These Spinach Muffins with Banana are a super healthy and yummy toddler or big kid breakfast or snack. Each bite is packed with nutrients from greens and fruit—and the interior is so moist that even babies can enjoy these easy blender muffins!
Spinach Muffins
Oh these muffins are one of our very favorites. And they’re one of the most popular recipes on my entire site! And while I know I’ve written about how we actually don’t need to pack kale and spinach into every bite our kids eat, I do think there can be merit in sometimes making nutritious versions of foods our kids already like. Like muffins.
The color green can be a huge red flag to many kids, so I like to try to use the color to my advantage in fun foods—like these Sweet Spinach Muffins with Banana.
You can call these Hulk Muffins, Monster Muffins, Green Smoothie Muffins, or any fun name you can come up with!
Made with a not-too-long list of good-for-you ingredients, these muffins are naturally sweet from banana, and have a dose of Vitamin A and C from spinach or kale. They also have healthy fats and protein so they’re a nice meal component that will provide long lasting energy for your busy kids.
They’re great for breakfast paired with a smoothie or milk, as a snack, or packed in a kids lunch.
TIP: To make for a baby, omit the honey and use an additional 2 tablespoons milk. Omit the chocolate chips.
Ingredients You Need
To make these muffins you’ll need:
- Ripe banana: Bananas with brown spots will add lots of sweet flavor to this recipe.
- Baby spinach
- Milk: You can use whole milk, low-fat, or any nondairy milk.
- Honey: Swap in maple syrup if desired (and for kids under age 1).
- Melted and cooled butter: Or you can use neutral oil or plain yogurt.
- Eggs
- Vanilla extract
- Rolled oats: This adds some extra fiber and whole grains, but blend into the mixture nicely.
- Baking soda
- Whole-wheat flour
- Mini chocolate chips: These are optional to add on the top.
TIP: Use pure vanilla extract for the best flavor.
Ingredient Swaps
To make these without eggs, omit the eggs. Increase banana to 1 ½ cups.
To make these gluten-free, try King Arthur’s gluten free flour blend instead of the regular flour.
You can make them dairy-free by opting for your favorite unsweetened nondairy milk.
To make with frozen spinach, thaw the spinach, squeeze very dry, and measure out ¼ cup.
Use maple syrup for the honey.
Step-by-Step Instructions
Here’s a look at the simple process involved in making this healthy muffin recipe for kids so you know what to expect. Scroll down to the bottom of this post to see the full recipe.
- Place all ingredients into a blender except the flour and chocolate chips, if using. (photo 1)
- Blend until very smooth. (photo 2)
- Add the flour. (photo 3)
- Pulse in the flour just to combine. (photo 4)
- Pour batter into the prepared muffin tin, filling each cup about ¾ cup full. Sprinkle with chocolate chips if using. (photo 5)
- Bake until firm to the touch and lightly browned around the edges. (photo 6)
TIP: The veggie muffins are done when the edges are lightly brown, the tops are firm, and a cake tester inserted into the center comes out cleanly.
Why do these spinach veggie muffins require a blender?
In order to get the spinach smooth and incorporated into the batter—which is really the key to getting the kids to eat these, because a muffin with chunks of spinach would be no good!—you need a blender.
It’s basically the same principal as making a green smoothie!
TIP: You can try this with a food processor, though be sure to run it on high for 30-60 seconds to get the spinach as blended up as possible.
Banana Spinach Muffins
These kids muffins (which I happily eat myself too!) are delicious warm out of the oven or chilled, so see what you and the kids like. The ripe banana adds natural sweetness and while there’s a load of fresh spinach in these, they just taste like a treat.
They aren’t super sweet like most bakery muffins are, but they are always a big hit with my kids (and myself!)…especially with a few mini chocolate chips on top.
