As soon as I feel the cool, crisp air of the fall, my taste buds are ready for fall flavors! Squash, cinnamon and sweet potatoes are my favorites. However, my kids won’t eat any of this healthy goodness! No worries though. This mom has a few tricks up her sleeve…
I Created This Recipe Because …
I created this recipe for the sole purpose of tricking my 2-year-old son. He’s a little guy that mostly likes meat and bread and has some questionable food allergies.
These muffins are gluten-free, dairy-free, and nut free so I have him covered in the allergy department. I almost feel guilty when I see him tearing through these muffins with stuff that he would never eat otherwise.
On the other hand, I’m patting myself on the back for being a master of disguise. If you have a picky eater, I feel your pain! These muffins will do the trick!
They are packed with tons of healthy stuff and your picky little person won’t even know it! They’re perfect for breakfast or a snack and you can easily take them along for appointments or errands.
What's In Them?
These muffins are loaded with healthy fall flavors! There’s butternut squash, cinnamon, raisins, apples and carrots (Click here to read my article about health benefits of these ingredients).
If your picky eater is like mine, they don’t like to see chunks of things like apples or raisins in their food. I gotcha covered!
This recipe eliminates the chunkiness that makes picky eaters gag and throw tantrums. The healthy foods are pureed before they are added to the mix. Clever huh?
What You'll Need Besides Ingredients
You’ll most definitely need an oven, but there is some prep work that needs to be done.
If you’re using fresh butternut squash or apples, you’ll need to peel, chop and cook them ahead of time.
Alternatively, you can choose to microwave frozen squash and use unsweetened apple sauce instead.
You will need a food processor of some sort so that you can turn those ingredients your child doesn’t like into tiny pieces.
I use the Ninja food processor and it’s a life saver!
I’ve even used it to make homemade baby food. You’ll want to make sure you have your non-stick mini muffin pan, measuring cups, spoons, mixing bowl, and a whisk or electric blender.
The Moment You've Been Waiting For … THE RECIPE!
Apple Butternut Cinnamon Mini Muffins
Yield: 48 mini muffins
1. Preheat oven to 375° F. If you are adding carrots preheat to 350° F.
2. Add your cooked butternut squash and apples to food the processor. Mix until there
is a smooth texture and set aside.
3. In a large mixing bowl and your dry ingredients. Add flour, baking soda, flax seed, brown sugar, and cinnamon. Stir together.
4. Add your puree of squash and apples, egg, milk, and oil.
5. Stir using a hand mixer or a whisk.
6. (SKIP THIS STEP IF YOUR CHILD FREAKS OUT AT EVEN THE TINIEST OF CHUNKS)
Add raisins and carrots to your food processor. Mince them into the smallest pieces possible. (I only added carrots to the 2nd batch of muffins just in case my toddler refused to eat them… He liked them!)
7. Stir in raisins and carrots to your mixture.
8. Spoon your mixture into a non-stick, ungreased mini-muffin pan.
9. Bake for 15 – 17 minutes.
10. Once golden brown, allow muffins to cool for 5 minutes.
11. Remove muffins from the pan and light up as you watch your kid devour them!
Muffins can be stored in a container with a lid for up to 4 days at room temperature. I recommend freezing half of them to ensure the muffins keep their freshness.
Let me know what you and your little one thought of this recipe! This guy enjoyed them!
