Oh Muffins. I love muffins. All of them. There’s something about a muffin that comforts me. Maybe it’s cause every time I see a plate of them I think of a sweet old lady pulling a batch of warm muffins out of the oven in her adorable, yellow kitchen.

Why yellow, you ask? Cause its a soothing color. Did you know that? The color yellow soothes us. Fun fact time: when our eyes see yellow it sends a message to the brain and we feel more happy and optimistic because the brain actually releases more seratonin (that feel good chemical in the brain). Yep, fun fact. Haven’t you always wondered why hospitals tend to paint the walls yellow? Hmmmmm…..color psychology. It’s a real thing.

Sorry. I got distracted. Back to the muffins.

Unfortunately for muffin lovers like me, most muffins you purchase out in the world are super bad for you. Like, real bad. You know those super fab muffins at Perkins that are as big as your head? I’ve always been a fan of the banana nut ones. Yeah, those are like 600 preservative-packed calories. Stay away from them. Bad bad bad.

But these muffins — Courtney’s Morning Glory Muffins — these are actually good for you. I don’t know where the name “Morning Glory” came from. My friend said it’s because they’re “glorious” in the “morning”. She’s a pretty wise woman so we’ll go with her insight.

These muffins have no butter or oil, and they’re packed with fiber, protein, and whole grains. And even some fruit and veggies. They are 150 to 200 (depending on the size) good-for-you calories. They taste fabulous. Seriously, even Erick loves them. We can’t polish off a whole batch on our own before they dry out, so I usually freeze them when they’re fresh. Then you can pull them out one-by-one and pop it in the microwave for a minute. Taste like new.

Enjoy my friends.

Courtney’s Morning Glory Muffins
adapted from Cooking Light  

• 1 cup whole wheat flour
• 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
• 1 cup regular oats, plus more for sprinkling
• 3/4 cup packed brown sugar (or 1/2 cup of honey if you want to go sugarless)
• 3 tablespoons wheat bran
• 2 teaspoons baking soda
• 1 teaspoon of pumpkin spice (or cinnamon)
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup plain greek yogurt (you can use regular yogurt too, but greek has more protein)
• 1 cup mashed ripe banana (about 2-3)
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2 large eggs
• 1 apple, peeled and shredded
• 2 carrots, peeled and shredded
• 3/4 cup chopped walnuts
• 1/2 cup raisins (or dates)

Preheat oven to 350°. Place 18 muffin cups liners in muffin cups; coat liners with cooking spray.

Place raisins in a small bowl. Pour one cup of hot tap water over the raisins and allow to sit for at least five minutes. This will “plump” the raisins. Drain the water.

Lightly spoon flours into dry measuring cups, and level with a knife. Combine flours and next 6 ingredients (through salt) in a large bowl; stir with a whisk. Make a well in center of mixture. Combine yogurt, banana, vanilla, and egg; add to flour mixture, stirring just until moist. Fold in apple, carrots, walnuts, and raisins. Spoon batter into prepared muffin cups. Sprinkle evenly with oatmeal.

Bake at 350° for 20 minutes or until muffins spring back when touched lightly in center. Remove muffins from pans immediately; cool on a wire rack.