These Oatmeal Green Smoothie Muffins are so easy to make and so delicious! Perfectly sweet, soft and packed with healthy greens! They are naturally gluten free, dairy free, naturally sweetened, and loved by all…especially kids!
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Spinach Muffins
We are a smoothie-lovin’ family. And I am a smoothie lovin’ girl. But, to be honest with you, if I have to drink another green smoothie in the near future…..I might cry.
Don’t get me wrong. I have a mega soft spot for green smoothies. However, as amazing as smoothies are…they can get old. Real old. Just like any other food you eat day in and day out. Variety is the spice of life, and smoothies are no exception to this rule.
I didn’t really think about this fact until one day, I found myself glaring at my morning smoothie.
“You again,” were the words running through my head as I forced myself to gulp down the sweet green blend.
Force. In my book, that is never something that should be part of eating.
Healthy or not, you should never force yourself to consume something. Eating is the act of nourishing and fueling your body, but there are so many emotions tied into the act as well. When you force yourself to consume something that brings you zero joy, you leave the meal hungry….not unfulfilled food wise…but still hungry and looking for more.
In my personal experience, the days that you force yourself to eat something that bring you no joy are also the days you tend to go grazing on things that are less than nourishing…..
Green Smoothie Muffins
It was one day when I was making a batch of my Flourless Peanut Butter Muffins in my blender that the idea of a green smoothie muffin dawned on me. I made muffins all the time during my meal prep or quickly the night before an exceptionally busy day…. why not throw greens into the mix?
I really feel like having veggies in every meal is an important part of healthy living and green smoothie muffins would fill the easy healthy void my temporary smoothie break left in the morning.
So, that day…Oatmeal Green Smoothie Muffins were born.
Loaded with nutrient-dense greens, naturally sweetened with bananas and a little honey/maple syrup, and packing an extra punch of fiber-rich rolled oats for good measure…a new breakfast favorite was born.
In true mommy blogger form, I tested this recipe out on my daughter (and her friend that was over for a play date (don’t let me baby sit your kids unless you are willing to let me feed their weird healthy things in the name of recipe development) before I even considered bringing this recipe to the rest of you. And it passed….with flying colors.
In fact, when I caught the kids stealing more green smoothie muffins off of the cooling rack, I knew I had just made a recipe that would make a lot of families’ life healthier and tastier!
Fun names for Green Smoothie Muffins
Over the years, my readers and their kids have given these spinach muffins so many different names to help add fun to the veggie-loaded baked good! Simply changing what you call these muffins (and maybe adding some fun decoration!) might be just the ticket for helping your child get excited about eat them!
Some other names:
- Monster Muffins
- Ninja Turtle Muffins
- Hulk Muffins
- Gecko Muffins
- Power-up Muffins
Tips for making Green Smoothie Muffins
- If you don’t have a high-speed blender, blend your oats alone first. Then add the other ingredients! This will help them to have a smoothie texture!
- Adjust how much spinach you put in to fit your taste/needs. The more spinach = the darker the shade of green these muffins turn out. The less spinach = the lighter shade of green.
- Let them cool completely before eating. You CAN eat them still warm, however, they may be till a bit soft in the middle and stick to your liners. Baked goods continue cooking when hot out of the oven and firm up as the cool.
- Store in the fridge or freezer! They will last much longer!
Suggested Adaptations
- Skip the sweetener! If you are looking for a little less sugar in your life, either reduce the amount of maple syrup/honey you use or let the banana do all the sweetening and leave the honey/syrup all together! I do this often!
- Make it egg-free! Sub the eggs in this recipe with a mixture of 2 tablespoons ground flax meal + 6 tablespoons WARM water.
- Want to try them Paleo? I’ve got you covered! Try this Paleo version of the these awesome muffins!
