Easy Morning Glory Muffins (Bakery Style)
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My tried and true recipe for Morning Glory Muffins gives you the best bakery-style muffins right at home. They bake up moist and tender, with golden tops that rise up beautifully and tall every single time. Filled with carrot, apple, coconut and raisins, these muffins make the perfect breakfast or afternoon treat that my family loves.
Morning Glory Muffins Recipe
Morning Glory Muffins have been around for years, but Ina Garten made them popular at the Barefoot Contessa. My version uses a richer blend of carrot, apple, raisins, and coconut. The texture is fluffier, and the tops bake up golden and tall.
After a few careful tweaks to the ratios of flour, sour cream, and the rest of the ingredients, I found the ideal balance for a light, moist texture. The muffins come out soft and fluffy with warm cinnamon in every bite.
Why My Morning Glory Muffin Recipe is the Best
- Prettier muffin tops – By fine-tuning the dry to wet ingredient ratios, my recipe gives you perfect, bakery style domes that look as good as they taste.
- Better balance of flavors – The mix of carrot, apple, raisins, coconut, and warm spices create a bright flavor that is sweet but never overly sweet like some recipes.
- Incredible texture – Many Morning Glory Muffins turn out dense, but I use both sour cream and coconut oil to ensure they’re super moist, soft, and fluffy.
Ingredients to Make My Morning Glory Muffins
Below is a list of the ingredients you’ll need to make this recipe. Scroll down to the full recipe card for the specific amounts.
- All-purpose flour – Gives the batter structure.
- Brown sugar – Adds sweetness and a slight caramel note.
- Baking soda – Helps the muffins rise with a light and even texture.
- Cinnamon – Adds warm spice that pairs perfectly with the fruit.
- Salt – Balances the sweetness and enhances the flavors.
- Eggs – Bind the batter and help create a smooth, even crumb.
- Coconut oil – Adds moisture and a subtle richness that keeps the muffins soft.
- Sour cream – Ensures a moist texture that stays tender after baking.
- Vanilla extract – Rounds out the flavor with a soft and sweet finish.
- Grated carrot – Adds natural moisture and color.
- Grated Granny Smith apple – Gives the perfect level of tart and sweet.
- Raisins – Add little pockets of sweetness.
- Shredded coconut – Adds extra texture and flavor.
- Chopped walnuts – Add crunch and balance the sweetness.
Substitutions or Variations
- Not a walnut fan? Pecans work beautifully instead.
- Prefer a little tartness? Swap dried cranberries for the raisins.
- Want more crunch? Add a couple tablespoons of pumpkin seeds or sunflower seeds.
- Out of sour cream? Plain Greek yogurt works the same way and keeps the muffins moist.
- Craving chocolate? Add a handful of mini chocolate chips to the batter.
How to Make These Eas Morning Glory Muffins
Here are my step-by-step instructions so you can make this recipe with ease. For the full, printable recipe with amounts and temperatures, scroll down to the recipe card below.
- Preheat your oven to 425° F. Line a 12-cup muffin pan with liners.
- In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, brown sugar, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt.
- In a separate bowl, whisk the eggs, coconut oil, sour cream, and vanilla extract until smooth.
- Stir into dry ingredients until just combined.
- Fold in your carrot, apple, raisins, coconut, and walnuts.
- Divide batter evenly among muffin cups.
- Bake for 5 minutes, then reduce oven temperature to 350° F and bake an additional 20-25 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
- Use room temperature eggs – cold eggs can thicken the coconut oil and make the batter harder to mix smoothly.
- Lightly squeeze excess moisture from the grated apple – this keeps the muffins moist without adding too much liquid to the batter.
- Break up raisins before adding them – loosening them with your fingers helps them spread evenly so they do not clump in one spot.
- Check your baking soda freshness – this recipe relies on it for lift and older baking soda can keep the muffin tops from rising tall.
FAQs
They were originally invented in 1978 by chef Pam McKinstry, who owned Nantucket’s Morning Glory Cafe.
The recipe still works without them, and the texture stays soft if you prefer not to use them. You can replace them with a few extra chopped nuts or dried cranberries if you’d like.
If you want plumper raisins you can soak them in fruit juice, water or even a little rum until they are the texture you like.
I like to use an ice cream scoop to add the batter to the tin. You can also use a 1/4 cup measuring cup to help you add the batter.
Storage Instructions
- Refrigerate – Store muffins in an airtight container for up to 5 days. Bring them to room temperature before serving for the best texture.
- Freeze – Wrap each muffin tightly in plastic wrap and place in a zip-top bag for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator or at room temperature for about an hour.
- Reheat – If you want to warm them up, you can pop them in the microwave for a few seconds or wrap in foil and briefly reheat in the oven on 350° F.
More Muffin Recipes
- Raisin Bran Muffins
- Cinnamon Sugar Muffins
- Cherry Danish Muffins
- Pumpkin Streusel Muffins
- Blueberry Pancake Muffins
- Mini Chocolate Chip Muffins
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Morning Glory Muffins
Ingredients
- 1 ¾ cups all-purpose flour
- ¾ cup brown sugar
- 2 teaspoons baking soda
- 1 ½ teaspoons cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 2 large eggs
- ½ cup coconut oil melted
- ¾ cup sour cream
- 2 teaspoons vanilla
- 1 cup grated carrot about 2 medium
- 1 cup grated Granny Smith apple about 1 large
- ½ cup raisins
- ½ cup shredded coconut
- ½ cup chopped walnuts
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 425° F. Line a 12 – cup muffin pan with liners.
- In a large bowl, whisk together flour, brown sugar, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt.1 ¾ cups all-purpose flour, ¾ cup brown sugar, 2 teaspoons baking soda, 1 ½ teaspoons cinnamon, ½ teaspoon salt
- In a separate bowl, whisk eggs, coconut oil, sour cream, and vanilla until smooth.2 large eggs, ½ cup coconut oil, ¾ cup sour cream, 2 teaspoons vanilla
- Stir into dry ingredients until just combined. Fold in carrot, apple, raisins, coconut, and walnuts.1 cup grated carrot, 1 cup grated Granny Smith apple, ½ cup raisins, ½ cup shredded coconut, ½ cup chopped walnuts
- Divide batter evenly among muffin cups. Bake for 5 minutes, then reduce oven temperature to 350° F and bake an additional 20 – 25 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
Nutrition
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