Morning Glory Muffins

Name: Morning Glory Muffins
Prep time: 30 min
Cook time: 30 min
Total time: 1 h
Yield: 12 servings
Cuisine: American
Ingredients: ½ cup (60 g) pecan halves, coarsely chopped; 2 cups (250 g) all-purpose flour, spooned into the cup and leveled; ¾ cup (150 g) granulated sugar; ¼ cup (50 g) light brown sugar, firmly packed, lumps broken up; 1½ tsp (7 g) baking soda; 1 tsp (4 g) baking powder; 2 tsp (5 g) ground cinnamon; ½ tsp (3 g) fine salt; 2 whole (100 g) large eggs, at room temperature; ½ cup (120 ml) neutral oil (canola or vegetable); ½ cup (120 ml) buttermilk, at room temperature; 2 tsp (10 ml) pure vanilla extract; 1½ cups (150 g) carrots, peeled and grated on the large holes of a box grater (about 2 medium carrots); 1 medium (150 g) firm tart apple (such as Granny Smith), peeled, cored, grated on the large holes, and gently squeezed in your fist to remove excess juice; ½ cup (75 g) raisins; ½ cup (40 g) unsweetened shredded coconut; 1 tbsp (12 g) coarse sugar, for sprinkling on top (optional)

From the MyKitchenBank Kitchen

Hearty, moist bakery-style muffins packed with grated carrot and apple, plump raisins, toasted pecans and coconut, and warmed with cinnamon. They keep well and make a satisfying grab-and-go breakfast.

Prep: 30 min
Cook: 30 min
Wait: 25 min
Total: 1 hr 25 min
Makes: 12 standard muffins

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Ingredients

12 servings

½ cup (60 g) pecan halves, coarsely chopped
For the dry mix
2 cups (250 g) all-purpose flour, spooned into the cup and leveled
¾ cup (150 g) granulated sugar
¼ cup (50 g) light brown sugar, firmly packed, lumps broken up
1½ tsp (7 g) baking soda
1 tsp (4 g) baking powder
2 tsp (5 g) ground cinnamon
½ tsp (3 g) fine salt
For the wet mix
2 whole (100 g) large eggs, at room temperature
½ cup (120 ml) neutral oil (canola or vegetable)
½ cup (120 ml) buttermilk, at room temperature
2 tsp (10 ml) pure vanilla extract
Mix-ins
1½ cups (150 g) carrots, peeled and grated on the large holes of a box grater (about 2 medium carrots)
1 medium (150 g) firm tart apple (such as Granny Smith), peeled, cored, grated on the large holes, and gently squeezed in your fist to remove excess juice
½ cup (75 g) raisins
½ cup (40 g) unsweetened shredded coconut
1 tbsp (12 g) coarse sugar, for sprinkling on top (optional)

Equipment (9)

12-cup standard muffin tin (each cup about ½ cup / 120 ml)
12 paper liners or neutral oil for greasing
Rimmed baking sheet for toasting pecans
Large mixing bowl (4 qt / 4 L)
Medium mixing bowl
Box grater
Rubber spatula
Ice cream scoop or ½-cup (120 ml) measure
Wire cooling rack

Steps

Before you start

Take the eggs and buttermilk out of the fridge 30 minutes ahead so they mix smoothly into the batter.
Position an oven rack in the center and preheat to 375°F (190°C) before you start. The pecans toast in the same oven.
Grate the carrots and apple on the large holes of a box grater. Finely shredded produce turns the batter wet and gummy.
Read the timing: muffins need 10 minutes in the pan and 15 more on a rack to set, so don't cut into them straight from the oven.

