Paleo Almond Flour Morning Glory Quick bread made grain-free, refined sugar-free, and dairy-free! This flavorful, healthful bread includes all the flavors of morning glory muffins, and is so easy to make! A marvelous go-to healthy treat.โ
I first shared this recipe for paleo morning glory quick bread back in 2017 and it has been made thousands of times since!
โJust peruse the comments section below to read over one hundred reviews!
In fact, this morning glory breakfast loaf has been my own personal favorite quickbread recipe for years. And for great reasons!
First and foremost, it is positively mouth-watering tasty with warm flavors and a lovely nuttiness to it. The texture is fluffy with moist crumbs for a delicious way to enjoy healthy ingredients.
Plus, it is made with all healthy ingredients! Almond flour, grated carrots, shredded apple, unsweetened coconut, walnuts, and a touch of pure maple syrup are the main ingredients.
All the trappings of morning glory muffinย recipes , but in the form of a morning glory loaf.ย
โAnd yes, this recipe is grain-free, low in sweetener, refined sugar-free, and dairy-free! But you don’t need a host of medical conditions to enjoy a hearty slice. In fact, I’m betting your loved ones won’t know it isn’t made with flour and regular sugar!
In case you’re new to it, here’s the skinny.
What is “Morning Glory” Quick Bread?:
What exactly is a Morning Glory Muffin (or in this case, Morning Glory Quick bread)? It’s a sweet baked treat filled with grated carrots, applesauce, walnuts, shredded coconut, sometimes raisins, and sometimes pineapple.
Quite honestly, morning glory baked goods are very similar to carrot cake!
Depending on your approach to carrot cake or morning glory muffin recipes, the two can be one and the same. ย You’ll observe the recipe here is similar to my Almond Flour Carrot Cakeย recipe.
Let’s chat about the basic ingredients for this morning glory bread recipe.
Ingredients for Almond Flour Morning Glory Bread:
Almond Flour and Tapioca Flour: Taking the place of regular all purpose flour, we use a combination of almond flour and tapioca flour. This results in a light and fluffy texture that makes this delicious bread so tasty.
For the best results, stick with a finely ground almond flour instead of almond meal, which is a coarser grind.
Large Eggs: A couple of regular eggs help the batter rise for the perfect texture. I don’t recommend swapping them for an egg replacer like flax eggs.
Avocado Oil: Bringing rich flavor and moisture for a moist crumb, we need a little oil. Melted coconut oil or butter works here too.
Pure Maple Syrup: The pure maple syrup can be replaced with one to two overripe bananas, mashed up.
This will result in a whole30 bread as it will only contain natural sweeteners. On the flipside, add 1 to 3 tablespoons of coconut sugar, brown sugar or regular cane sugar for sweeter bread.
Baking Powder and Baking Soda: The leavening agents. These two ingredients help the batter rise and bake evenly.
Morning Glory Goodies: Orange zest, ground cinnamon, shredded coconut, grated apple, grated carrots, and walnuts.
These goodies are what give this morning glory loaf its name. Some people like adding raisins or other dried fruit, or even adding crushed pineapple. I like sprinkling sunflower seeds on top.
Sea Salt: Salt is a big flavor enhancers. Don’t skip it!
Now that we’ve covered the simple ingredients, let’s bake this amazing quick bread recipe!
How to Make Morning Glory Bread:
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F and line a 9″ x 5″ loaf pan with parchment paper. You can also oil or spray the pan with cooking oil if you don’t have parchment paper.
Add the eggs, pure maple syrup, avocado oil, lemon juice, vanilla extract, and orange zest to a large mixing bowl. Mix until the wet ingredients are combined.
In a separate large bowl, stir together the almond flour, tapioca flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, and sea salt until the dry ingredients are combined.
Pour the flour mixture into the bowl with the wet ingredients and stir until a smooth batter forms.
Add in the grated carrots, grated apple, walnuts, and shredded coconut and mix well until everything is well distributed throughout the batter.
Transfer the batter to the prepared loaf pan and cover it with aluminum foil. Bake for 40 to 60 minutes, or until the bread is firm in the center.
The best way to tell if quick bread is fully baked is by taking its internal temperature.
To do so, insert a digital thermometer into the center of the bread and wait until the numbers stop moving. The ideal temperature is 190 to 205 degrees Fahrenheit.
Remove the bread from the oven and allow it to cool completely to room temperature before slicing.
When you’re ready to slice the bread, pull the loaf out of the pan using the edges of the parchment paper. Use a sharp knife to cut thick slices and enjoy!
