These Gluten-Free Morning Glory Muffins are packed with wholesome ingredients like grated carrot and apple, shredded coconut, raisins, and pecans! They have an amazing texture and flavor, and make for an easy meal prep breakfast or brunch.

Gluten-free morning glory muffins on a platter.

Muffins are always a good idea in my opinion. They’re the perfect breakfast on the go, they can be prepped in advance, and they’re also great as snacks or even as a sweet treat.

I’ve made batch after batch of my gluten-free banana oatmeal muffins and they never get old. That speaks volumes, and I feel the same way about these gluten-free Morning Glory Muffins.

This recipe is reminiscent of my gluten-free carrot oat muffins, except that this morning glory version includes both oat flour and almond flour, as well as apple, coconut, raisins, and pecans.

They’re loaded with goodness, and the texture is downright amazing!

Gluten-free morning glory muffins with pecans on top.
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Why you’ll love this recipe

  • This gluten-free muffin recipe is reminiscent of carrot cake thanks to the addition of grated carrots, shredded coconut, and raisins.
  • They’re easy to make and perfect for brunch, meal prep breakfasts, or snacks.
  • They’re dairy- and gluten-free, as well as refined sugar-free and include minimal oil.
  • Muffins are freezer friendly as well!

Recipe ingredients

The ingredient list is a bit longer than my typical muffin recipes, but each ingredient is what makes them special.

They’re reminiscent of carrot cake with grated carrot, apple, raisins, coconut and pecans, but the glory is that you can customize them depending on your personal taste.

Morning glory muffins recipe ingredients
  • Flour. I used a combination of almond and oat flour for this recipe, which keeps these gluten-free and gives them an amazing texture.
  • Sweetener. Originally I tested these muffins with coconut sugar, and while they turned out great, I like the results even more with the same amount of maple syrup. I’ve included maple syrup in the ingredients list in the recipe card, but you can use either.
  • Oil. My favorite oil for these muffins is melted coconut oil, but use whatever you have on hand.
  • Milk. I used unsweetened almond milk, but any type of dairy or non-dairy milk may be substituted.
  • Carrot and apple. A combination of grated carrot and apple are what set morning glory muffins apart!
  • Raisins. Raisins may be substituted with your favorite dried fruit or omitted altogether.
  • Coconut. If you’re not a fan of coconut, simply omit it. I like to use unsweetened shredded coconut to decrease the amount of sugar.
  • Pecans. Substitute the pecans with walnuts, sunflower seeds, or pepitas, or omit altogether.

See the recipe card below for the full list of ingredients and quantities.

How to make gluten-free morning glory muffins

These oat and almond flour morning glory muffins come together in about 10 minutes in one bowl.

Pro tip: Grate the carrot and apple up to a day in advance to make prep go even more quickly.

See the recipe card for full instructions.

Photo collage showing how morning glory muffin batter is prepared.
morning glory muffins before and after baking
  1. Whisk together the wet ingredients.
  2. Add the dry ingredients and whisk until no lumps remain.
  3. Stir in the grated carrot and apple, coconut, and raisins.
  4. Divide the batter evenly between (12) muffin cups and top with additional coconut and pecans.
  5. Bake at 400 degrees F for 15-18 minutes or until set.
Morning glory muffins with almond flour on a wire rack.

Recipe FAQs

Why are they called “Morning Glory” muffins?

Morning glory muffins are hearty muffins that were created by Chef Pam McKinstry of the Morning Glory Cafe on Nantucket’s Old South Wharf in New England. The cafe closed in 1994, but many versions of this classic muffin live on.

What’s in a morning glory muffin?

Morning glory muffins are similar to carrot cake as they include grated carrot, apple, coconut, raisins, and pecans or walnuts. Most include whole wheat flour, but this recipe includes almond and oat flours, which makes the muffins gluten-free without sacrificing texture.

Can this recipe be made with either oat flour or almond flour?

Possibly, yes, but the recipe works perfectly as written using both almond flour and oat flour. You need the combination to achieve the right texture.

Can the mix-ins be substituted or omitted?

