Green Smoothie Muffins have all the nutrition of a spinach-packed green smoothie — in muffin form! Great for a healthy breakfast or snack.
Look, I know.
I know, these gluten free muffins look a little like mud muffins, but I promise that Green Smoothie Muffins are greener in real life and you won’t care anyway because not only are these tender, sweet, and cinnamon-y muffins to die for, but each one is packed with 1/3 cup spinach.
That means when you’re eating a Green Smoothie Muffin you’re technically eating a salad. Health Goddess alert!
Watch How to Make Them!
Great for Kids
One of the most common struggles parents face is getting their kids to eat their vegetables. Luckily my oldest usually eats whatever I put in front of him, but my middle changes his mind daily about what vegetables are acceptable, and my youngest, well, you can’t feed a one year old with four teeth and a distaste for anything pureed a baby carrot now, can you?
That said, I sneak vegetables into my family’s meals every single day. Maybe “sneak” is the wrong word because if anyone asks what a green speck is I’ll tell them, but you know what I mean. Anyway, here are some of my favorite ways to add nutrition in a non obvious way:
- Saute ground beef for taco or spaghetti night with minced mushrooms, cauliflower crumbles, or shredded bagged coleslaw.
- Add shredded zucchini to meatballs or burgers.
- Swap out or cut white rice with cauliflower rice.
- Spiralize vegetables to make them more fun to eat.
- Utilize cauliflower’s creamy properties to thicken up and healthify soups.
- Bury vegetables under mashed potatoes.
- Serve guacamole with EVERYTHING.
Green Smoothie Blender Muffins
Another favorite way to get greens into my kids’ diet is to blend them up into smoothies. That said, it gets to be a chore lugging the blender from the cupboard each day, getting everything out from the fridge and freezer, etc.
You know what’s easier? Adding the ingredients that normally go into a green smoothie – spinach, banana, milk – with a few other healthy items including almond flour and flaxseed meal, then baking them up into muffins that taste like banana bread.
Can you say UPGRADE?!
Green Smoothie Muffins are k-i-l-l-i-n-g it in the wholesome department and all three of my children are going crazy for them. To have these healthy, gluten free muffins ready to rock in the fridge anytime they need a snack, or to break out for an easy breakfast is beyond helpful.
True, the color leaves something to be desired, but the nutrition and taste more then make up for it. I keep eating them thinking to myself, “Surely I can’t post this recipe when the muffins looks like this…” Or, “This time I’m definitely going to taste the spinach…” But I did, and I can’t. They are so good!
How to Make Green Smoothie Muffins
Start by adding the wet ingredients into a high-powered blender in the order listed below. I use my trusty Blendtec blender. You’ll need something that’s powerful enough to liquify spinach.
- 4 lightly packed cups baby spinach
- 1 large ripe banana
- 1/4 cup coconut oil
- 1/2 cup + 2 Tablespoons pure maple syrup (not pancake syrup)
- 1/2 cup water
- 1/4 cup milk, any kind (I use unsweetened almond milk)
- 2 teaspoons vanilla
Next, whisk the dry ingredients in a large bowl:
- 1-1/4 cups super fine almond flour
- 3/4 cup gluten free 1-to-1 baking flour blend
- 1/4 cup ground flaxseed meal
- 2 teaspoons cinnamon
- 1-1/2 teaspoons baking soda
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients then whisk to combine and let the batter sit and thicken for 5 minutes before scooping a heaping 1/4 cup batter (I use an ice cream scoop) into a 12 cup lined muffin tin.
Bake for 19-21 minutes at 375 degrees then turn the oven OFF, crack the oven door open, and let the muffins sit inside for 5 minutes. Then, set the tin in on the counter for 10 minutes before transferring the muffins to a cooling rack to cool completely.
I know you’ll love these Green Smoothie Muffins as much as we do — enjoy, enjoy!
More Gluten Free Baked Goods
- Gluten Free Pumpkin Muffins
- Gluten Free Banana Bread
- Baked Oatmeal Cups
- Gluten Free Strawberry Muffins
- Almond Flour Blueberry Muffins
- Gluten Free Cinnamon Rolls
- Maple Pumpkin Oatmeal Breakfast Bars
- Gluten Free Zucchini Bread
- Gluten Free Pumpkin Bread
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1-1/4 cups super fine almond flour
- 3/4 cup gluten free baking flour blend WITH binder, see notes
- 1/4 cup flaxseed meal
- 2 teaspoons cinnamon
- 1-1/2 teaspoons baking soda
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 4 cups lightly packed baby spinach
- 1 large ripe banana
- 1/4 cup coconut oil
- 1/2 cup + 2 Tablespoons pure maple syrup, not pancake syrup
- 1/2 cup water
- 1/4 cup milk, any kind, I use unsweetened almond milk
- 2 teaspoons vanilla
Directions
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees then add paper liners to a 12 cup muffin tin and set aside.
- To a large bowl add almond flour, gluten free baking flour blend, ground flaxseed, cinnamon, baking soda, baking powder, and salt then whisk to combine and set aside.
