Vegan morning glory muffins are nutritious, delicious and a satisfying breakfast or snack. Healthy applesauce muffins with no added sugar are easy to make and perfect for a make ahead grab and go breakfast or snack.
Sugar free Healthy Morning Glory Muffins….a tasty way to start your day with veggies!
Healthy morning glory muffins are the perfect way to start the day! They’re filled with wholesome ingredients and baked into a light and fluffy, tasty and satisfying, incredibly nutritious breakfast or snack.
Simple, sweet, old fashioned goodness is just what you’ll find in these healthy muffins. A few little tricks ensure this vegan muffin is moist and tender, with amazing texture.
Yes, it’s a healthy muffin…but also so scrumptious everyone will love them. Good thing the recipe is so easy, because you’ll be making these again and again.
The original Morning Glory Muffins were created by Chef Pam McKinstry for her restaurant on Nantucket Island. I’ve taken some liberties with the recipe to omit the oil and sugar….and the result is still delicious and pays homage to the original with carrots, pineapple, apples and walnuts.
Ingredients and Substitutions for Vegan Morning Glory Muffins
Don’t be alarmed by the number of ingredients. They’re mostly basic pantry staples I’m sure you already have and I’ve listed lots of substitutions too.
- CARROTS: Good substitutes would be shredded parsnips or beets.
- ZUCCHINI: Substitute yellow summer squash, but scoop out the seeds before shredding.
- APPLE: any color, any kind of apple will work well. Firm pears that won’t turn to mush when grating can also be used.
- WHOLE GRAIN FLOUR: I used a combination of sprouted spelt and whole wheat. I also tested this recipe with Gluten-free 1-to-1 flour with terrific results—the muffins rose well and had great texture.
- GROUND FLAX: Provides a bit of a nutty flavor and also acts as a binder since there are no eggs. Ground chia seeds would make a good sub. My experience is that you don’t always have to make “flax eggs” in vegan baking. The liquid from the shredded zucchini and apples, plus the applesauce will help the flax gel well. The same technique is used in my healthy zucchini bread recipe.
- BAKING POWDER, BAKING SODA: the combo gives these vegan muffins a nice rise.
- CINNAMON: if you like a bit more spice, add a pinch of allspice, cloves or nutmeg.
- APPLESAUCE: A great way to keep these muffins vegan and sugar-free. If you need a sub, use bananas, pears, peaches or mango that are ripe and blend until the consistency is similar to applesauce.
- MAPLE SYRUP: I used date syrup in this recipe and the texture was perfect, the taste was a bit sweeter.
- VANILLA: skip if you don’t have.
- FRESH GINGER: Substitute ½ teaspoon ground ginger if you don’t have fresh.
- UNSWEETENED DRIED CRANBERRIES: look for unsweetened and unsulfured dried fruit. Substitute raisins, cherries or chopped apricots, figs or other dried fruit. This adds both sweetness and a chewy texture. If you’re looking for another way to use dried cranberries, check out these yummy gluten-free vegan cookies.
- CHOPPED WALNUTS: You can substitute any nuts (pecans, almonds, pistachios, etc.) or seeds (pumpkin, sunflower, hemp) for a bit of crunch.
- FROZEN PINEAPPLE: Morning glory muffins with pineapple are delish….and no added sugar is needed! You can sub chopped frozen mango, peaches, small diced pears or other sweet fruit.
How to make The BEST Morning Glory Muffins
Shred the carrots, zucchini and apple. You can do this with a box grater or a food processor. No peeling needed and don’t bother to wash the processor bowl in between veggies. Remember, it’s an easy muffin recipe…no reason to create extra work!
- Mix wet ingredients together with shredded veggies.
- Stir together flour, flax, baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon and salt.
- Combine wet and dry ingredients.
- Gently fold in dried cranberries, chopped walnuts and diced pineapple.
Use a scoop to fill muffin tins. Evenly divide the batter between the 12 lined muffins.
Use all the batter. The muffins will be a bit fuller than ¾, and they will rise…but they will not spill over! They’ll be perfect.
Put the muffins into a preheated 425 oven for a quick rise, and a crisp top. After 10 minutes, turn the heat down to 350 to continue cooking for 15 minutes.
Why you’ll love these healthy morning glory muffins
- Super tasty, totally satisfying.
- Meal prep and freezer friendly.
- EASY to make with whole, real food!
- Perfectly sweet, but won’t spike your blood sugar
- No sugar added…naturally sweetened with applesauce and pineapple.
- Hearty, yet light texture with crunchy walnuts and chewy cranberries.
- Make ahead for a simple grab and go breakfast.
- DEE-lish…oh, and healthy too!
- A smart, nutritious choice.
- Wholesome goodness that’s perfect for breakfast, a snack or dessert.
- Veggies to start the day…in a YUMMY way.
