During my sophomore year of college, I lived in an apartment located about a mile away from campus along with three other girls. Nearly every morning after turning off my alarm clock, I climbed down the ladder of my lofted bed, pulled on my workout clothes, and headed out the door for a run.
Still half asleep and not quite fully coherent, I typically stuck with the same route (I lacked the brainpower to remember new directions and street names that early in the morning!). I followed the asphalt path that meandered around a few different parks in the residential neighborhoods behind our apartment complex, mentally picking out my favorite houses as I passed by the quiet roads.
For about two weeks during the early spring and again in the late summer, I really looked forward to a particular stretch of my route. A long straight section, bordered by the houses’ wooden backyard fences on the right and an empty riverbed on the left, it pointed due east.
Since I started my run at almost the same time every single day, the bright yellow sun was just starting to peek out over the horizon as I jogged down that stretch during those four special weeks, painting the sky with soft pinks and tangerine hues, while the deep purple of the night began to fade.
I felt like I was witnessing an artist at work as those rich colors of dawn rippled farther and farther across the dawn sky, and on those days, I always finished my run full of peace and inspiration.
Once I returned home and showered, I typically poured myself a small bowl of my favorite Trader Joe’s cereal to slowly savor as my post-workout fuel, but these Morning Glory Bran Muffins would have been the ideal breakfast for those mornings—and not just because of their name! Full of healthy ingredients and cozy cinnamon, their comforting flavors pair perfectly with the crisp morning air of my runs, and both of my parents even called them the best muffins they’ve ever had.
That’s high praise, coming from them!
Chef Pam McKinstry created the original recipe for morning glory muffins, named after the Morning Glory Café where she worked. The muffins included a little bit of everything: carrots, apples, raisins, nuts, and coconut… As well as way too much oil, refined flour and sugar for my tastes. So let’s talk about how we’re gong to make this healthier version!
You’ll start with oat bran. (Or wheat bran—both work equally well!) Although the original recipe didn’t include bran, I absolutely love bran muffins and thought it’d be a fun addition. I also have a secret trick to making the best bran muffins…
You’ll soak the oat bran in a mixture of Greek yogurt, milk, and vanilla while measuring and mixing together the other ingredients! This trick softens the oat bran (similar to how all of my protein-packed overnight oat recipes work), which makes your bran muffins extremely tender. Trust me—this simple tip makes these muffins absolutely irresistible!
Even better, the Greek yogurt adds the same moisture as extra butter or oil for a fraction of the calories, so you just need 1 tablespoon of coconut oil. Yes, that’s it! Greek yogurt also adds a protein boost because it contains around 21g of protein per cup, as compared to regular yogurt with around 10g. There’s a reason Greek yogurt is one of my favorite ingredients in healthier baking!
Instead of white flour, you’ll use whole wheat flour Just regular ol’ whole wheat flour! This is the kind that I buy because it’s relatively inexpensive and easy to find at most grocery stores where I live in the US. I’ve also included my recommended gluten-free flour blend in the Notes section, if you prefer that instead.
We’re also skipping the refined sugar today, so you’ll sweeten these healthy muffins with a combination of pure maple syrup and molasses. Be sure you buy the good stuff when it comes to maple syrup! Skip the pancake syrups or sugar-free syrups. Pure maple syrup generally comes in thin glass bottles or squat plastic jugs, and the only ingredient on the label should be “maple syrup.” I’ve even bought it in bulk online before at a cheaper price.
The molasses is what gives bran muffins their characteristic rich, warm flavor, so please don’t skip it! It’s shelf-stable and keeps for ages, and you can usually find it near either the honey or the maple syrup at the grocery store. (This is the kind I buy.) You’ll use it in all of my bran muffin recipes, as well as all of my gingerbread recipes. It’s a mandatory ingredient in gingerbread, too!
And now for the part you’ve been waiting for… The mix-ins! You’ll stir in shredded carrots, diced apple, raisins, diced pecans, and shredded unsweetened coconut. Whew! That’s quite a mouthful to say… And an even tastier one to eat! My dad’s eyes lit up as he took bite after bite. “These are my kind of muffins!” he exclaimed as he tasted each of those ingredients.
And after he ate three, my mom claimed another four, leaving almost none for me… I’d say that’s a pretty good sign, wouldn’t you??
