Green Monster Muffins

Amidst this COVID-19 craziness, it’s doubtful that there will be quite as many St. Paddy Day revelers out in the streets this year … or at least I hope not! Maybe this year we could all swap a green beer for these Green Monster spinach muffins?! 

Green Monster Muffin

Ok, maybe not the same, but these nutrient-packed, moist and delicious green muffins are full of all the good stuff: chia seeds, spinach, oats, bananas, and eggs. They are kid and adult approved as a great snack to keep you and your family going over March break and beyond.    

As dietitians, both Rosanne and I do not like to hide vegetables in baked goods to trick our kids into eating more veggies, but we are all for adding extra nutrition where we can! Plus, “hiding” the spinach in these muffins would be nearly impossible because they end up being a beautiful emerald green colour.

Can you even get enough of that stunning vivacious green?!  

Green Monster Muffin Batter

I particularly like making these muffins when my tub of spinach is just starting to turn on me. (Anyone else hate it when that happens?) This recipe also helps find a home for my bananas that are browning. Taken together, you could say that this recipe helps keep food waste to a minimum, which is so important these days. Research shows that the average Canadian household wastes 140 kg or $1,100 of food each year, with most of that being vegetables and fruits that are discarded. After today, no more spinach or banana waste for your household!

My kids love to help make these – they get a kick out of adding the spinach and seeing the muffins turn green. If you’re looking for creative activities for your kids over these next few weeks, why not try whipping up a batch of these… with a good hand washing first, of course!

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Green Monster Muffins

St. Patrick’s Day Green Monster Muffins

  • Author: Cara Kasdorf
  • Prep Time: 10 minutes
  • Cook Time: 25 minutes
  • Total Time: 35 minutes
  • Yield: 18 muffins 1x
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Description

These nutrient-dense spinach, banana & chia muffins are a tasty snack for the whole family!

Scale

Ingredients

  • 2 cups rolled oats (regular or gluten-free)
  • ¼ cup chia seeds
  • 2 tsp baking powder
  • ½ tsp salt
  • 1 tsp cinnamon
  • ¼ cup maple syrup or honey
  • ½ cup milk (or dairy-free milk alternative)
  • 5 cups spinach
  • ¼ cup avocado oil (or other neutral tasting oil)
  • 3 ripe bananas
  • 2 large eggs
  • 1 tsp vanilla
  • ½ cup chocolate chips (or dairy-free chips)

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F and line muffin tins with liners (I use 1 x 12 cup muffin tin and 1 x 6 cup muffin tin).
  2. Place rolled oats, chia seeds, baking powder, salt, and cinnamon in blender and pulse until blended.
  3. Transfer dry ingredients to a medium sized bowl.
  4. Place maple syrup, milk, spinach, oil, bananas, eggs, and vanilla in blender and blend until smooth.
  5. Add wet ingredients to bowl with dry ingredients and mix.
  6. Let sit for about 5-10 minutes until mixture has thickened slightly.
  7. Fold in ½ cup chocolate chips.
  8. Fill muffin tins and bake for 20-25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. 

Notes

This recipe was adapted from Green Monster Blender Muffins by Sarah Remmer, RD at www.sarahremmer.com and shared with permission.