Spinach Baby Muffins for Baby-Led Weaning
These muffins are incredibly moist and they don’t dry out very easily, so they are a perfect early food for older babies. Cut them up into small cubes so baby can easily pick up bite-size pieces.
You may want to warm them slightly to make them even moister and/or top with applesauce or apple butter.
TIP: Use maple syrup or omit the sweetener and use 2 tablespoons additional milk to make these for a baby.
Spinach Muffins Without Banana
If you can’t do banana, you could do apple butter, a thick applesauce, or roasted mashed sweet potato instead.
Vegan Spinach Muffins
Use the egg- and dairy-free options and opt for maple syrup to make these vegan.
Halloween Breakfast Idea
We love making these all year round, but they are super fun for Halloween with their bright green color. Call them “monster muffins”, add some eyes (I like using cream cheese and raisins and sprinkles for eyelashes) and you have a healthy and nourishing breakfast or snack to share.
How to Store
You can store the muffins in an airtight container in the fridge for 3-5 days and eat cold or slightly warmed. Or store in a zip top bag with as much air removed as possible in the freezer for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the fridge or at room temperature.
Best Tips for Success
- Use very ripe bananas with brown spots for the best natural sweetness.
- To make for a baby, omit the honey and use an additional 2 tablespoons milk. Omit the chocolate chips.
- Dairy-free: Use unsweetened nondairy milk and using a neutral oil instead of butter.
- Gluten-free: try King Arthur’s gluten free flour blend.
- Egg-free: Omit the eggs and use 1½ cups sliced banana.
- To make with frozen spinach, thaw spinach, squeeze very dry, and measure out ¼ cup. Proceed with the recipe.
- To make as mini muffins, use a 24-cup mini muffin pan and bake for 12-14 minutes, or until a cake tester inserted into the center comes out cleanly.
- To make these with kale, I prefer using kale that’s been frozen since it tastes less green. Simply wash, dry, and store it in a zip top bag in the freezer. Crush gently in the bag and measure with a measuring spoon. (I use it in smoothies this way too!) Baby spinach usually has a milder flavor when used fresh.
- You can stir ⅓ cup chocolate chips into the batter before baking, or sprinkle some on top depending on your preference. You can also just omit them.
- These are not crazy sweet without the chocolate chips (though my kids like them just fine!), so if you think your kids will prefer a sweeter muffin, add ¼ cup granulated sugar to the batter.
- You may also like Applesauce Muffins, ABC Muffins, Yogurt Muffins, and Spinach Banana Pancakes.
Please comment and rate the recipe below if you make it—I’d love to know what you and your kids think! And your feedback helps me continue to improve my content.
This post was first published March 2018.
Sweet Spinach Muffins with Banana
Ingredients
- 1 cup sliced ripe banana (about 2 small or one medium/large)
- 2 cups lightly packed baby spinach
- 3/4 cup milk (dairy or unsweetened plain nondairy)
- 1/4 cup honey
- 2 tablespoons melted and cooled butter (OR neutral oil OR plain yogurt)
- 2 eggs
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 cup rolled oats
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/8 teaspoon salt
- 1 cup whole-wheat flour
- Mini chocolate chips (optional)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F and grease a standard-size muffin tin well with nonstick spray.
- Place all ingredients into a blender except the flour and chocolate chips, if using.
- Blend until very smooth, stopping to scrape down the sides of the bowls as needed. You want the greens to be very finely blended in so the batter is green, as if you were making a smoothie.
- Pulse in the flour just to combine, or stir it in gently.
- Pour batter into the prepared muffin tin, filling each cup about ¾ cup full. Sprinkle with chocolate chips if using.
- Bake for 18-20 minutes or until firm to the touch and lightly browned around the edges. (You can also check to see if a cake tester inserted into the center comes out cleanly.)
- Remove from the oven and use a paring knife, if needed, to transfer to a wire rack to cool.
- Serve slightly warm, at room temp, or chilled.