And when you make your own, remember to snap a picture and share it on Instagram using #amyshealthybaking and tagging @amyshealthybaking IN the photo itself! (That guarantees I’ll see your picture! ?) I’d love to see your muffins and feature them in my Sunday Spotlight series!
| Morning Glory Bran Muffins | | Print |
- 1 ½ cups (180g) oat bran (measured like this and gluten-free if necessary)
- ½ cup (120g) plain nonfat Greek yogurt
- ½ cup (120mL) nonfat milk
- 1 ½ tsp vanilla extract
- 1 cup (120g) whole wheat or gluten-free* flour (measured like this)
- 2 tsp baking powder
- 1 ½ tsp ground cinnamon
- ½ tsp salt
- 1 tbsp (14g) coconut oil or unsalted butter, melted and cooled slightly
- 2 large egg whites, room temperature
- ¼ cup (60mL) molasses, room temperature
- ¼ cup (60mL) pure maple syrup, room temperature
- 1 ½ cups (160g) freshly grated carrots
- ¾ cup (94g) diced apple
- ¼ cup (40g) raisins
- 2 tbsp (14g) finely diced pecans
- 2 tbsp (10g) shredded unsweetened coconut
- Preheat the oven to 350°F, and lightly coat 12 muffin cups with nonstick spray.
- In a medium bowl, stir together the oat bran, Greek yogurt, milk, and vanilla. Let the mixture rest for at least 10 minutes while preparing the remaining ingredients.
- In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, cinnamon, and salt. In a third bowl, whisk together the coconut oil and egg whites. Stir in the molasses and maple syrup. Add the oat bran mixture, stirring until fully incorporated. Add the flour mixture, stirring until just incorporated. Fold in the carrots, apple, raisins, pecans, and coconut.
- Evenly divide the batter between the prepared muffin cups. Bake at 350°F for 20-23 minutes or until the tops feel firm to the touch. Cool in the muffin cups for 5 minutes before carefully transferring to a wire rack.
For the gluten-free flour, use the following blend: ½ cup (60g) millet flour, ¼ cup (30g) tapioca flour, ¼ cup (30g) brown rice flour, and ¾ teaspoon xanthan gum. Most store-bought blends should also work, as long as they are measured like this.
White whole wheat flour, whole wheat pastry flour, or all-purpose flour may be substituted for the whole wheat flour.
Any milk (including non-dairy) may be substituted for the nonfat milk.
Honey or agave may be substituted for the maple syrup. Do not substitute pancake syrup because it will not produce the same taste or texture. Do not substitute anything for the molasses; it’s required to produce the iconic bran muffin flavor.
Do not substitute store-bought pre-shredded carrots. They’re too thick and dry, and they’ll dry out your muffins.
Both red or green apples will work. When cutting the apple, make sure the pieces are no larger than the raisins to ensure the muffins bake properly.
Any nuts may be substituted for the pecans.
I’m not a huge fan of nuts or coconut in my muffins, which is why there’s very little of them. You’re welcome to add more, if you prefer!
{gluten-free, clean eating, low fat, low calorie}
View Nutrition Information
You may also like Amy’s other recipes…
♥ Carrot Cake Bran Muffins
♥ Apple Gingerbread Bran Muffins
♥ Peach Pie Bran Muffins
♥ Chocolate Chip Strawberry Bran Muffins
♥ Zucchini Bread Bran Muffins
♥ Chocolate Chip Pumpkin Bran Muffins
♥ Chocolate Chip Banana Bran Muffins
I was searching for a good healthy bran muffin recipe today and came across your Morning Glory muffins. Just finished making a batch and they are wonderful! With that I signed up for your mailing list and bookmarked this page. Great treat for a cold and rainy quarantine day! I’ll be packing these in my lunchbox this week. Can’t wait to try some of your other recipes!
I’m so glad you loved these muffins Paul! That truly means a lot to me that you’d subscribe to my mailing list and look forward to trying some of my other recipes. You just made my day — thank you so much for taking the time to let me know!! 🙂
Love these healthy muffins. 2nd batch in the oven as I write.
My adaptations:
I didn’t have pecans the first time so used pumpkin seeds and they were great.
I also use 2 whole eggs instead of just whites because I don’t want the fuss!!!
I also didn’t use coconut.
I’m so glad that you loved these muffins, Dianne! That’s the best kind of compliment if you’re already baking a second batch — I’m truly honored! 🙂 Thank you so much for taking the time to let me know!
Hi, this recipe looks truly amazing! Can I use Xylitol instead of molasses? From SA, and it is a bit difficult to find it in our stores.
Thank you 🙂
Hi Amy
Delicious recipe and v healthy concept! My parents used to make bran loaf when I was a child and called it ‘loo loaf’ (loo being the English word for toilet) I only realised once older why!
I found with the recipe though that the muffins sank a little and also were still quite underdone in centre, even when I had them in for a little extra time. Would you say to slightly up the baking powder and flour in that case?
I also had a thought maybe I should have patted dry the carrot and apple to reduce moisture.
Please advise, as I will be making these again soon as healthy snack for my kids’ school bag!
TIA
It means a lot that you tried my recipe, Cat! (I chuckled at your “loo loaf” story… Too funny!)
That’s so strange that your muffins were raw and collapsed. I’m happy to help figure out why that was! In order to do so, I have some questions for you. 🙂
Did you make any substitutions or modifications to the recipe, including those listed in the Notes section?
