Healthy Banana Spinach Muffins (For Toddlers and Adults!)
I tried making banana spinach muffins when my firstborn was a toddler, and I thought I’d never make them again. They simply did not taste very good.
A couple of years later and 1 additional hungry child in the roost, and I decided to try again. I’m so glad I did!
I came up with my own recipe by combining a couple of our tried and true muffin recipes (these Carrot Raisin Muffins and a muffin recipe from my daughter’s allergist), and adding a boatload of fresh baby spinach of course!
While these blender banana spinach muffins may be a strange dark green color, they are one of our favorite muffins to eat for a healthy snack or grab-and-go perfect breakfast!
Healthy Ingredients For Banana Spinach Muffins
These healthy muffins are packed with wholesome ingredients!
Bananas, almond butter, coconut oil, cinnamon, and vanilla all serve as natural sweeteners.
There is no regular sugar, brown sugar, or even maple syrup or honey in these. And somehow they still taste delightfully sweet! So they are a great way to get some spinach into your family’s diet.
If your little ones do need some extra motivation to eat these though, you can always add some chocolate chips to the batter!
This spinach muffin recipe also calls for rolled oats and whole-wheat flour for your whole grains, as well as milk, and eggs. All ingredients that I feel good about giving my kids.I also appreciate grabbing one of these muffins on the go for some much-needed mom fuel.
I also love these muffins because I can easily combine all the wet ingredients and dry ingredients in a high-powered blender.
This means there are barely any dirty dishes I have to wash later and no manual stirring involved. You just pour the prepared batter straight from your blender into your muffin trays!
The Perfect Snack For The Whole Family
Young toddlers and kids are constantly eating! At least mine are.
As such, I really try to keep an arsenal of healthy snacks on hand. While we buy our fair share of packaged snacks, I am trying more and more to have healthy home-baked snacks on hand.
These muffins are also great to have on hand for a quick breakfast. On early mornings when we need to get out of the house quickly, I just pop a couple on a plate to warm up in the microwave, and voila, breakfast is served.
I also plan on sending these spinach blender muffins in my kids’ school lunches when they get older!
Related posts: Homemade Unsweetened Applesauce, Homemade Granola Bars, 3 Ingredient Banana Chia Seed Pudding
These green muffins are also a great option for adults who do not like those overly sweet muffins you buy at the bakery or coffee shop.
They have the perfect amount of sweetness; just enough to feel like you are getting a little treat! It also feels good to know that you are getting some healthy nutrients!
Banana Spinach Muffins
Equipment
- 1 high speed blender
- 2 silicone muffin trays You do not have to use silicone muffin trays, but I recommend them. They are so easy to clean and muffins pop right out of them!
Ingredients
- 1 cup cow's milk can substitute your choice of non-dairy milk
- 2 ripe bananas
- 2 tbsp almond butter
- 3 cups lightly packed fresh spinach
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 2 large eggs
- 1 cup rolled oats
- 1 cup whole-wheat flour
- 1/4 tsp baking soda
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1 tsp cinnamon
- 3 tbsp melted coconut oil
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
- Add milk, bananas, spinach, eggs, almond butter, and vanilla to your high-speed blender (add milk first to help everything blend).
- Blend until everything is well mixed (takes about 20 seconds on low to medium speed in my vitamix blender).
- Add flour, baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon, and melted coconut oil to the blender. Stir them in with a silicone spatula.
- Blend until well mixed.
- Add oats and genty stir them in with a small spatula. Do not use the blender to blend the oats, otherwise the muffins may become very dense. (Optional- Add 1/4 cup of chocolate chips for extra sweetness)
- Pour muffin batter into silicone muffin trays (makes 24 small muffins). Fill each cup about 1/2 full. If using a non-silicone muffin tray, either use muffin liners or oil it before pouring in batter.
- Bake in preheated oven for 23 minutes (or until toothpick comes out clean).
- Let muffins cool at room temperature for 10 minutes and then enjoy!
- Store fully cooled muffins in an airtight container in the fridge.
How did you enjoy these healthy banana spinach muffins? Say hi and leave a comment below!
Stay-at-home mom blogger with 2 wild ones in tow. I love to write about my favorite kid-friendly recipes, activities, and childhood development topics. Most importantly, I spill the beans about the greatest joys of motherhood, along with the struggles that too often get swept under the rug.
Find out more about the Shiny New Parent blog on my About page.
Master of Arts in Art Therapy & Counseling, Marylhurst University
Bachelor of Arts in Psychology, Lewis & Clark College
