Sweet Spinach Muffins
These kid-favorite Sweet Spinach Muffins are packed with spinach, creamy banana, cinnamon and honey and are so soft, fluffy and moist that they are perfect for babies, toddlers, kids and even adults!
Spinach Muffins for Kids
These are one of my very favorite muffins I have ever made……and I’ve made a lot of muffins in my day. They are are not only super easy to make (made all in your blender!) but the flavor and texture are truly delicious. This may seem hard to believe, but the more spinach I add to these muffins, the better they turn out. You’ll have to try it for yourself to see what I mean!
Some kids might shy away from the green color of these muffins; a lot of kids reject a food just by the look of it. That can be aggravating, of course, but it’s a fact of life when feeding kids.
That doesn’t mean you can’t help them come around to new foods with a little help from branding. (Yup, that’s right. Sometimes you gotta use the same tricks as the marketers!) Here are some of the nicknames my kids and I came up with to give these spinach muffins a little imaginative appeal:
- Hulk Muffins
- Green Goblins
- Monster Muffins
- Frog Muffins
Whatever you call them, be sure to tell your kids that these muffins are filled with spinach. There is no need to hide it! Tell your kids the spinach is what makes them so moist and colorful! That way they’ll know they love spinach…… at least some of the time.
Ingredients for Sweet Spinach Muffins
These spinach muffins are filled with nutritious whole food ingredients that you most likely have on hand already.
- Spinach – the star of the recipe! I have found that it is best to use fresh baby spinach for these muffins. It blends well, adds that beautiful vibrant green color and is packed with nutrition. Baby spinach is perfect for muffins and smoothies because it has a very mild flavor that blends with whatever else you are adding to your recipe.
- Banana – make sure that your bananas are ripe for this recipe. Ripe bananas are sweet and creamy adding flavor and moisture to these muffins.
- Honey – gives these muffins a natural sweetness and adds moisture to the recipe. You can add regular sugar if you don’t have honey. I have also tried a ratio of 1:1 honey to sugar in this recipe (1/4 cup honey and 1/4 cup sugar) and had fantastic results.
- Milk – you can use any type of milk. Whole milk will give you a more rich flavor. Buttermilk will give you a milk tangy flavor adding more depth to the flavor of the muffin. Non-dairy milk is also fine to use – they are typically lower in fat and sometimes can add an interesting flavor if you use almond or coconut milk.
- Butter – adds a creamy rich flavor to these muffins. Also makes muffins softer and more tender.
- Flour – You can use whole wheat flour, all-purpose, bread flour or white-whole wheat flour for these spinach muffins. The texture of the muffin will change depending on which type of flour you use. These are the results I have gotten from the different flours:
- Whole Wheat: a bit more dense, with an almost nutty flavor. Using whole wheat flour will give you a muffin that feels more hearty and earthy.
- All-purpose: this flour produces a typical muffin. Light and fluffy, but with structure.
- Bread flour: produces the most light and fluffy muffin with a more delicate crumb. I have started using bread flour for most of my baked goods and have loved the results.
- White-Whole Wheat: this flour will give you similar results to all-purpose flour. It has the nutrition of whole wheat flour, but the texture of all-purpose. It can be a little more tricky to find and a bit more expensive.
Ingredient Substitutions
- Can I use frozen spinach? Yes, you can definitely use frozen spinach without changing anything else. The color of your baked muffins might not be as vibrant green as with fresh, but they will still taste delicious.
- How can I make these gluten free? You can use oat flour in the same amounts as wheat flour.
- What can I substitute the banana for? You can sub applesauce for the banana. 1/2 cup applesauce = 1 medium banana. You can also try avocado (1 medium for 1 banana) silken tofu (1/2 cup = 1 medium banana) or plain Greek yogurt (1/2 cup = 1 medium banana). These options won’t be as sweet as the banana and so you may want to add more sweetener.
- Can I make these Vegan? You can sub coconut oil for the butter, a flax egg or applesauce for the egg, almond or coconut milk for the milk, and maple syrup for the honey to make them vegan.
- Can I use other greens besides spinach? You can try using baby kale, arugula, or swiss chard. These other greens have stronger flavors than spinach and so they might not have the same appeal or vibrant color as with spinach. There is a power greens mix that readers have used and said the muffins turn out great.
- Can I use orange juice instead of milk? Yes! Using orange juice instead of milk will increase the absorption of iron from the spinach in these muffins. They will have a more tangy flavor, but still taste great!
- Can I add chocolate to these? Definitely – I recommend adding mini chocolate chips to the batter instead of regular size for better distribution throughout the muffin.
- What can I replace the egg with? You can use a ‘flax egg’ which is 1 tablespoon of ground flaxseed and 3 tablespoons of water. Let it sit for 5 minutes and then add it to the blender with the rest of the wet ingredients.
How to Make Sweet Spinach Muffins
These spinach muffins are SO easy to make because they are all made right in your blender. You don’t have to worry about mashing the banana or whisking the egg separately.
- Add milk, spinach, egg, banana, honey, vanilla and melted butter to your blender.
- Blend until smooth to make sure that all of the spinach pieces are well blended.
- Add your dry ingredients to the blender – flour, cinnamon, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
- Stir ingredients together just until combined. I don’t recommend blending because it will overmix and the texture of the muffins won’t turn out as good.
- Grease or spray a muffin tin with cooking spray. You can also line with silicone baking cups (my preference) or regular paper muffin cups.
- Scoop the muffin batter into the muffin cups filling them 3/4 full.
- Bake for 17-20 minutes or until the top of the muffins bounce back after touching.
How Do I Store Spinach Muffins?
These muffins are the best the first day, in my opinion, but actually store really well! They will keep getting more moist the first couple of days. Cool the muffins completely on a cooling rack before storing.
You can store these muffins:
- In an airtight container on the counter for up to 3 days
- In the fridge for 1 week
- In the freezer for up to 3 months
When you are ready to eat the muffins later, you can heat in the microwave for 10 seconds if stored on the counter, and 30 seconds if stored in the fridge or freezer. You can also transfer some to the refrigerator the night before you plan to serve and they’ll be thawed by morning. We prefer them warm, but there is no need to heat them if you store on the counter or the fridge.
Tips for Making The Best Spinach Muffins (with Banana)
- To get your muffins a vibrant green, make sure you use fresh raw spinach. No need to cook the spinach first. The more spinach you add the, brighter green then will be. I have added up to 8 cups of spinach and they still turned out great!
- 6 ounces of raw spinach is equivalent to 4 cups of spinach leaves. I like to add at least 4 cups of packed raw spinach leaves to this recipe.
- Add your milk to the blender first before the rest of the ingredients. This will help make sure nothing gets stuck to the bottom and will blend smoother.
- To make mini muffins, follow the recipe as written and decrease the baking time to 12-14 minutes.
- Make sure your butter is melted when you add it with your wet ingredients.
- If you use whole wheat flour, you will want to add extra moisture otherwise your muffins may turn out too dry. You can add one of these options in addition to what the recipe calls for : 1/2 banana, 1/4 cup milk, 1 egg, or 1/4 cup applesauce.
Are Spinach Muffins Healthy?
These muffins are incredibly healthy! They are made of whole food ingredients and are packed full of spinach. It is a great way to get your kids to eat spinach in a different way. Raw spinach is full of nutrients. It contains:
- Fiber – helps prevent constipation and healthy digestion
- Vitamin A – healthy eyes, vision
- Vitamin C – antioxidant that helps with skin health and immune function
- Iron – helps create hemoglobin that brings oxygen to all parts of your body
- Calcium – needed for healthy bones
More Healthy Muffin Recipes
Sweet Spinach Muffins
Ingredients
- 3/4 cup milk
- 1/2 cup butter melted
- 1/2 cup honey
- 4 cups baby spinach packed
- 1 large banana ripe
- 1 large egg
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 cups flour
- 1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 F, and spray your muffin tin with cooking spray or use silicone muffin cups sprayed with cooking spray.
- To a blender add, milk, raw spinach, banana, honey, egg, vanilla, and melted butter. Blend until completely pureed.
- Combine all dry ingredients.
- You can either add the dry ingredients into the blender with the spinach mixture, or pour the spinach mixture into the dry ingredient bowl. Fold the spinach mixture and dry ingredients together gently until just combined. (Do not over-mix.)
- Scoop the batter into the muffin pan, and bake for 17-20 minutes, or until the muffins bounce back when you touch the top. They should not be browning.
- Remove from the oven and cool on a cooling rack. If you use silicone muffin cups, remove from the cups and place on cooling rack to prevent sweating.
