Healthy Pumpkin Morning Glory Muffins

 
Last year, I visited New England in the early autumn for a work event. The itinerary included a tour of two different organic dairy farms, one in upstate New York and the other in northern Vermont, so we stayed partway between the two at a charming inn a little further south in Vermont.  

On the second full day, we ended up with a few free hours in the afternoon to relax back at the inn, so I pulled on my sneakers and headed out to the inn’s grounds. The property included multiple hiking trails, which wove across a stream and around the thick forest of incredibly tall and stately trees.

Armed with only my phone (which simply acted as a camera, seeing as there was zero cell service in those hills!), I walked alone, listening to the birds happily chirping and the sounds of dry leaves crunching underneath my feet. I followed the well-marked trails, climbing over massive tree trunks that had fallen across the narrow path and hopping across stones in the gently flowing water, all while marveling at just how dense, lush, and peaceful those parts of New England were compared to my San Diego home.

Not many people realize… Once you leave the beaches on the coast, most of San Diego is actually a desert!
 

 
With the cool and overcast weather, I never overheated on my two-hour hike, and by the time I arrived back at the inn, sipping on a cup of coffee back in my cozy room just sounded perfect. I brewed a fresh mug with the coffee maker the innkeeper left for us in one of the lounges, and I slowly savored it while sitting in the comfy chair in my room, looking out at the fields and forest through my window.

As I enjoyed the view and reminisced about our whirlwind trip, full of new friends and fun travel and really good food, I also thought about how lovely it would be to live there…

Until I remembered that it snows — a lot — in much of New England… And although I loved that cloudy fall weather, my body just can’t take that much freezing cold!
 

 
With our California weather finally starting to turn cooler, we’ve actually experienced a few of those overcast days here… Which brought back memories of that trip, my hike, and that cozy cup of afternoon coffee. And of course, whenever I think about cloudy days and hot coffee, I always start craving baked goods to go with them…

Kind of like “If You Give a Mouse a Cookie,” only this time, it’s “If You Give Amy a Cloudy Day”… She’s going to want coffee and a pastry to go with it!
 

 
So I satisfied my cravings with these healthy pumpkin morning glory muffins! They’re incredibly moist and bursting with sweet pumpkin and cozy spice flavors — absolutely perfect for autumn weather!

These wholesome muffins also contain a plethora of yummy mix-ins that boost their warm and comforting taste: carrots, apples, raisins, pecans, and coconut. Even with all of those delicious ingredients, these healthy pumpkin morning glory muffins are surprisingly simple to make!
 

WHAT ARE MORNING GLORY MUFFINS?

What are morning glory muffins? I’m so glad you asked! 😉

Morning glory muffins were first created around 1980 (some people say 1978, others say 1981, so let’s just split the difference for now!) by Chef Pam McKinstry. She ran the Morning Glory Café in Nantucket, and she came up with the muffin recipe to serve her patrons.

The original morning glory muffins included carrots, apples, raisins, coconut, nuts (pecans or walnuts!), and cinnamon. Some sources say the originals also included pineapple, while others omit it. Regardless… They were chock-full of delicious mix-ins!

However, most sources agree that the original morning glory muffins recipe seems to have called for all-purpose flour, granulated sugar, and an entire cup of oil. Not exactly the healthiest… So I decided to change that with my recipe!
 

KEY INGREDIENTS TO MAKE HEALTHY PUMPKIN MORNING GLORY MUFFINS

Let’s go over the key ingredients that you’ll need to make these healthy pumpkin morning glory muffins!

Flour. You’ll start with white whole wheat flour. Contrary to what it sounds like, white whole wheat flour doesn’t contain any all-purpose (aka “white” flour) at all! Instead, it’s made by finely grinding a special type of soft white wheat (hence the name!), whereas regular whole wheat flour comes from a heartier variety of red wheat. They both have the same health benefits (like extra fiber!), but white whole wheat flour has a lighter taste and texture.

So the bottom line? When you use white whole wheat flour, you get (a) nutrient-packed pumpkin morning glory muffins that (b) still have an incredibly moist and fluffy texture, just like if you had used all-purpose flour. I call that a win-win!

Tip: If you’d like to make your healthy pumpkin morning glory muffins gluten-free, then see the Notes section of the recipe. I’ve included my top recommendations there!
 

