These Morning Glory Muffins Will Truly Make Your Mornings More Glorious

I recently started craving these morning glory muffins, which I used to make all the time. They are full of wonderful add-ins—which you can add in or not—and you can substitute similar ingredients (though I like to think that the bran helps make your morning glorious!). You don’t need any special equipment to make these, and if you don’t have a muffin pan, you can bake the batter in a 9-inch square pan and call them muffin squares (it may take a bit longer to bake).

Morning Glory Muffins

Makes 12 muffins

Ingredients

• 11/2 cups all-purpose flour (or half whole wheat)
• 1 cup bran cereal (I use All-Bran Buds)
• 1 Tbsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 1/4 tsp kosher salt
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 1 egg
• 3/4 cup buttermilk
• 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil or vegetable oil
• 1/2 cup light brown sugar
• 2 Tbsp molasses
• 1 apple or pear, peel on or off, grated
• 1 large carrot or parsnip, scrubbed or peeled, grated
• 1/2 cup chopped pitted dates (see note) or other dried fruit you like
• 1/2 cup chopped roasted walnuts or other nuts
• 2 tbsp toasted sesame seeds
• 2 tbsp roasted pumpkin seeds

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Butter or spray a 12-cup muffin pan. Or line with paper muffin cups.
2. In a medium mixing bowl, whisk the flour with the bran cereal, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon until well combined.
3. In another, larger bowl, whisk the egg with the buttermilk, olive oil, sugar, and molasses.
4. Stir the dry ingredients into the egg mixture, and mix only until combined. Add the apples, carrots, dates, nuts, and sesame seeds. Stir well.
5. Scoop the batter into the muffin cups. Sprinkle with the pumpkin seeds. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, or until the muffins have risen and are browned, and an instant-read thermometer registers at least 185°F when inserted into the center. Cool for 10 to 15 minutes in the pan, then remove. The muffins will keep for a few days, covered, at room temperature, and they freeze well.

Note: It’s easier to “chop” or slice dates or most other dried fruit by cutting them up with scissors.

Excerpted from Don’t Worry, Just Cook by Bonnie Stern. Copyright © 2022 Bonnie Stern Cooking Schools Ltd. and Anna Rupert. Photography © 2022 Tyler Anderson with additional photos by Mark Rupert and Anna Rupert. Food styling by Olga Truchan. Published by Appetite by Random House, a division of Penguin Random House Canada Limited. Reproduced by arrangement with the Publisher. All rights reserved.

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