Video
Nutrition
www.superhealthykids.com
Natalie Monson
I'm a registered dietitian, mom of 4, avid lover of food and strong promoter of healthy habits. Here you will find lots of delicious recipes full of fruits and veggies, tips for getting your kids to eat better and become intuitive eaters and lots of resources for feeding your family.
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Hi! These look great. What can I use in place of the honey?
Hi Kate! I haven’t tried sweeteners besides honey, so I can’t promise they’ll work in the recipe. But you could probably substitute pure maple syrup or plain sugar. If you try it, let us know how the muffins turn out!
I’ve done these using 1/2 cup of white sugar instead of honey and they turned out great. I added the sugar to the dry ingredients instead of in the blender with the wet ingredients.
Hi! I just made these and they are delicious!!! I used 2 medium bananas and 1/3 cup pure maple syrup in place of the honey. Wow! They turned out perfect!! Absolutely delicious!!!!
can i use frozen spinach?
Hi Blima! I haven’t tried frozen spinach. I would think it would create a very different texture. But if you try it, let us know how it turns out!
We used frozen spinach and it worked sublimely!
Did you use the same amount of frozen spinach? Did you omit any liquid from the recipe since the frozen spinach had more water content?
Is it only three-fourths of a cup of spinach or is it 3 to 4 cups of spinach? The narrative did say a whole bag, but I just want to check. These look great!
Definitely 3 to 4! Just made them and they’re perfect!
These look soooo darn good. I’ve already pinned it and printed the recipe. Making it this weekend. BOOM!
I have the same question as Jen. I put in only 3/4 cup spinach as the recipe says and my batter is nowhere near as verdant as your photos. Reading back on the post you do mention a whole bag…thanks!
Good muffins. Not sure I’d slather more butter on a muffin from a recipe that calls for a whole stick of butter though!
I had similar issues – I used 6 oz of frozen spinach and while they taste great – similar to a zucchini muffin – they aren’t exactly green! Could you clarify the spinach quantity please?
Hi, Sarah! I’m glad you got tasty muffins, even though they did turn brown for you. I used fresh spinach, and I think that’s why my muffins stayed bright green. I have also found that if they cook too long, they can brown on the outside (even though the middle stays green.) I hope this helps!
I put in much more spinach (1.5 loose cups maybe?) and they are greener, but still not as green as your pictures. I think I could add even more!
Hi, Carlene! An older version of the recipe mistakenly said 1/2 cup of fresh spinach… the updated correct amount is 5-6 ounces of fresh spinach (a whole bag!) I hope you’ll give it another try with the full amount… they’ll be super green! 🙂
Where do you add the spinach? In the blender with the wet ingredients?
Yup, right in the blender!
I love how GREEN these are!!!
How did you get them green? I used a bag of spiniach but mine are brownish not bright green. Thanks!
I’ve made these twice and my kids love them! However, mine are turning out more brown than green. How do I get them green?
Hi Juli! I’m so glad you like them. I’m not sure why they’re brown for you, but it could be that you’re using a dark muffin pan. I use silicone, which helps them cook super evenly. Maybe try an aluminum pan with liners, or a silicone pan. Or try cooking them a little less and pulling them out before they brown. Let us know if you figure out the solution? 🙂
Thanks for the reply! The food processor I was using didn’t purée the spinach well enough. I switched to a blender and they’re green! Thanks, again!
Have you tried any with a gluten free alternative to flour?
Hi, Melissa! I haven’t tried a gluten-free flour, but it would probably work. Let us know how it turns out!
I did a gluten free option using oat
flour and they turned out great!
Thanks for sharing, Nadia!
What was your amount of oat flour?
These are so good! My toddler has decided he doesn’t like spinach anymore, but he’ll eat these! The whole family loves them. Thanks so much for the great recipe!
Jessica, I love this! Thanks for sharing.
Could you use Apple sauce to replace the egg?
Sandy, I’m really not sure,since I’ve never tried it. If you do, let us know how it turns out!
Do these freeze well?
Yes! I like to freeze them to throw in lunchboxes. They thaw out and taste great.
When you pack a frozen muffin for lunch, do you take it out of the freezer the night before, or the morning of? Thanks in advance!
Kelli, I would take it out of the freezer the night before and let it defrost in the refrigerator overnight. If you do pull it from the freezer in the morning, you might just want to warm it slightly before packing it.
Is there a substitute for banana? My daughter is allergic. Thank you
I’m also allergic to bananas, thinking of trying these with an avocado and maybe some added sugar… I’ll post again if it works
Can I use regular flour in the same amount unread of the whole wheat? I’d like to make these right away but don’t have whole wheat flour. Thanks!
Anita, I haven’t tried it, but I imagine it would work just fine. 🙂
I just made these tonight, and my husband and daughter (neither of which are veggie lovers) LOVED them! Hubby ate two right away. I used organic Agave nectar instead of honey, and vanilla almond milk, so I omitted the vanilla extract. So yummy and filling!
Last week I did the spinach one and it was not so green like yours but was delicious. My kids loved them! Today, instead spinach I used beets for a pink color since we are close to valentine’s day and it was amazing! Love this recipe!
Did you use raw or roasted beets
Hi Tania, saw that you posted subbing spinach with beets. Just curious what kind of beets you used. Raw or cooked and how much? My two year old is a very picky eater. She refuses anything green. Her favorite color is pink she will at least give it a try. Thanks!
Hi Tess! I’m not sure how to sub beets into this recipe, but we actually have a yummy muffin recipe with beets in it that you might like to try, here: https://www.superhealthykids.com/whole-wheat-strawberry-beet-muffins-recipe/ Tell us what you think!
Just curious, could I grind up oatmeal and use that in place of whole wheat flour
Yes i did that and they were delicious ?
Do you put the butter in the blender with the wet ingredients? If so, is it melted butter or just softened butter?
Hi Sarah! We melt the butter in the microwave and pour it right into the blender with the other wet ingredients.
Great making them right now, thanks!!
I have just made them and they are delicious – hubby and two year old approved as well. thanks for the recipe
Can i replace the milk with almond milk or soy milk?
What if don’t use baking powder and baking soda ? Is a good Idea replace butter with avocado??
Hi Naomi–I don’t recommend leaving out the baking powder and soda… I don’t think the muffins would rise without them. And I haven’t tried the avocado substitution, but it could be interesting. Let me know if you decide to try it. 🙂
Any idea on the nutritional information of the muffins? I’d like to know carbs, sugars, calories. Thanks!!
Hi, Katy! We haven’t calculated this recipe yet, but you can do it at nutritiondata.self.com by using their recipe feature. I hope this helps!
It is approximately 140cal per muffin (20g carbs 6g fat 3g protein). The calories pretty much all come from the flour, honey, and butter.
These turned out wonderful! I used my NutriBullet for the wet ingredients — and named them “Bobgoblin Muffins” after my 3 yr olds favorite green mischievous goblin on Wallykazam. Thank you so much for helping me get greens into my toddler!
I just made these. I used maple syrup in place of honey so that my 8 month old could have some. They were a big hit. I would love to hear of successful egg substitutes for vegan family members. Great recipe….will surely make “hulk muffins” again. Thanks
I made these for green eggs and ham day at my daughters school and my whole family loved them! I used 1/4 c coconut oil and 1/4 c applesauce instead of butter and used about 1/3 c maple syrup instead and honey and they were great! Thanks!
Thanks Tara! I was just going to ask if anyone has tried using a butter substitute successfully.
Awesome recipe! I subbed simple syrup for the honey to make them baby friendly, and used liquid coconut oil instead of butter. They turned out super yummy, fluffy and green! I will definitely be making these again!
Any ideas for a banana substitute? Perhaps an avocado or two?
Hi Kathleen! I haven’t tried and banana substitutes… avocado might work but you’ll lose a little sweetness. A couple of other readers were interested in using avocado in this recipe, too, so if you try it, be sure to share how it turns out! 🙂
I used half baby kale and half spinach. I steamed it first and then pressed the water out bc I thought that would limit the veggies taste more. When I noticed the color was a little weak I added a handful more of fresh. Color is pretty good! I also used 1/2 cup of butter-flavored coconut oil (Nativa) instead of butter. I also used 1/2 cup of date sugar instead of honey (plus a few dalops of maple syrup). I used unsweetened vanilla soy milk instead of dairy milk. They are great! Next time I’ll try oat flour and throwing in some chia seeds too. I look forward to making them again!
I know you say a whole bag but I have a Costco sized bag… Do you know how many cups of fresh spinach it works out to for the recipe? Today I weighed but so I can add to my recipe for future times when I may not have a scale handy? Thanks!
