Easy Hidden Veggie Mini Muffins
These mini muffins are a kid-approved, healthy preschool snack that sneak in grated zucchini and carrot for extra nutrition. They are moist, tender, and quick to make, perfect for busy families.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 12 minutes
- Total Time: 22 minutes
- Yield: 24 mini muffins 1x
- Category: Snack
- Cuisine: American
Ingredients
Scale
- 1 ½ cups all-purpose flour (190 g) (can swap for almond or oat flour for gluten-free versions)
- 1 ½ teaspoons baking powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ⅓ cup unsalted butter, melted (75 g) (room temperature works too)
- ⅓ cup packed brown sugar (70 g)
- 2 large eggs (room temperature)
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ½ cup milk (120 ml) (dairy or plant-based)
- ½ cup grated zucchini (about 1 small zucchini, squeezed dry)
- ½ cup grated carrot (about 1 medium carrot, finely shredded)
- ¼ cup unsweetened applesauce
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Lightly grease or line your mini muffin tin.
- Grate ½ cup zucchini and ½ cup carrot. Place grated zucchini in a clean towel and squeeze out excess moisture.
- In a large bowl, whisk together 1 ½ cups all-purpose flour, 1 ½ teaspoons baking powder, ½ teaspoon baking soda, 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon, and ¼ teaspoon salt. Set aside.
- In a separate bowl, whisk ⅓ cup melted unsalted butter with ⅓ cup packed brown sugar until combined. Add 2 large eggs, one at a time, beating well after each. Stir in 1 teaspoon vanilla extract and ½ cup milk.
- Fold in ¼ cup unsweetened applesauce along with the grated zucchini and carrot. Mix gently until evenly distributed.
- Gradually add the dry mixture to the wet ingredients, folding gently until just combined. Avoid overmixing; batter should be slightly lumpy but uniform in color.
- Spoon the batter into the prepared mini muffin tin, filling each cup about ¾ full.
- Bake for 10-12 minutes. Start checking at 10 minutes by inserting a toothpick in the center; it should come out clean or with just a few moist crumbs.
- Let muffins cool in the tin for 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack.
Notes
Squeeze out excess moisture from zucchini to avoid soggy muffins. Avoid overmixing the batter to keep muffins tender. Batter can be prepared the night before and refrigerated. For dairy-free, swap butter with coconut oil and milk with plant-based milk. For gluten-free, use gluten-free baking flour and add an extra ¼ teaspoon baking powder.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 mini muffin
- Calories: 90
- Sugar: 5
- Sodium: 110
- Fat: 4
- Saturated Fat: 2.5
- Carbohydrates: 13
- Fiber: 1
- Protein: 2
Keywords: hidden veggies, mini muffins, preschool snack, healthy snack, zucchini muffins, carrot muffins, kid-friendly, easy recipe