Say hello to morning glory muffins, made vegan + gluten-free! A classic treat originally created by Pam McKinstry in 1978 at her Nantucket restaurant, Morning Glory Cafe, these muffins are lightly sweet, subtly spiced, and packed with fruits, veggies, AND nuts. OH yeah!
Our gluten-free twist uses oat flour and potato starch (no almond flour!) to create a tender muffin that’s wholesome and satisfying. Brew your favorite coffee or tea and let’s make muffins!
What is in Morning Glory Muffins?
The original morning glory muffins by Chef Pan McKinstry are filled with wholesome goodies that make them stand out from other muffins: shredded coconut, raisins, grated apple and carrots, pineapple chunks, pecans or walnuts, and cinnamon. For the classic muffin ingredients, she includes flour, sugar, baking soda, salt, eggs, vegetable oil, and vanilla extract.
Our modern twist keeps the majority of the wholesome goodies, but swaps some of the more classic ingredients to make them vegan, gluten-free, naturally sweetened, and even more wholesome. Sound like your jam? Let us show you how it’s done!
How to Make Vegan Gluten-Free Morning Glory Muffins
Our version of these 1-bowl, fruit- & veggie-filled muffins is made with the following ingredients:
- Flaxseed meal + orange juice – this combination creates the “flax egg” that keeps these vegan/egg-free and adds natural sweetness and a subtle orange flavor!
- Coconut sugar – a lower glycemic sweetener with a slight caramelized flavor. Brown sugar or cane sugar would also likely work!
- Avocado oil + dairy-free milk – our version is lower in oil than the classic, which is where dairy-free milk comes in to thin out the batter. Avocado oil is our preferred neutral oil, but you can use another oil, or even melted vegan butter.
- Oat flour + potato starch – this gluten-free combination provides the perfect balance of being wholesome while adding lightness to prevent the muffins from becoming too dense and moist.
- Morning glory classics – grated apple and carrot, shredded coconut, raisins, walnuts, cinnamon, vanilla extract, salt, and baking soda.
- Baking powder – gluten-free baked goods are more prone to being dense and gummy than those made with all-purpose flour, so we include baking powder to provide a little extra lift!
To make your muffins, combine the orange juice and flaxseed meal and let the mixture rest for a few minutes to thicken.
While that’s thickening, you can grate the carrot and apple using the large side of a box grater (see below).
Then you’ll add the remaining ingredients, starting with the wet, then the dry, and finally alllllll those goodies!
Divide the batter between your muffin cups, and let’s bake!
Let cool for a bit, then those beauties are ready for you!
We think you’ll LOVE these muffins! They’re:
Wholesome
Satisfying
Moist
Tender
Naturally sweet
Subtly spiced
Packed with fruits, nuts & veggies
& SO delicious!
These muffins are perfect for on-the-go snacking or a sweet breakfast treat! They pair especially well with a glass of dairy-free milk or a warm cup of coffee or tea.
More Vegan Gluten-Free Muffin Recipes
If you try this recipe, let us know! Leave a comment, rate it, and don’t forget to tag a photo @minimalistbaker on Instagram. Cheers, friends!
Servings 12 (Muffins)
- 1 ½ Tbsp flaxseed meal*
- 1/2 cup fresh squeezed orange juice, with pulp (2 oranges yield ~1/2 cup or 120 ml juice)
- 2/3 cup coconut sugar
- 1/3 cup dairy-free milk (plain, unsweetened // we used almond)
- 1/4 cup avocado oil (or another neutral oil or melted vegan butter or coconut oil)
- 1 ½ tsp vanilla extract
- 1 cup oat flour* (certified gluten-free as needed)
- 1 cup potato starch* (NOT potato flour)
- 1 ½ tsp ground cinnamon
- 1/2 tsp ground ginger
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1/2 tsp sea salt
- 1 cup (packed) grated apple (1 large or 2 small apples yield ~1 cup packed or 170 g)
- 2/3 cup (packed) grated carrot (1 medium or 2 small carrots yield ~2/3 cup or 90 g)
- 1/3 cup raisins (or other dried fruit of choice, like cranberries or currants, chopped if large)
- 1/2 cup desiccated coconut (or sub more walnuts)
- 2/3 cup chopped walnuts (omit if nut-free // or sub more coconut)
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Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (176 C) and grease a standard-size muffin pan or line with paper liners.
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In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the flaxseed meal and orange juice. Let rest for a few minutes to gel/thicken. If you haven’t already shredded your carrots and apples, you can do so now (we used the large/coarse side of this box grater). There’s no need to squeeze out liquid from the shredded apple or carrot. Set them aside until ready to add.
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Once the flaxseed has thickened, add the coconut sugar, dairy-free milk, avocado oil (or melted butter), and vanilla. Whisk until well combined.
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Add the oat flour, potato starch, cinnamon, ginger, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. Mix until smooth with no lumps remaining. Then add the shredded carrots and apples and mix until well combined.
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Add the raisins, desiccated coconut, and chopped walnuts and mix once more. Let the batter rest for ~5 minutes to thicken slightly.
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Divide the batter evenly between 12 muffin cups (amount as recipe is written // adjust if altering the default number of servings). They will be full! Bake for 20-24 minutes or until the muffins have risen, are dry to the touch, and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out mostly clean.
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These muffins can be enjoyed warm, but they will be very moist. We like to let them cool for at least 20 minutes before enjoying them with a glass of dairy-free milk or a warm cup of coffee or tea.
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Best when fresh. Leftover muffins keep covered at room temperature for 2-3 days, in the refrigerator for 4-5 days, or in the freezer for 1 month (or longer).
*We tested replacing the oat flour and potato starch with 2 cups of our Best 1:1 GF Flour Blend. The batter was thicker and the muffins were a little gummy and didn’t taste as wholesome, but they were still delicious.
*If oat-free, you could try buckwheat flour instead of oat flour. We haven’t tested this modification, though. Let us know in the comments if you try it!
*Nutrition information is a rough estimate.
Serving: 1 muffin Calories: 244 Carbohydrates: 35.7 g Protein: 2.5 g Fat: 11.2 g Saturated Fat: 2.9 g Polyunsaturated Fat: 3.7 g Monounsaturated Fat: 4 g Trans Fat: 0 g Cholesterol: 0 mg Sodium: 256 mg Potassium: 180 mg Fiber: 2.8 g Sugar: 16.6 g Vitamin A: 214 IU Vitamin C: 6.5 mg Calcium: 59 mg Iron: 0.8 mg
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