Morning Glory Muffins

I love to treat my family (& myself!) to muffins for a special weekday breakfast. My kids have also become thrilled to have mini-muffins in their snack at school!

These muffins are loaded with healthy sweetness from carrots, apples, coconut, and raisins. The cookbook made them sound even more healthy and appealing because it stated that the bakery has to make a fresh batch on weekend afternoons for the cycling club that stops in for their muffin break! 🙂 This recipe was adapted from The Model Bakery Cookbook: 75 Favorite Recipes from the Beloved Napa Valley Bakery by Karen Mitchell and Sarah Mitchell Hansen with Rick Rodgers. I adapted the recipe to incorporate whole wheat flour, and adjusted the baking time for mini-muffins and a convection oven.

Yield: 16-20 standard muffins, or 12 standard muffins & 24 mini-muffins

• 1 1/4 cups (365 g) all-purpose flour
• 1 1/4 cups white whole wheat flour
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 3/4 tsp fine sea salt
• 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1 1/2 cups (210 g) shredded carrots, about 3 large
• 1 Granny Smith apple, peeled, cored, & shredded
• 1 cup (240 ml) vegetable oil
• 1 1/2 cups (300 g) granulated sugar
• 3 large eggs, at room temperature
• 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
• 2/3 cup (80 g) sweetened shredded coconut, plus 1/4 cup (30 g)
• 1/2 cup (85 g) dark raisins

1. Position a rack in the center of the oven and preheat to 400 degrees (on convection). Line muffin cups with paper liners or coat with cooking spray, as desired. (I used cooking spray for the standard muffins and paper liners for the mini-muffins.)
2. In a medium bowl, whisk the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon to combine.
3. Combine the shredded carrots and apple in a small bowl.
4. Beat the vegetable oil and sugar together in a stand-mixer set on medium-high speed until light in color, about 2 minutes.
5. One at a time, add the eggs, beating well after each addition. Beat in the vanilla.
6. Reduce the mixer speed to low. Add the flour mixture in thirds, alternating them with two equal additions of the carrot mixture and mixing just until combined after each addition.
7. Mix in the 2/3 cup coconut and all of the raisins.
8. Using a cookie or ice cream scoop, transfer the batter to the muffin cups.
9. Sprinkle the remaining 1/4 cup of coconut over the tops.
10. Bake until the muffins are golden brown and a wooden toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, about 15 minutes for standard muffins (on convection), and about 10 minutes for mini-muffins (on convection).
11. Let cool in the pan for 5 minutes. Remove from the pan, transfer to a wire cooling rack, and let cool. The muffins can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 1 day.

One Year Ago:

• Fancy S’more Cupcakes with Toasted Marshmallow Frosting

Two Years Ago:

• Whole Wheat Banana Muffins

If you like this you may also like:

• Healthy Morning Muffins

About Josette@thebrookcook

I live in Stony Brook, New York on Long Island. I love garlic and baking. My hobby (and love) is to try new recipes. My favorite recipe resources include The New York Times, Food and Wine, Bon Appetit, and Martha Stewart Living. Enjoy!

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