Equipment
- Muffin Tin
Video
Notes
- You can store the muffins in an airtight container in the fridge for 3-5 days and eat cold or slightly warmed. Or store in a zip top bag with as much air removed as possible in the freezer for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the fridge or at room temperature.
- Use very ripe bananas with brown spots for the best natural sweetness.
- To make for a baby, omit the honey and use an additional 2 tablespoons milk. Omit the chocolate chips.
- Dairy-free: Use unsweetened nondairy milk and using a neutral oil instead of butter.
- Gluten-free: try King Arthur’s gluten free flour blend.
- Egg-free: Omit the eggs and use 1½ cups sliced banana.
- To make with frozen spinach, thaw spinach, squeeze very dry, and measure out ¼ cup. Proceed with the recipe.
- To make as mini muffins, use a 24-cup mini muffin pan and bake for 12-14 minutes, or until a cake tester inserted into the center comes out cleanly.
- To make these with kale, I prefer using kale that’s been frozen since it tastes less green. Simply wash, dry, and store it in a zip top bag in the freezer. Crush gently in the bag and measure with a measuring spoon. (I use it in smoothies this way too!) Baby spinach usually has a milder flavor when used fresh.
- You can stir ⅓ cup chocolate chips into the batter before baking, or sprinkle some on top depending on your preference. You can also just omit them.
- These are not crazy sweet without the chocolate chips (though my kids like them just fine!), so if you think your kids will prefer a sweeter muffin, add ¼ cup granulated sugar to the batter.
We LOVE these!!
I’m so glad!
My food processor doesn’t get anything super smooth, if there’s small chunks of Spinach still would it affect the flavor or texture?
The main difference is that they likely won’t be bright green, but they should still taste about the same!
I’ve made something very similar to this may times in a 9×13 pan. I’ve always just winged it, throwing in ingredients like this that I have until I get the consistency that I like, and called it breakfast spinach cake haha. I’ve added berries to the top of it before, and it was so pretty and yummy! Today, though, I really wanted to make muffins, so I wanted an actual recipe. This worked absolutely perfectly! I omitted the chocolate chips and added two tablespoons of brown sugar. I also doubled the recipe and did have trouble with the flour not blending in, so I stirred it in as well as I could with a spoon. My kids and I loved them! I also had a bit of batter left over after my muffin pan was full, so I made a big pancake with it, and it was delicious!
Hello! Is it possible to make this in a loaf pan instead? And if so what time change would you recommend? Thank you so much for this yummy recipe. I like all your content!!!
Hi- I haven’t made this as a loaf, but if you were going to use something like a quick bread loaf pan, I would estimate the timing to be 45-55 minutes. You could also likely do it in an 8×8 inch pan too for about 28-30 minutes. Let me know how it goes if you try it!
I used frozen bananas and baked into 4 mini loaves for 35 minutes. Came out LUSH. Thank you so much Amy. I was so frustrated today because a previous recipe from someone else utterly failed and I put everything into it. Yours was a breeze, no sweat and it’s so yummy. Keep doing what you do. <3
Thank you for a muffin recipe that isn’t super sweet! My toddler isn’t really into sugary muffins/cupcakes (no idea how that happened…) but she’s GOING TO TOWN on these. I skipped the chocolate chips but added a metric ton of kitchen spices (it’s fall, finally!) so they have a nice cinnamon/nutmeg/ginger flavor, and made them minis (baked 12 minutes in a small silicone pan) and popped half in the freezer. We had them with butternut squash chili for dinner last night and she asked me for more for lunch today. Happy to oblige, kid! Thanks so much!!!
Thank you for this recipe. My 2 year old loves them. I like them too, but I think I might be doing something wrong… my muffins are really dense. Is that normal? Should I add baking powder? I’ve made these 3 times now and each time I do, the muffin is cooked (clean toothpick, brown on edges) but when I cut it open after it’s cooled or eat them, it’s not at all fluffy. It’s heavy and dense, so in a sense, I guess it’s moist. But your pictures show that the muffin has a normal muffin texture, with air bubbles in the cake not sure what I’m doing wrong. I bought a new box of baking soda for the last 2 batches. Same result. The taste is still good so I keep making them, but I wish it could have a better texture. Any advice?