 
Pumpkin spice. As tempting as it may be to reach for that jar of store-bought pumpkin spice, I highly recommend you make your own. I always do! I love a higher ratio of the other spices to cinnamon compared to what most store-bought jars include because I find that gives a richer, cozier, and much more satisfying flavor. In my homemade pumpkin spice, I include cinnamon (← that particular variety is my favorite!), allspice, ginger, nutmeg, and cloves.

Hint: Pumpkin spice is short for “pumpkin pie spice,” meaning the spices used in the filling of pumpkin pie. It doesn’t actually include any pumpkin!
 

 
Unsalted butter or oil. Unlike the original recipe that called for 1 cup of oil… You just need a mere ½ tablespoon of butter or oil for this recipe. That really helps keep your healthy pumpkin morning glory muffins low calorie and low fat! Then the rest of their incredibly moist and fluffy texture comes from two other ingredients…

Greek yogurt. The first is Greek yogurt! If you’ve browsed through my recipes before, then you already know how much I love Greek yogurt. With this muffin recipe, it adds the same moisture to the batter as extra butter or oil but for a fraction of the calories, and it also gives your healthy pumpkin morning glory muffins a protein boost!

Pumpkin purée. The second is pumpkin purée! That’s right… Pumpkin adds more than just flavor to these healthy muffins! Pumpkin purée is also called “100% pure pumpkin.” Make sure you use regular pumpkin purée! I use canned pumpkin as a shortcut, rather than making my own. You can often find it on the baking aisle at grocery stores in the US!

Hint: During the fall, many stores also set out cans of “pumpkin pie mix” or “pumpkin pie filling,” but don’t get fooled. You want the plain ol’ pumpkin purée for these healthy pumpkin morning glory muffins! These other two products also include added sugar and spices, which changes the way they behave in baking recipes.
 

 
Sweetener. Also unlike the original recipe that called for over 1 cup of granulated sugar… You’ll sweeten your muffins with liquid stevia instead! Stevia is a plant-based, sugar-free, no-calorie sweetener that contains nothing refined or artificial (aka it’s clean eating friendly!). It’s also highly concentrated. You just need 2 ½ teaspoons to sweeten your entire batch of healthy pumpkin morning glory muffins!

Hint: Many stevia brands and products have different sweetness levels, so they’re not necessarily 1-for-1 substitutes for each other. For the best results, I recommend using the same liquid stevia I do. I buy it online here because that’s the best price I’ve found, and you’ll use it in all of these recipes of mine too!
 

 
Carrots. Time for all of those yummy bonus mix-ins! First up? Freshly grated carrots. Yes, they must be freshly grated! Store-bought pre-shredded carrots (also called “matchstick” carrots) are thicker and drier, so they don’t fully soften or bake the same way. I know it takes a bit of extra effort to grate your own, but I promise these healthy pumpkin morning glory muffins are worth it!

Tip: If you have a food processor with a grater attachment, that makes the grating process fly by much faster!

Apples. Next come the apples! I love Fuji apples for baking recipes because they’re deliciously sweet, and they’re also firm enough to hold their shape without disintegrating into a mushy, mealy mess. Fuji’s are definitely my “go-to” baking apples! And because someone always asks… I leave the peel on. I’m lazy! 😉

Raisins. Moving right along to… Raisins! I actually have a special trick for baking with raisins: hydrate them first! Add them to a bowl, cover them with water, add a lid, and pop them in the microwave for one minute. Let them sit while you measure and mix together the rest of the ingredients. This makes your raisins exceptionally plump and juicy — and oh so irresistible!

Nuts + coconut. Finally, you’ll also fold diced nuts and shredded unsweetened coconut into your muffin batter. I actually don’t care that much for nuts and coconut in my baked goods so… That’s why the amounts are so small. Most of the time, I actually skip these! But that’s the awesome thing about these healthy pumpkin morning glory muffins. They’re easily customized to suit your particular taste!
 

HOW TO MAKE HEALTHY PUMPKIN MORNING GLORY MUFFINS

Let’s quickly cover how to make the best healthy pumpkin morning glory muffins! Like I promised earlier, this recipe is easy and straightforward. These are my tips to ensure your muffins turn out beautifully moist, tender, and flavorful!

No mixers. Put away your stand mixers and hand-held mixers! Those tend to overmix low fat and sugar-free batters, like this one. Overmixing often leads to a tough, gummy, or rubbery texture… Rather than the soft, moist, and tender muffin texture that we want.

Instead, prepare the batter by hand. Use a whisk where explicitly instructed and a fork for everything else. Yup, a fork! The empty space between the fork’s tines allows the ingredients to pass through and mix more efficiently compared to the flat sides of a spatula or wooden spoon.

