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Finding snacks that are both healthy and kid-approved can be tough, but these healthy muffins for kids hit the mark every time. With options for both sweet and savory, there’s an option to please every little palate. Whether your kids love the classic combo of peanut butter and strawberry jam or prefer the savory mix of zucchini and cheddar cheese, these healthy muffins are packed with wholesome ingredients and taste delicious.
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Many mornings, breakfast tends to be grab-and-go for my family. So I love having healthy options like my overnight oats recipe, egg nests or this simple muffin recipe for those hectic weekday mornings.
Recipe at a Glance
Cuisine Inspiration: American
Primary Cooking Method: Oven-baked
Dietary Info: Vegetarian
Key Flavor: Sweet and Savory
Skill Level: Easy
- Kid-friendly: These muffins have the perfect texture and delicious flavor and will certainly be a hit with the kids. Bake them in a mini-muffin tin to make perfectly sized-toddler muffins.
- Customizable flavors: I offer two different flavors in this recipe. Classic peanut butter and jelly and savory zucchini and cheddar, but the possibilities are endless. You can customize them with your favorite add-ins based on your taste preferences.
- Simple recipe: This easy muffin recipe comes together quickly with simple ingredients. Plus, I love the convenience of enjoying both sweet and savory muffins in one batch of batter.
- Packs well: These healthy muffins travel well and are perfect for on-the-go snacking or packed lunches. Whether you’re adding them to lunch boxes or picnic baskets, they are conveniently portable and mess-free.
Ingredients to Make Healthy Muffins for Kids
- All-purpose flour: To give structure and help make the muffins light and fluffy.
- Cane sugar: Granulated sugar adds sweetness to the muffins.
- Plain yogurt: This is the key ingredient that helps give this simple muffin recipe that perfect crumb. Yogurt adds moisture, a slight tang, and a boost of protein. You can use your favorite store-bought plain yogurt or learn how to make yogurt at home on the stovetop. Or try the Instant Pot yogurt.
- Milk: Provides moisture and richness. I recommend using 2% milk.
- Avocado oil: Like yogurt, the healthy fats in avocado oil help to add moisture and richness to the muffins. You can use olive oil in a pinch but it will have a stronger taste.
- Egg: Use a room-temperature egg to help it blend well with the other ingredients. Just one egg will act as the binder, holding all the ingredients together.
- Baking soda and Salt: The baking soda is the leavening agent helping the muffins rise while the salt balances the overall flavor.
- Sweet muffin add-ins: Creamy peanut butter and strawberry jam create a perfect balance of sweet, salty, and comforting flavors in these toddler muffins. Take these up a notch and use homemade jam.
- Savory muffin add-ins: Shredded zucchini adds moisture and texture, while the cheddar cheese adds pockets of melty and gooey deliciousness throughout the muffins.
Popular Substitutions & Additions
- Add a crunch: Fold in toasted pecans, walnuts, cashews, or almonds to give these simple muffins a crunchy texture.
- Dried fruit: You can also add dried fruits like raisins, dried cranberries, apricots, or dates for a touch of natural sweetness, texture, and flavor.
- Switch out the peanut butter: Swap almond butter or sunflower butter for peanut butter to give it a different flavor and nutrition profile. This is also great for those who have peanut butter sensitivity.
- Fresh fruits and vegetables: Try adding shredded apples or carrots for natural sweetness and moisture. Or add blueberries and lemon zest for some fresh and summery easy muffins.
- Cheese variety: Swap the cheddar cheese with pepper Jack, Gouda, or feta cheese for unique flavor combinations.
How to Make Healthy Muffins for Kids
Whether sweet or savory, these easy muffins start with a simple batter that will work as the base for those two different flavor profiles. It’s a basic canvas that allows for endless possibilities. From there, you’ll add peanut butter and jam to one half of the batter and zucchini and cheese to the other before dividing it between 12 muffin cups and baking to perfection.
How to Make Peanut Buttery and Jam Muffins
How to Make Zucchini Muffins with Cheese
Tips for Making the Best Healthy Toddler Muffins
- Don’t over-mix the batter. It doesn’t require an electric hand mixer and doesn’t require too much hand mixing, either. Some lumps in the batter are okay.
- Test for doneness. Ovens vary, so the best way to check if the muffins are done is to insert a toothpick into the center of a muffin. If it comes out clean or with a few moist crumbs, the muffins are ready.
- Don’t forget to cool. Allow the muffins to cool for 5 minutes before transferring them to a wire rack to cool completely. You can also remove the muffin liners while they are still warm to prevent them from becoming soggy on the bottom.