Hi- Are you stirring the flour in at the end, rather than blending it? Can you send me a photo next time of the inside so I can help troubleshoot? It does sound like an unusual result. Maybe try baking 2 minutes less time? (They really don’t work with baking powder—they’ll just be mushy on the inside unfortunately.)
Thank you for the quick response! I add the flour at the end directly into the blender. The pulsing thing doesn’t seem to get the flour combined so I mix it with my rubber spatula and also blend a bit (tho the blending doesn’t really seem to do anything for the flour) but let me try reducing the cook time next time.
I don’t know how to share a photo but I have a picture.
Thank you!
amy @ yummytoddlerfood.com is a great way!
Just made these for baby and 5 year old. Ommited the chocolate chips and honey for baby and she devoured them!! For my 5 year old, I added the chocolate chips and baked in a donut pan for added fun. Thank you for making such an easy, nutritious, and versatile recipe!
I’m so glad to hear it!
I wanted to try to make these as mini muffins. How long would you recommend I’d bake them? Thanks!
Probably about 14 minutes for minis!
Another winner!
I used 1/2 cup frozen (thawed and squeezed dry ) spinach, 1/2 cup grated zucchini (had some leftover from another one of your awesome recipes), used 1/2 cup milk (bc zucchini was wet), threw in some hemp seeds for added protein.
I topped half with blueberries (needed to use up from fridge) and other half with raisins
Amazing! 2yo toddler ate a whole one and asked fore more!
The muffins came out wonderfully! My 2 year old loves them. I did make some substitutions. I used 2 cups overflowing cups of packed baby spinach, 1/3 cup coconut sugar and only a drizzle of honey, spelt flour instead of the whole wheat, dark chocolate chunks, half almond milk and half soy milk. The color was a bit brown; but still had a nice greenness. Probably from the extra spinach
Another egg free moderation that worked so well, thank you! These are a staple in our freezer stash.
I think I mixed something in the wrong order…??…mine were not such a pretty green color. Oh well and who cares. 🙂 They had all the good stuff and were yummy – we all enjoyed!
Mine aren’t consistently the same color green. I just put everything in the blender except the flour and chocolate chips and let it go. My guess is that it has more to do with the color of the bananas and spinach being used for each particular batch.
I’ve been making a batch of these (using the yogurt option) once a week for the past 5 weeks. I add a teaspoon of cinnamon but other than that I follow the recipe exactly and they’ve turned out perfectly every time. My family loves them. Thank you sharing this fabulous recipe!
I’m so glad!
second time making these and they’re a big hit with me and my 2 year old! i used vanilla yogurt this time and made half of the batch with chocolate chips and half blueberries. toddler liked both! i looovvee your recipes!
Okay I finally did it. I had this saved for a year and just didn’t think my kids would go for it. They were a huge hit! My husband can’t have chocolate so I left that off of a couple and he said they are great plain. I was wondering about maybe adding some milled flax to the next batch for more boost. I don’t want to throw off the batter though any suggestions?
I’m so glad! I think you could add 2 tbsp without an issues (maybe check for doneness 2 minutes sooner). If you want to add more than that, I think you could sub some for the oats.
These are so easy and tasty! My 20 month old loves them, sent I live that he’s getting so many nutrients and exposure to green food, too. Thanks for such a great recipe!
I’m so glad!
I’ve made these twice in 10 days following the recipe exactly (using the yogurt option). They turned out perfectly both times and were absolutely delicious! Just sweet enough with a sprinkling of mini chocolate chips on top. I’ll definitely be baking these regularly.
I’m so glad!