Morning Glory Bread
My Morning Glory Bread recipe is simple, nutritious and so good you'll want to eat it for breakfast and dessert
GLUTEN FREE DESSERT RECIPEGLUTEN FREE BREAKFAST RECIPES
Lauren Vasnelis
10/7/2026
Morning Glory Bread
This Morning Glory Bread is one of those recipes where you can pack a ridiculous amount of good stuff into one loaf and somehow end up with something that still feels like a treat.
Grated apples and carrots keep the bread moist, while applesauce, maple syrup, and cinnamon give it plenty of natural sweetness and warm flavor. Then you can make it your own with Craisins, raisins, dried fruit, pecans, walnuts, pumpkin seeds, or whatever combination you have around.
I personally love Craisins and pecans in mine because you get chewy little bursts of sweetness and some crunch in every slice.
One thing to know before you make it: the batter is thick. Really thick. Don’t panic and start pouring in extra liquid. Just keep mixing. Once everything is incorporated, you’re exactly where you’re supposed to be.
Serve a slice warm on its own, with a little dairy-free butter, maple butter, jelly, or even an extra drizzle of maple syrup.
Servings: 8
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Bake Time: 50–60 minutes
Cooling Time: 25 minutes
Oven Temperature: 350°F
Equipment
Food processor fitted with a grating disc or a hand grater
9×5-inch parchment-lined loaf pan
Ingredient Breakdown
Apples
Grated apple adds natural sweetness and, more importantly, a lot of moisture to this bread. Grating rather than chopping the apple allows it to distribute throughout the entire loaf instead of leaving you with isolated chunks.
You can use whatever apple variety you enjoy. A sweeter apple will naturally make the loaf a little sweeter, while something more tart can add a nice contrast to the maple syrup and dried fruit.
Carrots
Carrots add color, moisture, texture, and their own subtle natural sweetness. Because they’re grated, they soften right into the bread while still leaving those little visible flecks throughout each slice.
They’re also part of what gives Morning Glory Bread that hearty texture that makes it feel substantial enough for breakfast.
Gluten-Free Flour
I use Bob’s Red Mill Gluten Free 1-to-1 Baking Flour for this recipe. It gives the loaf structure and holds together all of those moisture-rich grated fruits and vegetables.
If gluten isn’t an issue for you, regular all-purpose flour works well here too.
Eggs
Eggs help bind such a dense, ingredient-packed loaf together while also contributing structure and moisture.
They’re especially important here because we’re working with a substantial amount of grated fruit and vegetables.
Applesauce
Applesauce brings even more moisture to the bread while adding subtle sweetness. Combined with the grated apples, it helps create a loaf that stays moist without needing a large amount of added fat.
Maple Syrup
Maple syrup is the primary added sweetener in the base bread. Its deeper flavor works especially well with apple, carrot, cinnamon, dried fruit, and nuts without making this taste like an overly sweet dessert loaf.
Cinnamon
Cinnamon gives the bread that warm, cozy flavor that works perfectly with apples and carrots.
If you want to turn up the fall flavor even more, apple pie spice works really well here too. Add some alongside the cinnamon or substitute part of the cinnamon with apple pie spice depending on how heavily spiced you like your bread.
Craisins or Other Dried Fruit
I love Craisins in Morning Glory Bread because they give you little chewy, sweet-tart bites throughout the loaf.
But this is incredibly easy to customize. Raisins, chopped dried apricots, or really any dried fruit you enjoy can work. It’s also a great opportunity to use whatever you already have sitting in your pantry.
Pecans, Nuts & Seeds
Pecans give the soft bread a little crunch and a buttery, nutty flavor that works beautifully with the apples, carrots, maple, and cinnamon.
Walnuts are an easy substitution. If you’re avoiding nuts, pumpkin seeds or sunflower seeds are both great alternatives that still give the loaf some texture and crunch.
Ingredients
1½ cups grated apple
1½ cups grated carrot
2 cups gluten-free flour
I use Bob’s Red Mill Gluten Free 1-to-1 Baking Flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
2 eggs
1 cup applesauce
⅓ cup maple syrup
Splash of vanilla
1 tablespoon cinnamon
Pinch of salt
Optional Add-Ins
½ cup Craisins or raisins
Chopped dried apricots or another favorite dried fruit also work
½ cup chopped pecans
Walnuts, pumpkin seeds, or sunflower seeds can be substituted
Instructions
Prepare the Apples and Carrots
Preheat your oven to 350°F.
Using a food processor fitted with the grating disc, grate enough apples to equal 1½ cups and enough carrots to equal 1½ cups.
If you don’t have a food processor, a regular hand grater works perfectly well.
Add the grated apples and carrots to a large mixing bowl.
Make the Batter
To the grated apples and carrots, add the gluten-free flour, baking powder, eggs, applesauce, maple syrup, vanilla, cinnamon, and salt.
If you’re using the optional add-ins, add those now as well. I personally recommend them! I love Craisins and chopped pecans in mine.
Mix everything together until completely incorporated.
The batter is going to be very thick and dense. That’s correct. It may initially look like there isn’t enough liquid, but just keep mixing until everything comes together and there are no pockets of dry flour remaining.
Transfer to the Loaf Pan
Transfer the batter into a parchment-lined 9×5-inch loaf pan.
Spread the batter evenly throughout the pan and smooth out the top.
Bake
Bake at 350°F for 50–60 minutes, or until the loaf is baked through.
Because ovens can vary, start checking the bread toward the end of the baking window.
Cool
Transfer the loaf pan to a cooling rack and allow the bread to cool in the pan for approximately 25 minutes.
