Healthy Toddler-Approved Muffins

Prep time: 15 mins

Cook time: 15 mins

Total time: 30 mins

Shredded Zucchini, raisins, cranberries, nuts, or even dark chocolate chips (if using for a treat or healthy dessert muffin) would also go great in these delicious muffins. In addition, you can always toss in a couple tbsp of flax meal, wheat germ or chia seeds to add a little more nutrition.

Recipe type: Muffin for Breakfast or Snack

Serves: 12

Ingredients

• 1/4 cup organic RAW Agave Nectar

• 2 tbsp + 2 tsp of plain Greek yogurt (heaping, I used FAGE)

• 2 tbsp + 2 tsp unsweetened applesauce

• 1/8 cup prune puree

• 3 tbsp egg whites

• 1/2 cup pumpkin puree

• 1/2 cup finely shredded carrots (about 2 medium carrots)

• 1 very ripe bananas, smashed (the riper the better)

• 1/2 cup rolled oats

• 1/2 cup whole wheat flour (heaping)

• 1/2 cup all-purpose flour (a little under since you "heaped" the whol wheat)

• 1/2 tsp salt

• 1 tsp baking soda

• 1 and a 1/4 tsp cinnamon

• Sprinkle of nutmeg (optional)

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees

2. Cream together: agave, yogurt, applesauce and prune puree

3. Add egg whites, pumpkin, carrots, and bananas

4. Mix well add all dry ingredients: oats, wheat flour, all-purpose flour, salt, baking soda, cinnamon and nutmeg

5. Mix until combined

6. Scoop batter into greased mini or regular muffin tins. Can use cupcake liners if you prefer. Recipe can make 24 mini muffins or 12 regular size muffins.

7. Bake at 375 for 12-15 minutes for mini-muffins or 15-18 or until toothpick comes out clean for regular size muffins.

8. Remove from pans and cool on cooling rack.

For some more HEALTHY, TODDLER-APPROVED MUFFIN RECIPES continue reading below. I've reviewed and endorse the recipes based on ingredients, nutritional benefits, and ease of preparation! 5-ingredient Blender Muffins–with 15 varieties: Happy Healthy Mama Base Recipe 1/2 cup natural peanut butter 1 medium ripe banana 1 large egg 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract 2 tablespoons honey, agave nectar, or maple syrup 1/4 teaspoon baking powder Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Spray a muffin tin with cooking oil and set aside. Place all ingredients in a blender and blend until very smooth. Fill each mini-muffin cup until it is almost full. Bake in the preheated oven until the muffins are cooked through, 8-10 minutes. To Make Full-Sized Muffins: Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Double the base recipe. Oil a full-sized muffin tin well, or line with silicone baking liners. (I use these and they work beautifully–no sticking!) Fill the muffin cups about 3/4 of the way to the top. Reduce the heat in the oven to 350 degrees and bake for 15 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Variations 1) Sunbutter (nut-free): Substitute sunflower seed butter for the peanut butter. 2) Sunbutter Crunch (nut-free): Substitute sunflower seed butter for the peanut butter and top each mini-muffin with a sprinkle of sunflower seeds. 3) Almond Butter: Substitute almond butter for the peanut butter. 4) Almond Butter White Chocolate Chip: Substitute almond butter for the peanut butter and stir 1/4-1/2 cup white chocolate chips into the batter, or top the muffins with the chips after your pour the batter into the muffin tin. 5) Lime: Use any nut butter as your base and add 2 tablespoons of lime juice to the batter. Top each muffin with lime zest. 6) Peanut Butter and Jelly: Fill the muffin tin one-third of the way with batter. Put about 1/4 teaspoon ofraspberry chia seed jam or your favorite jam/jelly in the center, then fill the muffin cup to almost the top with more batter. 7) Vegan: Combine 1 tablespoon flaxseed meal with 3 tablespoons water in a small bowl and let it sit for a few minutes to form a gel. Substitute this “flax egg” for the real egg in the base recipe. 8) Blueberry: Add 1/2 cup wild blueberries to the batter, or top each muffin cup with blueberries. 9) Mango: Add 1/2 cup diced mango to the batter, or top each muffin cup with the diced mango. 10) Pineapple: Add 1/2 cup diced pineapple to the batter or top each muffin cup with the diced pineapple. 11) Cinnamon: Follow the base recipe, but sprinkle the tops of the muffins with cinnamon. I like plain cinnamon, but you could do a mixture of cinnamon and sugar. I use a fine mesh strainer to get an even, fine sprinkle of cinnamon. 12) Coconut: Sprinkle the top of the muffins with unsweetened shredded coconut. 13) Chocolate Chip: Add 1/4-1/2 cup chocolate chips or mini chips to the batter or on top of the muffins. 14) Raisin: Add 1/2 cup raisins to the batter or to the top of the muffins. ( recipes credit: http://www.livinghealthymom.com)

Lemon Muffin Recipe (Gluten Free):

• 1 1/2 cups of blanched almond flour (My favorite brand is Honeyville Almond flour, often not available in stores.)

