Spinach Muffins – veggie muffins for picky eaters

Spinach muffins are kid-friendly way to get a scary vegetable into little bellies. Sweetened naturally and packed with greens and whole grains, these veggie muffins make for a great snack or breakfast for kids on the go. Kids will gobble up these green treats without a complaint and you’ll know that they’re eating something healthier. Top with a sugar free cream cheese frosting and you’ve even got spinach cupcakes!

For Ryan’s Halloween party back in October I made little Frankenstein cupcakes to send in. Chocolate cupcakes topped with green buttercream frosting and brown sprinkles to make a funky little treat.

Don’t let these healthy muffins scare you from making them for picky eaters. As soon as they come out of the oven their fungreen color and familiar shape was enough to get a taste. And what a win it was – and I was a happy momma!

Super sneaky veggie muffins for the win

The thing is, these baked “treats” are packed with spinach puree. With zero refined sugar, whole wheat flour, and a ton of greens, you can feel good about feeding this kid friendly muffin to your kids any time of day.

Since making them I’ve served them for breakfast, as an easy snack, along side their favorite lunches, and even as dessert.

How do you make spinach muffins?

1. Whisk wet ingredients. Stir together puree, oil, eggs, vanilla, and syrup together and set aside.
2. Combine dry ingredients. Combine remaining ingredients in a large bowl, whisking to disperse evenly.
3. Fold wet into dry. Gently stir the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients until just combined. Do not overmix! We want as minimal gluten development as possible.
4. Put in muffin tin. Line a muffin tin with paper liners if using and scoop batter in. I like to use a larger spring-loaded ice cream scoop to ensure they’re all even.
5. Bake! Bake for 18-20 minutes in a 350 degree oven or until a toothpick comes out clean.

Tips for making the best green muffins ever:

• Feel free to use the flour you have on hand. I used whole wheat because it’s what I had and I wanted to get rid of, but I’ve used AP as well. You could also sub in 1/4-1/3 homemade oat flour!
• I used maple syrup, but I’ve used honey in the past. Remember that babies can’t have honey until after 1! You could also easily sub in granulated, brown, or coconut sugar.
• While I used spinach in these, you could sub just about any other veggie puree here. Carrot would be great, (or try out these super easy carrot muffins!) as would pea or butternut squash.
• The BEST way to scoop batter is using a spring loaded ice cream scoop. Just spray the muffin tin and scoop the batter in. This way all of the muffins are the same size and bake evenly.

You May Need…

The following are affiliate links. We are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites.

Thanks so much for being a part of Morgan Manages Mommyhood!

I love using a spring loaded scoop for everything from muffins to pancakes to meatballs. Because I love them so much, I have a few different sized ones to make life easier, but this is the one I used here.  

Other ways to use spinach puree

Purees are some of my favorite things to add to food to create hidden veggie recipes. It can add tons of vitamins and nutrients to meals easier. Here are my favorite ways to use it:

• Smoothie. Veggie smoothies are my close second. We have smoothies every morning, and this easy spinach smoothie is my go to.
• Pancakes. Kids love pancakes. In fact, I’m pretty sure it’s written in their DNA. These spinach pancakes use puree as the base and taste just like normal pancakes.
• Pesto. A weeknight dinner staple in our house, this veggie pesto sauce is simple and delicious. Bonus, get a serving of green in with it!
• Brownies! No one ever believes that these spinach brownies are packed with the green stuff.
• Need more convincing? Try out this post of 16 kid friendly spinach recipes.

Spinach Muffins

These green muffins are going to be a game changer ! They’re a kid friendly favorite with no refined sugar, a dose of spinach, and whole wheat. Bonus: they make a super easy breakfast for kids on the go.

If you enjoyed this recipe, please be sure to rate it 5 stars!

0 from 0 votes

Print

Spinach Muffins

Spinach muffins are kid-friendly way to get a scary vegetable into little bellies. Sweetened naturally and packed with greens and whole grains, these veggie muffins make for a great snack or breakfast for kids on the go. 

Course Breakfast, Snack

Cuisine American, Baked Goods, Kid friendly

Keyword hidden veggies, spinach muffins

Prep Time 5 minutes

Cook Time 20 minutes

Total Time 25 minutes

Servings 12 muffins

Calories 216 kcal

Author Morgan

Ingredients

• 3/4 cup spinach puree
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 1/2 cup oil of choice
• 2 eggs
• 1/2 cup syrup
• 2 cups whole wheat flour
• 2 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 1 1/2 tsp cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp salt

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 350 and add liners to a muffin tin.
2. Combine all dry ingredients until smooth.
3. In a separate bowl, combine the dry ingredients. Fold the dry and wet ingredients until just combined – do not over mix.

4. Scoop into muffin tin and bake for 18-20 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.

Nutrition Facts

Spinach Muffins

Amount Per Serving (1 g)

Calories 216 Calories from Fat 99

% Daily Value*

Fat 11g17%

Saturated Fat 1.7g11%

Polyunsaturated Fat 1.3g

Monounsaturated Fat 7.3g

Cholesterol 103mg34%

Sodium 146mg6%

Potassium 257mg7%

Carbohydrates 26.5g9%

Fiber 2.8g12%

Sugar 11.2g12%

Protein 5g10%

Vitamin A 5850IU117%

Vitamin C 9.1mg11%

Calcium 40mg4%

Iron 2mg11%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

So, tell me – what’s something your kids love and will ALWAYS eat? Let me know in the comments!