I’ve been wanting to make these for a while, and I finally did last night. Wonderful! I brought two of them in my lunch today, warmed them up for about 15 seconds in the microwave, and put a little butter on them. Soft and warm and moist and sweet and tasty! (I ate one just plain last night, and it was good, but warm with butter put it over the top!)
I’m going to try them on my two-year-old grandson tomorrow (for whom I really made them), so I’ll let you know how that goes. But if he doesn’t like them, I’ll finish them off!
Just made these for the second time. They were great the first time following the recipe exactly. This second time I decided to get adventurous and subbed applesauce for the butter. They turned out great! They are maybe a little more chewy in texture, but still soft and fluffy. I also stirred blueberries in half of the batter and sprinkled a little organic turbinado sugar on top to balance the tartness of the blueberries. I thought they were tasty, but my kids preferred them plain. Thanks for the fun, tasty and healthy recipe!
Love this recipe thanks!! My more adventurous eater, loves them green. But my pickier 5 year old was convinced she didn’t like them despite my best marketing. So I add 1/3 of a cup of unsweetened cocoa powder and an extra banana to off-set the additional dry ingredient. They come out a deep chocolate brown. Picky 5 year old now begs for seconds!!
Thank you for your suggestions! My nieces are some of the pickiest eaters I know. I will definitely try these to see if I can “trick” them into eating some greens!
Just made these…in the oven now. I substituted the banana with 3/4 cup of unsweetened apple sauce as I don’t like bananas. Now, I am a bit concerned because I did not use the whole bag of spinach. I looked up the conversion and used about 1 cup? The batter was very green so I’ll have to see what they look like when cooked.
Just made these! They were a hit with my kids. I used maple syrup instead of honey so that my 10 month old could have some…Also, I did Mini Muffins, same recipe just baked for 14 minutes instead of the 18-22. I would love to try adding applesauce or something a little more binding to the recipe since they were a little on the fragile side/falling apart really easily. I would also love to try grinding oats instead of the wheat flour!
Just made these, they taste amazing!! Trying to make these in a hurry while bub was sleeping, I forgot to put the melted butter in! Only realised that the bowl of melted butter was still on the bench when it was already in the oven, so there was nothing I could do. Was devastated, but surprisingly it actually turned out great! My 3yo and 14mo devoured it, so might try making it this way again next time. Thank you so much for sharing the recipe 🙂
I just made these for the first time tonight and they are sooooooo good!! Thank you!
so, I am a newbie at this baking stuff, so pardon me for asking a potential dumb question. Does the spinach have to be raw or cooked?
Hi Ash, good question! The spinach in this recipe is raw. Use one whole bag (about 5oz) of fresh, raw spinach to get the muffins to be super green.
I have tried to make these twice now. First time i used almond flour and almond milk and followed the recipe exactly as it was written. The muffins were way too wet and didnt rise. The second time i used coconut flour ans almond milk, and they were too dry. 🙁 has anyone else had this problem?!?
Hi Rubu,
Is there a reason you didn’t want to try it with regular flour? From my experience almond flour and coconut flour absorb liquid and isn’t a great substitute for regular flour.
No particular reason. Just didnt have it on hand. Will try again with wheat flour when i get some. 🙂
I made these today and actually forgot to put the butter in and they still turned out wonderful. I added two cups of frozen blueberries to make blueberry muffins. Thanks for a great recipe.
Bobby, I love the idea to add blueberries! I’d love to try that. Thanks for sharing. 🙂
How do you store these? Do you put them in the refrigerator or in a container on the counter?
Hi Meghann! I store them in the refrigerator and eat them within a few days. If I want them to last longer than that, I pop them in the freezer. They defrost and taste as good as fresh!
I only had 3oz oh spinach in fridge however I had some kiwi to make up the difference, they were not as green as the result however they tasted delicious. I also added some dried cranberries and chopped walnuts to the mix, awesome!!!
HELP! I’ve tried to make this twice now, both times with the same result. My “batter” looks kinetic sand.. moist but definitely too crumbly and not even to a consistency that I can spoon. What am i doing wrong ??
Hi Michelle! I’m sorry they’re not turning out for you. Since it sounds like your batter is too dry, the first thing I’d do is double-check that you’re adding the ingredients in their proper amounts… if you have too much of the “dry” ingredients and/or not enough “wet” ingredients, the consistency would be off like you describe. I can’t imagine what else would give you that wacky texture! I hope the third time’s a charm!
Do you think I could make a bread out of thus vs. Muffins?
My daughter has low iron. These have have been an easy way to boost the iron in her diet. I used orange juice instead of milk. Vitamin c boosts iron absorption into the body. They turned out great! The whole family liked them.
I made this tonight and they are excellent!
Hi Terita,
These look great. In fact I am about to make a batch right now. I noticed that some people complained of getting a darker color muffin. maybe it’s the wheat flour. Did you use wheat to soak up the moisture? Is it possible to use all purpose of half and half?
Thank you,
Bahar
Hi Bahar! You could probably use all-purpose flour in place of whole wheat and still have the recipe turn out. We like whole wheat flour because it has better nutrition than all-purpose. But half whole wheat and half all-purpose might be a good middle ground!
Ah I wish I could add an image of ours! They turned out perfectly and my son is calling them the Ghecko Green Pj Mask muffins. He is 3. I used half honey, half sugar, I didn’t want to finish my honey and I used coconut oil instead of butter ( which is overpriced and scarce in South Africa at the moment.) I used frozen Swiss chard and the colour is perfect! Oh… we also added some chocolate chips for fun! Thanks for this brilliant recipe!
Hi Jen! I love the name your son gave the muffins, and we’re so happy they turned out so well! Thanks for sharing the adaptations you made! Those sound yummy!
These are magnificent! Easy to make and my 2 year old loves them! Thanks for sharing
Several people asked about this so I thought I’d post: I made these with oat flour (2 cups), substituted the butter with apple sauce and used soy milk for a gluten and dairy free version. They came out delicious! More dense and smaller than the product of the original but delicious. Thanks for the very customizable recipe!:)
I have them in the oven now! Did a lot of subustutions and adds. I subbed Costco power greens for spinach. 2 small apples and a carrot for banana. Added 3 TBS of chia seeds and about 1/3 -1/2 cup of ground flax seeds. Also made them into mini muffins. They are a beautiful green! I am guessing on how long. to bake as I went “rouge” on greens andfruit and almond milk. Just tested one and it needs a little more time, it was delicious! Thanks for the recipe!
Hello, did you use the chia seed and flax seeds to replace the egg? I am wondering how the muffins would be with chia or flax as an egg replacer.
I put them into my fitness pal and carbs were 22 grams, with almond flour it changed it to 15 carbs, if anyone is interested 🙂
Sei stata brava e simpatica … grazie. le farò e ti faro sapere… Ciao ronaldo
Can I substitute milk for water and the egg for apple sauce?
Can I use sunflower oil instead of butter?
Would you have a suggestion for using coconut flour instead of whole wheat flour?
I just made these with regular flour instead of whole wheat. They’re tasty. But you can’t hide that there’s fruit/veg in there. You can smell spinach & banana when they’re hot. Plus the texture is denser & more rubbery than regular cake. If I started again I’d use wholemeal & ditch the banana I think.
Can another flour replace wheat flour? If so could you suggest one ?
Thank you
I tried these last night following the recipe but adding a few mini chocolate chips to each muffin. They were DELICIOUS! my 7 year old even asked for seconds!! Thank you!!
I substitute wholemeal spelt flour 1:1 for whole wheat flour and they work great! I use baby English spinach leaves, is that what the original recipe uses? Tia!
Thanks for sharing, Amy! Yes, I also used baby spinach leaves in the original recipe.
If I added some shredded carrot and zucchini in these would it make much of a difference to the flavor or cook time?
How would I freeze these?
I made these with a tablespoon of flax in 3 tablespoons of water to replace the egg, vanilla almond milk instead of the milk, apple sauce instead of the oil, and maple syrup instead of honey. We have dairy and egg allergies, and I didn’t have any honey on hand ?sooo tasty! Thank you for sharing!
Can you freeze the batter?
I would Like to make these for my 12 month old using a mini muffin tin. How long would you bake them in a mini tin??
Hi Breelynd! I have made these in a mini muffin tin before, and they work great. I don’t remember the exact length of time I cooked them, but I suggest checking the mini muffins after 15 minutes in the oven. If they’re dry and firm to the touch, they’re ready to come out. If they’re moist and sticky, leave them in for another few minutes. I hope this helps!
I used frozen spinach and it turned out great!
I subbed coconut oil for the butter and used soy milk.
