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 on plaid towel

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.

Your toddler won’t eat? Help is here!

Sign up for our email updates to get tips and ideas sent to your inbox.

Please enable JavaScript in your browser to complete this form.

Ingredients You Need

To make this recipe you’ll to have the following ingredients on hand and ready to go.

ingredients in veggie muffins on counter.
  • 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.

how to make veggie muffins in grid of 4 images.
  1. Stir the ingredients together.
  2. Divide among 12 muffin cups.
  3. Bake!
  4. 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.

veggie muffins on white divided plate with berries and egg

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.

I’d love to hear your feedback on these muffins if you try them, so please comment below to share!

Want to save this recipe?
Just enter your email and get it sent to your inbox! Plus you’ll get new recipes from us every week!
Please enable JavaScript in your browser to complete this form.
veggie muffins on gray towel

Easy Veggie Muffins

Serve up veggies in a kid-friendly form with these SO-good Veggie Muffins. They have broccoli, carrots, protein, and kid-approved flavor!
4.98 from 151 votes
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 18 minutes
Total Time 28 minutes
Cuisine American
Course Muffins
Calories 193kcal
Servings 12 muffins

Ingredients

  • 1 cup grated carrot
  • 1 cup finely chopped broccoli (top parts of the florets only, no stems)
  • 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
  • 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
Save this recipe?
Enter your email to save this recipe in your inbox!
Please enable JavaScript in your browser to complete this form.

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

Serving: 1muffin, Calories: 193kcal, Carbohydrates: 20g, Protein: 7g, Fat: 10g, Saturated Fat: 5g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g, Monounsaturated Fat: 3g, Trans Fat: 1g, Cholesterol: 50mg, Sodium: 304mg, Potassium: 198mg, Fiber: 3g, Sugar: 3g, Vitamin A: 2132IU, Vitamin C: 7mg, Calcium: 139mg, Iron: 1mg
Tried this recipe?Rate in the comments and tag @yummytoddlerfood on IG!

This post was first published March 2020.

Related Products

Share it with the world

Pin

Filed Under

4.98 from 151 votes (98 ratings without comment)

Leave a comment

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

How many stars would you give this recipe?




All comments are subject to our Terms of Use.

Comments

  1. 5 stars
    Love these! I was able to use almond milk and vegan cheese for my dairy free guy. Worked great and he just ate a full muffin!!

  2. 5 stars
    These muffins are delicious! Recently tried this recipe and everyone loved it in the family. Thanks for sharing!

  3. 5 stars
    I love the texture of these. Great with some salted butter. My toddler unfortunately wasn’t impressed. I suspected this might be the result since this muffin is savory as opposed to sweet. I’m desperately trying to get her to eat more, or any, vegetables and thought these might work. Sad to say they missed the mark for my kid, though the recipe came out as good as it could have.

    1. Looking online I can’t see how much baking powder is in each cup. Does it happen to say on the package?

  4. 5 stars
    I would love to make the recipe and was wondering if I can replace wheat flour for cornmeal. Let me know and thank you for another easy muffin.

  5. Hi, Can just use 2 cups all purpose flour and no 1 cup cornmeal, 1 cup whole wheat flour?

    Can I add frozen corn?

    Thank you so much

  6. 5 stars
    So excited to try these. My mom used to bake cornbread muffins with a slice of keilbasa inside and it was one of my fav lunches. Wonder if that would work here too!

  7. 5 stars
    I really loved this one despite the fact that I used polenta cornmeal because it was on hand. It made the muffin crunchy.