Veggie Muffins
These veggie muffins are soft, cheesy, and packed with colourful vegetables—making them a family-friendly snack or lunchbox option. Veggie muffins are a great way to get an extra serve of veggies into little tummies, and they freeze beautifully, so you’ll always have a quick snack on hand. If your kids already love my other savory muffins, this recipe will be right up their alley.
Why This Recipe
- Kid-approved flavour: Cheese makes everything taste better—even spinach and cauliflower!
- Freezer-friendly: Bake once, enjoy many times. These store well in the fridge or freezer.
- Lunchbox ready: Great for school, kindy, or an easy on-the-go snack.
- Flexible: Use what you have—fresh, frozen, or canned veggies all work.
Ingredients You Will Need
Ingredient Notes, Substitutes, & Allergy Swaps
- Plain flour: Standard all-purpose flour works well. You can swap half for wholemeal flour if you’d like a fibre boost. If you are using whole wheat or wholemeal flour you may find you need a little extra milk to get the right muffin batter consistency.
- Baking powder: Helps keep the muffins light and fluffy. You can use baking soda if you prefer, you will need much less, ¼ teaspoon baking soda is equivalent to 1 teaspoon of baking powder.
- Salt: Skip this if making for babies or young toddlers—cheese adds plenty of flavour on its own.
- Corn kernels: Use canned (drained), frozen, or fresh. If using for babies under 12 months, squash larger kernels to reduce choking risk.
- Cheese: Tasty cheddar is my favourite, but Colby or mozzarella also work. For dairy-free, try a vegan shredded cheese alternative.
- Cauliflower rice: A mild veggie addition—use fresh or frozen. If you don’t have any, swap for grated zucchini or carrot. You can either blitz your own cauliflower at home, or frozen cauliflower rice can be found at most supermarkets and is very handy!
- Red capsicum (bell pepper): Adds sweetness and colour. You could use grated carrot if preferred.
- Spinach: Finely chopped fresh spinach works well, or substitute with frozen spinach (thawed and squeezed dry).
- Milk: Use regular cow’s milk or a fortified plant-based milk for dairy-free.
- Olive oil: Can be swapped for melted butter or another neutral oil.
- Eggs: Bind the muffins together. For egg-free, you could experiment with a flax or chia “egg” (though I haven’t tested this).
Illustrated Step By Step Guide
Below are illustrated step-by-step instructions to make my XXX recipe, if you prefer just the written instructions then head straight to the printable recipe card below.
Step one: Whisk the dry ingredients
Start with your flour, baking powder, and a little salt (if using) in a big mixing bowl. Give it a good whisk—this helps everything mix evenly and adds a bit of air so your muffins stay light. (Tip: if you’re making these for babies, skip the salt. Cheese will add enough flavour on its own!)
Step two: Add the veggies and cheese
Tip your colourful veggies and grated cheese straight into the bowl. It’s already looking vibrant.
Step three: Toss everything together
Stir gently so the veggies and cheese get coated in the flour. This helps stop them sinking to the bottom of your muffins as they bake.
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Step four: Mix up the wet ingredients
In a jug, whisk together your eggs, milk, and olive oil. Nothing fancy here—just whisk until the eggs break up and the mixture looks smooth.
Step five: Bring it all together
Pour the wet mix into the dry and stir with a spatula until just combined. Don’t overmix—your batter should look a little lumpy, not silky smooth. That’s the secret to soft, fluffy muffins!
Step six: Scoop into the muffin tin
A cookie scoop makes this job super tidy (and kind of satisfying). Fill each hole about ¾ full so the muffins have room to rise.
Step seven: Bake, cool…and share
Once baked and golden, let the muffins cool a little in the tin before transferring to a rack. Then the best bit—watch little hands reach for them!
Top Tips
Here is how you can make these veggie muffins perfectly every time!
- Don’t overmix: Stir until just combined. Overmixing can make muffins tough.
