I’m thrilled to share a parent-approved toddler and baby muffin recipe that my daughter loves. These easy and healthy baby apple banana oat muffins combine banana, applesauce, oats, and your choice of add-in like blueberries or small pieces of chopped apple. The batter comes together in a blender and the muffins freeze wonderfully.
We had a difficult time introducing chunkier solids to our oldest. She loved her pureed fruits and vegetables, but it took a long month of trial-and-error with “real” food. Once she began enjoying soft foods like scrambled eggs and small pieces of fruit, I made her homemade muffins. She loved them and I felt so proud! To this day, these muffins are her favorite. She doesn’t eat anything quicker. This recipe is a goldmine.
These Apple Banana Oat Muffins Are:
- Healthy and wholesome
- Naturally sweetened
- Made with real ingredientsโ โno preservatives
- Loaded with fruits and oats
- Made without flour
- Gluten free if using certified GF oats
- Delicious for adults too!
- Adaptable with plenty of substitution suggestions
- Freezer-friendly
And, as a busy parent, you’ll be happy to know that these muffins are SO EASY! You put all the ingredients in a blender or food processor, which breaks down the banana and oats, pour into muffin liners, and bake. That’s it.
How to Make Baby Muffins
As a parent, I appreciate how quick and easy these muffins are to make, and know you will too. If you’re using muffin liners, spray the muffin liners before filling with batter to keep the liners from sticking to the muffins. Simply place all of the ingredients in a blender in the order listed (see full recipe), except for the 3/4 cup of add-ins. Blend until combined, then stir in the add-ins. Divide evenly between muffin liners, top with a few oatsโ โjust for looks, and bake. I like to make a batch of these on the weekends to have on hand throughout the weekโ โmixing up what add-ins I use based on what we have around.
I made 2 batches before we left for vacation and keep them in the freezer. Heat up/thaw 1 or 2 whenever you need them!
Possible Ingredient Substitutions
This blender muffin recipe can be easily customized to incorporate ingredients your baby/toddler loves. Here are some ingredient substitutions I’ve tried with great success:
- Applesauce: Instead of applesauce, use plain yogurt or your baby’s favorite fruit or veggie puree.
- Banana: Instead of a banana, use 1/3 cup of pumpkin puree.
- Coconut Sugar: Instead of coconut sugar, use maple syrup or any other desired sweetener.
- Add Ins: Use a combination of your baby’s favorite fruits like finely diced apples or pears, blueberries, or strawberries. I made the pictured muffins with finely diced apple and blueberries. Apples get nice and soft, but the blueberries can be a bit messy with little self-feeding hands.
Let me know if your babe enjoys the muffins too. And steal a tasteโ โthey’re good! Or give these healthy apple muffins a try. They’re made with wholesome ingredients like whole wheat flour and apple for a healthier muffin that’s still big on taste. You can’t go wrong with either!
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Baby (Mini) Apple Banana Oat Muffins
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 15 minutes
- Total Time: 1 hour
- Yield: 24 mini muffins or 9-10 standard muffins
- Category: Breakfast
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Description
Easy, quick, and healthy baby-friendly mini muffins made from banana, applesauce, and oats. Mixed in the blender and poured into muffin liners, this make-ahead recipe couldn’t be easier.
Ingredients
- 1 and 1/4 cups (106g) old-fashioned whole rolled oats or quick oats, plus extra for topping
- 1 large ripe banana
- 1/3 cup (80g) unsweetened applesauce or fruit/veggie puree (see note)
- 1 large egg
- 2 or 3 Tablespoons coconut sugar, maple syrup, or other desired sugar*
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1 and 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/8 teaspoon salt
- 3/4 cup add-ins such as peeled diced apple, pear, or berries*
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350ยฐF (177ยฐC). Spray a 24-count mini muffin pan withย nonstick spray or use mini muffin liners. If using liners, grease the liners.
- Place all of the ingredients in a blender or food processor, in the order listed, except for the 3/4 cup of add-ins. Blend or process until combined. Stir in the add-ins. Divide evenly between muffin liners.ย Top with a few oats, if desired.
- Bake for 13-15 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center of a muffin comes out clean. Allow to cool for 10 minutes in the pan. Remove and cool completely before serving.
- Muffins stay fresh covered at room temperature for up to 2 days or in the refrigerator for up to 1 week.
Notes
- Make Ahead Instructions:ย For longer storage, freeze muffins for up to 3 months. Allow to thaw on the counter or defrost in the microwave.
- Specialย Tools (affiliate links):ย 24-count Mini Muffin Pan | Blender
- Important: Consult with pediatrician about any possible allergies your baby may have before trying. The only substitutions I’ve tried are listed in the ingredients, but feel free to play around with the recipe using your best judgement.
- Sugar: I usually prepare the muffins with 2 and 1/2 Tablespoons of coconut sugar.
- Applesauce or Puree:ย I usually make these with unsweetened applesauce or a baby/toddler food fruit puree. You can use yogurt instead, but the muffins won’t be as flavorful.
- Add Ins: I made the pictured muffins with finely diced apple and blueberries. Apples get nice and soft, but the blueberries can be a little messy with little self-feeding hands. Our daughter also enjoys them with diced strawberries.
- Muffin Liners: If using muffin liners, grease the liners or spray with nonstick spray. Warm muffins will stick otherwise. With the first batch I made, I didn’t grease the liners and they stuck. However, the muffins peeled out easily after refrigerating.
- Standard Size Muffins: Add 1/3 cup oats to the recipe, adding them to the blender with everything else. Spoon the batter into liners, filling them all the way to the top. Top with a few oats, if desired. Bake for 5 minutes at 425ยฐF (218ยฐC) then, keeping the muffins in the oven, reduce the oven temperature to 350ยฐF (177ยฐC). Bake for an additional 16-17 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. The total time the standard size muffins take in the oven is about 22-23 minutes, give or take.
Reader Comments and Reviews
Hey, I have 2 kids and I love this recipe.
I tried apples as add ins and it was the best. Muffins finished in a day. But yesterday I tried fresh diced strawberries and it was soft and mushy and no one liked it. Any suggestions on this ? Should I just stick to apples only?
Hi Kanika! Strawberries are a more juicy fruit and can add a lot of moisture. You can try patting excess moisture off the chopped strawberries with a paper towel before adding to the batter.
Hello, can I use carrots and Zuccini as add ins?
Those should work shredded as add-ins, Kanika! Let us know if you try.
Thank you SO much for this recipe. I followed someoneโs advice and used 2 tbsps PB instead of maple syrup. These turned out perfectly and I have been trying many different baby muffin recipes recently! These are the first ones to actually be like a cakey texture, so light and fluffy. Thanks again.
I made them with my son who is a cancer patient and we are looking for healthy recipes
We don’t like sweet muffins we love them, a option could be to put brown sugar on the top with the oats if you wanted more sweetness. Definitely not enough to make a loaf. Makes about 6 regular sized muffins we used 12 and got about 9 half full muffins.
These turned out terrible. I am not an expert baker by any means, but I do a lot of baking.. and this recipe just did not work. Tried the maple syrup option with blueberries and there was zero taste.
Followed the recipe to a tee and they did not turn out, nothing set. Tried baking for longer and the top burnt but the inside was still mush? ๐
Hi can I make these in a loaf pan instead of cupcakes
Hi Rebecca, we havenโt tested this as a loaf but we fear there wouldnโt be quite enough batter. The general rule is that any muffin recipe yielding around 12 standard size muffins doubles as a quick bread recipe in a 9X5 inch pan. This batter makes about 9-10 standard size muffins. Let us know if you give anything a try.