Apple banana carrot muffins or ABC muffins is a delicious power packed breakfast on the go! Loaded with shredded apples, mashed bananas and shredded carrots, these are a healthy and a tasty way to start your day.
Don’t you love recipes that are loaded with good ingredients and also taste good? This ABC muffin ticks all the right boxes. They are tasty enough for the little ones to eat without making a fuss and healthy enough for us mommies, so we feel happy about the meal we served. They are loaded with fruits and veggies and the kids won’t be able to make out what they are eating. This recipe is truly a keeper!
I have two kids. And like any household both my kids have different preferences. One likes sweet, while one doesn’t. One loves carrots, while the other one won’t even touch it. One lives on bananas while the other does not care for it much. Now cooking/ baking for one picky eater is tough enough. To satisfy two is kind of stressful.
I usually like them to eat everything. I expose them to different fruits and veggies whether they like them or not. I also know that they will eventually learn to eat them, even if they don’t eat it now. My job as a parent is to offer and theirs is to decide whether to eat it or not.
That said, I also like to get sneaky with recipes like these where the veggies and fruits disappear into the dish and kids can’t pick them out. But I make sure they are tasty so they often go for second helpings.
These ABC Muffins are great for your kid’s lunch box. They are filling, tasty and has the right amount of sweetness. I make it a point these days to make at least 2 different variety of muffins/ cakes over the weekend so they make my weekday mornings easier. Healthy treats! That’s what I like to call them. So, when you are caught up in the morning hustle of getting kids ready to school, packing their bags, dressing them up etc., you have one less thing to worry about.
What goes inside these ABC muffins?
ABC – Apples, bananas and carrots! Now, just the name might get some kids excited. You don’t have to tell them what it means if it means they won’t want to eat it. You can make it a fun fancy muffin that you made specifically for them. That’s bound to get them excited.
Apart from these you also have flours like – whole wheat flour, oat flour, all purpose flour, rising agents. These muffins are sweetened with natural sweeteners like honey or maple syrup and a ripe banana.
I also add one egg and some apple sauce for some binding and texture. And also, some organic butter to make it rich and moist.
How do I make these ABC muffins vegan or dairy free?
You make these muffins dairy free by substituting butter with any neutral tasting oil like avocado oil or vegan butter and using dairy free chocolate chips. Also, use maple syrup or agave syrup in place of honey to make the recipe vegan and substitute the egg with flax egg or more apple sauce (about ¼ cup applesauce)
Can I make these without nuts?
You can always omit the nuts in the recipe or replace them with more chocolate chips.
How do I make these muffins?
You will need a muffin pan, bowls for mixing and the ingredients mentioned in the recipe box.
First, I like to grate the apples and carrots. You can do this in a food processor or by hand. I also like to use the smallest sized grater for the carrots. Sometimes I also just add the carrot chunks into a food processor and blitz until the carrots are minced very fine. They both turn out fine.
Next mash the bananas and add it to the grated carrot and apple mixture. You have the ABC component now.
Then mix the dry ingredients in a bowl and set aside.
Next add the wet ingredients to another bowl and add the veggies and fruits to it. Then you will mix the dry and wet ingredients together gently. Resist the urge to overmix. You can add spices or flavoring of your choice to the recipe. I have kept it simple with just some vanilla extract.
Now that the batter is ready all that’s left to do is bake. Add the batter to the muffin tins, top them with chopped nuts or chocolate chips or both and bake.
Bake them at 350 F for about 15 to 20 minutes or until a tooth pick inserted comes out clean.
I like to serve this with some softened butter.
Why should you make these ABC muffins?
- Easy to make
- Kid friendly
- Can be made in advance
- Freezer friendly
- Loaded with fruits and veggie
- Breakfast on the go
- Great to pack in lunchboxes
Toddler ABC Muffins Recipe:
Prep time – 10 minutes
Cook time – 20 minutes
Makes about 12 muffins
Ingredients :
½ cup whole wheat flour
½ cup oat flour
½ cup all purpose flour
1 tsp baking powder
12 tsp baking soda
½ cup maple syrup/ honey
½ cup melted butter
1 egg
¼ cup apple sauce
1 tsp vanilla extract
½ cup carrot
½ cup apples shredded
¾ cup banana mashed
½ cup nuts
Method :
Preheat your oven to 350 F
Line your muffin pans with muffin liners, or spray your pans with non-stick spray. Set aside.
In a large mixing bowl, add the dry ingredients – whole wheat flour, oat flour, all purpose flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt. Mix well and set aside.
In another bowl whisk the egg. Add the melted butter, apple sauce, vanilla extract, shredded carrots, shredded apples. Mashed banana, maple syrup or honey and give it a mix.
Now mix the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and mix until just combined. Don’t over mix the batter.
Now scoop the prepared batter into the muffin pans until they are 3/4ths full.
Top the muffin batter with chopped nuts and chocolate chips (This step is optional- I would omit this if I were making this for babies who can’t eat nuts)
Bake the muffins in a preheated oven for 15-20 minutes until the edges are golden brown and the top bounces back when slightly touched or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean.
Let the muffins cool for about 3 minutes. Now transfer the muffins to a wire rack and serve as is or with some butter.
Store the remaining muffins in an airtight container in the refrigerator.
