The Ultimate Healthy Morning Glory Muffins
I may be biased but… These are the best healthy morning glory muffins! They’re supremely moist and tender with plenty of warm spices, and the mix-ins taste so cozy and sweet. They’re lovely served warm or cold, but I actually prefer them at least one day after baking, once they’ve been refrigerated and the flavors have had a chance to meld and marry! Leftovers will keep for at least four days (if not longer!) if stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator.
Ingredients
- 2 ¼ cups (270g) white whole wheat flour or gluten-free* flour (measured like this)
- 2 tsp ground cinnamon
- ½ tsp ground allspice
- ¼ tsp ground nutmeg
- 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
- ½ cup (120g) plain nonfat Greek yogurt
- 1 cup (240mL) nonfat milk, divided
- 1 ½ cups (160g) freshly grated carrots (about 2 medium-large, peeled first – and see Notes!)
- ¾ cup (94g) finely diced Fuji apple (about 1 small – and see Notes!)
- 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 12 muffin cups with nonstick cooking spray. (If using liners, then line 12 muffins cups with liners and coat them with cooking spray.)
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, cinnamon, allspice, nutmeg, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. In a separate bowl, whisk together the butter, egg whites, vanilla extract, and liquid stevia. Add in the Greek yogurt, stirring until no large lumps remain. Stir in ½ cup of milk. Alternate between adding the flour mixture and remaining ½ cup of milk, 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 21-24 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 NOTE – READ BEFORE BEGINNING: It's really important to measure the flour correctly, using this method or a kitchen scale. (← That’s the one I own and love!) Too much flour will make your muffins turn out dry.
IMPORTANT MIXING NOTE – READ BEFORE BEGINNING: Do not use a stand mixer or hand-held mixer to mix up the batter. This will result in dense or tough muffins. Use a whisk where explicitly instructed, and use a fork for everything else.
FLOUR ALTERNATIVES: Whole wheat pastry flour, regular whole wheat flour, or all-purpose flour may be substituted in place of the whole wheat flour.
EGG WHITES 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. If you prefer to use whole eggs, then use 2 large eggs and reduce the milk by 1 tablespoon to compensate for the added volume from the yolks.
STEVIA NOTES + ALTERNATIVES: For sweeter muffins, increase the liquid stevia by an additional ½ teaspoon.
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 highly recommend using the same one that I do! It’s one of my favorite ingredients (you’ll also use it in all of these recipes of mine!), and I buy it online here because that’s the cheapest price I’ve found.
If you prefer to omit the liquid stevia from the muffins, substitute 1 cup (192g) granulated sugar, brown sugar, or coconut sugar and reduce the milk to ½ cup (120mL). You may also substitute 1 cup (240mL) pure maple syrup, honey, or agave and omit the milk 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.
CARROTS NOTE: For the best results, use carrots that you’ve grated yourself using the largest holes of a box grater. 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 naturally sweet and have a great texture for baking. Cut them to be no larger than the size of chocolate chips. (I actually dice mine even smaller, about the same size as mini chocolate chips!) I often leave the skin on, but you're welcome to peel your apples, if you'd prefer.
RAISINS NOTE + SPECIAL TRICK: If your raisins are older, drier, or not very plump or juicy… I highly recommend hydrating them first! 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. If you let the raisins sit while mixing together the muffin batter, and then thoroughly drain the raisins before folding them in, this little trick hydrates them so they’re really soft and juicy!
PECANS NOTE: For a shortcut, I like using these pre-chopped pecans. They’re so handy to have around!
COCONUT ALTERNATIVES: Shredded coconut is very small and thin. It has a little more moisture than desiccated coconut. I really like the shredded unsweetened coconut from Bob’s Red Mill, Let’s Do…Organic, and O Organics.
Shredded coconut is not the same thing as flaked coconut or coconut flakes! Flaked coconut (aka coconut flakes) is thicker and stiffer, so it produces a different texture. However, if you can only find unsweetened flaked coconut, then blitz it in a food processor or blender until it’s ⅛ to ¼ of its original size (so it’s closer in thickness and size to shredded coconut!).
Shredded sweetened coconut may also be substituted for the unsweetened coconut.
ADDING MORE NUTS OR COCONUT: I’m not a huge fan of nuts or coconut in my baked goods, which is why the amounts are fairly small. You’re welcome to increase either or both, if you prefer!
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 four days, if not longer!
{gluten-free, clean eating, low fat, low 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.