Pineapple Morning Glory Muffin (less sugar and fat, more fiber)

Morning glory muffins filled with carrots, zucchini, pineapple, and seeds and nuts. This one-bowl morning glory muffin recipe is made with less sugar and oil than other muffin recipes.

All of my muffin recipes are lower in sugar and fat and higher in fiber than traditional recipes, and I like to use whole grains where possible. This pineapple morning glory muffin has 4 kinds of veggies and fruit (carrot, zucchini, pineapple, raisins) and 3 different nuts and seeds (coconut, pepitas, sunflower seeds). It’s a great way to start the morning and it makes me look forward to having breakfast!

Tips, Testing and Ingredient Notes – read before modifying the recipe:

I’ve tested and tweaked this pineapple morning glory muffin various times now. In this section, I’m sharing my recipe testing notes.  I think the recipe as written in the recipe card is a decent starting point. However, if you plan on modifying this pineapple morning glory muffin recipe, I suggest reading these notes first.

Here are my findings and notes while testing and developing this recipe.

Carrot and zucchini: You will find that this pineapple morning glory recipe sets out precise weight measurements for the shredded carrots and zucchini. It is important to measure each vegetable separately because the water content for zucchini (94%) differs from that of carrot (87%). (In fact, I initially measured the carrots and zucchini together, but after further testing found that it was necessary to measure them separately for consistent results.)

Therefore, if you plan on replacing either the carrots or zucchini, the water content of the replacement fruit/vegetable should be considered, and the amount of flour should be adjusted accordingly.

Shredding size: Morning glory muffins using carrots and zucchini shredded with the finer side of the box grater (not the grating side) gives a more evenly moist texture than muffins made with carrots and zucchini shredded with the coarser side.

Brown sugar: I have tested this morning glory muffin recipe with 55 g brown sugar and up to 70 g brown sugar. 55 grams is not very sweet, but my family and I found it to be sweet enough. In this recipe, most of the sweetness comes from the canned pineapple fruit and juice. You could potentially lower the sugar even more, but this may affect muffin texture.

I have not tested this recipe with liquid sweeteners like maple syrup, agave, or honey.

Oil/fat: I have not tested this pineapple morning glory muffin with less oil than what is written.

Wheat bran: Wheat bran is important in this recipe as it absorbs the moisture from the muffin batter. You could potentially substitute oat bran, but I have not tested this. It is also noteworthy that wheat bran absorbs more water than oat bran, so you may need to slightly increase the amount of oat bran to compensate for this.

Seeds: In general, the seeds and raisins in this recipe can be switched up with similar seeds/nuts or dried fruit. A note on sunflower seeds – you may find that it has turned a dark green in the muffin. This is totally normal and is a result of oxidization.

Coconut: I use sweetened desiccated coconut “flakes” – they are same size and shredded carrots/zucchini. It does not make a big difference whether the coconut is sweetened or unsweetened.

Raisins: I tested this pineapple morning glory muffin with and without raisins. The advantage of raisins is that they add a bit more sweetness, which may be preferable for certain people since added sugar is low in this recipe.

How to store pineapple morning glory muffins

These pineapple morning glory muffins can be stored

• at room temperature without a container for one day
• in an airtight container, after muffins have cooled completely, at room temperature for 2-3 days
• in an airtight container, in the fridge for 5 days

If you are freezing or refrigerating the muffins, you can reheat in the microwave or in the oven or air fryer.

Recipe Card

Print Recipe

Pineapple Morning Glory Muffin

Morning glory muffins filled with carrots, zucchini, pineapple, and seeds and nuts. This one-bowl morning glory muffin recipe is made with less sugar and oil than other muffin recipes.

Prep Time15 minutes mins

Cook Time25 minutes mins

Course: Breakfast, Snack

Cuisine: American, Canadian

Diet: Low Lactose, Vegetarian

Keyword: Baking, Bran, Muffin, Pineapple

Servings: 6 jumbo muffins

Equipment

• 1 muffin tin (6 jumbo muffins or 12 regular muffins)

Ingredients

• 1 can 398 ml pineapple tidbits in juice OR pineapple chunks in juice see note 1
• 110 g shredded carrots roughly 1 carrot
• 190 g shredded zucchini roughly 1 zucchini
• 55 g brown sugar
• 60 g neutral oil
• 2 large eggs 115 g or 3 medium eggs (150 g)
• 280 g whole wheat flour
• 20 g wheat bran
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 2 tsp cinnamon
• 1 tsp ground ginger
• ¼ tsp salt
• 40 g shredded coconut
• 40 g sunflower seeds
• 25 g pepitas
• 35 g raisins optional

Instructions

• Preheat the oven to 425 F. Line or grease a muffin tin. This recipe as written makes 6 jumbo muffins or 12 regular muffins.
• Separate the pineapple chunks/tidbits and pineapple juice by draining the can of pineapple chunks or tidbits over a bowl (the juice will be used in the muffin batter so be sure not to toss it). If you are using pineapple chunks, roughly chop the fruit with a knife or kitchen scissors and set aside. The fruit should not be more than 2 cm big. (See note 3.)
• Add brown sugar, oil, and eggs to the bowl of pineapple juice and whisk until evenly mixed.
• Add to the wet ingredients the whole wheat flour, wheat bran, baking soda, cinnamon, ginger, and salt. Whisk until evenly hydrated (10-30 seconds). The batter should not be lumpy but take care not to over mix.
• Add to the batter the desiccated coconut and seeds. Whisk to incorporate.
• With a rubber spatula, fold in the pineapple chunks, shredded carrots and shredded zucchini. If you are adding more mix-ins such as raisins or nuts, fold them in at this step.
• Distribute the batter into the muffin tins. It may help to use a spoon or a scooper. The tins should be filled almost full.
• Bake in preheated oven for 10-12 minutes (until muffins have domed), then lower heat to 400 and bake for another 15-20 minutes or until done (see note 3). When done, a toothpick inserted into the thickest part of the muffin should come out clean without crumbs.

Notes

Note 1: If you cannot find the 398ml cans, after separating the pineapple fruit from the juice, measure 168g juice and 273g fruit.
Note 2: When grating the carrots and zucchini, use the smaller shredding side of the box grater. See Tips, Testing and Ingredient Notes section above for more detail.
Note 3: I use Dole’s pineapple chunks or tidbits. If you are using chunks, you may find it helpful to chop up the pineapple chunks roughly with a knife or kitchen scissors. Smaller pieces will make for a muffin that is more evenly moist. If you are using “tidbits”, they are okay to use straight out of the can.
Note 4: The exact time it takes for the muffins to dome will depend on the size of your muffins (whether jumbo or regular) and your individual appliance. The purpose of the first baking phase at 425F is to achieve a good muffin dome and rise, and the purpose of the second phase at 400F is to bake the muffin through until done. If your muffins look to be coloring too much, you can lower the temperature even more and adjust the time accordingly.