Healthy Pumpkin Morning Glory 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!
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.