These nutritious and delicious mini Baby Food Muffins are baked with your baby’s favorite foods!
The Best Foods for Growing Babies
These mini muffins may not look like the yummiest things you would ever put in your mouth, but to these two babies, they’re amazing!
Bryce and Barrett are a little over 7 months now and they love their food. In fact, they expect 3 real meals a day in addition to their bottles. I’ve got some hungry, growing boys on my hands!
When Baker was a baby, we decided to try baby-led weaning and it worked great! He was feeding himself from the very first bite. He learned to chew first then swallow which made him such a confident eater and made introducing new foods very easy. With baby-led feeding, you skip the feeding by spoon stage and go straight to finger foods. We did the same thing with the babies and they caught on so fast and love it! Their favorites are bananas, steamed carrots, baked apples, steamed broccoli, and baked sweet potato strips. They pretty much eat anything we give them!
As I was steaming and baking food for them one week, I thought it would be nice to come up with a way to combine some of their favorite foods into a nutritious little muffin that they could feed to themselves. And that’s how these mini baby food muffins were born! They’re so simple to make and the babies love them! I baked banana, avocado and applesauce into our first batch, but you could really use any combination of your baby’s favorite foods. It’s also a great way to sneak in fruits and vegetables that your baby may not like.
Finger Food for Little Fingers
If your baby is eating finger foods then they’ll love these nutritious little muffins. Just keep them in the refrigerator and grab one or two when it’s time to eat. You could warm them up a little if your baby likes warm food, but Bryce & Barrett actually prefer their muffins a little cold because it feels good on their incoming teeth.
Certainly not the best muffins I’ve ever eaten, but they’re actually pretty tasty for how healthy they are. It’s basically like eating baked oatmeal with some natural sweetness from the bananas and applesauce along with a touch of cinnamon. I won’t lie, I’ve eaten my fair share of muffins since I’ve been baking them for the babies and I’m really liking them!
So go bake a batch and you’ll have a happy baby (or two!) in that highchair!
How to Make Baby Food Muffins
Preheat oven to 350°F. Lightly grease a mini muffin pan with non-stick cooking spray. Set aside. In a large bowl, stir together the flour, oats, baking powder, baking soda, and cinnamon. Make a well in the center and add the mashed banana, mashed avocado and applesauce. Stir until well combined.
Divide batter evenly among the 24 mini muffin cups. Bake for 12-14 minutes until set. Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 7 days.
Update: I recently made a batch for the babies and replaced the avocado and applesauce with a 15 ounce can of pumpkin and 3 shredded apples (squeezed of liquid). The babies LOVED them! So feel free to play around with these muffins and use any combination of baby foods for a total of about 2 cups! H
More Bites for Little Ones
Baby’s favorite foods baked into little Baby Food Oatmeal Bites that they can easily feed themselves. Let your little eater feed themselves this yummy Baby Pasta Salad that’s full of veggies and tossed in a yogurt dressing. Baby loved, mama approved!
I hope your babies love them! If you make these Baby Food Muffins for your little ones, be sure to snap a picture and share it with me or tag me on Instagram @thebakermama so I can see. 
I love seeing how inspired and creative y’all get with the recipes I share.
xoxo,
Baby Food Muffins
- Prep Time: 10 mins
- Cook Time: 14 mins
- Total Time: 24 mins
- Yield: 24
- Category: Breakfast
Description
These nutritious and delicious little muffins are baked with your baby’s favorite foods!
Ingredients
- 1 cup whole wheat flour
- 1 cup quick-cooking oats
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1 large banana, mashed (about 1/2 cup)
- 1 medium avocado, mashed (about 1/2 cup)
- 1 cup unsweetened applesauce
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Lightly grease a mini muffin pan with non-stick cooking spray. Set aside.
- In a large bowl, stir together the flour, oats, baking powder, baking soda, and cinnamon.