Alternative Blender Method:
Add the first 11 ingredients (eggs through salt) to a blender or a food processor and blend until smooth. Stir in the remaining ingredients until the batter is well-combined.
Follow the regular instructions above as normal once the batter is formed.
Storage Options:
- Room Temperature: Wrap the loaf pan with plastic wrap and store on the counter at room temperature for up to 2 days.
- Refrigerator: Transfer the loaf to an airtight container or a zip lock bag and refrigerate for up to 1 week.
- Freezer: Store any leftovers in a freezer bag or zip lock bag and freeze for up to 3 months.
What Does Morning Glory Bread Taste Like?:
This bread is everything a good quick bread should be! Tender and moist, dense, but airy, sweet but not too sweet, fluffy, full of warm earthy flavor.
It is the perfect accompaniment to your mug of coffee or tea. You could compare it to a less sweet version of carrot cake, and without the raisins.
Just like carrot cake, there are plenty of ways you can make this recipe your own by customizing the recipe.Here are some great options for changing up the recipe.
Recipe Customizations:
- Replace the oil with unsweetened applesauce or pumpkin puree.
- Incorporate up to 1/2 cup of crushed pineapple. If you do so, omit the oil.
- Add 1 large ripe banana. Mash it well, and omit the pure maple syrup.
- While hazelnut flour can be used to replace the almond flour, I don’t recommend using coconut flour, as you will also need to add more eggs and liquid.
- Use pecans in place of walnuts, or skip the nuts.
- Add 1/3 cup of raisins or other dried fruit.
- Whip up a batch of myย Vegan Cream Cheese Frostingย and frost the dang thing!
- You can easily turn this bread into paleo morning glory muffins by baking the batter in a muffin tin.
For me, breads like this are the perfect way to start the day. It is that slow morning or afternoon experience, where you cut off a thick slice, pair it with your favorite hot drink, and slowly savor each bite.
A warm, thick slice is a great companion while surfing the internet for quality information or reading a great book, researching getaways, etc.ย
Iโve also been known to down a huge hunk lickety split after a sweaty hot yoga class, so thereโs always that option, too.
If you love baking with whole grains, also try my Healthy Morning Glory Quick Bread, which is made with oats.
And that’s it! A great option for those who love to honor their sweet tooth using mindful ingredients.
The next time you’re craving a homemade treat, whip up this wholesome loaf!
Looking for more healthy grain-free quick breads? Here are some reader favorites.
More Quick Bread Recipes:
- Paleo Double Chocolate Banana Bread
- Blueberry Oatmeal Cottage Cheese Breadย ย
- Paleo Strawberry Banana Bread
- Almond Flour Protein Cinnamon Roll Breadย ย
- Paleo Carrot Cake Banana Bread
- Blueberry Lemon Breakfast Breadย
- Paleo Cranberry Orange Bread
Throw yourself a loaf of morning glory quick bread!
Almond Flour Morning Glory Quick Bread Recipe
Ingredients
- 3 large eggs
- 1/3 cup pure maple syrup
- 1/4 cup avocado oil see note*
- 1 Tbsp fresh lemon juice or orange juice
- 2 tsp pure vanilla extract optional
- 2 tsp orange zest
- 1 1/2 cups finely ground almond flour
- 1/2 cup tapioca flour
- 1 1/2 tsp baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 2 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1/2 tsp sea salt
- 1 1/2 cups grated carrot
- 1/2 cup grated apple about 1/2 an apple
- 1/3 cup raw walnuts chopped
- 2/3 cup unsweetened shredded coconut plus more for garnish
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F and line a 9″ x 5″ loaf pan with parchment paper. You can also oil or spray the pan with cooking oil if you don’t have parchment paper.
- Add the eggs, pure maple syrup, avocado oil, lemon juice, pure vanilla extract, and orange zest to a large mixing bowl. Mix until the wet ingredients are combined.
- In a separate large bowl, stir together the almond flour, tapioca flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, and sea salt until the dry ingredients are combined.
- Pour the flour mixture into the bowl with the wet ingredients and stir until a smooth batter forms. Add in the grated carrots, grated apple, walnuts, and shredded coconut and mix well until everything is well distributed throughout the batter.
- Transfer the batter to the prepared loaf pan and cover it with aluminum foil. Bake for 50 to 60 minutes, or until the bread is firm in the center. The best way to tell if quick bread is fully baked is by taking its internal temperature. To do so, insert a digital thermometer into the center of the bread and wait until the numbers stop moving. The ideal temperature is 190 to 205 degrees Fahrenheit.
