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
These look lovely. Just wondering if I can sub honey for the maple syrup? thanks!
Sorry – have just read your post properly!
I’m glad you found the answer Hannah! 🙂 I can’t wait to hear what you think of the muffins!
I agree that the sky can sometimes look like an amazing painting – you can almost see ‘brushstrokes’ sometimes! There are so many different colours and hues within the sky at different times of the day, which is something so magical, inspiring and beautiful! On the subject of beautiful, these muffins look delicious, perfect for those grab ‘n’ go mornings!
I love it when my family really love a healthy baked good that I’ve made – those particular ones where their faces just light up, followed by an exclamation of “These are ABSOLUTELY delicious!” Particularly as they are experts at detecting when something is healthy, and not the ‘real thing’!?
It’s quite funny when they grab as many as possible – just like your Mum & Dad did with these muffins, haha! It’s definitely a good sign.?
Exactly!! That “light bulb” going off in their eyes, where it almost looks as if Christmas came early for them… Best feeling in the world! 😉 And that’s completely true about the brushstrokes as well. The clouds give off that perfect wispy look! 🙂
These look amazing Amy! I’m on a muffin kick lately I’ll have to try them out. If I could ever get my butt out of bed in the morning then maybe I could enjoy a painter’s sunrise too..haha!!
You totally have an excuse for not getting out of bed right now — use it as often as you can! Especially if it could result in breakfast in bed… 😉 I’d absolutely love to hear what you think if you try these muffins!
Can these be made with wheat bran instead of oat bran? My oldest is allergic to oats. Thank you!
I actually answered that already in the Notes section underneath the Instructions. 🙂 I can’t wait to hear what you think of the muffins Lisa!
I eat raisins but I don’t like them in my baked goods.
Can I just take them out or do I need to replace them with something else?
You can simply omit them Nancy! If you prefer, you can also substitute additional apple for the raisins instead. Either option will work. I can’t wait to hear what you think of the muffins!
These are lovely!! I love the hearty addition of all these good for you foods.
Thanks Brittany! Whenever we finally go hiking up around my parents’ cabin, I’ll make a vegan version of these just for you. 😉
I love Morning Glory Muffins and I’m excited to try this healthy version. Would it be possible to substitute 1 whole egg for the 2 egg whites?
Yes, that substitution should work. I’m excited to hear what you think of the muffins Deb! 🙂
Made these yesterday, and they were utterly delicious. Moist, satisfying and loved the depth and richness the molasses adds. I used honey as I don’t buy maple syrup generally, it’s so expensive! Will make regularly.
I’m so glad you enjoyed the muffins Hannah! That means so much to me that you’d like to bake them regularly — thank you for sharing that with me! 🙂
My husband has a dairy allergy. What can I do in place of the Greek yogurt?
Any non-dairy yogurt alternative should work! I personally love Silk’s soy-based yogurt alternative, and it works perfectly in place of Greek yogurt in nearly all of my recipes. I can’t wait to hear what you and your husband think of the muffins Kim!
Oh wow Amy!!! Those muffins are incredibile:D i made them yesterday and had it for breakfast today… Soo good!!!:) plus it seems like you just made them for me haha! I’m at my sophomore year at college and i’ve just started to move my workout to that early in the morning :)) I guess i found my breakfast for the rest of the year!!;) such a nice and warm post workout fuel :)) thank you so much!! :*
I’m so glad you loved them Val! That means so much to me that you’d consider making them again. 🙂 And yes, it sounds like we’re two peas in a pod — that’s too funny about your sophomore year at college and early morning workouts!! It makes the whole day feel 10x better when you finish your workout in the morning, doesn’t it??