Morning Glory Muffins

With school almost out for the summer and plenty of end of school year testing going on for all three of my children it is more important than ever to me that they leave the house having had a healthy breakfast that will have them all functioning well.

I've had this recipe for Morning Glory Muffins in my to-do list file for quite a while, and thought this was the perfect opportunity to go ahead and make them. They are bursting with good for you ingredients and are a great "on the go" breakfast.

The batter comes together very quickly, no mixer required. All you need is a couple of bowls, a wooden spoon and a whisk. While they are great right out of the oven they actually taste even better after sitting over night at room temperature. These muffins are low in calories (about 200 per muffin), low in fat (about 5 g), have a good amount of fiber (about 2.5 g) and are high in Vitamin A because of the carrots.* They are a wonderful start to the day.

My kids loved these and I felt good, knowing I sent them on their way with such a healthy breakfast in their tummy. Give them a try, they keep for a couple days well covered on the counter, or freeze them and take them out as needed.

*All nutritional information is only approximately.

Morning Glory Muffins

~makes 18 muffins~

(Print this Recipe)

Ingredients:

1 large egg

2 egg whites

1/2 cup unsweetened apple sauce

1/4 cup canola oil

1 tablespoon vanilla extract

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1/2 cup whole wheat flour

1 1/4 cups white sugar

1 tablespoon ground cinnamon

2 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

2 cups carrots, shredded or grated

2 medium apples, shredded or grated

1 cup raisins

1/4 cup chopped walnuts

3 tablespoons wheat germ

1 tablespoon brown sugar

Directions:

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Lightly oil 18 muffin cups, or coat with nonstick cooking spray.

In a medium bowl, whisk together eggs, egg whites, apple sauce, oil, and vanilla.

In a large bowl, stir together flours, sugar, cinnamon, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Stir in carrots, apples, and raisins. Stir in apple sauce mixture until just moistened. Spoon the batter into the prepared muffin cups, filling them about 3/4 full.

In  a small bowl, combine walnuts, wheat germ, and brown sugar; sprinkle over the muffin tops.

Bake at 375 degrees F for 15 to 20 minutes, or until the tops are golden and spring back when lightly pressed.

Adapted from: All Recipes