- Make a well in the center and add the mashed banana, mashed avocado and applesauce. Stir until well combined.
- Divide batter evenly among the 24 mini muffin cups. Bake for 12-14 minutes until set.
- Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 7 days.
Notes
Variations: Feel free to use any combination of your baby’s favorite mashed foods for a total of 2 cups. I recently replaced the avocado and applesauce with 1 (15 ounce) can of pumpkin and three shredded apples (squeezed of liquid). The babies LOVED them!
What is the expected texture on the inside of the muffin? I baked for about 20mins in regular muffin tin but the inside is quite moist. I just want to make sure it’s not undercooked or anything. Thank you!
Hi! I’ve never made them in a regular sized muffin tin, so I’m afraid I can’t say for certain. What temperature did you bake them at? 20 should have been sufficient. They’re meant to be soft and moist, but not wet.
Can you make these with eggs ? If so can you share the recipe ? Also would that be a substitute for applesauce??
Hi Rj! I haven’t tested the recipe with eggs so I couldn’t say for sure the quantity and ratio. It’s certainly worth a try though. I would recommend starting with 1 egg and reduce the apple sauce by 1/4 cup. Or you could add 2 eggs and reduce the applesauce by 1/2 cup. Hope this helps and that they turn out just as great. Enjoy!
Hi! Can you freeze these muffins?
Hi Jessica! Yes, they freeze great. Just be sure to let them cool completely and then store in a freezer-safe bag or container. When you’re ready to defrost them, let them defrost at room temperature for about an hour. Hope this helps. Enjoy!
Can I use old fashioned oats? I don’t have quick oats.
Hi Lindsey! Yes, but I would recommend processing them through a food processor or blender first to make them smaller, especially if your baby is just learning to eat. Enjoy!
I’m a little late to the party, but I made these to use up baby food that was close to expiry. 1 cup of baby oatmeal instead of oats, then 1 container of sweet potatoes and 3 of apple/banana/pear baby foods (2 cups total). I also didn’t have muffin tins so I used a sheet pan and cut it into smaller pieces for my 9 month old. I had to extend the baking time by about 10 minutes but it worked perfectly! Thank you for the recipe!
I made these with baby oatmeal cereal, which is finely ground, in the same proportion as the recipe calls for. They worked perfectly and now have added iron. Very yummy and easy for my 10 month old to eat.
Do you know how much fiber is in these muffins?
Hi Elizabeth! I don’t provide nutritional information at this time because everyone uses different brands of ingredients which often have differing nutritional values. I would recommend plugging the ingredients you used into a free online nutrition calculator like: http://www.myfitnesspal.com/recipe/calculator Hope this helps. Enjoy!
hello! would regular rolled oats (instead of quick cook) work for this recipe and would i need to make any adjustments?
thank you!
Hi Denise! Yes, they’ll work just as great as long as your little one can handle the larger rolled oat compared to the smaller size of the quick oats. Hope your little one loves them!
Hi! Can tell me the quantities of any ingredient?
Hi Marilena! The quantities for each ingredients are listed in the recipe box. Enjoy!
Hi! I can’t wait to make these for my 8 month old!
I only have a large muffin tin. Will that work? I can cut them in half?
Thank you!
Hi Shauna! Absolutely, they’ll just take a little longer to bake. Around 16-18 minutes. I hope your little one loves them!
Really love these. They were easy to make and a hit with both my 11month old and husband.
I made them in regular muffin tins and cooked for 18minutes. Moist enough for baby to pull apart and eat by herself.
Thanks for the healthy recipe!
Can almond flour (to make gluten free) be used as a replacement for whole wheat flour in this recipe? And if so, would the same amount be used?
Hi Nikki! I haven’t tried it, but I think it would work great and at the same amount since whole wheat flour is dense like almond flour. Enjoy!
We used oat flour, and they turned out well! We used a little more flour than the recipe called for (maybe an extra 1/2 cup) to thicken them up, and they are perfect. Still soft on the inside.
