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!
Looking for a toddler muffin recipe packed with wholesome ingredients? Check out this recipe for a gluten-free muffin all ages will love.
These mini muffins are a treat for toddlers, but they are an ideal choice for adults as well. Homemade muffins are great as a quick breakfast choice on busy mornings. In the afternoon, they make a convenient and nutritious snack for those on a gluten-free diet.
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?
Needless to say, you’ll definitely want to make a double batch!
You also might like this gluten-free zucchini bread or these gluten-free zucchini muffins! These gluten-free muffins, gluten-free donuts and gluten-free pancakes are more family favorites!
You also might like these oat flour muffins!
Ingredients in Mini Carrot Zucchini Muffins
A quick glance at the ingredient list will give you an idea of how delicious these healthy muffins are.
Aside from gluten-free flour and nutritious vegetables, there is also a fantastic balance of flavor! The end result is a delicious recipe that’s always an allergy-friendly hit.
- Ground cinnamon: Cinnamon adds a layer of delicious, comforting spice that’s reminiscent of your favorite carrot cake of zucchini bread.
- Coconut oil: Coconut oil adds healthy fats and brings moisture to these muffins.
- Maple syrup: No need for refined sugar in these muffins—maple syrup brings the perfect sweetness and depth of flavor.
- Egg: Egg acts as a binder and adds protein to these muffins.
- Vanilla extract: Every muffin recipe is made better with a bit of vanilla extract!
- Carrots: Even if your toddler doesn’t like to eat raw or cooked carrots, they’ll love these muffins—and won’t even know they’re there! Carrots add potassium, antioxidants, and beta-carotene to a toddler diet.
- Zucchini: Zucchini adds moisture and nutrients like vitamin A, manganese, and vitamin C.
- Almond flour: Almond flour is a gluten-free flour alternative that makes for delicious toddler muffins!
- Gluten-free 1:1 baking flour: Choose a high-quality 1:1 baking flour for this recipe, or use brown rice flour instead.
- Salt: Salt enhances the flavor of the muffins and actually makes them taste sweeter!
- Baking powder and baking soda: Both baking powder and baking soda help these muffins to rise and have a light, tender crumb.
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 3/4 of the way full and bake for 15 minutes, or until lightly golden.
Storage Instructions
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.
You also might like these chocolate zucchini muffins.
How Do You Freeze Muffins?
This is a great recipe to make ahead in large batches and freeze. This way, you can thaw a lot of muffins at one 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 bag. When closing the bag, be sure to remove as much air as possible. Store in the freezer for up to two months.
FAQs
Most babies can start eating muffins around 6 months old. At this stage, they should be able to pick up small pieces of the muffin and feed themselves. These muffins are packed with healthy ingredients like carrots and zucchini, making them a nutritious snack!
There are many quick, easy, and healthy things you can bake for a toddler—including these carrot zucchini toddler muffins, which are sweetened with natural sugars! My kids also love banana bread, zucchini bread, oatmeal breakfast cookies, baked oatmeal, and homemade granola bars.
Yes! Bran muffins are packed with fiber and can be a great snack option for toddlers—especially for picky eaters who may not be getting fiber from vegetables.
English muffins are usually a safe snack for a one-year-old. Depending on how many teeth they have, they can either suck on the muffin or use their pincer grasp to pick up small pieces of the muffin off of a tray.
These carrot zucchini muffins make a great breakfast for a 12-month-old. Some other healthy options include whole grain pancakes or waffles, oatmeal, eggs, or yogurt with berries.
Though toddlers should be eating a wide variety of nutritious foods, there are still certain foods they should avoid. Whole grapes, hot dogs, large pieces of meat, and cough drops can present choking hazard and should be avoided (or cut into small pieces). Hard foods like nuts, popcorn, chips, and seeds can also present a choking hazard.
By two years old, a toddler should be eating at least three nutritious meals per day, as well as a couple snacks. These foods can be the same as the adults—with modifications like cutting into bite-size pieces or limiting spices. Toddler muffins are a great way to pack in some nutrients and take on-the-go!
Expert Tips & Tricks
- I like to use mini muffin pans to make these muffins. It makes the perfect healthy muffin bites for babies and toddlers, and clean-up is a breeze! Alternatively, you could make larger muffins for adults.
- If you only have zucchini or only have carrots, you can just double the amount of one vegetable. You could also try making these healthy toddler muffins with yellow squash.
- Add chocolate chips to these muffins for an extra delicious treat!
- No need to use muffin liners, if you don’t have them. Just spray the muffin pan and they’ll come out of the pan easily.
Other Muffin Recipes to Try
With the recipe for the best toddler muffins under your belt, you may want to bake more muffins for a healthy snack!
For an easy, perfect 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?
More Muffin Recipes
I hope you love these family favorite muffins as much as we do! If you try these muffins, be sure to leave me a comment/rating below. I’d love to hear from you!
Toddler Muffins (with Carrots and Zucchini!)
