Morning Glory Muffins

This recipe is scaled 25% above the original and yields 18–20 muffins. You will likely need two muffin tins.

Ingredients

Dry

• 325g (2½ cups) whole wheat flour
• 2½ tsp baking soda
• 2½ tsp ground cinnamon
• ½ tsp ground ginger
• ½ tsp salt
• 44g (scant ½ cup) ground flaxseed (optional)

Wet

• 4 small eggs (or 4 large eggs with 1 tbsp of the beaten egg removed)
• 125g brown sugar
• 106g (¼ cup + 1 tbsp) honey
• 100ml vegetable oil
• 100g unsweetened applesauce
• 100ml orange juice or pineapple juice
• 1¼ tsp vanilla extract
• 1¼ tsp orange zest (optional)

Mix-ins

• 325g (2½ cups) shredded carrots
• 175g (1¼ cups) shredded apple
• 94g (about ⅔ cup) raisins
• 80g (about ⅔ cup) chopped pecans

Instructions

Mix the Batter

1. Dry ingredients. Whisk together flour, baking soda, cinnamon, ginger, salt, and flaxseed (if using) in a large bowl.
2. Wet ingredients. In a separate bowl, whisk together eggs, brown sugar, honey, oil, applesauce, juice, vanilla, and orange zest (if using).
3. Combine. Pour wet ingredients into dry and fold gently until just combined — do not overmix.
4. Mix-ins. Fold in shredded carrots, apple, raisins, and pecans.
5. Rest. Let batter sit for 10 minutes to allow the whole wheat flour to fully hydrate and prevent a gritty texture.

Bake

6. Preheat oven to 220°C / 425°F. Line two muffin tins with cupcake liners. Fill each liner all the way to the top.
7. Bake at 220°C / 425°F for 5 minutes to encourage a tall rise.
8. Without opening the oven, reduce temperature to 175°C / 350°F and bake for a further 18–22 minutes. A toothpick inserted into the centre should come out clean.
9. Cool in the pan for 5 minutes, then transfer to a rack.