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.
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.
Great recipe but I’d recommend halving the maple syrup. It was too sweet for my toddler. Maybe sub the maple syrup for something less concentrated like applesauce.
I replaced the oil with applesauce and the zucchini with pumpkin and they are a little soft but so good
When you say 1:1 baking flour is that with or without xanthan gum?
Good question! I mean a flour blend that does contain xanthan gum 🙂
If I wanted to bake them in regular sized muffins tins – how long would you suggest to cook them? And do you think they’d turn out ok and not too wet?
Also wanted to clarify – I should not squeeze out the excess liquid from the veggies?
Thanks!!
Yes! You can add 5-10 minutes to the bake time if you use a regular muffin tin. You can lightly squeeze out the liquid in the zucchini. That’s what I usually do!
Mine turned out a little dry, i used a medium egg and only used GF flour as i didn’t have almond… Could that be why? Thanks
What would the best substitutes be for egg?
I really like Bob’s Red Mill Egg Replacer!
I love the recipe, I made it just like you did except I put a cup of oats Ground oats and add chocolate chips. Yum Yum I finally found a recipe for my grandson.
Hooray! I’m so glad you and your grandson enjoyed them!
Wondering if you could substitute coconut flour for the rice flour?
Unfortunately coconut flour has very different properties and won’t work in this recipe!
DELICIOUS!!! But wondering if I was suppose to squeeze out some of the veggie liquid? Ours didn’t firm up- pretty mushy but STILL YUMMY!!! Lol thanks!!!
Yes it’s a good idea to squeeze the moisture out of the zucchini especially. I hope this helps! Glad you liked the muffins 🙂
This is an amazing recipe. I even served these muffins at Thanksgiving. They smell heavenly and you nailed the chemistry on baking them perfectly!
Do you think I could use oat flour instead of almond flour? And a chia seed “egg” instead of egg?
I think both of those substitutions will work here. Let me know how it they turn out if you try them!
We make these all the time in a double batch bc the whole family loves them so much!! I love that I can get some veggies into my kids. I blend up the mixture so that they can’t see even a hint of vegetables. They know what goes into them because they help make them but they’re so good that they don’t care!
Hi Heather, just wondering how (and at what stage of the recipe) you blended the muffins so that you can’t see any veg? 🙂
I accidentally blended the whole recipe and it came out great! My friends that watch my kids eat them too, not to mention I always have to make a separate batch for my husband.
Delicious! Loved that they are not loaded with refined sugar like a lot of muffin recipes. My granddaughter loved them as is.