4 cup unsweetened applesauce.
- To meal prep: Whisk together the dry ingredients, shred the carrots and shred the apples to prep for quick baking.
- To store: allow the muffins to cool completely then store them in an air tight bag room temp for 1-2 days or in the fridge for up to 1 week.
- To freeze: allow the muffins to cool completely then store them in a freezer bag for up to 3 months. Thaw them in the fridge overnight.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
FAQs
Healthy is a relative term, but by most people’s standards, these muffins are healthy! They’re gluten, dairy and refined sugar free and they’re full of healthy veggies, fruits, fats and fiber. You’ll feel good about starting your day with this recipe!
There are 290 calories in this muffin. If you omit the flax, there are 275 calories in each muffin.
Muffins are a great baked good to store in the freezer. I recommend doubling this recipe and storing a batch for when you need it.
Tips for Perfect GF Muffins
- How to shred the apples and carrots: peel the apple and carrots and use a cheese grater to shred the fruit and veggies.
- Don’t squeeze liquid out of the apples because you need their moisture for the muffins.
- Bake the muffins on high for 5 mins to create the dome-like texture then reduce the heat to cook all the way through to create extra high, bakery-style muffins.
- Don’t over-mix the batter. This can result in a dense muffin texture.
Meal Prep and Storage Instructions
- To meal prep: I don’t recommend making the batter in advance and waiting to bake them. However, you can prep the ingredients beforehand. Whisk together the dry ingredients, shred the carrots and shred the apples to prep for quick baking.
- To store: allow the muffins to cool completely then store them in an air tight bag or container at room temperature for 1-2 days. Additionally, store them in the fridge for up to 1 week.
- To freeze: allow the muffins to cool completely then store them in a freezer bag (we use a reusable bag) for up to 3 months. Thaw them in the fridge overnight and warm them up in the microwave if desired.
If you make this recipe, I’d love for you to give it a star rating ★ below. You can also tag me on Instagram so I can see it!
More healthy muffins
- Healthy banana muffins
- Chocolate chip almond flour muffins
- Gluten free pumpkin muffins
- Lemon poppy seed muffins
- Chocolate banana blender muffins
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Can the honey be omitted? Or what would be a good alternative
Also could I use brown or white sugar instead of coconut sugar?
Hey Claire! You can swap the honey for maple syrup and the coconut sugar for brown sugar. Thanks!