There are some bakes that feel like a warm hug in a paper case, and this Morning Glory Muffins Recipe is exactly that. They are absolutely brimming with wholesome, delicious ingredients – sweet carrots, juicy apple, tangy pineapple, and warm spices that make the whole house smell incredible. Forget dry, bland muffins; these are wonderfully moist, textured, and satisfying in a way that starts your day off on the right foot. I first made these after finding a scribbled version of the recipe in my grandmother’s old kitchen notebook, and I’ve spent years tweaking it to get it just right.

What we have here is the result of all that testing: a muffin that’s hearty enough for a proper breakfast but still feels like a treat. The combination of textures is what makes them so special – the soft crumb, the slight chew from the coconut and raisins, and the gentle crunch from the pecans. They are a brilliant bake to have on hand for busy weekday mornings or for a more leisurely weekend brunch. My husband, who’s usually picky about anything containing fruit and veg, asked for seconds the first time I made this version!

This is more than just a muffins recipe; it’s a blueprint for a perfect, adaptable bake that always gets compliments. We’ll walk through every step together, ensuring you get gloriously tall, moist, and flavourful muffins every single time. Let’s get our aprons on!

Recipe Overview

This Morning Glory Muffins Recipe produces incredibly moist and flavourful muffins, packed with grated carrot, apple, pineapple, and warming spices. The crumb is tender, thanks to the oil and fruit, while the coconut and pecans add a lovely texture. After testing several batches, I found that letting the batter rest for 10 minutes before baking gives the muffins a slightly better rise and a more tender texture.

• Prep Time: 20 minutes
• Cook Time: 22 minutes
• Total Time: 42 minutes
• Servings: 12 muffins
• Difficulty: Easy

Why You’ll Love This Morning Glory Muffins Recipe

• Genuine Flavour: The taste is a beautiful balance of sweet and spice. You get earthy sweetness from the carrots, a fresh tartness from the apple and pineapple, and a deep, warming hum from the cinnamon and ginger. It’s a complex and satisfying flavour profile.
• Ready in Under 45 Minutes: From gathering your ingredients to pulling a tray of golden muffins from the oven, the whole process comes together in about 45 minutes, making it achievable even on a bustling morning.
• Flexible Recipe: This recipe is wonderfully adaptable. You can swap the pecans for walnuts, use sultanas instead of raisins, or add a handful of sunflower or pumpkin seeds for extra texture and nutrition.
• Great for Breakfast On-the-Go: These muffins are ideal when you need a substantial breakfast you can grab as you’re heading out the door. They also work beautifully as a lunchbox filler or an afternoon snack with a cup of tea.
• Family Tested: This is one of those bakes that everyone seems to love. It’s a great way to get some fruit and veg into little ones, and they are hearty enough to satisfy hungry teenagers.

Morning Glory Muffins Recipe

⏱️ 20 min prep  •  🍳 25 min cook  •  👥 12 servings

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Ingredients You’ll Need

For this Morning Glory Muffins recipe, we’re using simple, wholesome ingredients. I always opt for rapeseed oil as it has a neutral flavour that lets the fruit and spices shine. Make sure your carrots and apples are freshly grated for the best moisture and flavour.

• 250g plain flour
• 150g soft light brown sugar
• 2 tsp baking soda
• 2 tsp ground cinnamon
• ½ tsp ground ginger
• ½ tsp salt
• 2 large eggs, at room temperature
• 180ml rapeseed oil (or other neutral oil)
• 2 tsp vanilla extract
• 250g carrots, peeled and finely grated (about 2 medium carrots)
• 1 large eating apple (like a Gala or Braeburn), cored and grated
• 150g crushed pineapple, drained well
• 80g raisins or sultanas
• 60g desiccated coconut
• 80g pecans, roughly chopped

Sara’s Tip: Don’t just drain the pineapple, give it a good squeeze in your hands or press it in a sieve to remove as much liquid as possible. This is crucial for preventing the muffins from becoming too wet and dense.

How to Make Morning Glory Muffins

The process for this muffins recipe is straightforward. The key is to combine the wet and dry ingredients gently and to avoid overmixing, which can lead to tough muffins. We want a light, tender crumb!

1. Preheat and Prep: First things first, preheat your oven to 180°C (160°C fan) and line a 12-hole muffin tin with paper cases.
2. Combine Dry Ingredients: In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the plain flour, light brown sugar, baking soda, cinnamon, ginger, and salt. Breaking up any lumps in the brown sugar now will ensure it’s evenly distributed.
3. Combine Wet Ingredients: In a separate medium bowl or a large jug, whisk the eggs until they are light and frothy. Then, whisk in the oil and vanilla extract until everything is well combined.
4. Bring It All Together: Pour the wet ingredients into the bowl of dry ingredients. Using a spatula, fold them together gently until they are *just* combined. It’s okay if there are still a few streaks of flour; we’ll mix it more in the next step.
5. Fold in the Good Stuff: Add the grated carrot, grated apple, drained pineapple, raisins, desiccated coconut, and chopped pecans to the bowl. Now, fold everything together until just evenly incorporated. What works best for me is using a figure-of-eight motion to keep the batter light. Be careful not to overmix!
6. Rest the Batter (Optional but Recommended): Let the batter sit on the counter for 10-15 minutes. This allows the flour to hydrate fully, which I find results in a more tender muffin with a better dome.
7. Fill and Bake: Divide the batter evenly among the 12 muffin cases. They will be quite full, which is what we want for a good rise. Bake for 20-24 minutes, or until the tops are golden brown and a skewer inserted into the centre of a muffin comes out clean.
8. Cool Down: Let the muffins cool in the tin for about 5 minutes before transferring them to a wire rack to cool completely. They are delicious warm but will hold together better once fully cooled.