My super picky kid tasted them and politely declined, but then she was open to trying a plain spinach leaf and found it pleasant 🙂
My less picky kid and the grownups think they’re yummy.
These are wonderful! I made them with spelt flour and 1/4 cup of agave. To me they probably don’t need the added sweetener as they are getting a lot of sugar from the banana! Love this recipe. My toddler is on a muffin kick right now and we don’t do refined sugar.
I just made these this morning and they turned out perfect and green!! My toddler who hates veges ate 4 of them! I used regular all purpose flour as I didn’t have any whole wheat. I substituted 1/2 stick of butter with 2oz unsweetened applesauce and used only 1/3 cup of honey as we don’t like our food too sweet. They were perfect and so fluffy & moist. Thanks for the recipe!
What is a good substitute for bananas in the sweet spinach muffins recipe?
This may help 🙂 https://www.superhealthykids.com/the-essential-food-allergy-substitution-guide/
I made these today and they didn’t turn out green like yours – more of a brownish-green. I saw the recipe said 6 oz of spinach, and when I googled to find out how to measure 6 ounces of fresh spinach, i found it was 3/4 cup. I feel like maybe that was where I went wrong? Did I need to use more spinach?
Hi Meaghan! It does sound like 3/4 cup would be too little spinach. The easiest way to measure out 6 ounces is to buy a 6-ounce bag of fresh spinach, and use the whole thing. Most stores sell bagged fresh spinach in that amount, or roughly so. I hope this helps!
My toddler eats barely anything, and he is currently on his second muffin in under 10 minutes!
Hi,
Thanks for the great recipe. My daughter is allergic to eggs…any idea of a suitable substitute?
I made a batch with the egg just omitted as i couldnt wait to try it out.
My son is in love with these! He is 2.5. We make a few substitutions and these are awesome.
-sub 1/2 avocado and apple sauce (small container) for the butter.
-sub 1 extra banana for the honey ( so two bananas and a squirt of honey)
-frozen spinach works too
-when they are done we “frost” them with apple sauce right before eating. They freeze well too.
I wonder if I could use canned pumpkin instead of banana??? My kids aren’t big fans of the banana taste in muffins. Do you think pumpkin would work???
Hi Michelle! I haven’t tried this substitution, but my thoughts on pumpkin are that the texture would work, but you wouldn’t get that boost of sweetness. You could try subbing applesauce, but I haven’t tried that myself, either. (For what it’s worth, we don’t think the muffins have a distinctive banana taste with just the one banana. Might be worth a try with your kids. 🙂 Hope this helps!
Followed directions even though we had to use salted butter (all we had) and they still turned out great! My kids thought they were pretty cool and ate tgem up (4 yo and 6 yo boys). Thanks for this easy, good for us recipe.
These were awesome. My EXTREMELY picky 5 year old loved them. I obviously had to distract him while I was blending wet ingredients and called them “green goblin” muffins. I did add about 3 tblsp of sugar just to ensure that he would think they were sweet enough as well as added a crumb topping. Great recipe!
I wish I could print off this recipe or copy and paste it to my notes. A little frustrating.
We absolutely love these! Made them many times. For variation we sometimes add blueberries or raisins. They make a beautiful Christmas treat topped with cream cheese and strawberries.
Has anyone has ever tried this recipe as pancakes? I’m curious if that would work.
Just made these and used 1 medium/large avocado instead of banana and it worked amazingly well! Super moist this recipe is gold even if my kids don’t like them (haven’t tried yet!) they will be a regular staple in my diet!! Color was stunning
I tried these for St. Patrick’s day. Both my husband and I felt sick after eating them. I’m not quiet sure if spinach was supposed to be pre-cooked for adding to this recipe..it doesnt say in it.
Lovely…..I used a brown rice gluten free flour for 1 cup, then 1/2 cup oats & 1/2 cup whole Wheat.
Also added a kiwi !!….well it’s green:)
And to balance that out added 1 heaping tablespoon of a blend of chia-flax-coconut.
Oh, and used 1/2 buttermilk for the milk.
Ready for the oven….
Did a lot of adapting, is fun, so we’ll see!
I subbed an equal amount of oat flour and it turned out really gummy… I am so sad 🙁 My friend made these and she used whole wheat flour and hers turned out perfect. I only used oat flour because I have celiac’s disease and can’t have wheat. Suggestions anyone?
I just made these muffins with my kids and they turned out amazing!
I didn’t have fresh spinach so used 6oz frozen spinach. I also used 1/2 cup coconut oil instead of the butter.
Even with those substitutions the muffins turned out great! Will be making again and again God-willing.
Thanks for the recipe!!!!!
I’m curious, when using the frozen spinach, do you thaw and then squeeze out the extra water before adding to the blender, or do you just dump the whole package in and don’t look back?
These muffins are amazing! I sub out 1/2 of flour for wheat bran and use almond milk. I have two girls that request “Hulk muffins” at least once a week. I usually make a double batch and freeze them. Perfect for busy school mornings or a quick snack. Thanks so much for sharing.
Did anyone else’s muffins stick to the baking liners??
I have made these following the recipe and substituting plain Greek yogurt for the butter, and both ways were great. The Greek yogurt saves you some calories!!
these muffins turned me to the dark side. I had to blatantly lie to my family to get them to try them. Their first question was, of course: “why are they so green!!!”. Knowing full well that if I told the truth, they would not take a single bite. So…. I lied. My response was: food coloring. I thought it’d be fun to have a green muffin for some change. So, they ate them without further question and loved them. (((sigh)))
Now I just have to figure out how to come clean. :/ I want them to embrace that healthy foods ARE delicious!!!
The recipe says 6 oz of spinach, please change that into a cup measurement. I used 3/4th and they are not green!!
Hi there! I was wondering: How many of these muffins are a good serving size for a 3 year old? I plan on making them soon 🙂 They look awesome for my little Hulk fan.
Hi Marleen,
Every kid is unique in their appetites and energy needs. But I have a 3-year old, too, and I serve her one muffin in a sitting. My 7-year old eats two in a sitting. I do like to pair it with a protein like cheese or eggs, for balance.
I actually make these a lot! they are so great! however, i have found that i can add waaay more spinach than what is asked for AND i can cut the amount of butter down by at least half. this recipe seems very forgiving.
Thank you so much for this recipe! It is approved by my picky eater. My daughter went vegetarian about a month ago, so menu planning has been a struggle. I added a little bit of sugar and called them “Grinch” muffins to strengthen the sell. Lol
Love love love your muffins. I do want to say the thing I love the most is that once you learn the consistency of the batter and you can add whatever blended veggies or fruit that you have on hand instead. That being said, do you know how much roughly the blended portion should be (banana & spinach)? I just made a batch. My son is constipated so I did a prune and spinach version instead. I use 1 cup whole wheat flour and 1/2 cup of ground oats (oat flour) and I completely forgot the oil. My son is still eating them up. I love your recipes, you are fabulous :)!!!!
Hi Megan,
Glad to hear your son likes them! I’m actually not sure how much the blended portion makes. But I know a lot of people have added and subtracted ingredients and still gotten a tasty muffin… so I think the lesson is, it’s OK to experiment with this recipe. 🙂
I just made these and they’re great. I have a question. The description says there is a whole bag of spinach but the list of ingredients says 6 oz spinach which is less than a cup. Can you confirm how much spinach to use? I used a few generous hand fulls. They aren’t as green as the picture but I used more than 6 oz.
Hi Lauren,
Glad you liked the muffins! The 6 oz. measurement is for weight, not volume. Typically a regular-sized bag of spinach weighs 5-6 oz, and you can use the whole thing. I hope this clears things up. 🙂
Mine are in the oven now. I used a gluten free flour and agave, hoping they just are as yummy.
Amazing green muffins. My batter was mush more like cupcake batter (too much liquid compared to the video) but made them anyway. And they are yummy. My kids eat everything so I can just call them Spinach muffins, no fuss from them. Thanks
I made these in 12 normal muffins and 12 mini muffins. I swopped butter with rice bran oil and honey with 1/3 cup stevia. They really taste like muffin and nothing spinachy at all. Great sweet option for the lunch box. Both bubs loved it.
How long to bake if i do mini muffin tin?
Excellent recipe! My 2 yo son loves the muffins. Thank you!
Thank you for the great recipe
Can I freeze the muffin’
Grouchy Muffins. They look great!
My LO can’t have bananas, any recommendations what I could swap it out for?
You can substitute 1/2 cup applesauce OR 1/2 cup avocado OR 1/2 cup plain yogurt.
Made this for the first time. It went well and my 17 months old son liked it. Just wondering if I can freez this. Did anyone try?
Yes we have frozen these and they reheat perfectly!
