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.
Hello. I was wondering if these have been tried as a mini muffin and if so how long to cook etc. Thank you.
I would guess 12-14 minutes for mini muffins.
Will they cook & rise as well with baking cups? I don’t have cooking spray.
They may need a few more minutes of baking time. I’d check the middle with a cake tester if you can.
Could you use oats instead of cornmeal?
I haven’t tried that but it might work just fine!
Hi Jennifer, did you try it with oats? How did it turn out?
I would like to try this recipe for muffins . What quantity is one cup? Thank you.
I just responded so hopefully that helps!
What quantity is one cup for the ingredients? Thank you.
I don’t have metric conversions at the moment (I am working on it this spring!) but you can use a page like this for help converting.
Thank you Amy, that’s great. This does help. 🙂
Would you add any salt, pepper or spices for extra flavor?
There is salt in the recipe. I haven’t added anything else, but you can if you would like more flavor!
Is it possible to make in microwave ?
I don’t think so
Can you use olive oil instead of the vegetable oil? Or is there a healthier oil option you think would work?
I haven’t tried that but as long as it has a mild flavor, I think that would work.
Can you make these egg free?
I haven’t tested it without eggs, so I can’t say for sure. If I was going to try it, I would use 1/2 cup additional milk and up the baking soda to 1 teaspoon. That usually gives good results (though again it’s my best guess!)
I made these egg free with the additional 1/2 c milk and extra 1/2 tsp baking soda and they came out great!
can you freeze it for later use?
whoops i read through the instructions and saw the answer lol
Oh good! They freeze really well.
Absolutely wonderful! I have 14 month twin grand babies and 4 year old twin grand babies that will love these.
what can we use as a substitute for cornmeal?
I haven’t tried it but I bet additional flour would work!
Easy to make. Sadly my very picky 14 month olds did not like them. Hoping to try again. They weren’t too bad, feel like they are a little bland and veggie forward. Maybe if they had some other sort of spice or something added to them.
Would riced cauliflower and sweet potato work?
I haven’t tried that but maybe! I’d grate the sweet potato. (The cauliflower might be a little moister than broccoli)
Loved this recipe for getting my 1 year old (& myself) to eat veggies!
I used all purpose flour since that’s what I had on hand, and added 1/2tsp of Cajun seasoning!
I also used a pampered chef chopper to get the carrots in small pieces instead of grating them.
It turned out amazing and I’m excited to try more of your recipes!!
are the carrots supposed to be cooked prior to putting them in to the batter or raw?
Raw
Could I use spinach instead of broccoli?
I haven’t tried it and the texture might be different so I’m not totally sure if it would turn out exactly the same.