Also, be mindful when incorporating the mix-ins! There are a lot of them — because I love my morning glory muffins to be chock-full of goodies! — so it’ll take a bit of time and patience to evenly fold them into the batter. Stir gently during this step to avoid overmixing!
 

 
Prepare the muffin pan. Whether you decide to dollop the batter right into your pan’s cavities, or you opt to place liners inside of the muffin cups, coat them with cooking spray. Be generous! Low fat muffin batters (like this one!) tend to stick to liners like superglue. If you coat your liners with cooking spray first, then they peel away much more easily!

Tip: If the liners still stick after your muffins have cooled, then seal your muffins inside of an airtight container and refrigerate them for 24+ hours. That helps loosen the liners so they peel away more easily! But I’m getting ahead of myself…

Bake. You have to bake your muffins before you can eat them! They’re done when the tops feel firm to the touch and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean or with some crumbs attached.

Then all that’s left to do is pour yourself a big steaming mug of coffee (or tea or hot chocolate — I don’t judge!), and…
 

 
Enjoy your yummy breakfast muffins! 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 healthy pumpkin morning glory muffins!

Healthy Pumpkin Morning Glory Muffins

© Amy's Healthy Baking

Yields: 13 muffins

These muffins are perfect for cool autumn days! They’re supremely moist with lots of sweet pumpkin flavor and cozy spices, and they’re chock-full of yummy mix-ins: carrots, apples, raisins, nuts, and coconut. Hearty, delicious, and oh so satisfying! Leftover muffins will keep for at least four days (if not closer to a week or more!) if stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator, and they freeze well, too!

4.67 from 3 votes

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Ingredients 

• 2 ¼ cups (270g) white whole wheat flour or gluten-free* flour (measured like this)
• 4 ¼ tsp homemade pumpkin spice (see Notes!)
• 1 ½ tsp baking powder
• ¾ tsp baking soda
• ¼ tsp salt
• ½ tbsp (7g) unsalted butter or coconut oil, melted and cooled slightly
• 2 large egg whites, room temperature
• 2 tsp vanilla extract
• 2 ½ tsp liquid stevia (see Notes!)
• ¾ cup (183g) pumpkin purée (not pumpkin pie mix!)
• ¼ cup (60g) plain nonfat Greek yogurt
• ¼ cup (60mL) nonfat milk
• ½ cup (120mL) water
• 1 ½ cups (160g) freshly grated carrots (about 2 medium-large, peeled first!)
• ¾ cup (94g) finely diced Fuji apple (about 1 small)
• ¼ cup (40g) raisins (see Notes!)
• 2 tbsp (14g) finely diced pecans
• 2 tbsp (10g) shredded unsweetened coconut

Instructions

• Preheat the oven to 350°F, and coat 13 muffin cups with nonstick cooking spray. (If using liners, then line 13 muffins cups with liners and coat them with cooking spray.)
• In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, pumpkin spice, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. In a separate bowl, whisk together the butter or coconut oil, egg whites, vanilla extract, and liquid stevia. Add in the pumpkin purée and Greek yogurt, stirring until no large lumps remain. Stir in the milk. Alternate between adding the flour mixture and water, beginning and ending with the flour mixture, and stirring just until incorporated. (For best results, add the flour mixture in 3 equal parts.) Gently fold in the carrots, apples, raisins, pecans, and coconut.
• Divide the batter between the prepared muffin cups. Bake at 350°F for 26-29 minutes or until the top feels firm to the touch and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean or with a few crumbs attached. Cool in the pan for 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.

Notes

IMPORTANT MEASURING NOTES – READ BEFORE BEGINNING: It's extremely important to measure the flour correctly, using this method or a kitchen scale. (← That’s the one I own!) Too much will make your muffins turn out dry.

 

Measure the carrots and apples by cups or grams, not by "two medium-large" or "one small." Not all "medium-large" carrots or "small" apples are the same size!

 

IMPORTANT MIXING NOTE – READ BEFORE BEGINNING: Do not use a stand mixer or hand-held mixer to make the batter. This will result in rubbery, gummy, dense, or tough muffins. Use a whisk where instructed, and use a fork for everything else.

 

IMPORTANT FLAVOR NOTES – READ BEFORE BEGINNING: For sweeter muffins, increase the liquid stevia by an additional ¼ to ½ teaspoon.

 

I’m not a huge fan of nuts or coconut in my baked goods, which is why the amounts are fairly small. (I often omit them altogether!) You’re welcome to increase either or both, if you prefer!

