I have a thing for muffins…I’m not sure how this developed, because I never grew up eating muffins and I literally never eat muffins unless I make them, but I have created some amazing versions over the past few years. The original and crowd favorite, Double Chocolate Sweet Potato Muffins, Sweet Potato Crumb Muffins, Peanut Butter and Jelly Muffins with Protein, Gingerbread Muffins, and my latest and greatest, these Morning Glory Muffins! All of these muffins are vegan and incredibly soft, but none pack a nutritional punch like these.
A muffin that is pillowy on the inside, but crunchy on the top, are two critical factors in an exceptional muffin. For me, I created these Morning Glory Muffins with applesauce to not only cut the fat in half, but to add incredible moisture to the batter. I also packed the batter with carrots, shredded apples, and pineapple, very similar to my favorite cake of all time, so fruits and veggies take up the bulk of the batter, but also keep the body soft. They also add micronutrients- carrots are high in Vitamin A and along with apples they both are a good source of Vitamin C, fiber, and an array of antioxidants. Pineapple is high in several vitamin and minerals, but I love it for it’s anti-inflammatory and digestive-aid properties from bromelain, a group of digestive enzymes found in pineapple.
These babies are literally overflowing with goodness ^^heart eyes to that image up there^^. But it’s not just fruit and veggies that make up this batter- they also are packed with some of the healthiest fat sources around- walnut oil, flax seed, chia seeds, hemp hearts, and pecans. Some nutritional highlights of these include:
Walnut Oil + Flax Seed are two of the top two sources for Omega 3 fatty acids. Omega 3’s provide the starting point for making hormones that regulate blood clotting and the contraction and relaxation of artery walls (improving blood vessel function). They also help the heart beat at a steady clip and not veer into a dangerous or potentially fatal erratic rhythm. Omega-3 are also important because they help reduce inflammation, are high in potassium (an essential electrolyte, especially for active people), good source of fiber, and plays an integral part in the metabolism of fat in the body.
Hemp Hearts are a staple in my diet as they are an excellent plant-based source of protein and iron. Unlike many plant-based sources, hemp hearts a complete protein, meaning they contain all 9 essential amino acids alone, without being paired with another food. These tiny seeds are also part of an anti-inflammatory diet, as they contain the proper balance of omega-3 to omega-6 fatty acids, unlike many other foods that are heavier in omega-6. Finally, hemp hearts have high levels arginine, an amino acid that turns to nitric oxide. Nitric oxide is an ingredient found in many pre-workouts, since it help dilate arteries and blood vessels, which allows for blood flow to the muscles (which often allows for higher work production).
Look, I’ve talked a lot about nutrition so far in this post, and regardless of any of that, THESE MORNING GLORY MUFFINS ARE EVERYTHING AND MORE! Here I am, yelling again *oops*. Seriously- when I made these this past weekend, I ate four. Four whole muffins because I literally couldn’t back away. And if I can give you any advice, do not skimp on the crumb topping! Everyone loves a good muffin top (so long as it’s not on my body, am I right??) and this top deserves to be called a damn CROWN! It’s nutty, crunchy, sweet, salty, and the perfect complement to the melt in your mouth body of these muffins.
Even though they’re called Morning Glory Muffins (to be honest, I don’t know how muffins got this name) they taste just fine any other time of day too 😉 With protein, veggies, fruit, and healthy fats, they’re the perfect pre-workout or mid afternoon snack, and they’re sweet enough to be that after dinner treat too! I hope you love them as much as I do!
- Yield: 24-27
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 23 minutes
Morning Glory Muffins
These pillowy soft, nutrient dense muffins will be sure to bring your morning's all the GLORY they deserve! Packed with fruit, veggies, healthy fats, fiber, and all the comforting flavor you could ever want, these muffins will be your new go-to breakfast, dessert, and every occasion in between!
Ingredients
- 3/4 cup unsweetened applesauce
- 1/3 cup walnut oil - can sub avocado or olive oil as well, but walnut oil adds a nutty undertone of flavor
- 1/3 cup ground flaxseed
- 1/4 cup chia seeds
- 1/4 cup hemp hearts
- 1/2 cup packed dark brown sugar
- 1/2 cup Vitafiber syrup - can swap with 1/3-1/2 cup honey (sweeten to taste)
- 1/4 cup MRM Lucuma Fruit Powder - can omit, but may need another 1-2T sugar (adjust sweetness to taste)
- 2 cups grated carrots
- 1- 20 ounce can pineapple - drained
- 1 cup grated and peeled apple - 1 large gala apple or 2 small
- 1T pure vanilla extract
- 3/4 cup buckwheat flour - can replace with AP, but this is gluten free
- 3/4 cup + 1T cake flour*
- 1/2 cup MRM vanilla veggie protein powder**
- 1T cinnamon
- 1T + 2 tsps baking soda
- 2 tsps baking powder
- 3/4 tsp sea salt
- 1 cup currants
- 3T white or apple cider vinegar
- Crumb Topping:
- 6T brown sugar
- 1/4 cup oats
- 3T buckwheat flour
- 1/2 tsp cinnamon
- 3/4 cup crushed pecans or walnuts
- 1/3 cup coconut oil - softened but not melted
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 425F.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer, combine the apple sauce, oil, flax, chia, and hemp. Once combined, add the brown sugar, vitafiber/honey, and Lucuma powder. Mix until smooth.
- Grate the carrots and apple, drain the pineapple, then add all three with the vanilla extract to the mixing bowl. Stir until evenly combined.
- Add the dry ingredients (buckwheat flour through sea salt) and just stir until evenly incorporated. Fold in the currants. Last, add the vinegar and mix for 20 seconds or so until it is evenly spread throughout the batter (this creates the "egg" reaction when it hits the baking soda).
- Line 24-27 muffin tins with cupcake papers. Evenly distribute the batter amongst the cups, filling all the way to the top.
- In a separate bowl, combine the ingredients for the crumb topping, except the coconut oil. Once the dry ingredients are stirred together, use a fork to "mash" the softened coconut oil into the dry ingredients, until it becomes "crumby". Evenly distribute the crumbs on top of each muffin.
- Bake at 425F for 5 minutes. After 5 minutes, without opening the oven, turn the oven temperature to 350F and bake for another 15-17 minutes. Remove from the oven, allow to cool in the muffin tins for 10 minutes. Remove from the muffin tins and enjoy warm or at room temperature!
*I am excited to put cake flour in muffins for the first time! Cake flour yields a more delicate final product- which I think helps keep these babies super moist and soft. You could probably replace this with AP (but just use 3/4 cup, not the extra tablespoon) but I have not tried it
**I am obsessed with this protein powder- I've been using it for at least 8 years! It is very thick in it's texture, so a whey protein would like change the texture. This could be replaced with splitting the 1/2 cup between 1/4 cup extra of each buckwheat flour and 1/4 cup + 1T cake flour, but I prefer the final result better with the protein powder addition. Plus- who doesn't love a little extra protein and micronutrients?!
Allergens
