Skip to main content

6 easy muffin recipes for kids to make with or without your help

Healthy muffin recipes that are so easy to make, your kid can be the chef

While kids would prefer to eat dinosaur-shaped chicken nuggets partnered with mac and cheese for every meal, sometimes parents want to see their children eat something a bit healthier. That’s where we’ll help. If you thought all muffins have to be either loaded with sugar or taste like dry cardboard, you’re going to love us.

We found six healthy muffin recipes for you to make with your younger kids, but they are also simple enough that your older kids could make them for you. Eating healthier doesn’t mean you have to sacrifice when it comes to flavor. Make one (or all) of these delicious easy muffin recipes that your kids will enjoy as much as you will.

Whole grain muffins
Anna_Pustynnikova / Shutterstock

Muffins with a kick of fruit

Peach honey muffins

If you haven’t let your kids eat peach slices with a bit of honey drizzled on them, we’ll wait while you let them devour some. It’s a delicious snack and makes a great muffin. We like that you could use fresh or canned peaches for these peach honey muffins. Whether you use crushed nuts or rolled oats, the taste and texture of these muffins will win over any child. The added cinnamon and nutmeg to complement the honey is just the perfect finishing touch.

Recommended Videos

Tip

Switch out the peaches for apples or cranberries. Rotate through them all to keep everyone’s tastebuds from getting bored.

Lemon blueberry muffins

We know, blueberry muffins are one of the most popular types out there. But these have a zesty twist with the lemon added in. And yes, you have the option to use fresh lemon or lemon extract, whatever is in the kitchen. We also appreciate the use of Greek yogurt to give an extra bit of a health kick to this lemon blueberry muffin recipe.

Tip

If your kids are not a fan of blueberries, switch them out for raspberries or blackberries and the lemon will still partner well with it.

Banana avocado muffins

Basic banana muffins don’t always do the trick. Add in avocado and you’ll be on the right track. We like that this recipe adds honey (it says it’s optional, but we say it’s a must) for a bit of added sweetness. But the fact that there are so few ingredients should mean your kids won’t need your help with this one.

Tip

Remember, the amount of sweetness these banana avocado muffins will have depends on the ripeness of your banana!

Teen girl and mom baking together
Image used with permission by copyright holder

Other delicious options

Breakfast egg muffins

If you don’t already make these every week, you are going to love how much time these egg muffins save you in the mornings. Make a double batch and have them ready to heat up the next day for a super fast breakfast for everyone. Breakfast egg muffins are easy to make, and you can use anything you have in your fridge to perk them up. and reduce waste Your kids will have fun with the endless possibilities and flavor combinations with this one.

Tip

Use whatever meat or veggies you have in the fridge to make these egg muffins your family’s new favorite.

Applesauce oat muffins

If you are a parent, you could open your fridge right now and find applesauce in there somewhere. Whether it’s expired is beside the point. But if that applesauce is close to the expiration date, make these applesauce oat muffins. Not only are these healthy for everyone, but that applesauce gives the muffins just the right amount of sweetness without it feeling like you are chewing on sugar.

Tip

Add fruit pieces, chopped nuts, or chocolate chips for an extra layer of texture and flavor.

Pumpkin chocolate chip muffins

In our opinion, we saved the best for last here. We discovered the cookie version of these muffins a couple of years ago and it changed our lives forever. Pumpkin chocolate chip muffins are just as delicious and are an exciting breakfast option, so everyone wins. There’s pumpkin for the parents who love all things pumpkin spice and chocolate chips for the kids. Everyone comes out enjoying life when eating these.

Tip

Make these with pumpkin pie spice or pumpkin puree, with maple syrup or oil, depending on your family’s health needs. Also, try the cookie recipe and thank us later.

You are going to love how easy these recipes are to make (with no blender or mixer needed for any of them). Even if you have to help your kids in the kitchen, they won’t take long, and you’ll feel good about serving your kids something nutritious.

Letting your children help in the kitchen will boost their confidence, create fun memories, and give you a break. It also allows them to see that foods not shaped like chicken nuggets are just as delicious. Any of these healthy muffin recipes will be sure to be a hit with kids of any age — and the adults supervising.

Dannielle Beardsley
Dannielle has written for various websites, online magazines, and blogs. She loves everything celebrity and her favorite…
What is permissive parenting and is it a recipe for disaster?
Is permissive parenting allowing kids to rule?
Permissive parenting checked off on a parenting style checklist

Parenting and parenting styles have evolved over the years, and with it comes much controversy. Everyone has an opinion on the best way to rear children, with many being critical of styles that are opposite of their own choices. ABC's The Parent Test has put parenting styles under a microscope in a new reality show focusing on 12 families with different ways of parenting their children. Critiquing parenting styles is not a new thing, though. American psychologist Diana Baumrind studied parenting styles in the late 60s. Baumrind identified three main parenting styles: permissive, authoritarian, and authoritative. She also studied each one's impact on children.
In the '80s, Eleanor Maccoby and John Martin added a fourth parenting style -- uninvolved or neglectful. What exactly is permissive parenting, and is it right for you? Let's take a look at permissive parenting, as well as the other parenting styles considered the norm.

What is permissive parenting?

Read more
The Switch Witch is a holiday tradition for kids that you’ll actually like
Everything you need to know about the Switch Witch this Halloween
Happy pregnant mom wearing a maternity witch costume for Halloween

Dreading the mountains of Halloween candy your kiddos are going to bring back on October 31? If you are, don't worry. You're not alone. Those mini Snickers and Hershey bars are super tempting and not just for the kids. Then, there are the sugar rushes, those ruined meals along with the potential for broken braces and cavities. Sure, all these things are a part of the hangover of Halloween, but what if someone could magically whisk away the majority of the candy? Wouldn't that be awesome? Well, you don't need a cauldron and a spell book for that. Just call the Switch Witch.

Don't know who the Switch Witch is? Well, you're probably not alone, but rest assured. There isn't a shelf or an elf involved, and you don't have to think of clever scenarios to post on Instagram, either, unless you want to. All you need to do is add the legend of the Switch Witch to your Halloween traditions, and the unwanted candy disappears like magic with something even better in its place.

Read more
These lunch ideas for picky eaters will get you through this endless school year
Deliciously fun lunch ideas to delight your picky eater
Healthy lunch for kids

For many parents, the most dreaded part of sending their kids back to school is packing lunches every day. So many of us start the school year off feeling creative and enthusiastic about making a variety of healthy lunches only to find that enthusiasm gone by the second week of school.

If those perfect lunchboxes with the little food compartments are long buried in the back of your pantry, don’t fret. These lunch ideas for picky eaters will get you through the rest of this seemingly endless school year.
Easy lunch ideas for picky eaters

Read more