These easy spinach muffins with banana are a healthy breakfast perfect for babies and toddlers (and great for baby led weaning!). They're naturally gluten-free with no strange ingredients (just oats!) and have no added sugar. Whip them up easily in the blender for breakfast, snacks, lunchboxes, or the freezer. (gluten-free, sugar free, dairy-free option)
This post has been written and medically reviewed by Kaleigh McMordie, MCN, RDN (Registered Dietitian Nutritionist).
Gluten Free Baby Green Spinach Muffins
If you have trouble getting your little one to touch anything green, these healthy spinach muffins are a fun way to include more nutritious greens into everyday meals. They have no added sugar - lightly sweetened only with banana - and are made with other nutritious ingredients like oats and yogurt, so you can feel good about giving them to even the youngest of little ones. They're perfect for baby led weaning babies as young as 6 months. They are also naturally gluten-free, and come together quickly and easily in the blender. The green color is fun and festive for holidays like St. Patrick's Day or Christmas, but they are also great year-round for on the go breakfasts, snacks and lunchboxes for littles.
Jump to:
- Gluten Free Baby Green Spinach Muffins
- Ingredients
- Step By Step Instructions
- Muffin Baking Tips and Recipe Variations
- Storage and Reheating
- How To Serve Green Muffins To Babies 6 Months and Up
- More Healthy Muffin Recipes for Babies and Toddlers
- Easy Green Spinach Muffins for Baby and Toddler Recipe (Gluten-Free)
Ingredients
- Rolled oats (make sure they're certified gluten-free if necessary)
- Fresh baby spinach
- Very ripe (brown) bananas - these are the only source of sweetness so the browner, the better since they will give more natural sugar.
- Eggs
- Plain Greek yogurt (adds more protein!) - You can sub plain Greek-style coconut yogurt for dairy free.
- Ground flaxseed
- Other baking essentials - baking powder (use aluminum free if possible), baking soda, vanilla and cinnamon
Helpful Equipment:
- High speed blender, such as a Vitamix or KitchenAid K400 (this is what I use and love!)
- Muffin pan (you can make mini or regular size muffins) with silicone muffin liners or a silicone muffin pan
- Silicone spatula
- Cookie scoop
Step By Step Instructions
For the full printable recipe, scroll to the recipe card at the bottom of the page.
- Blend the dry ingredients in the blender until the oats are ground into a powder. Then add the remaining ingredients and blend until smooth, stopping to scrape down the sides as needed.
- Pour or scoop the batter into a silicone muffin pan or a muffin pan lined with silicone liners. I like to use a 1-tbsp cookie scoop for mini muffins (I find it less messy than pouring), or pour ⅔ of the way full for regular sized muffins.
- Bake at 375°F for 8-10 minutes for mini muffins or 15-18 minutes for regular sized muffins.
- Allow muffins to cool in the pan for at 5-10 minutes before removing.
Muffin Baking Tips and Recipe Variations
- Preventing gummy muffins: Sometimes gluten-free oat based muffins have a tendency to get gummy and seem to never get done. My best tips for preventing this are:
- Don't over-blend. I like to blend the oats into a powder first so that I don't have to blend too much once I add all the wet ingredients. Stop to scrape down the sides as needed to prevent over-blending, too.
- Don't over-fill the muffin cups. For mini muffins, 1 tablespoon of batter is perfect. For full-sized cups, don't exceed ⅔ of the way full. Overfilling could result in gummy centers that don't bake all the way.
- Allergy swaps:
- Gluten-free: They already are 🙂 Just make sure you're using certified gluten-free oats.
- Dairy-free: Use plain coconut yogurt (Greek style) or another favorite non-dairy yogurt.
- Eggs: Unfortunately, the eggs are needed for structure in gluten-free baked goods. I haven't tried a store-bought egg replacer. If you do, please let me know in the comments!
- Bananas: I haven't tried this myself, but you should be able to swap the banana with plain applesauce. Use about a scant 1 cup.
