This toddler muffins recipe makes fluffy, perfectly moist muffins. They’re full of carrots and zucchini, and sweetened with flavors of cinnamon, maple syrup and vanilla. These mini muffins are sure to become a favorite of both kids and adults!
Are these muffins only for toddlers?
Of course not!
These mini muffins are a treat for toddlers, but they are an ideal choice for adults as well. The muffins are great as a quick and easy breakfast choice on busy mornings. In the afternoon, they make a convenient and nutritious snack.
Kids love toddler muffins because their size makes them perfect for little hands to hold. Their light sweetness will make children forget they’re eating vegetables.
Meanwhile, adults won’t be able to stop reaching for veggie muffins. While carrots and zucchini have a natural sweetness, there’s also an extra shot of flavor from cinnamon, maple syrup and vanilla extract. Who can resist?
Ingredients in Mini Carrot Zucchini Muffins
A quick glance at the ingredient list will give you an idea of how delicious the veggie muffins are. Aside from typical baking ingredients (almond flour, baking powder, salt, etc.), there is also a fantastic balance of flavor!
- Ground cinnamon
- Coconut oil
- Maple syrup
- Egg
- Vanilla extract
- Carrots
- Zucchini
How to make toddler muffins
- Mix together the almond flour, brown rice flour, salt, baking powder, baking soda, and cinnamon in a large bowl.
- Combine together (in a separate bowl) the coconut oil, maple syrup, egg, and vanilla extract, stirring until completely mixed.
- Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and mix until well combined. Then stir in the shredded vegetables.
- Fill the muffins cups ¾ of the way full and bake for 15 minutes, or until lightly golden.
I like to use a mini silicone muffin pan to make these muffins. It makes the perfect size for babies and toddlers and clean-up is a breeze!
How long are the muffins good for?
If you store them in an airtight container, the mini muffins will stay fresh up to two days at room temperature. Or, store them in the refrigerator for up to a week. If you want the muffins to last longer than a week, I recommend freezing them.
How do you freeze muffins?
This is a great recipe to make ahead in large batches and freeze. This way, you can thaw several at a time and have them ready for breakfast or as a handy snack.
To freeze the muffins:
- Prepare the batter and bake the muffins as instructed.
- Transfer the muffins to a rack and allow them to cool completely.
- Place the muffins in a single layer on a baking sheet and place the baking sheet into the freezer.
- Freeze for one to two hours, or until the muffins are solidly frozen.
- Transfer the muffins into a freezer-safe bag. When closing the bag, be sure to remove as much air as possible. Store in the freezer for up to two months.
Other muffin recipes to try
With the recipe for toddler muffins under your belt, you may want to bake more muffins!
For an easy breakfast choice, I definitely recommend my easy Coconut Flour Banana Muffins or my Buckwheat Muffins. And if you’re craving something a bit more sweet and decadent, how about a Chocolate Almond Butter Muffin?
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Toddler Muffins {with Carrots and Zucchini}
Ingredients
- 1 cup almond flour
- ¼ cup gluten-free 1:1 baking flour, or brown rice flour
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- ⅓ cup coconut oil
- ⅓ cup maple syrup
- 1 large egg
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ½ cup grated carrots, from 1 medium peeled carrot
- ½ cup grated zucchini, from 1 medium unpeeled zucchini
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350. Line a mini muffin pan with liners or oil lightly with coconut oil. I like to use a mini silicone muffin pan.
- In a large bowl, mix together the almond flour, brown rice flour, salt, baking powder, baking soda, and cinnamon.
- In the bowl of a food processor, combine the coconut oil, maple syrup, egg, and vanilla extract. Pulse until thoroughly combined. Add the dry ingredients and pulse until well incorporated. Stir in the shredded vegetables with a wooden spoon.
- Fill the muffins cups ¾ of the way full. Bake for 15 minutes, or until lightly golden. Cool for 5 minutes in the pan. Enjoy!