- Switch to a mini muffin tin for toddlers. I love the smaller tins for these easy muffins because they’re more accessible for little hands. Just be sure to decrease the temperature time by 5-10 minutes since they will cook quicker in the mini tins.
Frequently Asked Questions
Allow the leftover muffins to cool completely. Then store them in an airtight container lined with a paper towel to absorb any moisture. Store them in the fridge for up to 4-5 days. These muffins are great cold but if you want to reheat them, I recommend warming them up in a toaster oven for a few minutes set to 350°F.
Absolutely! These muffins are very freezer-friendly. I recommend wrapping them tightly individually in plastic wrap or aluminum foil. Then place them in a freezer bag, removing as much air as possible to keep them fresh longer. Freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw at room temperature and reheat if desired.
Yes! Instead of milk and yogurt, use your favorite plant-based milk and yogurt. For savory muffins, swap out the cheese with a plant-based cheese alternative or omit it completely.
Yes! Swap the all-purpose flour with a gluten-free flour blend that can be swapped using a 1:1 ratio. That means for every 1 part of all-purpose wheat flour, you can use the same amount of gluten-free flour blend. Do not substitute almond flour or coconut flour as the absorption rate is not the same and the recipe will not turn out.
Make a batch of these toddler muffins, and I promise you, your mornings will get that little bit easier! They are so quick and easy to make, and my kids adore them! This healthy, easy muffin recipe also packs well for snacks or even lunch!
More Kid-Friendly Muffin Recipes:
- Sweet Potato Muffins
- Chai Spiced Vegan Muffins
- Chocolate Chip Banana Muffins
- Cranberry Lemon Muffins
- Banana Bread Muffins
- Blueberry Banana Muffins
If you try this feel good Healthy Muffins for Kids recipes or any other recipe on Feel Good Foodie, then don’t forget to rate the recipe and leave a comment below! It helps others who are thinking of making the recipe. We would love to hear about your experience making it. And if you snapped some shots, share it on Instagram so we can repost on Stories!
Healthy Muffins for Kids
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Ingredients
- 2 ½ cups all-purpose flour
- ¼ cup cane sugar
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ¾ cup 2% milk
- ½ cup greek yogurt
- ½ cup avocado oil
- 1 large egg
For the sweet muffins
- ½ cup creamy peanut butter
- ½ cup strawberry jam
For the savory muffins
- 1 cup zucchini grated
- 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375°F and line a muffin tin with 12 parchment paper liners (or greased paper liners).
- In a medium bowl, mix the dry ingredients, including the flour, sugar, baking soda and salt together; set aside.
- In another large bowl, mix the wet ingredients, including the milk, yogurt, oil and egg.
- Fold the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients, and use a silicone spatula to mix until just combined. Don’t over mix. Divide the batter into the two bowls to add in the mix-in's.
- Gently fold in the creamy peanut butter and strawberry jam for sweet muffins, or the grated zucchini and cheddar cheese for savory muffins. Divide the batter evenly between the muffin cups.
- Bake the muffins in the preheated oven for 20 minutes, or until the muffins are golden brown and a toothpick inserted into the center of a muffin comes out clean. Allow to cool for 5 minutes before removing from the muffin liners.
Notes
- Instead of milk and yogurt, you can use any other plant-based milk and yogurt.
- Instead of peanut butter, you can use any other nut butter or allergy-free butter, like sunflower butter
- Instead of oil, you can use applesauce.
- To make this gluten-free, use an all-purpose gluten-free flour mix. Do not substitute only almond flour or only coconut flour.
Nutrition
Nutrition information provided is an estimate. It will vary based on cooking method and specific ingredients used.
Can I use carrots instead of zucchini for the savory version? Thank you 😊
Yes, absolutely! Enjoy!!
I switched applesauce for oil. Otherwise used savory recipe. My only problem is they stuck to muffin liners :(. I made these for grandson so i expected a healthy rather bland muffin and think theyre great for little ones palate.
Hi Cheryl, what type of muffin liners did you use? If you used paper liners, did you grease them before?
I can see how some women were upset about the doughy texture because it scared me when I was putting it in the muffin tins but I took a chance and made them anyway just like the recipe said. No doctoring it up. The results were amazing. They cooked so beautifully- large, fluffy tops and super moist!! Thank you!
Yay, I’m so happy you liked them!! Thank you so much for sharing, Elizabeth!
Hi, how do I make this egg-free?
You can use a flax egg! Check out this post for instructions: How to Make a Flax Egg
These turned out great! My toddler did a dance while eating them. Definitely try them for yourself and don’t go off the negative comments. There are many factors for uncooked muffins but I followed this recipe exactly and they’re yummy!
Aww, I wish I could see that happy dance!! So sweet, thank you for sharing!