Other veggie-loaded muffin recipes you are going to love
- Sweet Potato Peanut Butter Muffins
- Almond Butter Blueberry Zucchini Muffins
- Chocolate Chip Zucchini Muffins
- Nut-Free Paleo Chocolate Butternut Squash Muffins
- One-Bowl Paleo Chocolate Zucchini Muffins
- Kid-friendly Vegan Spinach Muffins
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Oatmeal Green Smoothie Muffins
Equipment
- Blender
- Muffin tin
Ingredients
- 2 eggs
- 1/4 cup coconut oil, melted
- 2 bananas, very ripe
- 1/3 cup honey or maple syrup
- 1/2 tbsp pure vanilla extract
- 2 cups rolled oats, uncooked Gluten Free option, use gluten free oats
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 1 1/2 tsp apple cider vinegar
- 1/4 tsp sea salt
- 1 tsp cinnamon
- 1-2 handfuls baby spinach depending on how green you want them. Just don't go crazy, as too much spinach add too must moisture to the recipe and muffins will turn out wet.
- 1/4 cup milk of choice I used unsweetened almond milk, but you can use whatever your family prefers
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350° F
- Line a 12-hole muffin tin with liners
- Combine all ingredients in your food processor or blender. TIP: If you are not using a high-speed blender, consider blending the dry ingredients into a "flour" first and pouring into a bowl. Then blending wet ingredients and pour into the bowl with dry ingredients before mixing together with a spoon. This batter is thick and can be taxing on some blenders.
- Blend until the batter has a smooth consistency and even color
- Portion out between the 12 muffin tin liners
- Bake for 17-20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the middle of a muffin comes out clean
- Cool in a pan for 10 minutes before transferring the muffins to a cooling rack
- Enjoy warm or allow to cool completely before storing in the fridge for up to 5 days or in a freezer for up to a month.
Nutrition
The nutritional information is provided as an estimate only and may vary based on the product type, servings and other factors. If you are following a diet, please consult with a professional nutritionist or your doctor. Stay healthy!
these are so good! my ten month old son really likes these and so do I! great healthy snack. I also love that you just through everything in the blender and mix it up and right into the oven. quick and healthy so helpful for me.
Yes! Blender recipes are my favorite too! Glad they were a hit with all.
This recipe has been part of our weekly muffin rotation for a couple years now. I love them, my husband loves them, my toddler loves them…total winner! They’re easy to throw together, healthy, and delicious. We enjoy them slathered with peanut butter 🙂
I am so happy to hear that! And ! love them with PB too!
I’ve been on a kick of making these weekly! My 2 yr old, 6 yr old and myself LOVE them! I add a few mini chocolate chips on top of some for an extra sweetness.
I am so glad!
Can you make these in a bread loaf tin? Thank you!
Yes! I do that and bake it for about 40 minutes
Thank you!!! I’m going to try that today. Do you spray the bread loaf tin? (sorry if it’s a silly question – I’m not much of a baker!
I usually line it with parchment paper but would certainly grease or spray the pan if you are opting not to line it!
This are easy and delicious. I have made them dozens of times. I sometimes add chia and hemp hearts on top before I bake! My kids cannot get enough of them. Thank you so much!
Yay! I am so glad Ashley!
Unless you have a Vitamix this is the worst recipe ever. Turns into a thick tummy mess in the blender that won’t blend. I didn’t think to do in batches to save my blender- a good one at that. Total waste of time and ingredients.
Sorry to hear that, Anna. I actually originally made this with a blender that wasn’t high-speed, like a Vitamix. The high speed does make it faster, but it can be done in a traditional one. While in the post I did mention how to handle this recipe if you don’t have a high-speed blender, I have updated the recipe card with those tips
What can I sub for the coconut oil?
Whatever oil you like to use for baking will work great
Another winning TNN muffin recipe! I had been calling these “Leprechaun muffins” ahead of making them for the first time with our 3-year-old before I saw Taesha’s suggestion of “Gecko muffins,” which was perfect for our new PJ Masks fan. He helped put the bananas and spinach into the blender and was so eager to eat one after they came out of the oven. He gobbles them up! Definitely adding to our rotation. Thank you!
