Healthy Morning Glory Muffins

Yes, I write a garden blog, but after rediscovering these delicious healthy muffins from the 70’s, I had to post this when I got my Johnson and Johnson shot. Think of it as a new chapter after COVID where you will be eating healthier!  With less sugar and more fiber, but instead of being tasteless and chewy, these muffins will knock your socks off with their tender sweet morsels and flavor. You really don’t need butter or jam, but slather away if you want!

An old Garden Club recipe, I misplaced my recipe, but found it after some searching. Moist and spicy, with hints of orange, hearty and wholesome, you could take these as a on-the-go snack that will satisfy your sweet tooth, and fill you up. Yes, there are a lot of ingredients, but these lasted for several meals and snacks, and I froze a few for later. And no mixer needed. Just stir together the ingredients with a spatula.

And if you get a chance to buy some Fiori di Sicilia from King Arthur Flour, you are golden! A sublime mixture of vanilla and citrus, I use this in many baked goods for a wonderfully complex flavor. But if you don’t want to order this, the muffins are still great. Just use plain old vanilla.

Experiment with substitutions, like dried cherries or blueberries for the raisins, as this is a totally forgiving recipe.

Print

Morning Glory Muffins to Celebrate the End of COVID

Delicious recipe for a sweet crumbly muffin that you can't get enough of!!

Ingredients

• 2 C whole wheat flour
• 2 tsp baking soda
• 2 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp ground ginger
• 1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/3 C ground flax, optional
• 1/2 C packed brown sugar
• 1/4 C honey
• 1/3 C vegetable, canola, or coconut oil
• 1/3 C applesauce
• 1 tsp orange zest
• 1/4 C orange juice
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 1 tsp fiori di sicilia extract from King Arthur Flour, optional
• 2 C shredded carrot
• 1 C shredded apple
• 1/2 C raisins
• 1/2 C chopped walnuts or pecans
• 1/4 C pumpkin seeds for topping

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees. spray a 12 count muffin tin and a few extras with non-stick spray or line with muffin liners.

2. Whisk the flour, baking soda, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, salt, and flax meal in a large bowl.

3. In a medium bowl, whisk the eggs, brown sugar, honey, oil, applesauce, orange zest, orange juice, and flavorings together until combined.

4. Whisk in the carrots and apples into the oil mixture and then pour the wet mixture into the dry ingredients and stir with a wooden spoon until combined.

5. Add nuts, raisins, and combine until no dry streaks remain.

6. Spoon the batter into the liners, filling up to the top.

7. Sprinkle pumpkin seeds on top of battter.

8. Bake for 5 minutes at 425 degrees and then reduce to 350 degrees and bake for an additional 15-18 minutes until firm to the touch and golden brown.

9. Freeze leftovers or store at room temperature for 2 days or in the refrigerator for up to a week.