These mini Spinach Egg Muffins mix up in minutes and are one of our go-to easy meals. They’re packed with iron and protein, and you can make them ahead and stash them in the fridge until you need them for the kids!
Spinach Egg Muffins
For the past few years, we’ve been lucky to have access to a weekly delivery of local eggs. Which means that we often have eggs in the house and I often need to come up with easy ways to serve them to the kids (and myself!).
These egg muffins are super quick to stir together and are a nice vegetarian option to serve at any time of the day.
They have a moist texture, making them easy for little kids to chew, and they have a nice mix of ingredients so they can function as the main course in a meal.
TIP: We like them with lunch, as a snack, packed in a lunchbox, and I enjoy them diced over salads.
Ingredients You Need
Leafy greens are often a tough sell with toddlers since they can be hard to chew and not very flavorful, but adding spinach to these egg muffins adds iron and fiber without compromising on texture. (A different idea to our Spinach Eggs, but a similar vibe.)
Here’s a look at the rest of the ingredients.
- Eggs
- Spinach: You can use fresh spinach of any kind or frozen spinach.
- Shredded cheese: You can use cheddar, mozzarella, or another type of shredded cheese you like.
- Cornmeal or flour: This helps the muffins have a nice texture that’s easy to pick up and eat.
- Mild smooth salsa: This adds a lot of flavor to the muffins.
- Cumin
- Salt
TIP: You can serve these Spinach Egg Cups on their own or with additional salsa or even guacamole for dipping.
Step-by-Step Instructions
Here’s a look at the process for making these egg cups. Scroll down to the bottom of the post for the full information.
- Add the eggs to a medium bowl.
- If using fresh spinach, roughly cut it up with kitchen scissors. Add with the rest of the ingredients to the bowl with the eggs and stir.
- Divide among a mini muffin tin and bake.
- Serve warm or at room temperature.
TIP: Be sure to grease your muffin tin really well to avoid sticking.
What should I serve these egg muffins with?
We like them with a simple side of fruit and crackers. You could also pair them with toast, a muffin, or add them to your own salad. I’ve also been known to add them to a grain bowl!
Iron-Rich Spinach Egg Cups
The spinach in these muffins is full of iron and it’s more readily absorbed by the body by the inclusion of the Vitamin C-rich salsa. Which is just to say that these are a great vegetarian source of iron for kids!
How to Store
Store in an airtight container for up to 5 days. Warm for 15 seconds in the microwave if desired to serve warm. You can also freeze in a zip-top freezer bag with as much air removed as possible for up to 6 months.
Thaw overnight in the fridge or in 15 second increments in the microwave.
Best Tips for Success
- Be sure to grease your muffin tin really well to avoid sticking. I use classic Pam spray.
- To use frozen spinach, let it thaw and squeeze out any moisture. Use ¼ cup and break it up.
- To make gluten-free, use the cornmeal or a cup for cup gluten-free flour.
- To make dairy-free, omit the cheese. You could add another cup of spinach or another veggie like corn or cooked roasted butternut squash.
- You can omit the added salt if desired.
- Run a paring knife around the edges of the muffins to help loosen if needed.
- Cut into smaller pieces for older babies or one year olds as needed.
Related Recipes
If you make this recipe, I’d love to hear what your family thought of it, so please comment and rate the recipe below.
Spinach Egg Muffins
Ingredients
- 2 cups baby spinach
- 6 eggs (lightly beaten)
- 1 cup shredded cheddar or mozzarella cheese
- 1/2 cup cornmeal (or all-purpose flour)
- 1/4 cup mild smooth salsa
- 1/2 teaspoon cumin
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F and grease a mini muffin tin very well with nonstick spray.
- Roughly cut up the spinach with kitchen scissors or a knife.
- Add spinach to a medium bowl with the rest of the ingredients and stir well to combine.
- Divide among the prepared mini muffin tin, using about 1 tablespoon batter in each cup.
- Bake for 14-16 minutes or until the edges are golden brown and the tops are firm.
- Place the muffin tin on a wire rack and let muffins cool in the tin for 5-10 minutes. As they cool, they will start to pull away from the sides of the pan slightly. Use a paring knife around the edges to gently loosen and remove the muffins from the pan.
Equipment
Notes
- Store in an airtight container for up to 5 days. Warm for 15 seconds in the microwave if desired.
- Be sure to grease your muffin tin really well to avoid sticking.
- To use frozen spinach, let it thaw and squeeze out any moisture. Use ¼ cup and break it up.
- Gluten-free: Use the cornmeal or a cup for cup gluten-free flour.
- Dairy-free: Omit the cheese. You could add another cup of spinach or another veggie like corn or cooked roasted butternut squash.
- You can omit the added salt if desired.
- Run a paring knife around the edges of the muffins to help loosen if needed.
- Cut into smaller pieces for older babies or one year olds as needed.
Nutrition
This post was first published July 2020.
Interested to try. Could the salsa be omitted or substituted? What do you grease your muffing pan with? Thanks.
You can omit the salsa if you want, though it does add flavor. I use classic Pam nonstick spray as I find that it works best with this sort of recipe which is otherwise prone to sticking to pans.
Very tasty! I used a kitchen scale and did about 80 to 90 g of spinach, and probably about the same on the salsa as well. Colby Jack cheese. I highly recommend the GreenLife ceramic nonstick pan. I did not even grease the pan, and the muffins slid right out (silicone spoon to remove- no metal or you can scratch the coating)
How do you adjust for making these or even standard muffins in a typical muffin tin, if you don’t have a mini? Same amount of time or longer?
2-4 minutes longer should do it
Thanks!
I ended up using a blender to make sure all the spinach stems were small enough to prevent choking. The appearance is more like a muffin, but they still taste wonderfully!
Can you freeze these?
Sure, freeze in a freezer bag in a flat layer with as much air removed as possible.
Delicious and my toddler loves them!
Phenomenal. Thank you. I made this recipe for my 20 month old this evening to meal prep for the week. Good thing I used a full size muffin tin to make mine because when I tasted it, I knew I would personally be eating these. Lol! I will try to share with my kids, but I’m not making promises. 🙂
I’m so glad to hear it!
Did you bake for the same amount of time or longer?