Ingredients
- 1 cup almond flour
- 1/4 cup gluten-free 1:1 baking flour or brown rice flour
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- 1/3 cup coconut oil
- 1/3 cup maple syrup
- 1 large egg
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/2 cup grated carrots from 1 medium peeled carrot
- 1/2 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 3/4 of the way full. Bake for 15 minutes, or until lightly golden. Cool for 5 minutes in the pan. Enjoy!
Notes
Nutrition
Recipe originally published in August 2013. Updated in June 2022.
Love this recipe! I have made these multiple times and as my son loves them so much! For the best flavor I recommend organic cinnamon, I’ve noticed at least for me it makes a big difference. I’ve also added one banana to the mix on occasion and they seem to hold together a little more. Would you happen to know the calories and nutritional information per muffin? Thank you!
Hi! These taste great but completely crumbled when I took them out of the muffin tin. The only change I made was using gluten free all purpose flower instead of the almond flower. Any suggestions? Thanks!
Almond flour holds baked goods together much better than gluten-free all-purpose flour. Since gluten-free all-purpose blends have varying flour combinations a 1-to-1 swap probably won’t work here.
What should the consistency of the batter be? Mine is like like a very moist cookie dough…i can shape it slightly. Or should it be more runny?
Thanks
Made these for my granddaughter who has a number of allergies. I used Ghee instead of coconut oil and honey instead of maple syrup (had local honey on hand). Also, substituted 1/3 cup banana for egg and added 2 tsp flaxseed meal. They turned out great! She loves them! Always looking for recipes for her that are nutritional and looks a little like she is having a cupcake:)
Hi Erin, I made these muffins for my toddler and followed the recipe exactly, they were delicious but were falling apart and crumbling. Any ideas? Should I add another egg? Thanks!
Hi Laura! I would try adding 1 tablespoon of whole psyllium husks or 1/2 teaspoon xanthan gum. You could also try adding 2 tablespoons of ground up chia seeds! I hope this helps!
Erin, another nicely done recipe! My friends and I are addicted to these muffins!
Thank you Justin!
Both my 20 month and 4 yr old sons love these muffins. Every time I make them I say next time I need to double the recipe, as they don’t last through the day in my house. Everyone (including hubby) gobbles them up. Very moist, tasty and healthy. I made them once without the egg, substituting a flax egg. They still tasted good, just not nearly as fluffy. Also an easy recipe that my 4 yo loves to help make.
That is great to hear! So fun to have kitchen “helpers” 🙂
Oh my goodness these muffins are the best muffins I have ever made! And the best part is that my 16 month old toddler loves them! I’m excited to make more of your recipes!!
I’m so glad you like them!
Thank you so much for posting this recipe. My husband has a gluten sensitivity and my son has multiple food allergies. We all LOVED this recipe. I had to substitute the egg (allergy) with a banana but they came out wonderful! My whole family loved them! Thank you for helping me bake some really great treats at home 🙂
I’m so happy to hear this! I’m glad you liked the muffins!
Hi
Thanks for the brilliant recipes!
Is there anything I can use to replace the egg in this recipe?
Thank you x
You could try a flax or chia egg! They might not rise as much but it could work. Let me know if you try it 🙂
These were SO good!
I was wondering if I could substitute Schaer’s mix C flour instead??? I’m new to this and I have this at home. Could this work? By the way the muffins look amazing. My son is gluten intolerant and isn’t into eating his veggies so I thought I would give muffins a try 🙂
Thanks in advance,
Esther
I’m not sure what the ingredients in that mix are so I can’t say if it would work or not! Almond flour is a little different than most gluten free blends. Sorry about that! Good luck adjusting to gluten-free!
These were fantastic. Fantastic. Very well spiced and flavorful, and the texture was as good as any baked good out there. My daughter and I (who both eat gluten) almost ate them all before my wife got home, but I was able to exercise some self control.
I didn’t have brown rice flour nor enough almond meal, so I used 3/4c almond meal and 1/2c bobs red mill gluten free all purpose flour. Substituting some teff flour or a (very) little amaranth flour could also work well, I imagine.
I will definitely try these again with some other flour variations, as I have several sitting in my freezer that need to get used. I will try to remember to report back my findings.
Thanks for the recipe!
I’m so happy they turned out! Great to know about the substitutions!
Hi
This looks like a great recipe with great reviews. What can I substitute the almond flour with? My kids go to a nut free school. Thanks
Oh my gosh I love this recipe!! You’re ingredients are natural and simple and I feel like I can taste the spices in the muffins just by reading the ingredient list and looking at your pictures.
I love how your toddler loves eating veggies, hallelujah. Every toddler I know always says they’re “allergic” to green things.
Anyways, I want to try this recipe as soon as I can. Thanks for posting 🙂
I would love to make these, but I don’t use brown rice flour. Anything that could be substituted? Usually I only use almond or coconut flour.
Hi LeAnne! If I were to guess you could use all almond flour and and an extra egg. I haven’t tried it that way but think it might work! Let me know if this helps. If not, I have a paleo zucchini muffins recipe that is very popular!
I used coconut flour in place of the rice flour and they turned out amazing!!
Hi Kate,
I’m just wondering did you sub out the rice flour and coconut flour for the same amount?