This kid friendly green muffin recipe is packed with protein and kale! They are sweetened with just bananas and maple syrup so they’re not packed with too much sugar. These healthy green muffins are great for breakfast or snacks and even my pickiest eater loved them! This is a fun way to get your kids to eat more greens.
I’m embarrassed to admit, that no matter how many healthy meals I cook, my youngest has a real struggle eating his vegetables. At his four year well check his pediatrician asked me what types of vegetables he enjoys, and I seriously couldn’t think of a single one. I know kids can be picky, but sometimes I feel like I should be working harder to expose him. Enter these Kid Friendly Green Muffins!
I know my kids love muffins but I was a little worried he wouldn’t even want to try them because of the color. But, we made it fun and I didn’t even mention there was kale in them. He proceeded to eat about four of these muffins and I know I will be making them much more often now!
Green Muffin Recipe Ingredients and Substitutions
- Flour – I like to use a mixture of white and whole wheat flour for this recipe. The whole wheat flour adds extra nutrients and a heartiness that I like. You can also use just whole wheat flour or just white flour. I have made these with a good quality gluten free AP flour before and it worked well.
- Banana – The banana helps to add natural sweetness to these muffins and it helps because most kids love the flavor of bananas!
- Milk – I used a plain, unsweetened almond milk but any kind of milk can be used. I’ve also made these muffins using a thick canned coconut milk and it worked really well.
- Oil – You want to use a melted neutral flavored oil in this recipe. I’ve made it using both melted refined coconut oil and canola oil. Both work great.
- Maple Syrup – Pure maple syrup is the main added sweetener to these muffins. You want to make sure to get the pure maple syrup and not the pancake syrup. You could also substitute honey or agave syrup with good results.
- Eggs – I used two large eggs. They add protein and give the muffins a nice texture that I know my kids won’t complain about. You can use a vegan egg substitute if you like. The muffins will have a bit of a different texture, but they are still good.
- Flax – I added one tablespoon of flaxseed to the batter, just to add a few extra nutrients for my kids. You can skip the flax if you don’t have any on hand.
- Kale – I use curly kale for this recipe. I blends up nicely and is lighter in color than Dino kale. I assume Dino kale would work just as well though. Fresh spinach can be substituted for the kale, if desired.
- Vanilla Extract and Cinnamon – Both these ingredients help add some sweetness
- Baking soda, baking powder, salt
How To Make Kid Friendly Green Muffins
- Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees F and line a standard sized muffin with liners, or spray muffin tin with cooking spray. Add flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon and salt to a large bowl. Whisk together until combined. Set aside.
- To a blender, add the banana, milk, oil, maple syrup, eggs, vanilla, flax seed and kale. Turn the blender on low and slowly turn it up to full blast. Blend mixture until it’s fully blended and doesn’t have any big visible chunks of kale in it, about 1 minute or so.
- Pour the blended kale mixture into the flour mixture and use a spatula or large spoon to mix batter until fully combined.
- I like to use a 1/4 cup ice cream scoop to scoop the batter into the muffin tin. You want to fill them pretty much to the top. Place full muffin pan into the oven and bake until muffin tops are firm to the touch and an inserted toothpick comes out clean.
- Remove muffins and let cool for about 15 minutes before removing from the pan. If desired, transfer to a wire wrack to cool completely. Enjoy by themselves or with butter.
Hulk Green Muffin Recipe Frequently Asked Questions
- Can these muffins be made gluten free? Yes, you can make them gluten free using a gluten free flour substitute. I would recommend a high quality all purpose mix that contains xantham gum. You could also use a homemade GF flour mix that you are familiar using.
- Are these green muffins vegan? No, I used eggs in the recipe, but you can make them vegan by using your favorite egg substitute. The texture of the muffins will be a little different, but they should still be good.
- Can spinach be used instead of kale? Yes, you can absolutely substitute the kale with fresh spinach leaves.
- Can you taste the kale at all in the muffins? I really don’t think that you can taste it. I have a very picky 4 year old who would have noticed immediately if you could taste it and he at four of them!
- Are these muffins freezer friendly? Yes, they can be frozen for up to 3 months. Store muffins in a freezer friendly air-tight container for best results.
- How long do muffins last? If stored in an air-tight container, either at room temperature or in the refrigerator, muffins should last about 4-5 days.
Have a question I didn’t answer? Ask me in the comment section below and I will get back to you ASAP!
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Kid Friendly Green Muffins
- Total Time: 40 minutes
- Yield: 12 1x
- Diet: Vegetarian
Description
This kid friendly green muffin recipe is packed with protein and kale! They are sweetened with just bananas and maple syrup so they’re not packed with too much sugar. These healthy green muffins are great for breakfast or snacks and even my pickiest eater loved them! This is a fun way to get your kids to eat their greens.
Ingredients
- 1 cup all purpose flour
- 1 cup whole wheat flour
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1 large banana
- 3/4 cup milk, plant based or regular
- 1/2 cup neutral flavored oil, such as canola or melted refined coconut oil
- 1/2 cup pure maple syrup
- 2 large eggs
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
- 1 tablespoon ground flaxseed
- 3 cups packed kale leaves
Instructions
- Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees F and line a standard sized muffin with liners, or spray muffin tin with cooking spray. Add flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon and salt to a large bowl. Whisk together until combined. Set aside.
- To a blender, add the banana, milk, oil, maple syrup, eggs, vanilla, flax seed and kale. Turn the blender on low and slowly turn it up to full blast. Blend mixture until it’s fully blended and doesn’t have any big visible chunks of kale in it, about 1 minute or so.
- Pour the blended kale mixture into the flour mixture and use a spatula or large spoon to mix batter until fully combined.
- I like to use a 1/4 cup ice cream scoop to scoop the batter into the muffin tin. You want to fill them pretty much to the top. Place full muffin pan into the oven and bake until muffin tops are firm to the touch and an inserted toothpick comes out clean.
- Remove muffins and let cool for about 15 minutes before removing from the pan. If desired, transfer to a wire wrack to cool completely. Enjoy by themselves or with butter.
Notes
*I measured the flour by scooping the measuring up into the flour and then leveling it off, NOT by spooning the flour in and leveling it.
You can use all whole wheat flour or all AP flour, rather than using a cup of each.
- Prep Time: 15 mins
- Cook Time: 25 mins
- Category: Snack, Breakfast
- Method: Oven, Blender
- Cuisine: American
Keywords: Green Muffin Recipe
This was delicious!
★★★★★
That is so nice to hear, Alex!!