Kid Friendly Veggie Muffins!

Just Mandy's Note:

Sneak veggies into a finicky diet with these! Follow the recipe to the T for a super healthy well balanced snack, or use what you have and be happy they're eating any vegetables at all! Okay, there's a little butter and sugar in there...we're trying to be sneaky remember? I actually find these a bit bland but my kids scarfed them down (even my 17 month old, who thinks food is strictly for throwing!). If I were making them of me, I'd add more sugar.

• Total Time: 35 mins
• Prep Time: 10 mins
• Cook Time: 25 mins

Ingredients:

Yield: 24 muffins

• 2 cups whole wheat flour (or what you have on hand)
• 2 -3 tablespoons soy flour (omit if you'd like but it adds protein)
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• ¼ cup unsalted butter , softened
• 1⁄3; cup brown sugar (or other sweetener)
• 2 -3 tablespoons honey (optional)
• 1 egg
• 3 cups vegetables , pureed (I use 6 jars of baby food)
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 2 teaspoons cinnamon

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350°F.
2. Spray muffin pans or line with muffin papers.
3. Mix ingredients with electric mixer until well blended (I never mix dry then wet or cream butter and sugar -- if you'd like to by all means use all the bowls you want!).
4. Fill muffins 2/3 full with batter.
5. Bake 25 minutes until or toothpick comes out clean.
6. Cool partially in the pan then remove to wire rack.
7. Store half in an air tight container.
8. Freeze the other half. Microwave to defrost.
9. I like to use sweeter veggies. Usually 2 jars of sweet potatoes, 1 of sweet peas, 1 carrots, and 2 mixed veggies (you can find spinach, green beans and corn this way).
10. If you are using your own steamed vegetables, you may need to add some fruit juice to thin it out to the consistency of applesauce.
11. If you don't have 3 cups of vegetables, make up the difference with unsweetened apple sauce or mashed bananas.

Reviews

[veggie_mama]

This is a terrific recipe. For my first batch, I used pumpkin, carrots and peas. I substituted applesauce for most of the butter and used 1/4 cup of eggbeaters. I also reduced the sugar to 1/4 cup, but used 3 T. of agave nectar instead of honey. These were very moist and no one believed I had put peas into them! I am going to add raisins next time and probably put in some flax seed. Thanks so much for posting this recipe. I plan on making these in bulk and freezing for me and extended family members. I can't wait to try new combinations of vegetables!!

[nethope]

I used a combination of whole wheat pastry flour and unbleached flour (no soy flour), salted margarine (omitted salt), white granulated sugar instead of brown sugar, no honey, one banana and the rest of the volume sweet potatoes. I added a dash of ground cloves and nutmeg too (veering towards pumpkin pie!). For the second batch, I also added dried blueberries that I had soaked in fruit juice to plump them. All of the muffins were very popular, but especially the blueberry muffins! The muffins were tasty, not too sweet (even with banana and sweet potato), and not dense. These are muffins, not cupcakes, so they're not like bakery muffins - they're better for you! These would be great breakfast muffins, but for adults I recommend adding some texture and variety with 1/3 cup dried blueberries or raisins, 1 Tbs poppy seeds (maybe with some lemon juice?), 1/3 cup rolled oats, or anything else you fancy in your morning muffin.

[SneakhealthinAK]

My 2 yr old son loves these and I have started keeping them as a staple in our house. I use whatever veggies I have on hand and he loves each batch I made. They are a bit dense for my liking but its get some green stuff into my picky child and he thinks he is getting a treat. YAY!! thanks for sharing.