 

FLOUR ALTERNATIVES: Whole wheat pastry flour, regular whole wheat flour, or all-purpose flour may be substituted in place of the whole wheat flour.

 

HOMEMADE PUMPKIN SPICE: Stir together 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon, ½ teaspoon ground allspice, ¼ teaspoon ground ginger, ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg, and ¼ teaspoon ground cloves until thoroughly combined.

 

I prefer Saigon cinnamon (I buy it online here!) because it tastes stronger, richer, and sweeter than regular cinnamon.

 

EGG WHITE NOTE + ALTERNATIVE: The muffins require 2 full egg whites. The whites contain the majority of the protein in eggs, and that protein is required to ensure the muffins maintain their shape and texture while cooling. Without both egg whites, the muffins will collapse while cooling and turn out much denser.

 

If you prefer to use whole eggs, then use 2 large eggs AND decrease the milk by 1 tablespoon (15mL) to compensate for the added volume from the yolks.

 

STEVIA NOTES + ALTERNATIVES: Many stevia brands and products have different sweetness levels, so they’re not necessarily 1-for-1 substitutes for each other. For the best results, use the same liquid stevia that I do. I buy it online here (← that’s the best price I’ve found!), and you’ll use it in all of these recipes of mine too. (It's one of my favorite ingredients!)

 

However, if you really prefer to omit the liquid stevia from the muffins, substitute 1 cup (192g) granulated sugar, brown sugar, or coconut sugar AND omit the water. You may also substitute 1 cup (240mL) pure maple syrup, honey, or agave AND omit both the milk and water instead. The baking time may vary slightly with either of those substitutions.

 

MILK ALTERNATIVES: Any milk may be substituted in place of the nonfat milk.

 

CARROT NOTE: Do not substitute store-bought pre-shredded carrots (also called “matchstick” carrots). They’re too thick and dry, and they don’t soften properly while baking.

 

APPLE NOTES: I prefer red Fuji apples because they’re firm enough for baking and naturally sweet. Cut them to be no larger than the size of chocolate chips so they soften while baking and your muffins bake properly. (I actually prefer dicing mine smaller, about the same size as mini chocolate chips.)

 

Because people always ask, I leave the skin on, but you're welcome to peel your apples, if you prefer!

 

RAISINS NOTE: I highly recommend hydrating the raisins first! This makes them really plump and juicy. To do so, add them to a microwave-safe bowl, and pour water on top until they’re completely covered. Seal plastic wrap over the top (or place a lid or plate on top!), and microwave the bowl on high for 1 minute. Let them sit for 15+ minutes (or while measuring the other ingredients and mixing together the muffin batter). Thoroughly drain any excess water before folding them into the batter.

 

PECANS NOTE: For a shortcut, I used these pre-chopped pecans. They’re really handy to have around!

 

COCONUT NOTE + ALTERNATIVE: This is the shredded unsweetened coconut that I used. Shredded sweetened coconut may be substituted.

 

GLUTEN-FREE OPTION: For the gluten-free flour, use the following: 1 ¼ cups (150g) millet flour, ½ cup (60g) tapioca flour, ½ cup (60g) brown rice flour, and 1 ½ teaspoons xanthan gum. Many store-bought gluten-free flour blends (I like this one from Bob's Red Mill) will work as well, if measured like this.

 

HOW TO STORE: Store the fully cooled muffins in an airtight container in the refrigerator. They should keep for at least 4 days (if not closer to a week or more!).

 

FREEZING TIPS: Peel off the paper liners before freezing. (It’s harder to peel them off after thawing or reheating the muffins!) I like to thaw individual muffins in the microwave on 50% power until they’re warmed all the way through. They almost taste freshly baked like that!

 

{gluten-free, clean eating, low fat, lower sugar}

DID YOU MAKE THIS RECIPE?I'd love to hear what you think of it in a comment below! If you take a picture, tag @amys.healthy.baking on Instagram or use the hashtag #amyshealthybaking.

View Nutrition Information + Weight Watchers Points
 
 
You may also like Amy’s other recipes…
♡  The Ultimate Healthy Morning Glory Muffins
♡  Healthy Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Oatmeal Muffins
♡  Healthy Morning Glory Banana Bread
♡  Healthy Pumpkin Oatmeal Snack Cake
♡  The Ultimate Healthy Pumpkin Pancakes
♡  Healthy Pumpkin Spice Latte Scones
♡  …and the rest of Amy’s healthy pumpkin recipes!