I LOVE this so much!! Bravo to you for including him in the kitchen (I know cooking with kids isn’t always easy!), but clearly he felt invested in his veggie-loaded connection and I love that you were able to connect them to something is is passionate about! Cute names go far with kids
These are so easy and SO delicious. I made them in a regular blender- all the liquid ingredients and bananas first, then the spinach then the powder then mixed on high and added the oats gradually and it worked perfectly. Used coconut milk instead of my usual almond because my friend has a nut allergy. I was planning to give away as a St Patrick’s Day treat but they’re so good it’s gonna be hard to give them away!💚🍀
I am so glad you enjoy them so much!!
This recipe is a family favorite. Only had one banana left. Added grated zucchini, extra honey and dried apples instead and they came out as delicious as always. These are THE best. Thank you!!!
Have you added berries? Would you need to decrease the banana to account for the extra moisture? Thanks!
I have added blueberries at the end and haven’t felt the need to adjust anything in the recipe.
Love these muffins– lightly sweet and full of healthy oats and some greens. Great fuel for the day, and it’s so nice to be able to eat a muffin for breakfast with zero guilt.
These are a regular in our house and have been for about 3 years. We almost always have the fixings! My 3.5 and 2 year old love helping, and it’s so easy (and such a forgiving recipe) that I don’t mind. I usually aim for a deep green with lots of spinach, and to counteract the wetness, I add about 1/4 cup of chia seeds. I tell myself I’ll remember to ground them with the oatmeal, but they usually get added at the end. Thanks again for a yummy recipe that have seen my kids through even their pickiest phases!
Hi Heather! I am SO glad this recipe helps you feed your kids the way you want and helps your children to love their veggies. These kinds of reviews and comments make my job so extra special.
These are a new family favorite! We tweak slightly…I slightly reduce the oats (I use oat flour that’s already ground) and add some dark cocoa powder. My kids find them sweet enough without the maple syrup and with a few chocolate chips throughout. They feel like it’s a special treat since it looks like a cupcake. I am a nurse and often have just a few minutes for lunch, so I pack 2 of these and feel like I’m getting good nutrition/ protein/fiber without much sugar.
So can these be made with frozen spinach as opposed to fresh or would that taste weird? (Just asking because it’s what’s in the fridge!)
Thanks!
It can be! I suggest thawing the spinach first and draining off the extra water.
I made these with frozen spinach last night actually and they came out ok, the texture was a bit heavy and dense – but I did not squeeze the spinach after I thawed it (I only drained it)I would say ring the spinach out really well or maybe omit the additional milk/milk alternative. They aren’t terrible, just definitely not light and fluffy like the written recipe above comes out (we’ve made these many times as they are a constant staple in our house along with the butternut squash chocolate muffins, those are awesome too!). I hope this helps a little 🙂
Thank you for sharing that, Theresa!
I can’t wait to try this! Could protein pancake/waffle mix be subbed in place of the oats? Looking for a way to add a bit more protein… Thanks for any help!
I love these muffins! They’re so healthy but at the same time super delicious. A great breakfast and/or snack. I used oat flour instead of grinding rolled oats and I added a little coconut flour, since my batter was so wet from all the spinach I put in xD This is the second time I’ve made them and I have a feeling I’ll keep coming back to make these again and again. Thanks, Taesha!
These are a huge hit with my 4yr old! We’ve also added blueberries to them. Great way to get some spinach in her. She doesn’t won’t eat it any other way right now.
Hello! Can I use something other than oats? My son has an allergy to oats
Hi Victoria! I have a flour based version of this recipe! Hope this helps https://thenaturalnurturer.com/kid-friendly-vegan-spinach-muffins/
We are out of apple cider vinegar. Do you recommend a substitute or what does the vinegar do?
You can use any vinegar or acid (like lemon juice) to activate the baking soda
We make these all the time and LOVE them! So easy that my kids can make them independently, and great with breakfast or as a school snack. These are one of my top 3 muffin recipes to make!
Wooohooo! I love everything about this, Bonnie!
My five year old loves these muffins!
I am so glad, Dannielle!