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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.
Table of Contents
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!
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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 plain 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 grated zucchini
- 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.
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!
Surprising!! I ended up baking as a loaf and doubled the baking time. I can’t believe how light, spongy and moist it turned out considering the batter was closer to a dough like others have commented on. I followed the recipe choosing the savoury option but will exclude the sugar next time as it takes away from the savoury flavours. More importantly, my toddler son—who I really struggle to get him to eat what I make—gobbled it up!! So, will keep on my list and try some other savoury combos!!
I’m so glad your loaf turned out amazing, Lia! Thank you!!
Yep mine was a dough ball as well. What a waste of ingredients and time. I made a double batch which became double waste. All in the bin.
I’m so sorry the muffins didn’t work out for you, Teresa. Can I ask which muffin you made (sweet or savory) and when the texture started to become doughy? Multiple people have had the same problem so I’m trying to figure out where the recipe is going wrong. Any information would be really appreciated!
Quantities??
Hi Tricia! The recipe card has a full list of ingredients with quantities. You can scroll down to the bottom of the page (above the comments) or click on the ‘jump to recipe’ button at the top of the post to see it. Hope that helps!
Mine was a dough ball at the end 😭
I’m so sorry to hear that, Amanda. Can I ask when the texture started to go wrong for you? Also, which muffin did you make (sweet or savory)? It seems others have had issues with the batter becoming dough as well, so I’m trying to get to the bottom of why that’s happening.
These sound amazing, can’t wait to try them! Do you have to add sugar for the savory muffin too?
Hi Sam, great question! I do, but you don’t have to make the savory ones with the sugar. Hope you enjoy!!
These are delicious! They turned out so well and the batter did not become dough as some people commented. Will definitely make these again.
So happy you enjoyed them!
I make these almost every week for my kids and they love them! I love the ingredients and how simple it is to throw together. I use coconut oil and cut the amount in half. I often make half the recipe and bake it in a mini muffin pan. I use a combination of white, whole wheat and sorghum flour, and do use a bit less flour, and end up adding more milk at the end when I mix it altogether and it does seem quite dry. I’ve even omitted the egg and the muffins still come out with the perfect texture. Thank you!
Love this, thanks so much!
I’m not sure how this recipe got more than 1 star. It’s absolutely impossible to mix in peanut butter and jelly into the batter after they’re in the muffin tin! I had to scoop it all back upturn into the bowl and mix. Plus it needs much more liquid. I would never make again.
Hi Mandy, so sorry these didn’t work out as expected. I appreciate your feedback and am retesting this as we speak to address your concerns.
Tried making this recipe (plain muffins) but was a little let down. I ended up with bread dough instead of batter and decided to make a bread loaf instead of muffins (would have been too painful to scoop everything out and try to spread it in muffin cups). To somewhat salvage the dough, I added an extra splash of milk and mashed in a ripe banana at the end. The loaf took a while to bake but it thankfully turned out alright, though a bit on the blander side (should be nice with some jam). I don’t know – perhaps you could post the ingredients by weight? Perhaps the cup measurements are different? The consistency of the batter was clearly off.
Thanks for your feedback. Based on a few recent reviews I am retesting this recipe ASAP!
These came out like full on dough, not batter???? Followed the recipe exactly except I made the recommended substitution of baking powder for yogurt (don’t do it)
So sorry to hear this. I am going to retest these right away, thanks for your feedback.
Really disappointed that these turned out so poorly. Not really sure how these could taste good to anyone so am confused by the high rating. They taste like cardboard, no one in my family will eat them.
So sorry to hear that the muffins didn’t turn out as expected. I’d love to help you troubleshoot! Did you add any mix-ins? The recipe is meant to be a bit of a blank canvas so you can suit them to your taste.
Would it be ok to sub avocado oil with melted and cooled coconut oil?
Definitely a very “bland” muffin, BUT that’s the point. It makes it great to then modify for your add ins. Our favorites have been 1tsp lemon oil, zest of a lemon, and poppy seeds, or just straight up chocolate chips. I recently added a glob of strawberry jam and swirled it in.
