Very low in gluten and vegan, these muffins are a perfect day starters. With oats, orange juice, lemon zest, raisins, seeds and nuts they have everything you need for a healthy and delicious breakfast or a great afternoon pick me up.
The origins of the Morning Glory Muffins are unknown, some say they were created in a cafe called Morning Glory in Massachusetts in the 1970s, when the owner wanted to finish some leftovers. Regardless, they are now staples in many bakeries and coffee shops. They can be customized with a variety of different ingredients but nuts, seeds and raisins and many times grated carrots are always present.
My recipe doesn’t use carrots but orange juice and lemon zest for a citrus note besides spices for added flavor and enhanced aroma. I also used kamut flour for more protein, since kamut has 40% more protein than regular wheat flour. Besides manganese, zinc, selenium and antioxidants. In my Sweet Potato & Ginger Cookies recipe you can find more information about kamut flour and its nutrients.
The muffins are mostly sweetened by the orange juice and the raisins with only 3 tablespoons of sugar for the whole recipe. Raisins are high in natural sugar, one cup of raisins which is 160g (5.6oz) has around 104g (3.6oz) of sugar. But when you eat raisins instead of sugar, you are having sugar with benefits such as soluble fibers, potassium, calcium, iron and antioxidants. Which may reduce the risk of heart disease and high blood pressure. Research has shown that raisins can help modulate sugar absorption and promote satiety by lowering your overall appetite.
As you can see these easy to make muffins will be a good addition to your mornings.
Here is another very good recipe of a moist and fudgy brownie sweetened with raisins, Dark & White Chocolate Raisin Brownie.
Prep: 20 mins | Cook: 20 mins | Total: 40 mins
Ingredients
¾ cup of kamut flour
1 cup of oat flour
1 tsp of baking powder
½ tsp of baking soda
2 tbsp of tapioca flour
2 tbsp of ground flaxseed
4 tbsp of warm water
3 tbsp of sugar
½ tsp of lemon zest
1 cup of orange juice
⅓ cup of coconut oil melted and cooled
1 tsp of ground cinnamon
¼ tsp of ground cloves
¼ tsp of ground allspice
½ cup of raisins
½ cup of golden raisins
⅓ cup of pumpkin seeds
⅓ cup of sunflower seeds
½ cup of chopped walnuts
Prep
Preheat the oven 350ºF (180ºC). Line a 12-tin muffin tray with paper liners.
Prepare a flax egg by mixing the ground flaxseed with the warm water. Let it sit for 5 minutes.
In a large bowl add the oat, kamut and tapioca flours, add the baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, cloves and allspice. Using a whisk mix all ingredients until well combined. Add the raisins, the seeds and the walnuts. Using a spatula mix it well until all ingredients are evenly distributed.
In a medium bowl add the orange juice, the sugar, lemon zest and the flax egg. Using a whisk mix well. The flax egg will be floating on the top, that’s fine.
Add the wet to dry ingredients plus the coconut oil. Mix all ingredients well but don’t over stir.
Evenly divide the batter amongst the prepared muffin tray. Bake for 20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean.
Store in an airtight container for up to 3 days. They also freeze very well for 3 months. Enjoy!