So moist! My almost two year old is currently devouring his second mini muffin. Gave it 14 mins. Second batch is in the oven now. Thank you! I’m always looking for ways to get my little one (and myself) tasty and healthy ways of eating spinach.
These are definitely one of our most popular recipes. So glad you liked it!
These look really good! My son can’t have dairy, what would be the best substitute for the butter in this recipe?
Thanks!
You can substitute with applesauce or oil. The ratio for applesauce is half of the amount of applesauce as the amount of butter called for in the recipe, and with oil substitute 3/4 cup of vegetable oil for every 1 cup of butter called for.
These were super easy to make and turned out delicious! The only thing I did differently was add about a cup of chocolate chips. They tasted best on the first day after cooling off.
Could I use almond flour?
It might need some other adjustments if you are using almond flour. I know it absorbs moisture quite a bit more than regular flour.
Hi, I noticed no egg was added in the video… was this a mistake? I’m guessing it’ll def need the egg? Thanks 🙂
Oh no! You are right. I’m not sure how we missed that. It was a mistake! The egg belongs there. Thanks!
Very good! I substituted butter for coconut oil which is my go to- adds flavour and boost milk supply for me! I also added a 1/4c of oats and used ww bread flour. Are the muffins in your photo full sized? I’m just trying to get an idea of the calorie count of my mini ones
Just made these with the sub for honey suggested here by Sara – a second banana & 1/3c pure maple syrup. They came out SUPER green, and my twin 2yo boys gobbled it up like it was dessert. I’ve pinned this recipe – thanks SO much for helping to sneak in veggies at every turn ????
Just wanted to say thanks for this recipe. It is a staple in our house. I love that I can get a good serving of spinach into my picky eater. I’ve added hemp hearts, oats, and use coconut oil/applesauce and almond milk to adjust for allergies. I also add raisins because I love raisins in all my muffins.
I’ve made them for birthday parties and have been asked for the recipe many times.
So glad Sandra!!
I couldn’t find the serving size- is it 140cal/muffin?
Yes- per muffin!
I just made these and they are amazing! My one year old keeps asking for more.
What is the best way to store these muffins?
Thanks In advance!
These spinach muffins are definitely one of the most popular recipes on our site. So glad you liked them! They store really great in an airtight container in the freezer. Just let them thaw on the counter or reheat in the microwave about 30 seconds per muffin.
I just wanted to chime in! My kiddos (8 and 10yo) have made these 5 or 6 times. We love them! Thank you! We use a 10 oz bag each recipe because that’s what we buy it in. 😀 Also, they forgot cinnamon once time, still good. They forgot butter once time. Slightly drier but still good, so it’s a forgiving recipe!
Ok so I should have actually read the whole article because I ended up putting only one cup of spinach in this recipe which is what 6 oz translated to when I converted. So legit put a full bag in then? What size bag? So confused. Regardless they turned out great lol!
Just made some small pancakes out of my left over muffin batter ?
GREAT IDEA!!!
I made these muffins which were very nice however my mixture was a lot more wet. Not sure why. Also in the video, no egg was added so was that a printing error in the recipe ingredients?
video error! Follow the written recipe for sure! THANKS!
What can I use instead of baking powder? My hubby can’t have it. Also, would subbing coconut flour be the same ratio? Thankyou!!!
I haven’t had luck with coconut flour as a substitute. Everything I have tried has not come out as intended. And a little extra baking soda should be oK!
Just made a batch using heritage Red Fife whole wheat flour. A hit!! My 18 month old just ate 4 mini muffins, gobbled them down and demanded more.
Mmm.
I’d like to make a vegan version of these muffins. I was thinking almond milk. Which oil substitute would work best for the butter and what could I use instead of the egg. Would applesauce work? Any other suggestions welcome, thanks
Clara- I like to use Earth Balance for a butter substitute (it’s the only vegan one I’ve found that has the same consistence and flavor of butter, and I love real butter, I buy this for DS who has a dairy allergy)
I would use applesauce or a 1/2 a banana, mashed for the egg, since the recipe already has baking powder and soda for leavening (though you could add a tad more if you’re worried about losing the egg leavening.)
I don’t have a banana, but I do have apples. Could I substitute them for the banana? If so, how much? Thank you.
I know you can replace a banana for applesauce in breads and muffins, so I would assume you could do the same thing with a whole apple if it is getting blended. I would probably do 1 apple for 1 banana and blend the apple first before adding the remaining ingredients. Let us know how it turns out!
My extremely picky, to the point of problem eater, giggled after the first bite of his “monster muffin!” I’ve never actually seen him finish an entire muffin before this one, even ones with chocolate chips! He stole mine from me too! These are delicious and I will be saving this recipe to make over and over again!
Thank you!!
I did do one slight change, we did not have unsalted butter on hand, so I used regular butter and omitted the salt. They turned out beautifully!
Can i use maple syrup,?
You can try that Ain!
Would I be able to add in some carrots to the blender with the wet ingredients and the consistency would stay alright? Trying to get any veggies I can into my picky eater! Thanks so much!
Delicious! I have also made these (accidentally) with kale instead of spinach and they were just as good. 🙂
Good to know that the flavor wasn’t too strong!
Followed the recipe and they turned out amazing….I have ate like 4 on my own already ? they are delicious!
Just made these in a mini muffin pan and accidentally forgot the honey…still delish and now lower in sugar. Thanks!
I’m making these for my almost 2 year old, and my whole house smells DELICIOUS. I added an extra half a banana, but followed the recipe otherwise, and for some reason it is taking a lot longer to bake through the middle. I don’t think I screwed anything up (baking is NOT my forte haha) but regardless, they smell delicious and I’m sure he will love his “Grinch muffins” (He loves the Grinch and I thought it was so appropriate with Christmas right around the corner!)
Would love to make these, would anyone happen to know how to turn this into a vegan recipe, especially alternatives for the wet ingredients? Thank you!
Does it need to be whole wheat flour? Not sure what a difference it would make as far as taste goes if we used 1 to 1 gluten free all purpose baking flour. My kiddos have a gluten allergy but i think they would love the idea of these!
Hi Sara, some of our readers have had success using different flours in these muffins, including GF flour. Give it a try!
Thank you for this recipe! My kids hate veggies and it’s always a battle to get them to even try it! Due to many food allergies, we made this gluten and egg free using Bob’s red mill GF flour and applesauce in place of the egg, and they loved it! We call them Monster Muffins. ❤️
Do you use fresh/cooked/frozen spinach?
Hi Tara,
I use fresh bagged baby spinach. Often times you can buy a bag that weighs 5-6 ounces and just dump the whole thing right into the blender.
Hi Tara, fresh spinach in this one! Look for the 5-6 ounce bags in the produce section, then you can just dump the whole bag into the blender. 🙂
In making these for my 9 month old, I want to avoid the honey for safety — anyone have a good substitution? Should I just use sugar? or apple sauce? I assume agave would work but I don’t have it on hand… Or leave it out?
Hi Alaina,
I sometimes use pure maple syrup in place of the honey and it works just fine. 🙂
Was wondering about spinach. What do you use, frozen? or cooked fresh?
Hi Caitlin, the spinach in this recipe is fresh raw spinach. Look for bags in the produce aisle that weigh 5-6 ounces and you won’t even have to measure–just dump the whole bag in the blender. 🙂
Can you substitute almond flour
Hi Andrea, I haven’t tried almost flour personally, but if you choose to experiment, please come back and let us know how it turns out!
My 2yo DD is OBSESSED with these “Rocky cakes” (We are deep in the trenches of Paw Patrol Love). She will eat 2 or 3 in a row. I threw in an extra banana, and 1oz of flax seeds to get some extra nutrients. Thank you very much for this recipe. She NEVER eats veggies anymore. This has lowered my stress level about healthy eating a lot.
I’m so glad you had success with these, Alicia! Thanks for sharing, and keep up the good work.
Hi, can I use self raising flour and omit the baking powder & baking soda?
Thank you! Annie
Hi Annie, I haven’t tried the recipe this way, but I think using self-rising flour would probably work. If you try it, please let us know how the muffins turn out!
These look awesome. I’m excited to try them, will use some of the suggestions to keep vegan, like Earth Balance for butter, coconut milk for dairy milk, and “flax egg”. Also thinking about serving with a honey butter “frosting”.
I love this recipe for so many reasons. A) they taste so good. My picky eater eats them no problem. B) not just for picky eaters. Great for quick and easy breakfast for anyone . Pregnant moms. Breastfeeding moms. C) I actually messed up the recipe and they still turned out amazing. You don’t have to a great baker for theses to turn out, as I am not!! Thank you so much. So good. I can’t say enough
Thanks so much Ash, I’m so glad you like them!