- To a high-powered blender, add remaining ingredients in the order listed in the recipe: spinach, then banana, etc. Blend until completely smooth - ie there are no visible pieces of spinach remaining. I use the "Whole Juice" cycle on my Blendtec. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients then whisk to combine and let batter sit and thicken for 5 minutes.
- Scoop a heaping 1/4 cup batter into each lined muffin cup (I use an ice cream scoop) then bake for 19-21 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Turn the oven OFF then leave the door slightly ajar and let the muffins sit inside for 5 minutes. Remove to the counter then let muffins cool in the tin for 10 minutes before transferring to a cooling rack to cool completely. Store in the refrigerator or wrap individually in plastic wrap and freeze.
Notes
- I like Bob's Red Mill super fine almond flour and 1 to 1 gluten free baking flour (in the blue bag).
- I love my Blendtec blender and use the "whole juice" cycle when blending spinach.
Nutrition
Nutritional values are estimates only. Please read our full nutrition information disclaimer.
Hi Kristin! I love your website and use your recipes all the time, thank you! These muffins look amazing, but I can’t use the almond flour because my daughter has an anaphylactic reaction to nuts and peanuts. Would you recommend just using more of the Bob’s Redmill 1:1? Or is there a non-nut flour I should use in it’s place?
Thanks so much for your help!
Darn it, I’m sorry to hear that, Deb. :( I haven’t tested changing up the ratios so I can’t say for sure. You could halve or even quarter the recipe to give it a try so you wouldn’t waste as many ingredients if they don’t turn out!
Deb – did you find a nut free alternative?
Thank you so much for this post and this recipe! I worry so much about if my 17 month old twins are getting enough vegetables. They love these muffins!
The struggle is real – I know exactly how you feel!! So glad they love these muffins!
Made these this morning because I happened to have all of the ingredients (except I subbed an equal amount of regular flour). They were SO good! In fact so good my 2 and 3 year olds each ate 3 each! Thanks for another great family friendly recipe.
So glad to hear it, Stephanie!! Thanks so much for your feedback!
Thank you so much for coming back to say you made this with regular flour! I was searching for someone that had so I could whip up a batch without having any of the other flours on hand!
I have lots of Swiss chard in the garden right now. Would it be possible to substitute the Swiss chard for the spinach?
Hi Angie! That might be a tough swap since swiss chard has such a bold flavor, vs spinach’s mild/almost undetectable flavor. I might try using your excess chard in this dish instead! https://iowagirleats.com/2018/05/01/sesame-chicken-fried-rice/
Any thoughts on how to make these if you don’t have a high power blender? I’m pregnant and unfortunately most of my food aversions so far have been around veggies so I’m trying desperately to sneak them in my diet in other ways. This looks like it would be a great option, but I don’t have any blender, just a food processor.
Hi Rosie! I contemplated whether I could make this in a food processor but I just don’t think the spinach would get smooth enough, unfortunately. :( Do you have an immersion blender by chance? If so that might work in a bowl?
I decided to try this recipe this morning. I’m always looking for day camp lunch ideas for my kids, which is challenging because the center is peanut-free. My kids are picky with veggies, but like green smoothies so they were on board with trying these. They were a hit! My very picky 8-year-old had two and decided we should call them “The Hulk muffins.” :) And I don’t have to fret over camp lunch for a couple days. Thank you!
LOVE IT!! So glad these were a hit at your house!
Do you think I could substitute applesauce or pumpkin purée for the banana? No one in our home will touch a baked good with banana in it ☺️
Hi Jacque! I didn’t test the recipe with anything but banana so unfortunately I can’t say for sure!
These look really good and I want to make them. Can you taste the coconut oil? I have never cooked with it and my bf won’t eat something if it tastes like coconut. Can you sub the coconut oil for olive or another oil? I love all of your recipes!
Thanks!
Hi Natalie! I can’t taste the coconut oil at all!
Great thank you so much Kristin!
These sound great! If I were to use regular or whole wheat flour, would I use 2 cups?
Hi Jane! I can’t say for sure since I only tested this recipe with the gluten free flour blend and almond flour. I’m sorry I can’t be of more help!
Looking forward to making these, as soon as I have a little room in my freezer. Have you ever tried frozen spinach in these instead of the fresh? And do you think it would be the 10 oz box or 1 lb bag? We always have some in the freezer. Thanks, Kristin.
Hi Nancy! I have only tried fresh so I can’t say for sure what quantity to use / how the muffins would turn out with frozen spinach!
So wierd I was just looking up your green smoothie recipe when this popped up in my email! Looks delicious!
Perfect timing! :D
These sound great and are super healthy! I love that I have many of the ingredients already on hand, too!
Perfect! I hope you love them, Melissa!
We call them muscle muffins in our house! I’ve made a non gluten free version for over 10 years and my 11 year old still calls them that and flexes her biceps before the first bite!
LOVE that name!! I was going to attempt to explain Popeye to Lincoln, but this seems easier. ;)