Hello; could you use white flour instead of wheat ?
Hi Erin! Absolutely, they’ll still turn out and taste great. Hope your little one loves them!
I was skeptical because they felt so “doughy” in the middle after 20 mins in the oven. But I gave my 14 month old one and he danced and grabbed a second one, so toddler approved!
Love it, Nicole! The texture of these muffins is so perfect for little eaters to confidently enjoy. Thanks for sharing! 🙂
Hi can i replace the banana (since my lo is allergic to it) with another apple sauce cup or peach sauce cup?
Hi Karen! Absolutely, any combo should work great as long as you use 2 cups of mashed food total. I hope your little one enjoys!
Thank you for this! Made them for the first time and baby loved them. I saw previous comments saying the muffins end up dry…simply add a tray of water at the bottom of the oven when cooking and will do the trick. Will replace apple with carrot and banana with sweet potato next time
Xxx
So great to hear, Helen! Thanks so much for sharing and for the tip. I hope your little one continues to enjoy them! 🙂
Hi! Can you use old fashion rolled oats in this recipe instead of the quick oats??
Thanks!
Hi Taylor! Yes, as long as your baby is able to eat a heartier oat. They turn out just as great with old fashioned oats. Enjoy!
Just made these for my 11 month old and she loved them! Do you know about what a serving is?
Hi Nikki! That’s so great to hear! I couldn’t say for sure on serving size as the amount of food that babies and toddlers eat varies from day to day and meal to meal. I was always told to allow them to eat to their appetite as long as they’re being given nutritious foods. At 11 months, my daughter would eat about 2 of these muffins per meal depending on what else I would serve with them. If it was just the muffins for breakfast or lunch, she would sometimes eat 3. Hope this helps!
Instead of Quick Oats could I use baby oatmeal? I am looking for ways to use the left overs.
Hi Amanda! As long as the baby oatmeal still has its oatmeal texture (not ground up or already cooked), it should work just great! Enjoy!
Is there something I can sub for the oats? My babe has an oat allergy but I would love to try these, getting fruit and veggies into his diet is getting harder by the day! Thank you!
Hi Megan! Maybe try cooked brown rice or quinoa. Or you could use all whole wheat flour. Hope this helps and hope he loves them! 🙂
You could try substituting with baby rice cereal or something of that kind.
Must tell you that my grandson who is 17 months, just loves these little muffins. I care for him 40+ hours a week and I am always looking for healthy foods for him. The pictures of your babies made me smile wide!! Thanks!!
Hi Lin! I love hearing that! So glad he loves them. How special that he gets to spend so much time with you and you with him. Enjoy! 🙂
Can you freeze these???
Hi Sam! Yes, just let them cool completely, wrap them individually in plastic wrap and place them in an airtight ziplock bag or storage container in the freezer for up to a month. Enjoy!
Made these tonight! My babe has a dairy sensitivity so finding a way to easily incorporate fatty foods – like avocado and other than eggs – for ease of daycare feeding has been a struggle. Absolutely loved these. Even for me 😉 they’re really not terrible. I’m happy to see the comment about how moist they are, I figured they should be but happy to be sure. Thanks for the creativity!
Hi Erin! That’s so great to hear! I actually really like eating them too. 😉 Enjoy!
My husband tried these and he said they were too moist. Is this the nature of the muffin because they are designed for babies and toddlers or did we do something wrong?
Hi Ashley! Yes, they should definitely be moist so your baby can easily eat them without choking.
Thank you for the clarification, I was just about to leave an inquiry to find out if it was soft enough such that it’s not a choking hazard. Thank you for sharing your recipe!
I just made these again with Simbry. This time for Savannah, but Simbry and I are gobbling them up while she naps. Hope there are some left for her to try!
Yay! Love it! I just can’t believe Savannah is already eating “real” food. I need to meet her asap! xo