- Remove the bread from the oven and allow it to cool completely to room temperature before slicing. When you're ready to slice the bread, pull the loaf out of the pan using the edges of the parchment paper. Or, if you sprayed the pan with oil, run a paring knife along the edge of the bread and turn it out onto a cutting board. Use a sharp knife to cut thick slices and enjoy!
Video
Notes
Nutrition
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I love this bread. It has become a staple in my freezer! Questionโฆ I was about to make another load when I realized I was out of apples but have applesauce. How much solace should I use to replace the fresh grated apple?
Thank you ๐
Hi Deborah! I would try 1/4 cup of applesauce to replace the grated apple. I haven’t tested this myself yet, but that’s where I’d start ๐ You can always add 1/4 cup more if the batter seems too thick!
Another amazing recipe! I made this with the ingredients exactly according to the recipe, except I made them as muffins. It made 12 regular sized muffins and five mini muffins. I cooked the regular muffins for 8 minutes then added the mini muffins for another 12 minutes. Then I turned the oven off and let them sit for three minutes in the oven. They came out beautifully, slightly crispy on the outside and soft on the inside. They are so good! Now I just have to restrain myself from eating all of them in one go ๐ (And I didnโt let them cool at all before eating them LOL)
Love it! I’m so happy you made them into muffins…sounds amazing! Thanks so much for swinging back to let me know ๐ xoxo
I’ve made this bread a few times and it’s delicious. My favorite version has been to add dried cranberries, 1 tsp+ ginger & subbing applesauce for both maple syrup & oil since I sweeten with just a packet of Stevia. I always end up adding more shredded coconut since I love the texture. I do find I need to bake a little longer with my mods. Thanks Julia!
Oooh, I love it! Thanks so much for sharing all of that, Anna! xoxoxo
Could you use gluten free flour blends?
Hi Chelsea,
I haven’t tested the recipe using a GF flour blend, but I bet it would work great! Try using 1.5 cups and see where that lands you. If the batter seems thin, add 1/4 to 1/2 cup more ๐ Hope you enjoy! xoxo
Can i use 2 cups whole wheat flour instead of almond and tapioca flour?
Hi Ashwini,
That’s a great question! I haven’t tested the recipe using whole wheat flour, so I can’t be too sure how it would turn out. My guess is you would need a little less wheat flour, as it is more absorbent than almond and tapioca. I would start with 1 2/3 cups of whole wheat flour and add more if the batter seems too thin. Let me know what you end up doing! xo
Thanks for sharing! Does it keep long?
Hi Vanessa! The bread will stay fresh in a sealed container (or bag) in the refrigerator for 10 days. If you need longer, you can always freeze it! I do this all the time ๐ xoxo
This looks so good! What a satisfying and nutrient dense breakfast to start the day with!
So happy you like it! xoxo
Looks good!! What can I replace the baking powder with?
Hi Katerina,
I haven’t tested the recipe without baking powder yet, but I imagine you can add just 1/4 tsp additional baking soda. If you have tapioca flour on hand, use 1 tablespoon tapioca flour. Let me know how it goes! xoxo
Any tweaks to suggest to replace almond flour with cassava? Can’t do nuts.
Hi Marie! I’ve never tried the recipe using cassava, but I’m willing to bet it would work really well! I would use the same amount as the almond flour. Let me know if you try it!
This looks great! Can I replace maple syrup with raw honey?
Absolutely! Just keep a watchful eye on the bread, as honey burns quicker than pure maple syrup. xo
This looks so yummy! I am drooling ๐
I just made this over the weekend for my kids. It was delicious!
I’m so psyched to hear it! Thanks for the sweet note!
I just made this recipe as mini muffins & they are delicious! Did you ever post nutritional information for this recipe?
wow I love the fabulous combo in morning glory muffins, what a great way to sneak in extra fruit and veggies! Iโm sure these muffins make mornings that much more glorious..
Thank you!! This recipe was fantastic!
I made it, replacing the maple syrup with Monkfruit Sweetened Maple Flavored Syrup and no one in my family noticed! They loved it too!
I’m so thrilled to hear it, Wendie!! I’ll have to try it with monk fruit syrup, as many of the folks in my family are sugar-free. Love it!! xo
ThIs sounds delicious and I think I have everything already to make it! Pinning so I can make it this weekend:)
Awesome! I’m psyched to hear it, Shelby! Let me know how you like it! ๐