These taste absolutely delicious!
I have never frozen an recipe before. Sorry if this is a silly question but what’s the best way to defrost the muffins? I’m assuming the microwave but for how long?
Hi Nikky, glad you like them! I usually defrost these muffins overnight in the fridge, but they’ll also defrost in the microwave, as you guessed. Just place one on a napkin and microwave it for 30 seconds.
Hi, I won’t to try this but not sure about measurements. How much is a cup?
Hi Kasia, 1 cup is equal to 8 ounces.
The best spinach muffin ever
One of mine and the kids favs
I didn’t have honey on hand so I used maple syrup. They are amazing! Thank you! Another way to sneak some greens into my picky toddler. 🙂
So glad you like them Angele! Thanks for sharing.
Mine don’t look as green as yours, is there a trick to make the bright green color solid throughout the muffin?
Hi Christine! One thing that makes them super-green is making sure the wet ingredients are very well blended together before you add them to the flour mixture. If there are any visible flecks of green, the color won’t be evenly distributed in the final muffins. I hope this helps!
Would substituting Oat Flour work the same? (If i grind my own oats to make flour)
Hi Michelle! I haven’t tried these with oat flour, so I really don’t know if that would work. You might have trouble getting the muffins to set and hold together. But I’m all about experimenting! If you try it, please come back and let us know how it turns out.
What is 1 serving?
Any idea what the beachbody (21 day fix) container counts would be?
Hi Angela! One muffin is one serving. I’m not familiar with the beachbody container counts, so I’m afraid I can’t help you there. Best of luck!
And I forgot the banana! Hopefully they’re still good!
Anyway to make without egg?
Hi Kristy, I haven’t tried it myself, but you could try substituting a “flax egg” made from ground flax seeds and a splash of water. This post has the instructions for making a flax egg: https://www.superhealthykids.com/the-essential-food-allergy-substitution-guide/
I made these for my 5 year old son and he loves them. They are a touch bland for me, can i add more honey or an apple as well as the banana to sweeten it up a bit?
Hi Hayley, I’m glad your son liked them! You could try adding a little more honey, although it might change the texture of the muffins. (If you’re not averse to adding granulated sugar, I think that might be better for the texture than more honey.)
These sound amazing! I’m going to make them next weekend for a brunch I’m attending. Wish me luck! Lol
I dont have whole wheat flour, what would be a good substitute for it?
Hi Dorissa, we like whole wheat flour because it adds fiber and vitamins to the muffins, and a texture sturdy enough to stand up to the spinach. But I think all-purpose flour would probably work, too.
So good! My daughter has a severe egg allergy so I substituted 1/3 cup unsweetened applesauce for the egg and added some chia seeds. They came out great!
Has anyone tried cocoa powder in these or icing on these?
My kids LOVE these, plain, but now my daughter wants them for a shamrock cupcake cake…so I’m thinking of ways to decorate these for the party.
Kristine, how fun! Cocoa powder would definitely turn the batter brown, so if you’re going for a green color that’s something to keep in mind. I think icing would be marvelous!
In ur nutritional info, do u know what the % sugar is? (Rather than g per portion) or the portion size so that I can work it out?
Hi Katie! Unfortunately we don’t caclulate % sugar in our recipes, but the serving size listed is one muffin. Hopefully this helps you calculate the info you need.
Is there a way to make them without the butter so they are dairy free?
Hi Becca! Good question. You could try coconut oil in place of the butter. It might bring its own flavor to the muffins, but it should still work. If you try it, please let us know how it turns out!
We’ve been using this recipe for years now and my kids love it. However, for some reason it now says 3/2 teaspoons cinnamon, and I can’t remember what it used to say? How much cinnamon?
Thanks!
Hi Margaret, sorry for the confusion! We made some big updates to our site over the weekend and it caused some technical issues with our recipes. Everything should be patched up now and the amounts should look normal again. Thanks for your patience!
What I love about these muffins is that they’re super versatile! I’ve made them with all purpose flour, whole wheat flour, and half of each. I’ve made them eggless with a flax egg. I’ve made them dairy free with milk/butter substitutes. I’ve used applesauce in place of some of the banana (I was doubling the recipe and only had one banana). I’ve made them using honey and using all white sugar. Each time they’ve turned out great and the kids have eaten them up! Don’t be afraid to try out what works best for your family!
Cool Angela, thanks for sharing!
hi,
does the spinach count as dry or wet ingredient?
you just blend the leaves or boil them first?
Hi Irina! You should just throw the raw leaves right into the blender with the wet ingredients. No need to cook them first. 🙂
Hi! Can I substitute the butter with anything lower fat? Maybe yogurt?
Hi Patrice! I haven’t tried this myself, but I think some of our readers have replaced part of the butter with applesauce for a lower fat muffin, with good results.
Do you cook the spinach first?
Hi Jo! You should use fresh, raw spinach for this recipe.
These are fabulous. We have some dietary restrictions so I’ve been using a variety of GF flours and they still always turns out lovely. We sub almond milk for milk, and sometimes maple syrup for honey, and an oil for the butter. Today I added some ground flax to the mix and an additional 1/2 tsp of baking soda to see how they turn out. Such a great way to get more spinach into my kids. Thanks so much for sharing!!
Thank you Kelly!
just wanted to share my success and subs! I made this with 4 cups of frozen spinach, a flax sub for the egg (1tbs ground flax + 3tbs water) due to allergies. I also used agave instead of honey because the child is under 1yo. They turned out sweet, soft, fantastic. Kiddo devoured them and I want to eat the rest, lol. These wiull be put in our rotation for sure.
Thanks for sharing, Taylor!
Love these, so does my toddler. I make them in a mini muffin pan and sometimes add hemp seeds. I also make them vegan by using coconut oil instead of butter, coconut milk, maple syrup insteas of honey and flax egg substitute
I actually sub in 1/4 cup maple syrup and 1/4 cup unsweetened applesauce for the honey and they turn out great! Perhaps slightly more dense, and certainly less sweet, but that was the point (less sugar, more fruit). My son and the kids in his child care all love this “less sweet” version. I have also tried half a dozen gluten – free flour combos (I add some xantham gum to improve texture) and they have all turned out well, too. My husband and I will eat one for breakfast, too!
Can you replace the banana with something else? My daughter is allergic. Thank you!
Hi Liz! I haven’t tried it myself, but I believe some readers have tried applesauce and had success with that. (You might find some ideas in the comments.) Let us know how it turns out for you. 🙂
Attempted this recipe TWICE and followed instructions and ingredient list exactly. Not only did they not set, they are oily and not very healthy with the inclusion of a whole stick of butter. A complete waste of my time and ingredients.
Hi there, you didn’t mention using eggs in the video, but the recipe says you need 1 egg, can I make it without it?
Hi Marisa, the recipe does call for an egg and I don’t recommend leaving it out. That said, some readers have used egg substitutes (like a flax egg) with success!
Have you done mini muffins and know the baking time?
Hi Beth! Yes, we have done mini muffins and it works great. I actually didn’t write down how long it took to bake them, but generally I would start with fifteen minutes and go from there until the tops are firm to the touch.
These look amazing, would this work well with Coconut milk instead as we have a dairy allergy?
Hi Sam! I think coconut milk would be a fine substitute in this recipe (the kind in the carton, not the can.) Good luck!
Made them with frozen spinach and exchanged some of the milk with natural yoghurt as I didn’t have enough milk. Also used maple syrup instead of honey. Kept all measurements the same. They were delicious and went down a treat with all 3 kids, thanks.
Make these all the time and my kids (11months and 3 – I use maple syrup and dates instead of honey) love them. Has anybody made these as a cake? I was thinking about using for smash cake for the littlest’s 1st birthday.
So easy and my 15 month old loves them! I leave out the salt and use a little less honey. Thanks for sharing a great recipe ????
These are awesome!! My anti-spinach son loved these! He even knew there was spinach it and didn’t care. I used Bob’s gluten free 1-to-1 Baking Flour instead of whole wheat. Will definitely be making these again. Thanks for the recipe!
Thanks for sharing, Dena!
Argh! I don’t have enough spinach! Could I maybe substitute kale for spinach?
Hi Lucce, I know some readers have made that substitution and it has worked for them!
Can I make this as a loaf instead of as muffins?
Hi Kristin, I haven’t tried this myself but I’d be very curious to know if it works! If you try it, please let us know how it turns out.
These are awesome. My picky toddler loves them!
