Sweet Spinach Muffins

Ingredients

• 0.75 cup milk
• 0.5 cup butter (Melted)
• 0.5 cup honey
• 4 cup baby spinach (Packed; use raw spinach)
• 1 banana (Large and ripe)
• 1 large egg
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 2 cup flour (All-purpose flour is light and fluffy; whole-wheat or bread flour may also be used with adjustments described in the notes)
• 1.5 tsp ground cinnamon
• 2 tsp baking powder
• 0.5 tsp baking soda
• 0.5 tsp salt

Steps

1. 1

   Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C). Spray an 18-cup muffin tin with cooking spray, or use silicone muffin cups sprayed with cooking spray.

2. 2

   Add the milk, raw baby spinach, ripe banana, honey, egg, vanilla extract, and melted butter to a blender. Blend until the mixture is completely smooth and pureed, with no visible pieces of spinach remaining.

3. 3

   In a large bowl, combine the flour, cinnamon, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Whisk or stir until the dry ingredients are evenly distributed.

4. 4

   Pour the spinach mixture into the bowl of dry ingredients, or add the dry ingredients directly to the blender. Fold gently with a spatula just until combined. Do not over-mix; a few small streaks of flour are preferable to developing a dense batter.

5. 5

   Scoop the batter evenly into the prepared muffin cups, filling each cup about two-thirds to three-quarters full.

6. 6

   Bake for 17–20 minutes, until the muffin tops spring back when lightly touched. The muffins should be set and moist but should not be browning.

7. 7

   Remove the pan from the oven and transfer the muffins to a cooling rack. If using silicone muffin cups, remove the muffins from the cups and place them directly on the rack to prevent sweating.

Notes

Store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days, in the refrigerator for up to 1 week, or in the freezer for up to 3 months. Reheat for about 10 seconds from room temperature or 30 seconds from the refrigerator or freezer. For mini muffins, reduce the baking time to 12–14 minutes. Honey may be replaced with sugar; the source also suggests vegan substitutions of coconut oil for butter, a flax egg or applesauce for the egg, plant milk for the milk, and maple syrup for the honey. If using whole-wheat flour, add extra moisture such as 1/2 banana, 1/4 cup milk, 1 egg, or 1/4 cup applesauce. Mini chocolate chips may be folded into the batter if desired.

Nutrition per serving

• breakfast
• snack
• muffins
• baked
• kid-friendly
• toddler-friendly
• vegetarian
• make-ahead