The Perfect ABC Muffins for Baby & Toddlers (apple, banana and carrots!)

Looking for naturally sweetened muffins for baby-led weaning? Babies, toddlers, and even big kids love these soft and sweet ABC Muffins made with Apple, Banana, and Carrots! Perfect for 6+ months.

Ingredients

Make sure to read the recipe card below for full ingredients and instructions!

• Flour: you can use all-purpose, white whole wheat flour, a mixture of 50/50 white and whole wheat flour, or gluten-free one-for-one flour. 
• Applesauce: can use homemade or store-bought. If using store-bought then make sure to look for no-added-sugar applesauce.
• Banana: you will need a very ripe banana with lots of brown spots.
• Carrots: finely shredded or grated work best. If you have a picky eater, you can blitz the applesauce, banana, and carrots in a blender until smooth. Then add to the batter.
• Oil/Butter: to make the muffins nice and moist. You can use coconut, avocado, vegetable, olive oil, or melted butter.
• Egg
• Vanilla
• Baking Soda
• Baking Powder
• Salt
• Cinnamon

If you are looking for more easy and healthy muffin recipes for kids and toddlers, then be sure to check out my Blueberry Avocado Mini Muffins, Mini Pumpkin Muffins, or these delicious Applesauce Muffins. You can also find more recipes and information in my best-selling cookbook, Little Foodies: Recipes for Babies and Toddlers with Taste.

Let’s Get Baking

Baby-Led Weaning ABC Muffins

These muffins are perfect for baby-led weaning or as a finger food because they are soft to eat and your baby can easily pick them up in their hands with a palmar grasp or with their pincer grasp if they are cut into smaller chunks. You can serve them to your baby sliced in half or cut into small chunks.

ABC Muffins for Toddlers & Kids

These quick and easy muffins are also great for toddlers and kids. You can serve them as is, or with a smear of cream cheese, butter or peanut butter for breakfast, snack or packed into a school lunch.

Print

The Perfect ABC Muffins for Baby & Toddlers (apple, banana and carrots!)

Looking for naturally sweetened muffins for baby-led weaning? Babies, toddlers, and even big kids love these soft and sweet ABC Muffins made with Apple, Banana, and Carrots! Perfect for 6+ months.

Course Baby Led Weaning, Breakfast, toddler food

Cuisine American

Prep Time 5 minutes minutes

Cook Time 12 minutes minutes

Total Time 20 minutes minutes

Servings 24 mini muffins

Author Michele Olivier

Equipment

• Muffin Pan
• Measuring Cups
• Stackable Glass Bowl Set

Ingredients

• 1 cup flour, all-purpose, white whole wheat, or gluten free blend
• 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 1/4 tsp baking soda
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1/4 tsp cinnamon
• 1/2 cup applesauce
• 1/4 cup very ripe banana mashed
• 1/2 cup carrots, finely shredded or grated
• 1/4 cup melted butter or oil, avocado, olive, vegetable, or coconut
• 1 large egg
• 1 tsp vanilla extract

Instructions

• Prep: Heat oven to 350° F and spray or line a mini muffin tin.
• Dry Ingredients: In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt.
• Wet Ingredients: In the same bowl, add in the applesauce, mashed banana, carrots, butter, egg, and vanilla. With a spoon, gently mix until just incorporated. Do not overmix.
• Fill: Spoon the batter into the muffin tin, filling 3/4 way to the top.
• Bake: Place the muffin pan into the oven for 12-15 minutes or until just golden.
• Cool: Let cool in the pan for 5 minutes before transitioning the muffins onto a cooling rack.
• Serve and enjoy!

Video

Notes

Age: 6+ months

Mini or Regular Size: you can make these muffins into mini or regular-size muffins, the only difference is the baking time. For mini muffins, bake for 10-12 minutes, for regular muffins bake for 18-20 minutes. 

Note on Flours: you can use all-purpose, white whole wheat flour, a mixture of 50/50 white and whole wheat flour, or gluten-free one-for-one flour. 

Applesauce: can use homemade or store-bought. If using store-bought then make sure to look for no-added-sugar applesauce.

Oil/Butter: to make the muffins nice and moist. You can use coconut, avocado, vegetable, olive, or melted butter.

Storage: store in an air-tight container on the counter or fridge for up to 4 days or in the freezer for up to 2 months. 

Expert Tips

• Do No Overmix: I can’t stress this point enough – do not overmix the muffin batter, if you do they won’t rise in the oven and will become dense and hard. The dry ingredients should be just combined with the wet ingredients.
• Let Cool: let the muffins cool for about 10 minutes before enjoying them and let them cool completely before storing.
• Applesauce: to avoid including added sugar in this recipe, make sure the applesauce you use doesn’t have any added sugar in the ingredient list.
• Banana: Use a very ripe banana for optimal sweetness.
• No Sticking: make sure you generously grease the mini muffin molds or use mini muffin liners so that the muffins don’t stick to the pan.

How to Store & Freeze

Once the muffins have cooled completely, store them in an airtight container. They will keep on the counter for up to 4 days and in the fridge for up to a week.

To freeze the muffins, place the mini muffins into a freezer zip-lock baggie or stasher bag and place in the freezer. They will keep for up to 3 months frozen.

Thaw frozen mini ABC muffins overnight in the fridge or by gently warming them in the microwave.

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Medically reviewed and cowritten by Jamie Johnson, Registered Dietitian Nutritionist (RDN), and Lauren Braaten, Pediatric Occupational Therapist (OT).

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