Serve up veggies in a kid-friendly form with these SO-good Veggie Muffins. They have broccoli, carrots, protein, and kid-approved flavor!
Veggie Muffins
With broccoli, carrots, and cheese, these savory muffins are like a corn muffin with a load of extra flavor. They’re a fun way to change up the usual muffins you make for the kids and have a nicely balanced mix of nutrients, too—with protein, fiber, calcium, and vitamin C. We love to have these for simple lunches and breakfasts, with sides like fruit and hard-cooked eggs, or to pair them with soup.
These are a great baby muffin since they’re made without added sugar. And are a nice way to vary the flavor profile of a muffin and add veggies.
I like to make these with fresh, raw veggies, so read on to learn how to make and enjoy these healthy muffins for kids.
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Ingredients You Need
To make this recipe you’ll to have the following ingredients on hand and ready to go.
- Grated carrot: I prefer to grate my carrot on a box grater or to use a handheld grater to ensure the pieces are small enough to soften in the batter.
- Finely chopped broccoli: You’ll want to use just the top parts of each broccoli floret and avoid using any of the harder stems. This will help ensure a fluffy overall texture to the muffins. You can chop the tops of the broccoli florets or cut that part off with a pair of kitchen shears.
- Shredded cheese: Cheddar cheese is a great option here, but feel free to use Monterrey Jack or another shredded cheese if you prefer.
- Egg: I use large eggs in my baking, so that’s what I call for here.
- Butter: I typically bake with unsalted butter so I can control the amount of salt.
- Milk: We keep whole milk in our fridge, and that’s what I use most for baking and cooking. If you prefer another fat percentage, that is also fine. Or you can use a plain, unsweetened nondairy milk.
- Cornmeal: This adds a nice texture to the muffins. Look for finely ground cornmeal.
- Whole wheat flour: Using whole wheat flour adds fiber to the muffins, so I use it here. It’s balanced out by the milk, eggs, and cheese.
- Baking soda and powder: A combination of the two of these ensures the muffins rise and bake through evenly.
Step-by-Step Instructions
These muffins are so easy to make once you have the veggies prepped. Here’s a look at what to expect. Scroll down to the bottom of the post for the full recipe.
- Stir the ingredients together.
- Divide among 12 muffin cups.
- Bake!
- Let cool slightly on a wire rack.
TIP: These are a great make-ahead meal. To store, place cooled muffins into an airtight container and store in the fridge for up to 5 days. Reheat for 15-30 seconds and serve warm. You can also freeze them.
Can I make these Veggie Muffins vegan?
I don’t have a dairy- and egg-free option for this recipe, but check out some of my other veggie muffins: Carrot Cake Muffins, Flourless Chocolate Protein Muffins (with Hidden Veggies), Corn Muffins with Squash, and Butternut Squash Muffins.
How to Store
To store, place cooled muffins into an airtight container and store in the fridge for up to 5 days. Reheat for 15-30 seconds and serve warm. Or freeze for up 3 months in the freezer in a zip-top storage bag with as much air removed as possible. Thaw in the fridge or at room temperature and warm to serve.
Best Tips for Success
- Use just the top parts of each broccoli floret and avoid using any of the harder stems. This will help ensure a fluffy overall texture to the muffins. You can chop the tops of the broccoli florets or cut that part off with a pair of kitchen shears.
- Use gluten-free cup-for-cup flour blend in place of the whole wheat flour to make these gluten-free.
- These pair nicely with soup and salad, or are a nice lunch or breakfast main dish with simple sides such as fruit, eggs, or additional veggies.
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I’d love to hear your feedback on these muffins if you try them, so please comment below to share!
Easy Veggie Muffins
Ingredients
- 1 cup grated carrot
- 1 cup finely chopped broccoli (top parts of the florets only, no stems)
- 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
- 1½ cups milk
- ¼ cup melted butter (or neutral oil like canola)
- 2 eggs (lightly beaten)
- 1 cup cornmeal
- 1 cup whole wheat flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon salt
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F and grease a standard muffin tin with nonstick spray.