- Customise: Swap in your child’s favourite veggies—grated carrot, zucchini, or peas all work well.
- Check doneness: Every oven is different—look for golden tops and a clean skewer.
- Freezer tip: Cool completely, then freeze individually. Reheat in the microwave or lunchbox.
How to Make This Recipe Suitable For Baby Led Weaning
- Skip the salt if baking for babies under 12 months.
- Chop finely: Make sure capsicum and spinach are very finely chopped for younger babies.
- Modify mix-ins: Squash or finely chop corn kernels. Avoid large chunks of cheese or vegetables that could pose a choking risk.
- Serve safely: For babies under 1, cut muffins into quarters or strips so they can grasp easily.
- Texture check: Muffins should be soft and moist, not dry or crumbly, to make them easier to handle.
Veggie Muffins
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Ingredients
- 2 cups plain flour
- 2 teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon salt (omit if making for young children)
- ½ cup corn kernels (canned or frozen)
- 1 cup grated cheese (tasty cheddar is my favorite)
- ½ cup cauliflower rice
- ½ red capsicum (finely diced)
- 1 handful spinach leaves (finely chopped)
- ¾ cup milk
- ¼ cup olive oil
- 2 medium eggs
Instructions
- Prep your oven: Preheat to 180°C (350°F). Grease or line a 12-hole muffin tin.
- Mix the dry ingredients: In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt.
- Add the mix-ins: Stir in the grated cheese, corn, diced capsicum, cauliflower and spinach.
- Combine wet ingredients: In a separate bowl or jug, whisk together the eggs, milk, and oil.
- Combine and mix: Pour the wet ingredients into the dry and stir until just combined. Don’t overmix.
- Spoon and bake: Divide into muffin tins and bake for 20–25 minutes or until golden and a skewer comes out clean.
- Cool and store: Let cool on a rack. Store in the fridge for 3–4 days or freeze for up to 2 months.
Notes
- Don’t overmix: Stir until just combined. Overmixing can make muffins tough.
- Customise: Swap in your child’s favourite veggies—grated carrot, zucchini, or peas all work well.
- Check doneness: Every oven is different—look for golden tops and a clean skewer.
- Freezer tip: Cool completely, then freeze individually. Reheat in the microwave or lunchbox.
- Plain flour: Standard all-purpose flour works well. You can swap half for wholemeal flour if you’d like a fibre boost. If you are using whole wheat or wholemeal flour you may find you need a little extra milk to get the right muffin batter consistency.
- Baking powder: Helps keep the muffins light and fluffy. You can use baking soda if you prefer, you will need much less, ¼ teaspoon baking soda is equivalent to 1 teaspoon of baking powder.
- Salt: Skip this if making for babies or young toddlers—cheese adds plenty of flavour on its own.
- Corn kernels: Use canned (drained), frozen, or fresh. If using for babies under 12 months, squash larger kernels to reduce choking risk.
- Cheese: Tasty cheddar is my favourite, but Colby or mozzarella also work. For dairy-free, try a vegan shredded cheese alternative.
- Cauliflower rice: A mild veggie addition—use fresh or frozen. If you don’t have any, swap for grated zucchini or carrot. You can either blitz your own cauliflower at home, or frozen cauliflower rice can be found at most supermarkets and is very handy!
- Red capsicum (bell pepper): Adds sweetness and colour. You could use grated carrot if preferred.
- Spinach: Finely chopped fresh spinach works well, or substitute with frozen spinach (thawed and squeezed dry).
- Milk: Use regular cow’s milk or a fortified plant-based milk for dairy-free.
- Olive oil: Can be swapped for melted butter or another neutral oil.
- Eggs: Bind the muffins together. For egg-free, you could experiment with a flax or chia “egg” (though I haven’t tested this).
Quick Start Guide To BLW
Baby led weaning doesn’t need to be complicated, grab my quick start guide to begin your little ones food journey.