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 love your Sunday spotlights Amy! There is always something new I find I just “have” to bake! These muffins look glorious! I’m so excited to try them. I’m not a breakfast gal, but I think I could make it a habit if I had these to wake up too! You know I’m going to go bake these ASAP! lol… Thanks again for all your amazing recipes, I don’t know how you make things so healthy, taste so good, and you keep those calories down!
You’re such a sweetheart Lynn! I’m really glad you’re enjoying these Sunday Spotlight posts, and I always love featuring you. (It’s almost impossible not to, with how much you’ve been baking lately! 😉 ) I’d love to hear what you think of the muffins if you try them! And that’s one of the many things I love about muffins (besides built-in portion control)… They’re great for snacks and a not-too-sweet dessert too!
Yum, Yum, Yum! These are Oh So Fabulous! Mine just came out of the oven. Question for you Amy.. whenever I make your muffin recipes I get 18 not 12, and they are filled to the top of the muffin cups. I’m starting to wonder if Canadian muffin tins are smaller for some reason. I line them with the large parchment paper liners, and they fit fine, so I’m so curious how you only get 12, lol… the good news..18 is yet lower in calories per muffin!
I’m so glad you loved the muffins Lynn! That’s so strange that you get 18 muffins instead… You’re using Canadian standard-sized muffin tins, rather than mini muffin tins, correct? These are the exact muffin tins that I use, so it very well could be that yours are just smaller!
Hi Amy;
I looked up your muffin cups and they are a little bigger than the ones I have. I have the non stick muffin cups and it says your holds 1/3 cup…mine can’t hold that much! I was just curious if I was doing something wrong, lol.. I guess that means I can eat two now, lol. Thanks for getting back to me so quickly! Now I’m off to have a treat 🙂
It’s my pleasure Lynn! I’m glad we solved the mystery. 🙂
Hi Amy, Those muffins looks delicious, but im wondering if we could replace the oat bran buy regular whole grain oats.
Thank you 🙂
I appreciate your interest in my recipe Eloise! If you prefer to use regular oats instead of the oat bran, then measure out the same amount, and pulse them in a food processor or blender until they’re no larger than ⅛ of their original size. Use those pulsed oats exactly as written for the oat bran in the recipe. 🙂 I can’t wait to hear what you think of these muffins!
Love these! I have used berries/pineapple/various nuts and it always turns out well.
I’m so glad you’re enjoying the muffins Melody! That means a lot to me! 🙂
Ooops. 🙂
Hi! I’m just waiting for my first batch of these muffins to come out of the oven, will let you know how they turn out! My question is: you say to add more nuts and coconut if you’d prefer (which I did, doubling both suggested amounts as I love them), but surely this upsets the wet/dry ingredient ratio? Wouldn’t you need to add more liquid if you are adding more of the dry ingredients? Thanks 🙂
I can’t wait to hear what you think of these Kate! 🙂 If you doubled both the nuts and the coconut, you shouldn’t need to add more liquid ingredients. The dry ingredients mostly refers to the flour and oat bran, which are absorbent. The coconut and nuts essentially don’t absorb liquid, so they don’t upset the ratio. ?
I just put the muffins in the oven and can’t waite to taste them. Thank you for your wonderful, healthy recipes, I have tried several and they all turned out great. My husband loves the fact that they have healthy ingredients and taste wonderful. I added a bit of nutmeg to this recipe and used agave instead of the maple syrup. I will let you know how they turn out.
I’m so glad you and your husband are enjoying my recipes Maureen — that means SO much to me! I love your idea of adding nutmeg to these muffins. I can’t wait to hear how they turned out!
The muffins were soon delicious, I will be making them often. A great addition to breakfast, Thans again for this wonderful recipe!
It’s my pleasure Maureen, and thank YOU! That means so much to me that you plan on making them often — I’m honored! 🙂
Not sure what I did wrong, but mine don’t seem to have come out right 🙁 I baked them for 25 mins, till the tops were firm, yet the bottom halves seem quite underdone. Is there any hope in seeing how they shape up in the morning? Any tips for next time?
Edit: I did just notice that my baking powder is wildly expired. Did not know baking powder could expire???
Yikes!! Yes, baking powder and just about every other baking ingredient (ie flour, baking soda, etc) can expire. That probably caused the issues that you saw! I recommend getting fresh baking powder and using the toothpick test (it should come out clean) to make sure your muffins are done next time. If the tops look done and like they’re on the edge of burning, while the undersides still look raw, you can put a piece of foil over the top of the muffin tin (be careful when pressing it into place on the sides to stay put!) and continue baking the muffins for another 5-10 minutes. This foil trick prevents the tops from burning while allowing the rest of the muffins to finish baking. 🙂
Last week I purchased the most delicious Morning Glory muffin I’ve ever had at the new bakery in town. This week I decided to I find a recipe and make them myself. Your recipe appealed because of the healthy ingredients but I must say by comparison, I was disappointed. I thought the flavor was pretty good but did not care for the texture. I prefer a muffin with a finer crumb and there was a lot of bran in this one. If I make them again, I will use less bran and more flour. Also found the raisins off-putting…too big, will use currants instead. While I like molasses I felt it overshadowed the other flavor a bit..
I appreciate your interest in my recipe Linda! Traditional morning glory muffins don’t use bran, so this recipe already isn’t going to be the same as the one you previously ate. Bran muffins are typically heartier and denser, as you discovered! 🙂 I’d love to hear what you think of your modified version once you make those tweaks!