Looking for the best naturally sweetened muffins for your baby or toddler? Then, I’ve got you! These soft and sweet ABC Muffins are made with Apple, Banana, and Carrots and are perfect for babies, toddlers, and kids! Plus, they come together in just under 20 minutes because I know you have at least one small kiddo clinging to your hip and absolutely no time to waste in the kitchen.

Teal kids play with ABC muffins with the letters a, B, C written out in Apple, banana and carrots again say marble background with a orange napkin all on my white kitchen counter.
4.97 stars (26 ratings)
“Another hit with this muffin recipe!! Easy to make, freezes and reheats well. Everyone loves them!” -Sandy
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I have to tell you, the first time I made ABC Muffins, they were a total flop. They were so bad that my dogs turned their noses up at the chunks my toddler tossed onto the floor. And those dogs don’t turn away from any floor food.

So I got to work!

Because if your little ones are anything like mine, muffins are their food of choice!

So, to the kitchen, I went – batch after batch of muffins made – until I landed on this one. These were the ones! They are naturally sweetened with apples, bananas, and carrots, which also make them super tender and moist and the perfect mini muffin for any small hands to hold #chefskiss.

#mymomhack—Since this recipe is for mini muffins, I like to finely shred the carrots so they are not too big. If you are using the pre-shredded carrots, you will want to give those a quick chop so they are smaller in size and do not stick out of the muffins.

ABC MUFFIN VIDEO

A teal plate with ABC muffins on top against a white background and an orange napkin.

If you are looking for more easy and healthy muffin recipes for kids and toddlers, then be sure to check out my Blueberry Avocado Mini Muffins, Mini Pumpkin Muffins, or these delicious Applesauce Muffins. You can also find more recipes and information in my best-selling cookbook, Little Foodies: Recipes for Babies and Toddlers with Taste.

Let’s Get Baking

Silver mixing bowl with flour, baking powder, salt and cinnamon on a marble counter.
Whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt and cinnamon.
Silver mixing bowl with ingredients for ABC muffins.
Add in the wed ingredients – applesauce, mashed bananas, shredded carrots, eggs, oil and vanilla extract.
A silver mixing bowl with the batter for ABC muffins for baby and toddler.
Mix until just incorporated.
A colorful muffin pan been filled with the batter of muffins for baby and toddler on a marble countertop.
Fill a mini muffin tin with muffin batter.
A colorful muffin tray with ABC muffins made with apple, banana and carrots, sitting on a marble countertop.
Bake until just golden brown.
A teal plate with ABC muffins on top against a white background and an orange napkin.
Serve and enjoy!

Baby-Led Weaning ABC Muffins

These muffins are perfect for baby-led weaning or as a finger food because they are soft to eat and your baby can easily pick them up in their hands with a palmar grasp or with their pincer grasp if they are cut into smaller chunks. You can serve them to your baby sliced in half or cut into small chunks.

ABC Muffins for Toddlers & Kids

These quick and easy muffins are also great for toddlers and kids. You can serve them as is, or with a smear of cream cheese, butter or peanut butter for breakfast, snack or packed into a school lunch.

Small toddler hand holding an ABC muffin over a plate of muffins with a colorful napkin.
Teal kids play with ABC muffins with the letters a, B, C written out in Apple, banana and carrots again say marble background with a orange napkin.

Get the recipe: The Perfect ABC Muffins for Baby & Toddlers (apple, banana and carrots!)

5 stars (26 ratings)
Looking for the best naturally sweetened muffins for your baby or toddler? Then, I've got you! These soft and sweet ABC Muffins are made with Apple, Banana, and Carrots and are perfect for babies, toddlers, and kids! Plus, they come together in just under 20 minutes because I know you have at least one small kiddo clinging to your hip and absolutely no time to waste in the kitchen.
Yield: 24 mini muffins
Prep: 5 minutes
Cook: 12 minutes
Total: 20 minutes
Author: Michele Olivier
Course: Baby Led Weaning, Breakfast, toddler food
Cuisine: American
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Ingredients 

  • 1 cup flour, all-purpose, white whole wheat, or gluten free blend
  • 1/2 tsp baking powder
  • 1/4 tsp baking soda
  • 1/4 tsp salt
  • 1/4 tsp cinnamon
  • 1/2 cup applesauce
  • 1/4 cup very ripe banana mashed
  • 1/2 cup carrots, finely shredded or grated
  • 1/4 cup melted butter or oil, avocado, olive, vegetable, or coconut
  • 1 large egg
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract

Instructions 

  • Prep: Heat oven to 350° F and spray or line a mini muffin tin.
  • Dry Ingredients: In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt.
  • Wet Ingredients: In the same bowl, add in the applesauce, mashed banana, carrots, butter, egg, and vanilla. With a spoon, gently mix until just incorporated. Do not overmix.
  • Fill: Spoon the batter into the muffin tin, filling 3/4 way to the top.
  • Bake: Place the muffin pan into the oven for 12-15 minutes or until just golden.
  • Cool: Let cool in the pan for 5 minutes before transitioning the muffins onto a cooling rack.
  • Serve and enjoy!

Notes

Age: 6+ months
Mini or Regular Size: you can make these muffins into mini or regular-size muffins, the only difference is the baking time. For mini muffins, bake for 10-12 minutes, for regular muffins bake for 18-20 minutes. 
Note on Flours: you can use all-purpose, white whole wheat flour, a mixture of 50/50 white and whole wheat flour, or gluten-free one-for-one flour. 
Applesauce: can use homemade or store-bought. If using store-bought then make sure to look for no-added-sugar applesauce.
Oil/Butter: to make the muffins nice and moist. You can use coconut, avocado, vegetable, olive, or melted butter.
Storage: store in an air-tight container on the counter or fridge for up to 4 days or in the freezer for up to 2 months. 

Expert Tips

  • Do No Overmix: I can’t stress this point enough – do not overmix the muffin batter, if you do they won’t rise in the oven and will become dense and hard. The dry ingredients should be just combined with the wet ingredients.
  • Let Cool: let the muffins cool for about 10 minutes before enjoying them and let them cool completely before storing.
  • Applesauce: to avoid including added sugar in this recipe, make sure the applesauce you use doesn’t have any added sugar in the ingredient list.
  • Banana: Use a very ripe banana for optimal sweetness.
  • No Sticking: make sure you generously grease the mini muffin molds or use mini muffin liners so that the muffins don’t stick to the pan.
How to Store & Freeze
Once the muffins have cooled completely, store them in an airtight container. They will keep on the counter for up to 4 days and in the fridge for up to a week.
To freeze the muffins, place the mini muffins into a freezer zip-lock baggie or stasher bag and place in the freezer. They will keep for up to 3 months frozen.
Thaw frozen mini ABC muffins overnight in the fridge or by gently warming them in the microwave.
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Equipment

dark gray 12 count muffin pan
Muffin Pan
Measuring Cups
Stackable Glass Bowl Set

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Medically reviewed and cowritten by Jamie Johnson, Registered Dietitian Nutritionist (RDN), and Lauren Braaten, Pediatric Occupational Therapist (OT).