1
Preheat and toast pecansOven 375°F / 190°C
- Position a rack in the center of the oven and heat to 375°F (190°C).
- Line a 12-cup muffin tin with paper liners, or grease the cups well with oil.
- Spread the chopped pecans on a rimmed baking sheet and toast for 6 minutes.
- Tip them onto a plate to cool so they stop cooking.
- Leave the oven on.
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Ready when: Pecans smell nutty and are a shade darker
Tip: Pecans burn quickly. Set a timer and don't walk away.
2
Grate the produce
- Grate the carrots and the apple on the large holes of a box grater.
- Squeeze the grated apple gently in your fist over the sink to remove excess juice, then combine it with the carrots in a bowl.
- Leave the carrots unsqueezed, since their moisture helps keep the muffins tender.
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Ready when: Apple feels damp but not dripping
Tip: Use the large grater holes. Fine shreds turn mushy in the batter.
3
Whisk the dry mix
- In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, granulated sugar, brown sugar, baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon and salt for about 30 seconds.
- Press out any brown sugar lumps with your fingers.
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Ready when: Mixture is an even tan color with no streaks of cinnamon or lumps
4
Whisk the wet mix
- In a medium bowl, whisk the eggs until the yolks and whites are blended, about 20 seconds.
- Add the oil, buttermilk and vanilla and whisk until smooth and uniform.
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Ready when: Liquid looks smooth with no visible streaks of oil
Tip: Cold eggs or buttermilk can make the oil clump, so use room-temperature ones.
5
Combine the batter
- Pour the wet mixture into the dry mixture.
- With a rubber spatula, fold with about 10 strokes, scraping the bottom of the bowl, until most of the dry flour disappears.
- A few small floury streaks are fine.
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Ready when: Batter is thick and shaggy with a few streaks of flour
Tip: Overmixing develops gluten and makes tough, tunneled muffins.
6
Fold in the mix-ins
- Add the carrots and apple, raisins, coconut and cooled toasted pecans.
- Fold with 8 to 10 more strokes until the add-ins are evenly spread and no dry flour remains.
- The batter will be very thick and chunky, more like a loaded dough than a pourable batter.
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Ready when: No dry flour is visible and the mix-ins are evenly spread
Tip: Make sure the pecans have cooled before adding them, so they don't warm the batter.
7
Fill the muffin cups
- Use a ½-cup (120 ml) scoop or measure to portion the batter, about 105 g each, filling each cup to the rim.
- Mound it slightly in the center.
- Sprinkle the tops with coarse sugar if using.
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Ready when: All 12 cups are full and level with the pan rim
Tip: Filling to the rim gives tall bakery-style domes. This batter doesn't spread much.
8
Bake the muffinsOven 375°F / 190°C
- Bake on the center rack at 375°F (190°C) for 22 to 25 minutes, rotating the pan front to back after 15 minutes.
- Do not open the oven door before then.
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Ready when: Tops are deep golden brown and spring back when pressed. A toothpick in the center comes out clean or with a few moist crumbs. No wet batter should cling to it.
Tip: If the tops brown too fast, tent the pan loosely with foil for the last 5 minutes.
9
Rest in the pan
- Set the pan on a wire rack and let the muffins rest in it for 10 minutes.
- They finish setting and become firm enough to lift without breaking.
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Ready when: Muffins feel firm when you gently touch the sides
10
Cool on the rack
- Lift each muffin out of the pan and set it on the wire rack.
- Cool for at least 15 minutes before eating, so the crumb sets and the flavors settle.
- Serve warm or at room temperature.
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Ready when: Bottoms feel dry and just barely warm
Tip: Leaving muffins in the hot pan too long traps steam and makes the bottoms soggy.

Good to know

Tips

Weigh the flour if you can. Too much flour is the most common cause of dry, dense muffins.
Fold gently and stop as soon as no dry flour remains. Overmixing makes muffins tough.
Mix-ins are heavy, so make sure the batter is evenly distributed and portioned in equal scoops for even baking.
Rotate the pan halfway through baking if your oven has hot spots.

Make ahead

Toast the pecans and grate the carrots and apple up to 1 day ahead; refrigerate the produce in an airtight container and squeeze the apple just before mixing. Whisk the dry mix ahead and keep it covered at room temperature. Don't combine wet and dry until just before baking, since the leaveners start working right away.

Storage & reheating

Room temperature in an airtight container, layered with paper towel: up to 2 days. Refrigerator: up to 5 days. Freezer: wrap individually and freeze in a zip-top bag for up to 3 months. Reheat from room temperature for 15 seconds in the microwave, or from frozen for 45 to 60 seconds. Alternatively, warm at 325°F (165°C) for 10 to 12 minutes.

Substitutions

buttermilk → Plain whole-milk yogurt thinned with a splash of milk, or milk with 1½ tsp lemon juice. If using the lemon-milk version, let it stand 5 minutes first. Use 120 ml total.
pecan halves → Walnuts, or sunflower seeds for a nut-free version. Toast them the same way. Seeds need only about 4 minutes.
raisins → Chopped dried cranberries or dried apricots. Use the same weight.
neutral oil (canola or vegetable) → Melted unsalted butter, cooled slightly. Gives a more buttery flavor and a slightly firmer crumb.