• 1/4 cup of Coconut Flour

• 1/4 cup of quinoa

• 1/4 teaspoon sea salt

• 1 teaspoon baking soda

• 1/2 cup of coconut sugar

• 1/4 cup unsweetened applesauce

• 1/4 cup of grape seed oil

• 3 eggs

• 2 tablespoons of fresh squeezed lemon juice

• 1/2 teaspoon lemon extract

• the zest of 1 orange and 1 lemon

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 F

1. If you have a Kitchen Aid, use the blade attachment and mix the eggs, coconut sugar, extract, oils, lemon juice, apple sauce, lemon/orange zest, and yogurt. (If you don’t use a Kitchen Aid, they are a MUST HAVE! They make the baked goods turn out better and it makes baking easier and faster!)

2. Sift the flours, baking soda and salt.

3. Manually pour the dry mixture into the wet and mix! EASY!

4. Spray muffin tins with an olive oil non stick cooking spray. Read Why Muffins Tins Rise Higher With No Liners

5. Bake for 20-25 minutes.

6. Remove from pan right after baking and put on baking rack to cool.

The Perfect Pumpkin Muffin Recipe:

Wet Ingredients:

• 1 cup of organic, non fat plain and unsweetened yogurt

• 2 eggs

• 1/4 cup grape seed oil

• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

• 1 8 ounce can (1 cup) of pumpkin puree

Dry Ingredients:

• 1 1/4 cup of whole wheat pastry flour

• 1/2 cup of coconut flour

• 1/2 cup of dark muscovado sugar

• 1 teaspoon of baking soda

• 1 teaspoon of baking powder

• 1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice

• 1 teaspoon cinnamon

• 1 teaspoon nutmeg

• 1 cup of carob chips (optional, as this muffin is delicious with or without the carob)

Optional Pumpkin Muffin Topping:

• 2 tablespoons of melted butter

• 2 tablespoons of Sucanat sugar (I tried this topping with Rapadura and it didn’t taste as good for some reason)

• 1 tablespoon of whole wheat flour

• 1/4 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice

• 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon

Directions:

• Preheat oven to 400 degrees F

• Mix the wet ingredients together using the paddle attachment until smooth.

• Sift the Muscovado sugar together with the flours, baking soda and baking powder. (This is an important step to ensure that there are no clumps)

• Mix the wet mixture with the dry mixture.

• Use an ice cream scoop and paper muffin liners, and fill the muffins 3/4 of the way in a regular size muffin tin.

• Bake on 400 degrees F for 20 minutes.

• You will smell delicious pumpkin muffins in the air when they are ready.

• Make sure to take the muffins out of the muffin tins when they are finished cooking from the oven. (Otherwise the hot pan will continue cooking the muffins)

• Makes 18 muffins.

Chocolate Chip Blueberry Muffin Recipe

Ingredients:

• 3/4 cup whole wheat pastry flour

• 3/4 Quinoa flour

• 1/4 cup wheat bran

• 2 tablespoons flaxseed (gives the blueberry muffin a slight crunch)

• 1/4 cup raw honey

• 1/4 cup unsweetened applesauce

• 1/4 cup organic non-fat yogurt

• 2 eggs

• 2 tablespoons olive oil

• 1 teaspoon vanilla

• 1 teaspoon baking soda

• 1 teaspoon baking powder

• 1 cup of fresh blueberries

• 1 cup of grain sweetened chocolate chips, or carob chips

Directions:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F

• Using your mixer combine eggs, yogurt, raw honey, olive oil and vanilla.

• Use a metal strainer, and sift your flour, baking soda and baking powder together into a separate bowl.

• Combine your flour mixture and your wet mixture and mix by hand.

• Stir in the chocolate chips/carob chips and the blueberries.

• Grease 12 regular-size muffin cups with olive oil, or use paper cups or silicone cups.

• Bake for 18-20 minutes. (Be sure to remove the blueberry muffins from the silicone cups right after baking so they don’t steam your food further.)

HAPPY BAKING MOMS AND HAPPY EATING LITTLE ONES!