Did you use a kitchen scale or measuring cups/spoons to measure the ingredients, especially the flour, oat bran, molasses, and maple syrup?
How “wet” were your carrots and apple? Did you use the same amount as I listed in the Ingredients?
Can you describe the texture of the batter before you transferred it to the muffin cups?
How long did you bake your muffins?
I know I just asked a LOT of questions, but I’ll have a much better idea once I know your answers to all of them!
Hi Amy
Thanks for responding! my notes:
– the mixture looked pretty good when it went in not too sloppy
– i measured everything and followed the recipe, cooked recommended temp and for around 10 mins extra
– only switch out I didnt have any yoghurt so used a little more milk andI forgot to pat my carrots and apple (might have been too wet)
Do you think those two things did it?
BW
Cat
Thanks so much for sharing this info, Cat!
Did you use a kitchen scale or measuring cups/spoons to measure the ingredients, especially the flour, oat bran, molasses, and maple syrup? (I didn’t see your answer to this question… This is actually really important and usually the biggest culprit, which is why I’m asking it again! 😉 )
How much milk did you use to replace the yogurt?
Did you use the exact same amounts of carrots and diced apple that I listed in the Ingredients? Did you use measuring cups or a kitchen scale for these?
By “not too sloppy,” do you mean the batter was really thick? If you scooped it up with a wooden spoon, would it somewhat hold its shape? Or would it immediately ooze off of the sides?
Can I use applesauce instead of Apples. Not sure I want to go through the hassle of dicing apples
I really appreciate your interest in my recipe, Craig! I don’t recommend substituting applesauce for the diced apples. That will add too much moisture to the batter, so your muffins won’t bake properly. When used in muffin batter, applesauce also has a much fainter flavor than diced apples, so you wouldn’t be able to taste much, if any, of the apple flavor.
However, if you’re just not a fan of apples (or dicing them!), then you can substitute additional ¼ cup of raisins instead. 🙂
I’d love to hear what you think of these muffins if you try making them!
Hi Amy,
I can’t wait to try this recipe. I was wondering if I can make the batter over the weekend and keep it in the fridge so I can bake just a few each morning. Do you think it will keep in the fridge for a week?
Colette
Hi, I have made this recipe a few times successfully using oat bran! We love it. However this time I did not have oat brand so I substituted wheat bran. I use a kitchen scale so I measured the wheat bread by weight, which I think was a big mistake! It weighs a lot less than oat brand so I ended up probably doubling the amount I needed, which made the batter so dry that it wouldn’t even combine. Had to double the yogurt and milk and still it was so thick that I ended up just shaping them and baking like cookies. 🤣 You might want to make a note that if you’re using wheat bran that you measure by volume and not weight. Otherwise a wonderful recipe!
It means so much that you’re enjoying these muffins, Jenn! That’s the best kind of compliment, if you’ve made it multiple times. We’re thrilled to hear that! 🙂 That was such a creative idea to make cookies instead. That sounds really fun and delicious too!
It’s true… Unless explicitly stated, it’s generally best to go by volume instead of weight when substituting other ingredients — as you just found out! This is because weight (grams) is based off of density, rather than volume (cups), and many ingredients have different densities.
If you measured out 1 cup of cotton balls versus 1 cup of sand, they’d take up the same amount of space (volume)… But the cup cotton balls would definitely weigh less than the cup of sand! Or if you measured out 1 pound of cotton balls versus 1 pound of sand, you’d end up with a small handful of sand… And a pillowcase or two full of cotton balls! Same weight, different volume. Does that make sense?
The same thing applies to different ingredients. 1 cup of oat bran weighs 120g, 1 cup of wheat bran weighs 60g, 1 cup of Greek yogurt weighs 240g, and 1 cup of grated carrots weighs 107g (to use examples from this recipe!). So although these ingredients take up the same amount of space (volume), they’ll have different weights because of their different densities.
I hope that helps when making ingredient substitutions in the future — whether for our recipes or ones from other sources! 🙂
Love this recipe! But our muffins turned out very strongly of molasses. That’s almost all that we taste. They are also a much darker brown than in your photos. Is this normal for this recipe (is it supposed to taste very strongly of molasses)? Thanks!
It means a lot that you tried my recipe, Anna! That doesn’t sound like how these muffins are supposed to taste (they should have a well-balanced flavor, where the tastes of the mix-ins shine and the molasses is more of a background flavor!), so I’d love to help figure out what happened with your batch. 🙂
The most common culprit of a really dark color and overwhelming molasses taste is using blackstrap molasses, instead of regular unsulphured molasses. Is there any chance that’s what you used? Or did you use the same exact brand of molasses (the “original” one with a yellow label!) that I linked to in the Ingredients list?
If you used the same molasses that I did, then I’m happy to brainstorm other potential reasons for why your muffins turned out that way too!