Tips From My Kitchen

• Temperature Control: Using room temperature eggs is really important. Cold eggs can cause the oil to solidify slightly, resulting in a dense, heavy batter. If you forget to take them out, just pop them in a bowl of warm water for 5 minutes.
• The Secret Step: I used to struggle with this recipe until I discovered this technique: after grating the carrot, place it in a clean tea towel or a few sheets of kitchen roll and squeeze out the excess moisture. This single step prevents the muffins from becoming soggy.
• Make-Ahead: You can mix the dry ingredients together and store them in an airtight container for up to a month. When you’re ready to bake, just whisk your wet ingredients and combine as directed.
• Storage: These muffins stay wonderfully moist for days. Store them in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days. They also freeze brilliantly for up to 3 months.

Equipment You’ll Need

You don’t need any highly specialised equipment for this Morning Glory Muffins recipe, just standard baking tools.

• 12-hole muffin tin
• Paper muffin cases
• Large and medium mixing bowls
• Whisk and spatula
• Box grater
• Wire cooling rack

Delicious Variations to Try

One of the best things about this recipe is how easily you can tweak it to your liking. Here are a few ideas we love:

• Extra Spice: For a warmer, spicier muffin, add ¼ teaspoon of ground nutmeg and a pinch of ground cloves to the dry ingredients.
• Nut-Free Version: If you need a nut-free option, simply omit the pecans and replace them with 80g of sunflower seeds or pumpkin seeds for a similar textural crunch.
• Different Fruits: Feel free to swap the raisins for dried cranberries or chopped dried apricots. You could even substitute the grated apple with grated pear for a slightly different flavour.

What to Serve With Morning Glory Muffins

These muffins are a complete breakfast in themselves, but they also pair wonderfully with a few simple accompaniments.

• A Pat of Butter: A small smear of lightly salted butter when the muffin is still warm is simply divine. It melts into the crumb and enhances all the flavours.
• Cream Cheese or Yoghurt: For a more substantial breakfast, serve a muffin alongside a dollop of thick Greek yoghurt or a spread of cream cheese.
• A Good Cuppa: A strong cup of English breakfast tea or a freshly brewed coffee is the ideal drink pairing to cut through the sweetness and complement the warm spices. For a bigger brunch, they are a great sweet counterpoint to something savoury like my Bruschetta Chicken.

Frequently Asked Questions

Morning Glory Muffins

Hearty and wholesome muffins packed with grated carrot, apple, pineapple, raisins, coconut, and pecans. Perfect for a grab-and-go breakfast or a satisfying afternoon snack.

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Prep Time 20 minutes mins

Cook Time 25 minutes mins

Total Time 45 minutes mins

Servings: 12 muffins

Course: Breakfast

Cuisine: American

Calories: 380

Ingredients Method Notes

Ingredients

  

• 250 g plain flour
• 150 g soft light brown sugar
• 2 tsp baking soda
• 2 tsp ground cinnamon
• ½ tsp ground ginger
• ½ tsp salt
• 2 large eggs at room temperature
• 180 ml rapeseed oil or other neutral oil
• 2 tsp vanilla extract
• 250 g carrots peeled and finely grated (about 2 medium carrots)
• 1 large eating apple like a Gala or Braeburn, cored and grated
• 150 g crushed pineapple drained well
• 80 g raisins or sultanas
• 60 g desiccated coconut
• 80 g pecans roughly chopped

Method

 

1. Preheat and Prep: First things first, preheat your oven to 180°C (160°C fan) and line a 12-hole muffin tin with paper cases.
2. Combine Dry Ingredients: In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the plain flour, light brown sugar, baking soda, cinnamon, ginger, and salt. Breaking up any lumps in the brown sugar now will ensure it's evenly distributed.
3. Combine Wet Ingredients: In a separate medium bowl or a large jug, whisk the eggs until they are light and frothy. Then, whisk in the oil and vanilla extract until everything is well combined.
4. Bring It All Together: Pour the wet ingredients into the bowl of dry ingredients. Using a spatula, fold them together gently until they are *just* combined. It’s okay if there are still a few streaks of flour; we'll mix it more in the next step.
5. Fold in the Good Stuff: Add the grated carrot, grated apple, drained pineapple, raisins, desiccated coconut, and chopped pecans to the bowl. Now, fold everything together until just evenly incorporated. What works best for me is using a figure-of-eight motion to keep the batter light. Be careful not to overmix!
6. Rest the Batter (Optional but Recommended): Let the batter sit on the counter for 10-15 minutes. This allows the flour to hydrate fully, which I find results in a more tender muffin with a better dome.
7. Fill and Bake: Divide the batter evenly among the 12 muffin cases. They will be quite full, which is what we want for a good rise. Bake for 20-24 minutes, or until the tops are golden brown and a skewer inserted into the centre of a muffin comes out clean.
8. Cool Down: Let the muffins cool in the tin for about 5 minutes before transferring them to a wire rack to cool completely. They are delicious warm but will hold together better once fully cooled.

Notes

For the best texture, let the batter rest for 15 minutes before baking. Muffins can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days.

I really hope you enjoy making this Morning Glory Muffins Recipe. They are a true favourite in my kitchen, perfect for sharing with family and friends or just for treating yourself to a wholesome, delicious bake. If you try them, I’d love to know how they turned out! Please leave a comment below and let me know what you think. Happy baking!