Green Monster Muffins
Servings: mini muffins
Help your kids load up on healthy greens without the fight! These easy green monster muffins are sweet and delicious yet are loaded with fresh spinach. These spinach muffins are perfect for picky eaters!
Ingredients
Wet ingredients
- 2 medium overripe bananas (mine weighed 214 grams without the peel)
- 2 large eggs
- 1/2 cup milk (or milk alternative)
- 1/4 cup unsweetened applesauce
- 1/4 cup canola oil
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 4 cups tightly packed fresh baby spinach leaves
- 2-3 tablespoons maple syrup (optional)
Dry ingredients
- 1 1/2 cups white whole wheat flour
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Grease a mini muffin pan.
- Place the bananas, eggs, milk, applesauce, oil, spinach and maple syrup (if using) into a high power blender. Blend on high until smooth.
- In a separate bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt.
- Pour the spinach puree into the flour mixture and stir until just combined. Do not overmix.
- Scoop the batter into the greased mini muffin pan, filling each cup to the top.
- Bake for 12-15 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the centre comes out with only a few moist crumbs attached. Allow muffins to cool several minutes before removing from pan. Transfer to a wire rack to cool.
Notes
- Since bananas are the primary sweetener in these muffins, I recommend using overripe ones to maximize the sweetness and flavour.
- These muffins are not overly sweet. You can add more maple syrup if you prefer sweeter muffins, however you may need to reduce the liquid a bit so that they don’t come out too moist.
- If you prefer to skip the maple syrup to make these muffins with no sugar added, then you may wish to add an extra 2 tablespoons of applesauce.
- I packed my spinach tightly into a measuring cup until no more could fit. This is what helps to produce that vibrant green colour, and contributes extra nutrients as well!
- If you use mini muffin liners, be aware that the muffins may stick a bit to the liners since these muffins are fairly moist. For best results, grease a mini muffin tin really well with cooking spray or use a silicone muffin pan instead.
Nutrition
Calories: 45kcal | Carbohydrates: 6g | Protein: 1g | Fat: 2g | Saturated Fat: 0.2g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.5g | Monounsaturated Fat: 1g | Trans Fat: 0.01g | Cholesterol: 9mg | Sodium: 48mg | Potassium: 57mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 2g | Vitamin A: 318IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 20mg | Iron: 0.3mg
