Certainly one of my earliest baking reminiscences is standing on a chair pulled as much as the kitchen counter, serving to my mother make Morning Glory Muffins. I’d grate zucchini, carrots, and apples into the blending bowl, sneaking little bites of fruit between handfuls. She all the time added an additional scoop of toasted nuts and twice as a lot vanilla because the recipe referred to as for.
The nice and cozy, spicy scent of cinnamon and cloves crammed the kitchen because the muffins got here out of the oven—these cozy fall mornings are nonetheless etched into my reminiscence.
All these years later, I’ve made dozens of variations of Morning Glory Muffins, however nothing beats my mother’s basic. That mentioned, pumpkin bread holds a particular place in my fall baking lineup. So naturally, I needed to merge my two loves into one good muffin. The consequence? Pumpkin Morning Glory Muffins—gentle, warmly spiced, and simply the correct quantity of candy. These are my final fall baking ritual.

Why You’ll Love These Pumpkin Morning Glory Muffins
- Cozy fall flavors — heat pumpkin, cinnamon, nutmeg, and clove
- Loaded with veggies and fruit for texture and pure sweetness
- Excellent for meal prep — freeze and reheat for busy mornings
- Endlessly adaptable to what you’ve got readily available
These muffins are good for a gradual Saturday breakfast with espresso, tucked right into a lunchbox, or slathered with butter and flaky sea salt for a not-too-sweet dessert.
I almost all the time double this recipe so I can freeze a dozen muffins for rushed faculty mornings. Right here’s the right way to freeze these for good outcomes:
- Let the muffins cool utterly.
- Toss them in a gallon-sized ziploc.
- Freeze for as much as 2 months.
To reheat, heat within the oven at 300°F for 10 minutes or pop within the microwave till simply heat. A bit butter or drizzle of honey on prime is perfection.
As a lunch choice: place one in a lunchbox the night time earlier than, they usually’ll be thawed by the point lunch rolls round.
Ingredient Swaps & Variations
This recipe is extra of a system than a rulebook. When you don’t have one thing readily available, simply regulate the shredded fruit/veg ratio to maintain the feel balanced:
- No carrots? Use further apple or zucchini.
- Dried fruit: Golden raisins, chopped dates, or cranberries all work superbly.
- Nuts & seeds: Walnuts, pecans, pepitas—no matter you’re keen on. Simply toast them for max taste!
- Spices: The key to why these muffins scent (and style) like pure fall? The nice and cozy spice mix. Cinnamon brings the coziness, nutmeg provides heat, and cloves give that nostalgic, bakery-fresh aroma. Add a contact of cardamom or ginger for a good spicier twist.
Consider it as extra of a kitchen artwork undertaking that’s ripe for experimentation, and lean all the best way into the comfy vibes.

Extra Cozy Fall Pumpkin Recipes
Pumpkin Morning Glory Muffins carry collectively the whole lot I like about fall: heat spices and nourishing elements. They’re the sort of recipe you’ll make repeatedly—and simply would possibly change into a household fave for you, too.
Description
These Pumpkin Morning Glory Muffins are the final word fall deal with.
- 3/4 cup dried apricots, chopped
- 1 stick melted butter
- 1/2 cup entire milk (or plant-based milk in the event you favor)
- 1/2 cup packed brown sugar
- 2 giant eggs
- 1/2 cup pumpkin purée (canned or home made)
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 1 cup whole-wheat flour
- 1 tablespoon pumpkin pie spice
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 2 medium carrots, grated
- 1 apple, grated and with further water squeezed out with a paper towel (I like to make use of Granny Smith)
- 1/2 cup unsweetened shredded coconut, toasted
- 1 cup chopped nuts and/or seeds, toasted (I used a mixture of slivered almonds, walnuts, and sunflower seeds—save just a few for sprinkling on prime!)
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Spray a 12-cup muffin tin with nonstick cooking spray, or use muffin liners and spray the liners.
- Soak the chopped apricots in scorching water when you prep the opposite elements.
- To the bowl of an electrical mixer, add butter, milk, brown sugar, eggs, pumpkin, and vanilla, and beat on medium till properly mixed.
- Add each flours, pumpkin pie spice, baking powder, baking soda, and salt, and stir on the bottom setting to mix.
- Add carrots, apple, coconut, and nuts (reserve just a few for topping the muffins). Drain water from apricots and add 1/2 cup of them to the bowl. Stir to mix.
- Divide the batter evenly between the 12 muffin cups—it’ll go virtually to the highest! Sprinkle just a few extra nuts and remaining apricots over the tops of the muffins, and prime every one with a sprinkle of sugar for crunch.
- Bake for about 20 minutes, till a toothpick inserted into the middle of a muffin comes out clear. Take away from the pan and let cool on a rack. Then, retailer in an hermetic container for as much as 3 days or within the freezer for a few months. Eat up!
- Prep Time: 20
- Cook dinner Time: 20
This submit was final up to date on October 15, 2025, to incorporate new insights.