Hi friends! Happy Monday! I’ll get to the heart of this post — a collection of Chase’s Favorite Toddler Muffin Recipes — soon but first, how was your weekend?
Our weekend was very low key but with unseasonably cool temperatures (upper 70s!!!), we LOVED the opportunity to spend some time outside without sweating our faces off. While we didn’t venture farther than a little neighborhood park that’s less than a mile from our house all weekend, it felt so nice to be able to go back and forth from our couch to the swing in our backyard.
On another note, our internet went out on Friday and wasn’t working until someone came out to fix our modem on Sunday which I took as a sign to mentally check out of work until Sunday evening which was so, so nice. This also means I don’t have a weekend recap to share with you guys but unless you want to see 5,000 grainy iPhone pics of Ryder and Chase and me in a milk-stained nursing tank top, I think maybe that’s a good thing!
Before I gave birth to Ryder three weeks ago (THREE weeks!?), I worked on a very small handful of blog posts to share with you guys since I didn’t want to feel a ton of pressure to churn out a bunch of blog content in the early postpartum weeks. After today’s post, I don’t have many of these posts left to share (the Best Books of 2018 and Piña Colada Popsicles posts were two of them!) but I’ll absolutely update the blog whenever I can over the next few weeks while still prioritizing family time. Thanks so much for your understanding and support as we continue to adjust to life with our newest family member.
Now onto today’s post!
A month or so ago, I received an email from a blog reader (Hi Nikki!) with a request to compile Chase’s favorite muffin recipes into one blog post for an easy reference for fellow toddler parents out there. Since Chase is a big-time muffin lover, we make a LOT of muffins around here (we’re talking at least a batch a week) but there are a handful of recipes we’ve made over and over again that I’d consider our go-tos.
Chase loves muffins for breakfast or a morning or afternoon snack and I almost always have two varieties on hand either freshly baked or in our freezer for easy reheating. Below you will find a roundup of Chase’s absolute favorite muffins. They’re recipes I make again and again because they’re all made without refined sugar they’re a hit with Chase every time. You’ll also see a variety of muffin recipes from gluten-free and dairy-free muffins to Paleo muffins, whole wheat muffins, blender muffins and more.
I’d also LOVE to hear about any muffin recipes your little ones love that we can put on our “must make” list for the future. Please feel free to share links to your favorite recipes in the comments section of this post so we can all check out some more favorite toddler muffin recipe winners!
Favorite Toddler Muffin Recipes
If there is one muffin recipe I make again and again for our toddler, it’s these whole wheat pumpkin muffins. Chase LOVES them and he also loves helping to make them. They’re a great recipe to make with a little one because it’s a one-bowl recipe and the cleanup is minimal. I often double the recipe and freeze half of the muffins. I’ll then grab one out of the freezer for a quick breakfast or snack option for Chase and after 25 seconds in the microwave, they taste perfectly fresh and delicious. (Ryan and I love these muffins, too!)
I discovered this recipe after one of my friends posted a picture of her son eating a green muffin on Instagram Stories. When she shared the ingredients I was SOLD because I looove sneaking veggies into Chase’s diet and had a feeling he’d enjoy the muffins since banana seemed to be the dominant flavor. Chase was an instant fan! Also, for those of you with little ones with an egg allergy, I accidentally made them once without eggs and they were still delicious!
This recipe was inspired by Paleo muffins my friend Danielle made for the adults and kids to enjoy during a play date at her house last year. I’m not sure who ate the muffins faster – me and my friends or our toddlers – but everyone left asking her for the recipe because the muffins were so darn good. These Paleo blender muffins are made with a base of ripe bananas, almond flour and coconut flour and come together quickly without much work. (Note: These days Chase seems to prefer them without the chia seeds so keep that in mind if your little one can get a little picky about texture.)
These Greek Yogurt Whole Wheat Muffins are incredibly moist, soft and almost cake-like and they were one of the first muffin recipes I made that Chase absolutely fell in love with at 14 months old. They’re low in sugar and taste great on their own but we love them topped with a smear of creamy peanut butter, too!
I’ve made Lindsay of The Lean Green Bean‘s Coconut Oil Banana Muffins a handful of times since the recipe calls for ingredients we almost always have on hand in our house. Though Lindsay’s recipe calls for peanut butter, we’ve also made these muffins with almond butter and cashew butter and loved the end result. (Note: To keep these muffins free of refined sugar, simply omit the chocolate chips. Chase loves them either way!)
If your toddler loves chocolate, add this recipe to your must-make list! Though this is a recipe for chocolate zucchini bread, it works well in muffin-form, too. It is incredibly moist and a recipe I personally love for breakfast, especially when I top the muffin with a bit of almond butter.
I almost forgot about this muffin recipe since Chase has outgrown it at this point, but if you’re looking for a recipe for a baby’s first foray into muffins, give this one a shot! This recipe for Banana Oatmeal Blender Muffins comes together in a flash thanks to a high-powered blender and is only sweetened with the natural sugars from ripe bananas. The muffins are softer and gummier than typical muffins, making them perfect for little ones to hold and chew as they explore new foods and flavors. (Note: I made these for Chase a lot when he was around 11 – 12 months old before he was ready for a more traditional muffin.)