- Flaxseed, cinnamon, or vanilla can all be left out if needed.
Storage and Reheating
Store leftover muffins in the refrigerator in an airtight container for up to 4 days. They also freeze well in a freezer zipper bag. My favorite way to reheat muffins is in the air fryer on the lowest setting until warmed through. You can also pop them in the oven at 325-325°F or microwave for 15 seconds.
How To Serve Green Muffins To Babies 6 Months and Up
For baby led weaning babies 6 months and up, or for babies in the finger food stage, mini muffins can be served whole or cut in half vertically. If you make full-sized muffins, you can cut them into finger-width strips.
For 18+ months, whole muffins are great for biting practice!
More Healthy Muffin Recipes for Babies and Toddlers
Track your baby's journey through starting solids! Get my 100 First Foods Checklist and Allergen Checklist Bundle today!
Easy Green Spinach Muffins for Baby and Toddler Recipe (Gluten-Free)
These easy spinach muffins with banana are a healthy breakfast perfect for babies and toddlers (and great for baby led weaning!). They're naturally gluten-free with no strange ingredients (just oats!) and have no added sugar. Whip them up easily in the blender for breakfast, snacks, lunchboxes, or the freezer. (gluten-free, sugar free, dairy-free option)
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 15 minutes
- Total Time: 25 minutes
- Yield: 36 mini muffins or 10 regular sized muffins 1x
- Category: breakfast
- Method: baked
- Cuisine: baby/toddler
Ingredients
- 2 cups rolled oats (certified gluten-free if needed)
- 1 tbsp ground flaxseed
- 1 ½ tsp aluminum free baking powder
- ½ tsp baking soda
- ½ tsp cinnamon
- 2 medium very ripe bananas
- 2 large eggs
- ½ plain Greek yogurt (see notes for dairy-free)
- 2 tsp vanilla
- 1.5 cups fresh baby spinach (lightly packed)
Instructions
- Heat oven to 375°F. If not using a silicone muffin pan, line a muffin pan with silicone muffin liners or paper liners. If using paper liners, spray with oil spray/cooking spray to prevent sticking. You can use a mini muffin pan (makes about 36) or a regular sized muffin pan (makes about 10).
- In a high speed blender, blend the dry ingredients (oats, flax, baking powder and soda, cinnamon) until a rough powder forms.
- Add the remaining ingredients (bananas, eggs, yogurt, vanilla, spinach) and blend until smooth, stopping to scrape down the sides with a spatula as needed. Try not to over-blend.
- Scoop or pour batter into prepared muffin pan, filling cups ⅔ of the way full. I like to use a 1 tablespoon cookie scoop for mini muffins, or a 3 tablespoon scoop for regular sized muffins.
- Bake 8-10 minutes for mini muffins, or 15-18 minutes for regular sized muffins. Muffins are done when a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
- Let muffins cool in the pan for 5-10 minutes before removing.
Notes
Preventing gummy muffins: Sometimes gluten-free oat based muffins have a tendency to get gummy and seem to never get done. My best tips for preventing this are:
- Don't over-blend. I like to blend the oats into a powder first so that I don't have to blend too much once I add all the wet ingredients. Stop to scrape down the sides as needed to prevent over-blending, too.
- Don't over-fill the muffin cups. For mini muffins, 1 tablespoon of batter is perfect. For full-sized cups, don't exceed ⅔ of the way full. Overfilling could result in gummy centers that don't bake all the way.
Allergy swaps:
- Gluten-free: They already are 🙂 Just make sure you're using certified gluten-free oats.
- Dairy-free: Use plain coconut yogurt (Greek style) or another favorite non-dairy yogurt.
- Eggs: Unfortunately, the eggs are needed for structure in gluten-free baked goods. I haven't tried a store-bought egg replacer. If you do, please let me know in the comments!
- Bananas: I haven't tried this myself, but you should be able to swap the banana with plain applesauce. Use about a scant 1 cup.
- Flaxseed, cinnamon, or vanilla can all be left out if needed.
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