Green foods kids like: green candy, green cake, green ice cream.
Green foods kids don't like: vegetables of any kind.
If you're tired of pushing the "eat your broccoli" agenda, try whipping up a batch of these mini spinach muffins. They're naturally gluten-free, packed with vitamin-rich spinach and sweetened with honey (not sugar). Plus, they taste so good you might want to set some aside for yourself.
Pro-parenting tip: Whatever you do, don't call them “spinach muffins.” Try “Grinch muffins” or “Hulk cakes.” We don’t condone lying, of course, but trust us on this one.
Mighty Green Muffins
This easy lunch or breakfast recipe is gluten-free and kid-friendly, and uses honey as a sweetener for a delightfully low-sugar snack.
Ingredients
- 1 large ripe banana
- 1/4 cup water
- 1/4 cup almond butter (or any other nut or seed butter)
- 1 egg (for vegan muffins, skip or replace with flax or chia egg)
- 1/4 cup honey
- 1 to 2 cups fresh baby spinach, loosely packed
- 1 cup rolled oats (certified gluten-free, if needed)
- 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon (optional)
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/8 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 cup pistachios, crushed (optional)
Directions
Step 1: Preheat and Blend
Heat oven to 350° F.
In a blender, add banana, water, nut or seed butter, egg (if using), honey, spinach, rolled oats, baking soda, cinnamon, vanilla and salt. Blend until very smooth, stopping to scrape the sides as needed.
Step 2: Divide and Bake
Divide the batter evenly into greased mini muffin pan (about 1 1/2 to 2 tablespoons of batter per muffin cup). Bake until muffins rise and feel firm to a light touch in the center, about 15 to 17 minutes. The edges should turn lightly golden, and might crack a bit.
Step 3: Top, Cool and Store
When finished baking, sprinkle muffins with crushed pistachios (if desired). Allow them to cool in the pan for at least 30 minutes, and then remove them from the pan.
Muffins can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 1 week.
Recipe courtesy of detoxinista.com.
