Morning Glory Muffins

Carrot, apple, coconut and raisins in one virtuous, delicious muffin.

Prep Time25 mins
Cook Time22 mins
Total Time47 mins
YieldMakes 12 muffins
Morning Glory Muffins
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Before You Start

Morning glory muffins are the kitchen sink genre done right: carrot, apple, coconut, raisins and walnuts in a cinnamon batter, invented in a Nantucket café in the seventies and photocopied onto every wholesome menu since. The grated apple matters as much as the carrot: it dissolves into the crumb and keeps the whole dense muffin moist for days.

Instructions

  1. 1

    Heat the oven to 190°C / 375°F. Line a 12 hole tin with tulip cases if you have them, since these rise generously.

  2. 2

    Whisk the flour, sugar, cinnamon, baking soda, baking powder and salt in a large bowl.

  3. 3

    Stir in the carrot, apple, raisins, coconut and walnuts until everything is dusted with flour.

  4. 4

    Whisk the eggs, oil, orange zest and juice, and vanilla in a jug. Pour in and fold until just combined. The batter is thick and rubbly.

  5. 5

    Divide between the cases, mounding them full, and bake 20 to 24 minutes until deep gold and a skewer comes out clean.

  6. 6

    Cool in the tin 10 minutes, then on a rack. They are better after an hour, and better still the next morning.

💡 Baker's tips

  • Grate the carrot on the fine side and the apple on the coarse. Fine carrot disperses, coarse apple leaves little melting pockets.
  • These are meant to be dense and damp, not fluffy. Judging them against a cupcake is a category error.

🔀 Make it your own

  • Swap raisins for chopped dates, or add 2 tablespoons of sunflower seeds to the tops.
  • Half whole-wheat flour works well here and leans into the café character.

📦 Storing & freezing

Airtight for 4 days, improving for the first two. They freeze for 3 months and are the correct thing to have in a freezer.

❓ Frequently asked

What is in a morning glory muffin?

The classic set: carrot, apple, raisins, coconut and walnuts in a cinnamon batter with oil and orange. It was created at the Morning Glory Café on Nantucket in 1978.

Why did my morning glory muffins come out wet?

The apple and carrot carry a lot of water. Grate the apple and squeeze it lightly if it is very juicy, measure the carrot after grating, and bake to a fully clean skewer.

Baking in a different unit? Use the cups ↔ grams converter or the recipe scaler to halve or double this recipe.

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