Carefully remove the loaf from the pan and allow it to continue cooling as needed.
You don’t have to wait until it’s completely cold before eating it. Once it has had enough time to set, I love slicing this while it’s still slightly warm.
Serve and Enjoy
Serve your Morning Glory Bread as-is or add a little dairy-free butter, maple dairy-free butter, regular butter, maple syrup, or your favorite jelly.
Slice and enjoy!
Lauren’s Tips 💛
Don’t Panic About the Thick Batter
Seriously, this batter is thick.
Don’t assume you’ve forgotten an ingredient and start adding extra almond milk or water. The apples, carrots, applesauce, maple syrup, and eggs are providing plenty of moisture. Keep mixing and it will come together.
Use the Food Processor If You Have One
You can absolutely grate the apples and carrots by hand, but if you have a food processor with a grating disc, this is exactly the kind of recipe where I think it’s worth pulling it out.
You’re grating three full cups of produce, so let the machine do the work.
Try Adding Zucchini
Grated zucchini works really well in Morning Glory Bread too.
You can substitute zucchini for some or all of either the grated apple or carrot, or make a version with 1 cup grated apple, 1 cup grated carrot, and 1 cup grated zucchini.
The important thing is to keep the total amount of grated fruit and vegetables at approximately 3 cups so you don’t throw off the balance of the batter.
Zucchini can hold quite a bit of water, so if yours seems especially wet after grating, lightly squeeze out some of that excess moisture before adding it.
Make the Add-Ins Your Own
Craisins and pecans are my combination, but there’s no reason they have to be yours.
Use raisins, dried apricots, walnuts, pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds, or another dried fruit or crunchy add-in you like. This is a very pantry-friendly bread.
Let It Cool Before You Get Impatient
I know warm bread is tempting, but give this at least 25 minutes in the pan before trying to remove it.
There’s a lot of moisture and texture packed into this loaf, and that cooling time gives everything a chance to set so you don’t destroy your bread trying to get the first slice.
Notes
Measure the apples and carrots after grating so you end up with approximately 3 cups total.
The batter is intentionally very thick. Don’t add additional liquid simply because it looks denser than a traditional quick-bread batter.
The dried fruit and nuts or seeds are optional and completely customizable.
Apple pie spice can be added along with the cinnamon if you want a stronger fall-spice flavor.
If using zucchini as part of the 3 cups of grated produce, lightly remove excess moisture if the zucchini is particularly wet.
Bake the loaf for 50–60 minutes at 350°F. Oven temperatures and loaf pans can vary, so use the appearance and doneness of the bread rather than relying solely on the clock.
Allow the bread to cool for approximately 25 minutes before removing it from the loaf pan.
Store leftover Morning Glory Bread covered once completely cooled.
Please check ingredient labels carefully. While all of my recipes are designed to be gluten-free, not every product I use is certified gluten-free. Always verify ingredient labels to ensure they meet your dietary needs.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why is my Morning Glory Bread batter so thick?
That’s exactly how it’s supposed to look.
This recipe has a lot of grated fruit and vegetables and isn’t meant to have the consistency of a thin cake batter. Keep mixing until all of the flour is incorporated before deciding anything is wrong.
Do I need to peel the apples before grating them?
No. You can peel them if you prefer, but it’s not necessary.
Can I grate the apples and carrots by hand?
Absolutely. A food processor with a grating disc is simply faster.
A regular hand grater will give you the same basic result.
Can I use regular all-purpose flour?
Yes. I make mine gluten-free using Bob’s Red Mill Gluten Free 1-to-1 Baking Flour, but if gluten isn’t an issue for you, regular all-purpose flour works well too.
Can I add zucchini?
Yes. Zucchini works really well.
You can substitute it for some of the apple or carrot as long as you keep the total grated fruit and vegetables around 3 cups. One easy variation is 1 cup apple, 1 cup carrot, and 1 cup zucchini.
Do I have to use Craisins?
No. They’re completely optional.
Raisins, chopped dried apricots, or another dried fruit you enjoy can be substituted.
Can I make Morning Glory Bread nut-free?
Yes. Leave out the pecans or replace them with pumpkin seeds or sunflower seeds for some extra texture without the nuts.
Can I use walnuts instead of pecans?
Absolutely. Walnuts work really well with apples, carrots, cinnamon, and maple.
Can I add apple pie spice?
Yes. Apple pie spice is a great addition if you want even more warm fall flavor. Add it alongside the cinnamon or use it to replace part of the cinnamon.
How do I know when the bread is finished?
The loaf should look set and baked through rather than wet in the center. You can also insert a tester into the center to check for uncooked batter.
Keep in mind that this is a very moist bread with fruit and vegetables throughout, so a few moist crumbs are different from raw batter.
Why should I wait before removing the bread from the pan?
The loaf is still setting when it first comes out of the oven. Giving it about 25 minutes makes it sturdier and much easier to remove without breaking apart.
Can I eat Morning Glory Bread warm?
Definitely. You don’t need to wait until it’s completely cold.
Let it cool enough to set properly, then slice it while it’s still a little warm if that’s how you like it.
What should I put on Morning Glory Bread?
It’s great on its own, but I love it with dairy-free butter or maple dairy-free butter. A little maple syrup or your favorite jelly would also be delicious.
Is Morning Glory Bread breakfast or dessert?
For me, it’s more of a breakfast or snack bread, especially with the apples, carrots, nuts, seeds, and dried fruit.
That said, put a warm slice on a plate with maple butter and a cup of coffee and call it whatever you want.