Question of the Day
For the fellow muffin lovers: What are some of your favorite go-to muffin recipes? Please share any favorite recipe links!
![\"Quantcast\"/](\"//pixel.quantserve.com/pixel/p-1e3-7hOJ_U8Bg.gif\")
Thank you! I love having muffins or things similar for snacks and an easy breakfast!
thanks for sharing, friend! Hope mom of two life is treating you well!
of course!!! your recipes are always a hit in our house!
Thank you! I was actually just searching your blog for toddler muffins the other day. I remembered reading about them- now they are all in one place! Thanks. Enjoy sweet baby snuggles!
Aw yay! Great timing!! <3
My 2-year-old loves these spinach and banana muffins: http://thetribemagazine.com/spinach-banana-healthy-breakfast-muffins-recipe-for-toddlers/
He’s in love with Sesame Street so I put them in Sesame Street cupcake liners and told him they’re green Oscar the Grouch muffins and he loves them!
How have I never seen character cupcake liners before!?! Such a good idea! Chase would be all about that!
This is perfect! Thank you so much! My 1 1/2 year old LOVES muffins so this definitely is being filed for future use. Our favorite is Joanna Gaines’s banana muffin recipe – https://shavercrew.com/2018/02/12/banana-bread-recipe/
Enjoy your family time and sweet baby snuggles!
I swear Joanna can do no wrong!
You do you! We’re totally ready to go with the flow, and we’ll be happy to see you whenever. Enjoy the family time, get rest when you need it, and we’ll see you when we see you! <3 Just do what feels good and what works for you. Congrats again on the new bambino!
Love these muffin recipes – I have to limit my muffin making because I think one serving of muffins = one tray. Is that not okay? 🙂
Have a great week, mama!
Julie- what perfect timing! I actually searched your blog Friday for muffin recipes and made your greek yogurt ones! They were a hit with my toddler (he loved your baby banana muffins when he was younger). I’m in the market for a new high power blender and wanted to know what kind you have; do you love it?? Congratulations again and hope you’re enjoying all the baby snuggles 🙂
I love the baby banana muffins! I still make them for my kids (2 & 5) with cows milk or almond milk. I also cannot stop snacking on them!
Also- I know you have a hospital bag post from Chase. Would love if you could share an updated hospital bag or newborn essentials post. Anything you learned or discovered since last time? I am expecting baby #3 (similar heartaches and loses like yours but so far everything is healthy, 19 weeks today!) but I feel like so much has changed in the market of baby or maternity items. Anything new you found that is a must have, would love to know. Thanks!
I’m so excited about this post! My fiance and I are huge muffin fans. I’ve made your whole wheat pumpkin muffins in the past and absolutely loved them so I can’t wait to try a few of these other recipes.
Enjoy all of those sweet baby cuddles!
So glad you liked those muffins!! Thanks for taking the time to let me know, too!
Definitely trying those chocolate ones!! My 2.5 year old will be obsessed. I follow @cleanlittleplates on instagram and she has great recipes and keeps it real! I’ve made these muffins a bunch from her and my son (and I!) love them – another great way to get in veggies without tasting like veggies! https://www.instagram.com/p/Bbze-NRjOOh/?hl=en&taken-by=cleanlittleplates
Oooh I’ll have to check out that IG account!!
Love that all these are together now! I just bookmarked this page rather than all the separate pages! I am going to try the spinach ones soon. I hate dragging out the blender haha 🙂
Yay! Hope they’re a hit in your house!!
I don’t have a toddler but, like Chase, I loooove muffins. Those paleo chocolate zucchini muffins look delicious. I will definitely give them a try!
Muffins are so great for toddlers and moms!! I’m going to try some of these out, the pumpkin ones sound yummy! I usually just make blueberry muffins bc they are easy, but I should try to switch it up! 🙂 Thanks for sharing!
Great roundup Julie! I want to try those pumpkin muffins. My daughter loved your banana oatmeal blender muffins. A recipe we have in regular rotation is this one: https://detoxinista.com/raspberry-chocolate-chip-muffins-grain-free/. It’s low sugar but I reduce the sugar even more for my already highly energetic toddler 🙂
So excited to make all of these and freeze them!
This is my go-to blueberry muffin recipe. So good and my little one (17 mo) loves blueberries!
https://www.ambitiouskitchen.com/best-healthy-blueberry-oatmeal-muffins-gluten-free/
Also, these ones I make often. I have not made them for my little guy yet but just reminded myself that I should!
https://www.achievewithathena.com/2015/03/16/grain-free-double-chocolate-banana-muffins/
Enjoy the time with your family, mama! Looking forward to catching up with you again once you’re ready! xoxo
These muffins look delicious. Very “fluffy” and simple to prepare.
Whole wheat muffins are my favorite–the pumpkin, chocolate, green smoothie, and banana oatmeal varieties definitely will be going in my book. I hope you make a blueberry muffin recipe someday! That’s my favorite kind!
I made these today for my son. He enjoyed his muffin and I was happy that all the ingredients made me feel good about giving one to him. Thanks for the recipe!
Thank you for sharing a wide variety of recipes that toddlers and adults alike will enjoy!