Morning Glory Muffins

Morning Glory Muffins are prepared with coconut, walnuts, pineapple, apples and carrots. I think of them as a spiced, fruity, carrot cake without the cream cheese frosting! The name suggests that these are meant to be a breakfast item, and they certainly are great for that, but I happen to think they are good any time of the day – especially this homemade version!

Before my mom passed, she would always buy Morning Glory Muffins whenever she went grocery shopping.  If memory serves me correctly, the brand was Farmer’s Market Bakery.  I’m not much of a muffin person; I’d much rather have a big slab of cake, however, these muffins are healthy, and filling, and taste very much like carrot cake without the cream cheese frosting.  I’m not sure why anyone would want carrot cake without the cream cheese frosting, but just in case you do, this is most certainly a muffin you’ll enjoy.

This muffin is full of great ingredients – we’re talking pineapple, coconut, walnuts, carrots, and apples! A good muffin such as this is perfect for breakfast on the run.  You can grab and go with this one and get a good start to your day.  It’s also good to point out that these freeze very well.  Place them in a Ziploc bag, remove as much air as possible and place them in the freezer.  To thaw, just leave them at room temperature for 45 minutes or so and they are good to go!

I think these muffins are perfect for a summer brunch. They are so pretty and so tasty.  I shared a few of these with a couple of our neighbours, but to be perfectly honest, they were too delicious to share more than just a few! Between the two of us, these muffins didn’t last more than a day or two!

To keep them really fresh, I like to stack them into a container with a tight-fitting lid. They will keep for 3-5 days on your countertop. I always store muffins in a cake stand. They look very homey, comforting, and inviting. It encourages everyone to take one every time they walk through the kitchen!

WHY ARE THEY CALLED MORNING GLORY MUFFINS ANYWAY?

I’ve often wondered this too. A quick internet search tells me that the actual reason they are called Morning Glory Muffins is because the recipe was created by Chef Pam McKinstry who owned the Morning Glory Cafe in Nantucket. Such a simple explanation and so much better than all of the reasons I was coming up with in my head!

INGREDIENTS NEEDED FOR THIS RECIPE

The following is a list of the ingredients needed to prepare this recipe. The exact amounts and measurements can be found in the printable recipe card located near the bottom of this post.

FOR THE MUFFINS:

• Flour – No need for anything special. Just use regular all-purpose flour. I have not tried this recipe with any other type of flour.
• Sugar – I’ve only used regular granulated sugar in this recipe and have not tested it with any other sweeteners. 
• Baking Soda and Baking Powder
• Ground Cinnamon
• Salt – This is a common ingredient in baking and cooking.  In baking it helps to enhance and balance the sweetness. 
• Canned Crushed Pineapple – Drain the pineapple well in a strainer over a bowl to catch the juice. You will need to add some of the drained pineapple juice to the muffin batter.
• Carrots – Shred the carrots quite finely. They will add sweetness, moisture, and texture to the muffin.
• Apples – I like to use Granny Smith apples here. They are quite tart and help to balance out the sweetness.
• Coconut – Use unsweetened coconut.
• Walnuts – Finely chopped
• Butter – Melted and cooled.
• Vanilla Extract
• Eggs – Whenever you set out to bake, make sure your egg is at room temperature.

HOW TO MAKE GLORY MORNING MUFFINS

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F. Grease the cavities of your muffin tin with non-stick cooking spray. (Alternatively, you could line the cavities with paper or silicone liners.) In a mixing bowl, combine the flour, sugar, baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon, and salt. Set aside.

In a separate large mixing bowl, measure in the coconut, walnuts, apple, carrots, drained crushed pineapple, reserved pineapple juice, melted and cooled butter, vanilla extract, and whisked eggs. Stir with a spoon until well combined. Add the flour mixture to the wet ingredients and stir together until incorporated.

Fill the muffin tins 3/4 full. These muffins will rise slightly, but not much because of the dense and moist batter. Bake for 20-24 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the middle of one muffin comes out clean. Serve warm or keep in an airtight container on your countertop for up the three days.

STORING YOUR MUFFINS

You can store them for 3-5 days on your countertop on a cake stand with a lid. Even though the muffins are safe to eat after being left on the counter for a few days, they tend to lose some moistness after the third day. But, never fear! If your muffins become a little stale, pop one in the microwave for 10 seconds. It will soften it up quite nicely!

QUESTIONS?

If I have not answered all of your questions in the text above, don’t hesitate to reach out to me! You can contact me by sending me a message in the comments section further down the page. I will try my best to answer as soon as possible! You might reach me even faster by following me on Facebook and sending me a private message. Scroll down below the recipe card to find my Follow Me on Social Media box and never miss another recipe!