Recipe Notes
Recipe originally published in August 2013. Updated in February 2020.
Jennifer says
I did some substitutions since I didn’t have all of the ingredients, but they still turned out great! I have a very fussy toddler, so I was looking for something different for him to eat. I let my husband taste test the muffins. He said that he will be eating a bunch of them.
Hannah says
My baby really loves these and I love that they are high in fat so he is packing in the calories (he’s not a great eater). They’re moist, yummy, and easy to eat. However, I think they are really sweet, especially for kids. I’ll cut the maple syrup in half and then do half mashed banana or apple sauce instead. Also, I added about 1/4c chia seeds for extra nutrition and it turned out great!
Erin Collins says
Yay! I’m so happy you and your daughter enjoy them. Great idea to add chia seeds!
Elsa says
These look wonderful and I have everything to make them right now, but I don’t have A mini muffin pan— do you think I could maybe lower the heat and extend bake time, or…? I have no idea what I’m doing here♀️
Erin Collins says
I would actually just keep the oven temperature the same and cook the muffins for a little longer. I hope that helps!!
Jo Macrae says
Thanks for this recipe.
I made them and added 1/4 cup coconut flour instead of rice flour. I also grated the veg super fine so miss 2 doesn’t pic it out.
Turned out amazing.
Beth says
I can’t wait to make these muffins for my 11 month old! I don’t want to add maple syrup and I was wondering if homemade no sugar added apple sauce would work as a replacement? Thanks!
Erin Collins says
I think that would work great actually! Let me know how it turns out!
Andrea Robinson says
So good AND healthy!
Teemie says
I’m sorry – the name of these muffins is very misleading! They are tooooo delicious to be “toddler” muffins, cause mommy eats them as a healthy sweet treat too. AHHHH-MAZING! Good job Erin!!!!
Lori Lee Spillman says
Delicious! Easy to prepare. My grandchildren gobbled them right up (and so did their Granny).
SC says
Can I substitute out almond four to 100% brown rice flour? My kid has nut allergy.
Faye says
Can i add spinach instead of zucchini?
Erin Collins says
Unfortunately, I don’t think that would add the same kind of moistness and texture.
Camille says
I made these yesterday with a mix of buckwheat and whole rice flour (I didn’t have either flour mentioned in the recipe) I added milk chocolate chips and pecans, it was absolutely heavenly. I loved this recipe. I want to try it substituting part of the coconut oil with apple sauce to further reduce the caloric intake (given I want to keep the chocolate chiops) – these have made for that perfect sweet pang I get in the afternoon.
Jessica says
I have absolutely loved this recipe and so do my kids and our friends.
I was just about to make this recipe again but wanted to use up some frozen zucchini spirals I have from Costco. Do you think it would still work in this recipe? Or should I buy fresh?
Erin Collins says
I’m so glad you like the recipe! Unfortunately I don’t think those spirals will work. They will have too much water from being frozen and make the muffins mushy. Sorry about that!
Val Rosenbaum says
Hi — My mom always froze her excess zucchini, and when she baked with it, it did not yield mushy baked goods such as breads and muffins, but rather, very moist.. Gotta try it to know. I would advise, always, “Try it.” How else will you know? Just let it thaw out and the water will drain off. 😉 She froze it after she grated it. This would be very similar to the spirals. (I would advise to experiment!! Try it both ways and see how you like it!) <3 All the best!!! <3
Thank you for your recipe!! I always read the comments and get ideas! — A fellow healthy eater!
Erin Collins says
That’s a great tip about freezing the zucchini! I’m going to try that. Thanks for the comment 🙂
Margaret says
Just a great hit with my almost 3 yr old granddaughter!! Finally she will eat something with carrots!! With a little cream cheese on top, she thinks they are dessert!!
Liliana says
So good! I used Bob’s red mill egg replacement and they still came out great!