Mini Morning Glory Muffins

#FlashbackFriday with these mini’s…What’s not to love about a cinnamon spice muffin that is packed with sweet carrots, apples, coconut, cranberries and dry roasted walnuts?  I fell in love with Morning Glory Muffins a few years back when I tried them for the first time at Gillwood’s Café in Napa. (Oh, how my photography has improved from that post 2009!) As much as I tried to convince myself that these muffins were good for me with all that “healthy stuff” in there, the ring of oil on my napkin never actually let me believe that.

After researching several variations of Morning Glory Muffin Recipes, I decided I could make a healthier version that did not include 1 cup of oil, raisins and nuts.  This recipe is my spin the famous Morning Glory Muffin Recipe that was created in 1978.

I used what I had on hand by using the carrots & apples from our Farm Box, however, I think pineapple would be a delicious addition.  I reduced the oil to 1/4 cup and replaced the remainder with 0% Greek Yogurt.  I also substituted the dried cranberries for the raisins as they have a lower sugar content and a nice tart bite.  I used dark brown sugar to create a rich molasses taste and roasted the walnuts to enhance their flavor in these muffins.

These muffins totally make your house smell like fall while they cook, but, the flavor is even better the next day as all the flavors melt together.  They may be little, but, these dense muffins are loaded with a whole lot of fruit & veggie goodness that even your pickiest eaters will not notice.

MINI MORNING GLORY MUFFINS (print it!)

INGREDIENTS:

• 2 1/2 cups all purpose flour
• 1/2 cup Oat Bran or Oat Flour (ground oatmeal)
• 1 cup dark brown sugar
• 2 tsp. baking powder
• 2 tsp. cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp. sea salt
• 2 cups carrots, peeled and grated
• 1 apple, peeled, cored, and grated
• 1/2 cup sweetened coconut, shredded
• 3 large eggs
• 1/4 cup canola oil
• 6 oz  0% Greek Yogurt
• 2 tsp. vanilla extract
• 1/2 cup dried cranberries
• 1/2 cup chopped dry roasted walnuts

INSTRUCTIONS:

1.  Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Prepare a 24 mini muffin cup tin by spraying it with nonstick spray, set aside.

2.  In a large mixing bowl, combine the dry ingredients (flour, oat bran, brown sugar, baking powder, cinnamon and sea salt).

3.  In a separate bowl, whisk together the wet ingredients (carrots, apple, coconut, eggs, oil, yogurt and vanilla extract.

4.  Add the wet ingredients to the dry and mix until well combined.  Fold in the walnuts and cranberries.

5.  Divide into the muffin tins and bake at 350 for 25 minutes or until the muffins are golden and spring back when touched. Remove from pan and cool on a cooling rack.  Stir in an air tight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days or freeze up to 6 months.

Makes 60 mini muffins, 2 muffins per serving for 4 Smartpoints or 3 points+

Nutritional information for 2 mini muffins calculated at caloriecount.com

These little muffins are so incredibly tasty that you probably cannot eat just one.

Grab a cup of coffee or tea and savor two or three (I totally just rhymed without trying to lol!)

I had another great weigh in this week ~ down 1.6 lbs!  I definitely think adding in more activity each day along with making Simply Filling choices is making all the difference.  I actually am over 100% on my Active Link Challenge for week 9 (more on this tomorrow)! I am officially 1.4 lbs away from my 8 Week Thanksgiving Day Goal……Motivation to stay on track this week!

I will catch up with you all tomorrow with my Week 9 Active Link Summary & Update plus that Pumpkin Pear & Ginger Soup recipe.  I also have my How To Roast Pumpkin Seeds to go along with that and another giveaway lined up too.  So much fun to share, so little time.

Night all!