these easy spinach & banana muffins are a great way to sneak veggies in for both kids & adults! they’re simple to make, freeze well and are loaded with nutrition (not to mention they’re great any time of day!)

spinach & banana muffins // cait's plate

For those of you that read my meal prep post from last week, you know that I made these spinach & banana muffins for Owen (and I swear, they’re actually a vibrant green color in person, despite what these pictures show!).

I didn’t really know what to expect in terms of whether or not he’d like them, but I made them anyway figuring my husband and I could eat them even if he didn’t want them.

To my delight, Owen not only liked them, he loved them. He consistently asks for a second one when I give him one and he gobbles them down immediately.

I’ve served them plain, warmed with butter and slathered in nut butter and he’s eaten them up every time.

In fact, everyone in the household loves them. I personally think they’re best when they’ve got a nice layer of peanut butter on them.

They’re great for breakfasts, snacks and as a side for a main meal. I’ve served them every one of those ways for Owen and I just love knowing that he’s getting a good serving of fruits and veggies with each muffin he eats!

Here’s an example of how we like to serve them up for breakfast:

I used a recipe from Mel’s Kitchen Cafe but made a few tweaks to it (which I’ll detail below):

whole grain spinach & banana muffins

Author: Cait
Prep Time: 10
Cook Time: 15
Total Time: 25 minutes
Yield: 36 mini muffins 1x
Category: breakfast

Scale

Ingredients

2 1/2 cups white whole wheat flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 large egg
1/2 cup maple syrup
3/4 cup mixture of whole milk yogurt mixed with whole milk (*see note)
1/4 cup canola oil
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
4 large handfuls baby spinach
3 very ripe small bananas, peeled & mashed

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line a 36-cup mini muffin pan with paper liners (or grease with cooking spray)
In a mixing bowl, combine flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt with a whisk then set aside.
In a food processor (or blender), add egg, maple syrup, yogurt/milk mixture, oil, vanilla, spinach & bananas. Process until smooth.
Add the wet ingredients to the dry using a rubber spatula to gently fold being careful not to over-mix (or muffins can be tough).
Using a cookie scoop, add one scoop of batter to each lined or greased muffin cup.
Bake for 15 minutes or until the tops of the muffins spring back when pressed or a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
Allow the muffins to cool in the pan on a cooling rack for about 5 minutes, then turn them out and let them cool completely on the rack.

Notes

* This is a substitute for buttermilk. To make it, combine 1/2 cup whole milk greek yogurt with 1/2 cup whole milk and whisk to combine then use 3/4 cup of that mixture for the batter. You can discard or save the remaining mixture for another recipe that utilizes buttermilk.

** Muffins freeze well and will keep for 1-2 months in a freezer-safe bag. Pull out and defrosted in the microwave as needed. DO NOT put in a freeze safe bag until they are completely cool or the moisture will effect the quality of the muffin.

Keywords: muffins, kid-friendly, breakfast, healthy