Magical Add Anything Nutritious Banana Muffins!

I am going to share with you a recipe for the best muffins for kids. These muffins taste the same no matter what you add. I have made these with kale, spinach, chard, pumpkin seeds, squash, pumpkin, sweet potato, beans and many other additions and they always taste the same - like banana chocolate chip muffins.

And they are delicious.

You can get your kid to eat anything with these muffins. They are healthy and nutrient dense. Send one of these babies off for lunch and all their food groups will be represented and gobbled up - and they don't need a thermos or cooler pack!

These are so adaptable, you can use whatever you've got around to switch them up. I usually make a huge double or triple batch and freeze them - they're just as good defrosted.

Almost every ingredient can be adapted to what you like, even the amount is flexible - how many recipes can do that?

If you want to print the recipe, it is at the bottom of the page - select the text of the recipe and Print using the Selection option.

Here we go...

First, get your fruits and veg into your stand mixer.  The amount is flexible - a total of 1 to 2 cups of any combination of fruit and veg will work. Make sure at least 1 banana is part of the mix - this will make the whole thing taste like banana muffins. If you really hate banana or can't have it, make sure you use a very sweet and tasty fruit to substitute. Let me know in the comments if you try something else with success.

Options for fruits and veggies

• bananas
• berries
• cooked pureed pumpkin, winter squash, summer squash, sweet potato, etc
• pureed/chopped fresh or frozen swiss chard, kale, spinach
• cooked beans
• whatever else you have around

I usually do a mix of bananas, squash and greens, but I have tried most of these with great success.

Take all of your fruit and veg and mix it together in your stand mixer or by hand. It should be fairly wet and mushy.

Now add 1/2 cup of milk (try almond milk if you can't tolerate dairy - I haven't tried this but I imagine it would work just fine).  Also, add in 1/2 cup of rolled oats. Preferable the large cooking oats. I also sometimes add some bran or cracked wheat at this point. Anything like that should be added here as it will soak for a little while in your fruit/veg mash and milk. Leave that lot to soak while you mix the dry ingredients in another bowl.

 Dry ingredients

1 cup flour (mix any types, at least 1/3 a high gluten flour like unbleached white)
1/3 cup sugar
1 tbsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp cinnamon

I usually use a mix of flours - white with spelt and whole wheat. Use anything you like but make sure you have enough white flour for this to work. If you try a mix of non-gluten flour that works with this recipe, please share in the comments.

The original recipe I adapted this from used 1/2 cup of sugar. I have reduced to 1/3 cup with no noticeable difference. Play around with this amount if you like, or try brown sugar or something else sweet, and please share your successes.

If you are worried that your veggies will be too strong tasting or weird looking and will put your kid off, add a few tablespoons of baking cocoa at this stage.

Also, I add more or less cinnamon depending on whether or not I add cocoa.

Whisk it all together.

Now add an egg and a teaspoon of vanilla to your wet mix and mix it in. In this picture,  I am making a double batch.

You will need some fat - 1/3 cup of any kind. Make it a nutritional powerhouse like melted lard from pastured pork (this is the most bio-available edible source of vitamin D there is, plus super nutritious - but don't use the shelf stable lard from the supermarket - that is awful transfat due to the processing). Other options are melted butter (great brain food), melted coconut oil or any other oil or fat you prefer. I have used many kinds, all work the same. Here is my lovely lard almost melted which I render myself and freeze in muffin tins.

Mix that in to your wet mix. Then add in your dry ingredients and mix just until moistened.

Finally, add up to a cup of anything else you like and gently incorporate.

Other additions

• Chocolate chips (a must have for us)
• Nuts (sadly a no-no as these are for school lunches and our school is nut and peanut free)
• Whole or ground seeds - I have used sunflower and pumpkin seeds
• Chopped dried fruits - cranberries, raisins, etc.

Spoon it into muffin tins of any size or shape - these really stick so pre-grease your tins or use liners.
They won't rise much, so fill them to the top.

Bake for 15 minutes for mini-muffins, or about 20 minutes for regular muffins. Check with a wooden skewer to ensure they're done.

 

Recipe for Magical Add Anything Nutritious Banana Muffins

1 -2 cups mashed bananas and chopped or pureed veggies or other fruits
1/2 cup milk
1/2 cup rolled oats
1 cup flour
1/3 cup sugar
1 tbsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/3 cup melted butter, lard or oil
1 egg
1 tsp vanilla
1 cup chocolate chips, nuts, and/or dried fruit

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

Smash the bananas until they are liquified. Add the milk and rolled oats. Let stand while you sift or whisk the dry ingredients in a bowl. Blend the butter/oil, egg and vanilla with the rolled oats mixture. Pour it into the dry ingredients. Stir just enough to moisten all the flour. Add nuts, chocolate chips or whatever else you like. Fill 12 greased or lined muffin cups (or 24 mini muffin cups) and bake for about 20 minutes.