These are awesome!! I used macadamia nut milk instead of cows milk, and used coconut oil instead butter. Used only 1/4 cup of the coconut oil and 1/4 cup of maple syrup instead of honey. Added an extra banana to make up for the reduction in sugar. These turned out so yummy!! We call these ‘muscle muffins’ in our house and kids love them! Cool that they can associate spinach with strength and goodness. Thank you for a great recipe.
I’ve made this recipe twice, and each time the muffins have been a huge hit!
The first batch was made exactly as the recipe was written, but I subbed a couple of things the second go round.
Instead of honey, I used pure maple syrup in the same quantity.
I also halved the butter and added one tablespoon of peanut butter instead. (I forgot butter at the store, oops!)
So delicious either way, and more importantly, my toddler gobbles them up in record time! He’s a picky dude, so I love that he’s getting the nutrients he needs without putting up a fight.
Well done!
Thanks for sharing, Heather!
I always love your recipes! I’ve made these before and my 2yr old and I love them. But I ran out of whole wheat flour this time and replaced 1/2 c of it with almond flour. Same story with honey—half was maple syrup. It was extra delicious!! And, while my kid isn’t usually excited about green food, he’s so pumped at the color of these—he laughs and screams “they’re green” with every bite ? Healthy, moist and gorgeously sweet, perfect crumb. Thanks!!!
So glad to hear this Alison, thank you!
These are a favourite of my kids and I love them because I can jam so much spinach into them. I’ve tried a number of modifications (gf flour, maple syrup, almond milk, oil instead of butter, etc) and they turn out great every time. Thank so much for sharing!
I loved this recipe! Super easy and very yummy.
Any suggestions as to wht you can use instead of bananas.
Hi Tracy, I believe some readers have used a small amount of applesauce in place of the banana (say a snack cup size) and had success.
Delicious!!! Thanks for this!!
I know this recipe has been around for a while, but I wanted to add a belated thanks. My kids and I bake these regularly and we all love them!
Thank you for sharing, Sophie!
Can you use almond milk/substitute butter with something else? Could you use something besides honey for my 10 month old?
Hi Steph! Yes, this recipe works well with all kinds of substitutions. Almond milk will work, and you can use maple syrup in place of honey. If you’d like to replace the butter, coconut oil is an option although you will probably taste some coconut flavor. I believe some readers have also used liquid vegetable oil and had success with that.
My son is allergic to eggs. What can I put instead of the egg?
Hi Tilda, you can try making a “flax egg” by mixing flaxseed meal and water. This post explains how to make one: https://www.superhealthykids.com/parenting/the-essential-food-allergy-substitution-guide/
We made “Gecko Muscle Muffins” today and both my kids loved them! We subbed almond milk for reg milk just because that’s what we had in the house, still good! ?
The 6oz of spinach the recipe called for should be clarified. Reading comments it sounds like you mean a whole bag of raw spinach. I read it as 6oz of raw spinach which in a measuring cup is one handful. My mixture looks like a tan guacamole. Taste fine. Just kind of misses the whole “green healthy kid snack” point with only a handful of spinach and a whole stick of butter and loads of honey. Sigh
Thanks for your good feedback, Kristen. I added a note into the recipe to clarify that there should be 6 ounces of spinach by weight, not volume. I hope you’ll give it a try again sometime!
Kids Loved them!
Hi!
I can’t wait to check out your site more, super healthy kids I love it!
My daughter can’t do much dairy, would coconut oil work in place of butter? And almond milk in place of regular milk?
Thank you so much! Can’t wait to try these!
Hi Alexa! Yep, those substitutions will work just fine in these muffins.
Delicious. Both picky eaters loved this!
My 4-year old son LOVES these muffins. He helps me make them and is well aware of the spinach, which has had the added benefit of making it easier to get spinach down him in other forms.
We call them “Creeper Muffins” because he loves Minecraft. I’m planning a batch with added pureed blueberries to make “Zombie Muffins.” I’ll let you know how they turn out! Thanks for a great recipe!
Oh I love your playful name ideas! Thanks so much for sharing, Chandra.
Bomb, bomb, bomb! I made them for my kids but I can’t stop eating them. Replaced the butter with 1/2 cup of coconut oil and replaced one of the cups of flour with 1 cup of ground old fashioned oats. The rest of the recipe I followed as is, baked for 20 mins and they are delicious and moist as can be! Definitely a new go to in our family!
I’m glad you like them Courtney, thanks so much for sharing!
I didn’t make them yet, but I definitely will
Could anyone who’s used frozen spinach please indicate if you just threw it in as is or if you thawed / drained it first? Thanks so much on behalf of those of wanting to try it that way and knowing you all said it worked! 🙂
And, could you wonderful creator of this recipe also please comment about how you’d suggest doing the frozen spinach — I know you don’t make it that way yourself, but what would you be inclined to do if we don’t have a bag of raw? Thanks! 🙂
Hi there! Thanks for reaching out. I would probably try using 5-6 ounces thawed frozen spinach (without draining.) If you try it, please let us know how it works!
I like these green muffins! I replaced eggs, milk and butter with chia seeds, vegan butter and soy milk. The taste was great! Thank you
I followed the recipe to a T…and they were brown instead of green. I weighed out 6oz of fresh spinach in a food scale. They were still delicious and my 4 yo twins loved them so I’m happy!! A new healthy lunchbox food for me to provide!
My 20 month old loved them I gave her a little piece to try and she kept coming back saying “mas, mas” which means “more,more” in Spanish! The only thing is that for some reason the wet ingredients came out a little too watery which took more to bake so I left them in the oven for 35 min. And came out great! Thanks for the recipe!
Love these! I have a sweet tooth, so I added a few dark chocolate chips and some dried cranberries (didn’t measure but maybe 1/2 cup of each).
They came out awesome! However, mine were a tiny bit dry. Ay suggestion on how to moisten them up?
Thank you – SO yummy! My toddler devoured them.
Hi Brittany, thanks for sharing! I haven’t experienced that dryness myself. You could add a little extra banana if you wanted to moisten them up.
Can this recipe be made vegan and gf?also can I replace banana with applesauce?
Hi Naila! A lot of our readers have experimented with variations on this recipe and it seems to be fairly flexible. You can try using GF flour, a flax egg, and applesauce if you like. I haven’t tested the recipe this way but it may work just fine! Good luck!
Do you have a Man egg substitute recommendation?
Hi Tiffany, are you asking about an egg substitute? You can use a flax egg in place of a chicken egg if you like. Instructions are in this post: https://www.superhealthykids.com/parenting/the-essential-food-allergy-substitution-guide/
The only modification I’ve made is baking it at 375 for 22min. Comes out perfectly baked (maybe it’s my oven). I made it 3 times already and my kids loooove it and I feel good about myself 🙂 thanks!
Just made this and it turned out so well. Thanks for sharing this recipe
We call them “Monster Mash” muffins for Halloween, and I threw in chocolate chips. Big hit!
So cute! Thanks for sharing Alexis.
My kids love these!
Perfect recipe.
This has way too much added sugar for my family. Can the honey be left out? Applesauce instead?
Hi Erica, I don’t recommend leaving the honey out entirely. But if you used 1/4 cup of honey and 1/4 cup applesauce, I think your muffins would still turn out great!
These are fantastic! And so easy to make. I had to estimate the amount of spinach, but they still turned out beautifully green and super tasty. Thank you!
I’d like to try this in my mini muffin pan. Any idea of timing or should I just watch them closely? Thank you!
Hi Christine! I think you can start checking on mini muffins around the 15 minute mark… if they’re not done yet keep checking every 4 minutes or so.
I made the recipe & wasn’t too impressed, so yes I changed it & made 2 variations & wow this is good; First recipe, was 3/4 Flaxseed meal & 3/4 Jiffy mix Cornmeal powder (2nd recipe was with 1 entire Jiffy mix Cornmeal, more tasty for kids), & the rest of ingredients are the same as below…1 Egg, 2/3 cup of AlmondMilk Vanilla Unsweetened 30 cal., 1 t. Cinnamon, 2 T. raw Honey, mix it all together, set aside. Then puree one 9 oz pkg of thawed (not drained) Frozen boxed Spinach, & fold the spinach into the other mixture & put into a 9×9 greased baking dish. Bake at the temp for this recipe above (flaxseed is best for diabetics I read). Bake at 350 for approx 45 min, baking degrees & time adjusts to varying ovens.
Can I use canned spinach? I have a case of it.
Hi Marcia, I don’t recommend using canned spinach in these muffins, especially if there’s added salt.
These are amazing! I substituted applesauce for the egg and oat flour in place of the whole wheat four and they turned out perfect. My VERY picky toddler wasn’t too sure about them in the muffin form so I told him we would make “Super Hero Balls” instead. I broke apart the muffins while they were warm and rolled them into little balls and my son can’t get enough! He loves them! Thank you so much for this recipe!!