More Healthy Muffin Recipes:
- Double Chocolate Muffins
- Grain-free pumpkin muffins
- Vegan Oatmeal Muffins
- Grain-free Blueberry Muffins
- Gluten-free Vegan Apple Muffins
- Dairy-free Banana Chocolate Chip Muffins
- Gluten-free Carrot Muffins
📖 Recipe
Morning Glory Muffins
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 medium zucchini*
- 2 medium sized carrots*
- 1 green apple*
- 2 cups whole grain flour*
- ⅓ cup ground flax seeds
- 2 teaspoons cinnamon
- 2 teaspoons baking soda
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon coarse sea salt
- ½ cup apple sauce
- ½ cup maple syrup*
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon grated fresh ginger*
- ½ cup chopped walnuts*
- ½ cup unsweetened dried cranberries
- ½ cup small dice frozen pineapple*
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 425. Line muffin tins with paper liners.
- Shred zucchini, apple and carrots. You can use a box grater to do this by hand, or use a food processor with the shredding disc. There is no need to wash out the bowl in between. You should have about 3 cups in total.
- In a large bowl, mix together flour, flax, cinnamon, baking powder, baking soda and salt.
- In a medium sized bowl, mix together shredded vegetables, plus applesauce, syrup, vanilla and ginger.
- Pour wet ingredients into dry and mix until just combined.
- Gently fold in the nuts, cranberries and pineapple.
- Using a medium sized scoop or a large spoon, scoop batter into prepared muffin tin. There will be enough for 12 muffins.
- Place muffin tin in the oven and set the timer for 10 minutes. Do not open the oven door, but turn down the temperature to 350 and then reset the timer for 15 additional minutes. Starting at a higher heat allows the muffins to rise more quickly and acquire a crusty top.
- Muffins are done when golden on top and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
- Allow muffins to cool for a few minutes in the tin and then transfer to a wire rack.
- Store muffins at room temp for 3 days, in the fridge for up to a week or in the freezer for 3 months.
Video
Notes
Nutrition
Note
The nutrition calculations were done using online tools. To obtain the most accurate representation of the nutritional information in any given recipe, you should calculate the nutritional information with the actual ingredients you used. You are ultimately responsible for ensuring that any nutritional information is accurate, complete and useful.
Lindsay Howerton-Hastings
YUM! I’m so into make ahead breakfasts like this that are yummy and have veggies included. Can’t wait to make these!
Debra Klein
Yes!!! Veggie to start the day!
Andréa Janssen
I always love healthy yet sweet recipes. And this was again a great recipe. I served them with our breakfast and everybody loved them.
Debra Klein
My favorite kind of recipe…and I love that these aren’t overly sweet.
Jessica Formicola
Muffins are my favorite way to start the day! I can’t wait to make these morning glory muffins over the weekend!
Debra Klein
Muffins are such an easy make ahead breakfast…big bonus to get in a few veggies too!
Linda
I’m always excited to start my day with something fresh and healthy. This is a must-try recipe and I’ll be sure to make an extra batch.
Debra Klein
You’ll be so happy to find some of these in your freezer!
Natalie
I love this healthier wholegrain version of my favorite muffins. Can’t wait to give them a try. Love added zucchini. Such a great hack to get kids to eat more veggies. Love this!
Debra Klein
Exactly…plus the zucchini helps keep the muffins moist.
Laura Goodman
Can I substitute wheat germ for the ground flax seeds? I make a less healthy version of this muffin and your recipe sounds delicious.
Debra Klein
I haven’t tried it, but I don’t see why not. Let me know how they come out.
Alexandra
I love all of the goodness in these muffins – a great way to get some veggies in, and a very nutritious way to start the day. A favourite breakfast idea!
Debra Klein
Totally!
Liz
I love your healthy take on these muffins! I’m always looking for healthy alternatives to baked goods!
Debra Klein
You’ve come to the right place then!
Ramona
I would love to make this one’s for breakfast for my kids do you think I could prepare it in the evening and bake them in the morning? Would be lovely to have them nice and warm.
Debra Klein
Hmmm….good question. I haven’t tried it, so I don’t know. Sounds like a reasonable plan though…I would fill the muffins in the evening and then leave covered in the fridge overnight. Let me know how it works out.
Elizabeth
Fabulous and delicious make ahead breakfast! Will be making these healthy muffins again!
Debra Klein
Yay! Glad you enjoyed them.
Addie
These are one of my favorite muffins! I love the texture!
Debra Klein
Totally agree!
Leslie
Love this morning glow muffin recipe!
Claudia Butler
Fabulous!!! I made them this afternoon and have already eaten two. Subbed Montmerency cherries, since I didn’t have unsweetened cranberries. I accidentally left this review under the carrot muffin. I don’t use oil or eggs, so definitely haven’t made those. What attracted me to these was that they can be left at room temp for three days. Perfect to take with me on a short trip.
Debra Klein
Thank you for stopping to comment. Love the dried cherry sub! Enjoy them in good health, Debra
Megan
Can’t wait to try this recipe! I love a good morning glory muffin! Could I substitute frozen berries in place of the pineapple?
Debra Klein
I haven’t tried it, but I don’t see why not…they muffins may be a bit less sweet though.