The only mix-ins you must add are the grated carrot and apple. Both add moisture and flavor to the muffins, and without them these wouldn’t be “morning glory” muffins.

The shredded coconut, raisins, and pecans can all be omitted or swapped with different nuts, seeds, and dried fruits.

Recipe notes

  • Pro tip: Grate the carrot and apple up to a day in advance to make prep go even more quickly.
  • Store muffins in an air-tight container at room temperature for up to 3 days or in the refrigerator for up to one week.
  • Morning glory muffins are freezer-friendly as well. Freeze in a zip top bag or air tight container for up to 3 months.
Morning Glory Muffins with oat flour cut in half.

Did you try this recipe?  If so, be sure to leave a review below and tag me @flavorthemoments on Facebook and Instagram

Gluten-free morning glory muffins on a platter.

Gluten-Free Morning Glory Muffins

These Gluten-Gree Morning Glory Muffins are packed with wholesome ingredients like grated carrot and apple, shredded coconut, raisins, and pecans! They're light and fluffy and perfect for meal prep breakfast!
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Ingredients

  • 1/3 cup melted coconut oil sub with your favorite oil
  • 2 large eggs
  • 3/4 cup maple syrup sub with coconut sugar; see note 2
  • 1/4 cup unsweetened almond milk sub with your favorite dairy or non-dairy milk
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
  • 1 1/4 cups oat flour
  • 1 cup almond flour
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1 cup grated carrot 1 large or 2 medium
  • 1 cup grated apple about 1 large
  • 1/3 cup unsweetened shredded coconut plus 2 more tablespoons for the top, optional
  • 1/3 cup raisins sub with your favorite dried fruit or omit
  • 1/3 cup chopped pecans sub with your favorite nuts or seeds or omit

Instructions 

  • Preheat the oven to 400 degrees and line standard muffin pan with paper liners.
  • In a large bowl, whisk the oil, eggs, maple syrup, milk and vanilla until combined.
    1/3 cup melted coconut oil, 2 large eggs, 3/4 cup maple syrup, 1/4 cup unsweetened almond milk, 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
  • Add the oat flour, almond flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt to the wet ingredients and whisk well until incorporated and no lumps remain. Stir in the carrot, apple, coconut and raisins.
    1 1/4 cups oat flour, 1 cup almond flour, 1 teaspoon baking powder, 1/2 teaspoon baking soda, 1/4 teaspoon salt, 1 cup grated carrot, 1 cup grated apple, 1/3 cup unsweetened shredded coconut, 1/3 cup raisins
  • Divide the batter evenly between the (12) muffin cups and top with additional shredded coconut (if using) and pecans.
    1/3 cup chopped pecans
  • Bake for 15-17 minutes or until set and a toothpick inserted into the middle of a muffin comes out with just a few crumbs. Cool in the pan on a wire rack for 10 minutes, then remove from the pan and cool completely. Enjoy!

Notes

  1. Pro tip: Grate the carrot and apple up to a day in advance to make prep go even more quickly.
  2. I’ve tested this recipe with both coconut sugar and maple syrup, and while they both work very well, I prefer to use maple syrup because of the added flavor and a  texture that’s even more moist.
  3. Store muffins in an air tight container at room temperature for up to 3 days or in the refrigerator for up to one week.
  4. Morning glory muffins are freezer-friendly as well.  Freeze in a zip top bag or air tight container for up to 3 months.

Nutrition

Serving: 1muffin, Calories: 261kcal, Carbohydrates: 26g, Protein: 6g, Fat: 17g, Saturated Fat: 7g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g, Monounsaturated Fat: 2g, Trans Fat: 1g, Cholesterol: 31mg, Sodium: 186mg, Potassium: 164mg, Fiber: 3g, Sugar: 9g, Vitamin A: 1834IU, Vitamin C: 1mg, Calcium: 71mg, Iron: 1mg

Nutrition is estimated using a food database and is only intended to be used as a guideline for informational purposes.

Did you try this recipe?Be sure to tag @flavorthemoments with the hashtag #flavorthemoments on Instagram so I can see what you made!

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