Thanks for sharing Micaela!
WONDERFULLY GREEN, super moist, lightly sweet, lovely airy texture!! Winning recipe. Will definitely make again and again!! We will add a little more sweetener next time.
Thanks for this wonderful recipe!!
My daughter got severely bullied for bringing these to school and she is still being teased about it 4 years later. However, my kids enjoy them at home when others aren’t around to see them.
We love these muffins, but we’ve had issues with them not rising well. I’ve tried adding a lightly beaten egg at the end, baking at 375 instead, and still no luck. Anyone else having this issue?
Not too shabby! I have 4 young boys and the “hulk smash muffins” were well received! They were initially rated as “not terrible” but they’re eating multiple and happy about it. 🙂
My 4 yo son and I have been Making these for the last 2 years. We love them. It’s the only thing he will help me make in the kitchen. His classroom requires each parent to bring a snack 1-2 times per month. Last week we brought these, along with a yogurt smoothie (Store-bought) for each student. When I picked up my son, the teacher said “The muffins had quite a few complaints from the students … they all wanted seconds! Some even asked for three!” I should’ve known the students would’ve wanted more than one! My son said “The muffins were good, but everybody liked them too much and wanted more!”
I love this story, thanks so much for sharing!
Can the mixture be used to make waffles???
Hi Nadine, I’ve never tried this but it sounds like a GREAT experiment!
My 10 year old and my husband devour these! Ok, so do I. They rarely make it to the next day. I called them hulk muffins or monster muffins in the beginning. She has since made them with me and knows they are spinach, but she was already hooked by the time she found out. I do add a sprinkle of mini chocolate chips which just gives enough sweetness. We make these at least every other week!
Thanks so much for sharing Heidi!
Awesome even for my extreeeeeemely picky eater. We used gf flour, subbed coconut oil for butter, added edible eyes once out of the oven to make them monsters. I couldn’t believe how yummy they were. And that he ate them and enjoyed them!! Huge win in this house ???
i like recipe
Just made these and my husband said “these are gooood!”. They didn’t work well with the paper cupcake liners for me, so I didn’t use for rest of the batch. I also added more cinnamon as we love cinnamon. Husband was so surprised and impressed when he found out the ingredients! 1 year old had 2 and 7 year old ate 3! Definitely a hit! Going to try with beets like one user mentioned for Valentines Day.
Mine did not come out as green. I used fresh spinach and they taste good but specifically made them for the vibrant green hue. Oh well
These are delicious and so healthy! One change I would make is to add an additional small banana. A little dry for our taste. I will definitely be adding these to our family cookbook!
Made this twice now following the directions to the T and they didn’t turn out. My batter is always much thinner than in the video, so not sure what is going on. Such a bummer to waste that much money in ingredients.
These were called “St. Patrick’s Day Muffins.” My hubby isn’t wild about veggies, so I told him to try one and then I’d tell him the ingredients. He said, “Really? These are better than green beer!” My 16 y.o. daughter and I thought they were yummy, as well. I did not alter the recipe at all (even for the high altitude in Colorado). I baked them 18 minutes and we were all impressed with the color, fluffiness, and how moist they are. The recipe is definitely a keeper – thanks!
These muffins are definitely the best I’ve ever had. They were really easy to make and smelled so good in the oven. Totally going to make this again.
It was perfect the first time. I learn so much from you as well! Keep it up great post.
These would be great for Dr Suess day (with green eggs and ham) or on St Patrick’s Day. 4 could be made into a clover. Thanks for the kid tested healthy choices.
I have made this recipe exactly like its described at least 10 times now and my kids LOVE it! I love it! My picky kids eat two whole muffins and they are 2 & 5 years old, two whole muffins! These are the best, delicious and good for you. Great breakfast or snack or both. Thank you so much for this perfect and easy recipe.
Love this recipe! I’ve been making these for my kids for some time now, but was wondering if I could add cocoa powder to turn them into chocolate muffins? How much?
Hi Marta, that’s a neat idea! I would try 3-4 tablespoons of unsweetened cocoa powder.
In quarantine, made these muffins! They saved the day. Thank you so much for this recipe. You are a hero!
These are delicious. My family loved them. They are light, fluffy, and delicious. They are sweet enough that the kids love them, but not too sweet so the adults are obsessed with them too. And the color is so cute, plus the fact that they have veggies in them!!
Yum !!! Tastes so Green!
My family absolutely loves this recipe! I made them for the first time yesterday and they were gone this morning so now I have a triple batch in the oven. I made a few changes just to make them slightly healthier; I used half almond flour/ half ww, I used 1/3 cup of honey, added two tbsp of finely ground flax and replaced the butter with applesauce! They come out perfect every time. I may try subbing the honey for maple syrup next time as it is in season here right now. Thank you for the fantastic recipe!
Hi, can I use plain flour instead of whole wheat?
Yes, you can sub AP flour if you like.
I’ve tried many different “green” muffin recipes, and this one is the best. Thanks!
So so good!!! I don’t have any kids, but my fiancé and I love them! Anyone ever made them with Greek yogurt instead of the butter? I’m afraid it might change the taste completely, but I’ve heard that you can sub yogurt for butter in most recipes. we’re looking for less fat and more protein in a breakfast food.
I used to follow the recipe exactly and my family and even our neighbours were haha for these muffins! Recently I’ve been focused on changing to a more plant-based diet and today we switched milk for soy milk, honey for maple syrup, butter for Earth Balance spread, and egg for a chia egg( 1 tbsp chia seeds mixed with 3 tbsp water and allow to set 5 min to become gel-like).
SUCCESS! The kids don’t notice the difference and I like them even better with the crunch and fibre of chia mixed in!
I’m so curious about a muffin from spinach! Thank you for the nice recipe!
We’ve made these with kids many-many times and I just wanted to say thank you! We call them hulk muffins and they are a big hit every time. It’s perfect to freeze and include in lunches when you are in a pinch for a healthy snack. It also seems a great conversation starter for my 7-year old at lunch recess 🙂
Thanks for sharing, Anna!
Forgot to rate these. Definitely 5 stars!
This is amazing! It was easy to make and I was able to have the kids do most of the prep work. I did call them cupcakes to help inspire them to eat them.
Have you made these before with flax-eggs or some other egg substitute?
I haven’t – but if you try it let us know how it turns out!
These just came out of the oven and are DELISH! The whole family approved! Thank you!
My kids LOVE these muffins! I make mini muffins and my boys (7 and 5 years old) go crazy for them!
We’re so happy to hear that! Thanks for sharing!!
well worth my time I really enjoyed these muffins can’t wait till morning
yum yum
Hi, how many minutes should I bake them if I use a mini muffin pan?
9-11 minutes for mini muffins!
Woao this is really nice. Thank you for sharing this.
These are DELICIOUS! I hope my toddler approves, I can’t believe how sweet they are with no sugar!
Made this today!! Turned out fantastic with a little pat of butter! My 1 year old and husband liked them!
My question is how do you store these?
We will keep them in the fridge if not eaten the first day- but we love having a stash in the freezer for a great on the go breakfast or snack!
Hi I have tried a few healthy muffins online for toddlers especially because my daughter is very picky. I have never got them right either they taste too fruity and less muffin like or not cooked in the middle. It has never been a great experience. I saw this recipe and kept coming back to it and I made these today with frozen spinach. And omg how great do they taste. I have already had three and my daughter kept asking for more! Thank you so much!
For those who have asked if they could use frozen spinach, yes you can, thaw them and drain the water out. I used the exact same measurement stated in the recipe for fresh spinach! I added a little less honey but so yummy and so fluffy! Thank you!
I am a teenager who made these and my family loved them! I love baked goods with veggies in them, so I was so happy they turned out. One major change I made that made a huge difference was I added a cup (yes, a cup. There’s a lot of batter) of chocolate chips at the end. I don’t think they would have been quite sweet enough without that. It really took the bake to the next level.
Love that idea! A little chocolate makes everything better. 🙂 Thanks for sharing- keep up the baking!!
why the muffins can so cute like this?
to be honest I was inspired by the muffin recipe you made, because I was one of those people who didn’t like green vegetables.
but this really teases me. I will make it at home soon.
thanks for sharing this great recipe with me 🙂
made this several times now and always end up with lumps of dry ingredients in my baked muffins. How are you supposed to gently fold and not over mix without getting lumps??
I gently whisk until it is mostly combined- usually there are a few lumps to avoid over mixing. Those usually melt into the batter when baking. Try whisking next time!