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
Awesome! I just made these and they turned out better than I hoped. The store I went to did not have oat bran so I gambled on a bran bud cereal. A cup and a half like the recipe called for. I will make it the same next time. Great texture and flavor. I bumped up the add ins and tossed in some chocolate chips. Very tasty ?.
I’m so glad you enjoyed these muffins Timm! Thanks so much for taking the time to include your recipe modifications — I always love hearing what tweaks work! 🙂
The muffins were absolutely lovely.Thank ypu for sharing the recipe.Can I substitute eggs with some other ingredient.
I’m so glad you enjoyed these muffins Pami! My brother is actually allergic to eggs, and Ener-G is my favorite substitute for them. Ener-G is a shelf-stable powder that keeps for ages. It works perfectly as an egg replacer in nearly all of my recipes, including this one! For my recipes, use 1 ½ teaspoons Ener-G + 2 tablespoons warm water for each egg white, and you’ll need an additional ½ tablespoon of butter or coconut oil {or Earth Balance, if you’re vegan!} for each egg yolk. 🙂
They don’t sell oat bran in my area, can I use wheat germ as a substitute?
I really appreciate your interest in my recipe Matise! I don’t have any experience with substituting wheat germ in place of oat bran, so I’m not sure and don’t want to lead you astray. However, I’ve had other readers report success substituting 1 ½ cups of wheat bran (it has a different weight, so measure by cups instead of grams!). Is that available near you? Another option would be to use instant oats (also called “quick cooking” or “one minute” oats) in place of the oat bran, and I can personally vouch for that substitution! For instant oats, 1 ½ cups is the same as 150g. 🙂 I’d love to hear what you think if you try these muffins!
Can I substitute applesauce for the diced apple? Or maybe pineapple?
I really appreciate your interest in my recipe Rachel! Applesauce won’t work as a substitute for the diced apple because it adds too much liquid moisture to the batter. However, pineapple would work! For the best results, drain your pineapple first. Pineapple is much juicier than apple, so by draining it ahead of time, your muffins should have about the same texture! 🙂 I can’t wait to hear what you think of them!
I made these muffins to have as a quick breakfast on the run. I used wheat bran instead of oat bran and avocado oil in place of coconut oil.
They are delicious. Even though they take a bit of effort to make they are worth it.
I’m so glad you enjoyed these muffins Linda! Thank you so much for taking the time to let me know! 🙂
First bran muffin I’ve made and I’m inlove. I have one for breakfast, one for afternoon snack, one for dessert. Maybe that’s a bit much. Either way, they’re delicious and I don’t feel guilty eating them because of how healthy they actually are ???? whole food ingredients for the win
I’m so glad you loved these muffins Katie! That’s the best kind of compliment if you ate three in one day — thank you for sharing that with me! (And no, I don’t think that’s too many muffins in one day at all! 😉 )
Hi there, I made these muffins, following the recipe and while tasting delicious…they turned out more moist on the inside instead of dryer like a typical muffin. I’m hoping it’s just because of the ingredients and not undercooked? I ate one either way and just hope I don’t get sick.
I’m so glad you enjoyed these muffins Alissa! 🙂 Yes, they’re supposed to be exceptionally moist! The apples and carrots add moisture. As long as the batter wasn’t raw on the inside and your muffins didn’t collapse while cooling (a telltale sign of underbaked and raw batter!), then you should be fine!
Hi Amy
I have the muffins in the oven now and I could not resist tasting the batter. Its devine!! We are in Tanzania so could not get the melasses so I substituted with banana for sweet flavor. ????????????
I’m so glad you loved the batter Sussie! I hope you enjoyed the muffins just as much! 🙂 Thank you so much for taking the time to let me know!
Thank you so much for this recipe. They turned out beautifully.
My father has just been diagnosed with pancreatitis and will be visiting me in Australia for 6 weeks from Canada. He loves bran muffins but is on a very restricted diet. These are safe for him to eat so I am very thankful for you creating this!
I’m so glad you loved these muffins Christine! Your father is incredibly lucky to have you as his daughter. You’re so thoughtful to make something that’s suitable for his new diet! 🙂 If you see any of my other recipes that he might like but would need modifications to suit his diet, please let me know — I’d be happy to help you figure out what to do so he could enjoy other treats too!
Home baker from Toronto saying hello! This is the first recipe of yours that I’ve ever made and I’m so pleased with how turned out – except for one thing: the colour. They are dark, dark brown. Wondering why they look so different from yours? I used exactly the stated amount of molasses and maple syrup the recipe called for. Any idea why this may have happened?
I’m so glad you enjoyed these muffins Lian! It means a lot to me that you’d take the time to let me know! 🙂 That’s really interesting about the color. I’d love to help solve that mystery! Are your entire muffins darker in color than mine, or are the tops a similar shade? Often, metal muffin pans can make the sides darker than the tops, and since I used silicone muffin pans for these muffins, the sides are about the same color as the tops!
If your entire muffins are darker in color, then that would rule out the muffin pan idea… Did you make any modifications to the recipe, including those listed in the Notes section? How long did you bake them? And what’s the exact molasses that you used (brand and product name)?
Thanks for your swift reply, Amy! They are the same super dark brown colour all over. It could be the molasses type perhaps? The one I used was called Crosby’s Family. And it says “Cooking Molasses” on the front.
I didn’t make any modifications except I added more nuts, raisins and coconut than you did.
I baked them for 25 min.
Thanks!
It’s my pleasure Lian! I’m always happy to help! 🙂 Thanks for the info on the molasses you used — that’s the culprit! This is what I found on the brand’s website: “Cooking Molasses is a blend of blackstrap and fancy molasses. It is thicker and darker than fancy molasses — less sweet, with a more “full-flavoured” taste.” Since I use regular molasses, or what this particular brand would call “fancy” molasses, my muffins are definitely going to be lighter in color than yours! Does that make sense?
Yes, that makes total sense! Thank you so much for taking the time to research this and figure it out. I will never make the same mistake with molasses again. Haha
Merci encore 🙂
De rien Lian! (If my high school French memories are correct… 😉 ) I’m always happy to help! 🙂