I made a few modifications to the base recipe. I added a smidge more sugar (1/4C is 50g and I did 60g), as well as skipping the yogurt and just doing a 1 1/4C “sour milk”, which is simply lemon juice added to the milk.
Love all these suggestions!! Thanks for sharing your modifications!
Wonderful muffins!
So glad you liked them!
I am really surprised that 410 people voted for these muffins. This is really bad recipe and I cannot say healthy. The number of people who voted tricked me to make these but I will not make them ever again. I followed the recipe to the smallest detail bit no no no. Really bad.
Hmm, I am sorry to hear that you did not like the muffins. Is there something specific that stood out to you that you felt made them bad?
Really rubbish – they tasted awful. I wouldn’t recommend this recipe
So sorry to hear that the muffins didn’t turn out as expected. I’d love to help you troubleshoot!
Not popular in our house. Sorry! I really wanted these to work out. Too dense and flavorless.
Oh no! I am sorry to hear that – maybe try these Banana Blueberry Muffins. They are oil-free and so good! I do recommend using parchment paper liners with them, though.
Do you use sugar for both the sweet and savory ones?
Hi Georgia, great question! I do – but you do not have to make the savory ones with the sugar. Hope your kiddos enjoy!
I have some sour cream leftover from another recipe, would that be an okay substitute for the yogurt? Also if not, baking soda sub for not having yogurt handy, would you do 1 tablespoon + 1 teaspoon or all together 1 tablespoon?
I think the sour cream could definitely work!
Hmmm. It has potential but needs more flavor. They turned out tasting and feeling more like a biscuit. I will try the peanut butter ones again and mix the peanut butter in the batter and add more jam at the end. I found it difficult and tedious trying to mix everything in the muffin cups. The zucchini ones had no flavor. They could use some herbs, and at least twice the amount of zucchini and cheese and again I would mix it all together before putting in the muffin cups.
Thank you for your feedback! I tried to keep it as simple as possible for the kids, but it’ll definitely come down to preference, so you can add more flavor accordingly!
I made them for my 2 and 4 year old but sadly they both decided they didn’t like them after one bite 🙁
I have just made these muffins and they turned out perfectly fine. I added about 1/4c of applesauce and did the jam version and we all like them. They’re not overly sweet but we like them like that. While the muffins were in the oven I read the comments so assumed I had just wasted a whole pile of ingredients but, no, they’re yummy.
Thank you for sharing!
Canola oil?!? Eek!!! That ingredient alone makes these NOT healthy!!!
Try subbing coconut oil for a MUCH better choice!
Or, instead of oil, you can use also applesauce!
Wow! These turned out amazing! We made all of them with zucchini and cheese and they are simply delicious! My 2 year old helped make them and he loved eating them too!
That’s so great to hear! I love that!!
Do you put the peanut butter and jelly in mixed in or is it on the top? Do you do this before you bake them?
The peanut butter and jelly is mixed in and you do this before you bake the muffins.
Hello. I’ve done everything, but they are wet inside. Have I put a lot of milk or what? 🙁
Oh no I’m so sorry to hear that!! Did you change anything in the recipe?
So how much grated zucchini and how much pb and j in each batter?
For the sweet muffins, 1 teaspoon of peanut butter and 1 teaspoon of strawberry jam per muffin. For the savory muffins, 1 teaspoon of grated zucchini and 1 teaspoon of shredded cheddar cheese per muffin.
How much honey can I use instead of sugar? Also, can I use just Greek yogurt instead of milk and plain yogurt?
I recommend 3 tablespoons honey and you can use greek yogurt instead of milk and plain yogurt but you may need to add more liquid because it might be more dry that way.
Hi Yumna, can I use coconut oil or olive oil instead of canola oil?
Yes, either of those work!
Caught me at Dairy Free vegan. Made both versions: the sweet and savory. Enjoyed every bite of these wholesome healthy delicious muffins.Thanks for all your recipes.
can I use almond flour instead?
No, it won’t work unfortunately.
Instead of baking these as muffins could I bake in a 8×8 square tin? How does that change the baking time?
Yes you can! Add 5-10 extra minutes and but keep checking on them as I haven’t tried it before.
Hello!
What can I replace for applesauce?
Hi there! You can use canola oil or butter 🙂