- Place all ingredients into a medium bowl and stir together gently to combine. Divide the batter among the prepared muffin tin, filling each about ¾ full.
- Bake for 18-20 minutes or until the edges are lightly golden brown and a cake tester inserted into the center comes out clean. Remove from oven, let cool in the pan for a minute or two, then transfer to a wire rack to cool at least slightly.
- Serve warm or store.
Video
Notes
- Use just the top parts of each broccoli floret and avoid using any of the harder stems. This will help ensure a fluffy overall texture to the muffins. You can chop the tops of the broccoli florets or cut that part off with a pair of kitchen shears.
- Use a box grater to grate the carrot. You’ll need about 1-2 medium or large carrots.
- Use gluten-free cup-for-cup flour blend in place of the whole wheat flour to make these gluten-free.
- To store, place cooled muffins into an airtight container and store in the fridge for up to 5 days. Reheat for 15-30 seconds and serve warm. Or freeze for up 3 months in the freezer in a zip-top storage bag with as much air removed as possible. Thaw in the fridge or at room temperature and warm to serve.
- These pair nicely with soup and salad, or are a nice lunch or breakfast main dish with simple sides such as fruit, eggs, or additional veggies.
Nutrition
This post was first published March 2020.
Would packaged steamed broccoli work? My town is always out of fresh broccoli
I think it would!
Hi! Can I omit the cheese? I’m not very keen on it. Thanks in advance!
I think that should work fine.
These turned out great! My 1-year-old son loves them, and I enjoy them as well and plan to make double batches for an easy, healthy breakfast, side, or snack.
Just made a vegan version of these by replacing eggs with flax eggs and milk with soy milk. Turned out amazing! These are so delicious!
Hi! Just wondering if Unsweetened AlmondMilk will work just as good as the cow’s milk? What if you don’t have a whole wheat flour, what other flours can I use to substitute?? I really want to try making these for my 2 year old.
You can use all purpose flour and yes, unsweetened plain almond milk will work fine!
These muffins are SO GOOD. Unfortunately, my toddler isn’t a fan of the texture of cornmeal, but it was no problem because my husband and I polished them off in a few days. I wish he would eat them because these muffins would be perfect as an easy lunch. I will keep trying 🙂
Hi there! I just found you recently and absolutely love your recipes for my 17 month old! For the broccoli on this one, how do you grate it? Can I just pulse the florets in my mini food processor? Thanks!
I just chop it with a knife but a mini food processor would work great too!
Can i use precook cornmeal? Or can i sustitute cornmeal wit someting else?
You could use additional flour or oat flour instead.
Hi, can you please recomend a supplement for cornmeal? Polenta or ground oats maybe?
Thank you
A fine polenta would likely be similar to cornmeal or yes, probably ground or quick oats would work too.
When I made these fresh, my baby loved them. I froze and then thawed and reheated in the toaster oven and it was a weird consistency and my little guy wouldn’t eat it at all. You mention they freeze well but how/how long do you thaw and reheat for?
I’ve thawed them overnight in the fridge, then done 15 second increments in the microwave until warm (usually it’s about 30 seconds). I haven’t noticed the texture changing with that method.
I’d like to make these without cheese to minimize the sodium content. Will they turn out ok without cheese, or should I replace the cheese with another ingredient?
I haven’t made them with any other ingredient. Perhaps do half the amount?
I made these with cauliflower instead of broccoli and they came out great! Super easy and the family loved them. I think I’ll try with chives as well next time
I’m glad that worked well! (And I’m sorry I didn’t have a chance to respond to your first comment about this!)
Could I make with cauliflower instead of broccoli?
Would broccoli slaw work or would the stalks be too rough? Also, would almond flour work in place of the wheat flour?
I think the slaw would be okay but I would chop it up, I think, so the pieces are smaller. Almond flour will not work as it doesn’t absorb liquid in the same way and the middles will likely not cook through.
After freezing how long do you warm muffins in microwave or oven, to keep all nutrients still.
Muffins very good. Make them again.
Doris