Banana Chia Muffins for Toddlers (No Added Sugar!)

These delicious Banana Chia Muffins For Toddlers are soft, nourishing, and have no added sugar. Muffins are the toddler snack lifesaver we all need in our lives. Plus these muffins are packed with fibre and omega-3 fats, to help keep our kids nourished and support their growth and development. They are also easy to prep and freezer friendly!

Banana Chia Muffins for Toddlers - No Added Sugar!

We love having a delicious go-to muffin recipe that has no added sugar making them toddler friendly. They are the perfect muffin to be served at breakfast with a little yogurt and fruit, in your child's lunchbox, or for an afternoon snack. The banana and applesauce makes them sweet enough so no added sugar needed!

Table of Contents

• Banana Chia Muffins for Toddlers - No Added Sugar!
• What Makes These Banana Chia Seed Muffins Unique
• Ingredients You'll Need for These Easy Banana Chia Muffins
• How To Make Healthy Banana Chia Muffins For Toddlers
• Substitutions
• Variations
• Equipment
• How to Store Banana Chia Muffins For Toddlers
• Top Tip for Serving Banana Chia Muffins to Toddlers
• FAQ
• Recipe
• More Healthy Snacks

What Makes These Banana Chia Seed Muffins Unique

• Naturally sweetened - These muffins are naturally sweetened with banana and applesauce
• High in fibre - I used whole wheat flour and whole rolled oats in these muffins to provide important fibre and nutrients for kids
• Toddler size - These muffins are such a fun mini size! My 15 month old absolutely loves holding these muffins in her little hands
• Freezer-friendly - A very important consideration with recipes. We all need snacks that can be stored in the freezer so that we have them on hand when needed
• Nut-free - Great option for daycares or preschools

Ingredients You'll Need for These Easy Banana Chia Muffins

• Bananas - Ripe bananas, spots on the bananas are fine! Bananas are one of my favourite ingredients for toddler muffins
• Eggs - Help with binding of the muffins
• Milk - We used whole milk, but any milk or plant based beverage works. We like using whole milks for the healthy fats and protein
• Unsweetened applesauce - Provides moisture and a little natural sweetness
• Vanilla
• Coconut oil - Help with providing that soft yummy texture
• Whole wheat flour - Adds a great fibre boost and retains a lot of nutrients like B vitamins
• Oats - Rolled oats large flake or small flake both work
• Cinnamon - A delicious spice that helps bring in different flavours for toddlers
• Baking powder & Baking soda - Important to help the muffins rise
• Chia seeds - Tiny seeds that are packed full of fibre and omega-3 fats, important for toddler growth and development
• Raisins (optional) - These add such a fun little extra chewiness to the muffins and are simple way to expose kids to different textures in a familiar food. Totally optional though! And if you are offering these muffins to a baby for baby-led weaning, you'll want to either omit the raisins or rehydrated them in water and finely dice them up for safety.

See recipe card for quantities.

How To Make Healthy Banana Chia Muffins For Toddlers

Here is an overview of how to make these muffins, or you can skip down to the recipe card with detailed instructions.

Hint: Even though these are mini muffins, I didn’t find they baked much faster than regular muffins. In my oven, they were ready at around 18 minutes, when the tops turned golden and they were cooked in the middle. Ovens vary, so keep an eye on colour and texture instead of just the timer.

Substitutions

• Dairy-free: Any fortified plant-based milk works well. Soy will provide more protein than oat or almond. I usually go with whole milk for toddlers because of the protein and fat, but use what works for your family.
• Oil: Melted butter or olive oil can replace coconut oil. Each gives a slightly different flavour, but they all keep the muffins tender.
• Flour: You can swap half the whole wheat flour for all-purpose if you prefer a lighter texture. Using all whole wheat will make the muffins a bit denser but also higher in fibre.
  Add-ins:
• Blueberries or finely grated apple for a fun fruit twist.
• Grated zucchini or carrot for veggie exposure (not hidden, just included).
• A few mini chocolate chips for older kids if you want a fun version.
• No raisins? No problem. The muffins work without them, or you can swap in chopped dried apricots or cranberries.

Variations

Looking for other toddler muffins? Check out these Banana Blackberry Muffins which are sweetened with just a little bit of maple syrup, or these protein packed Cottage Cheese Blueberry Muffins. If you are looking for muffins that are great for baby-led weaning with no sugar added, you'll love these Prune & Apple Baby Muffins or these Apple and Pear Crumble Muffins, or my most popular muffin recipe, ABC (apple, banana, and carrot) Muffins for Babies and Toddlers.

Equipment

• A small blender or mixer can be helpful for mashing up the banana
• Large bowl
• Mini muffin pan

How to Store Banana Chia Muffins For Toddlers

You can store these muffins at room temperature for 2-3 days in an air tight container. In the fridge they tend to dry out a little bit. These muffins also freeze so well! Once the muffins are cooled, store them in a freezer safe bag or container for 1-2 months. If adding a frozen muffin to a lunchbox, you can add it directly in and it will be thawed by lunch! Or you can thaw in the fridge or at room temperature and add it in so that it is ready by morning snack time.

FAQ

Recipe

More Healthy Snacks

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