These tasty mini Banana Muffins for Baby (8 months +) are a healthy snack to give to your little one. So quick and easy to whip up!
Mini muffins are great for chubby little hands
I was so excited when Kai turned 8 months old because I couldn’t wait to whip up mini muffins for him. They were easy to make and in no time, I would have 24 muffins for Kai (and me) to snack on.
Kai loves my muffins because I don’t think he’s ever declined one yet. When he was younger, the mini muffins fitted perfectly in his little chubby hands. He held them like they were apples whilst taking little bites out of them.
My little one is now 2 years old, and he still digs my muffins! The only thing that’s changed is he eats regular sized muffins. When I recently made a batch of Banana Oat Muffins, Kai helped himself to two muffins. One as an afternoon snack and one for after dinner. I can’t believe how fast he is growing, to think that one mini muffin filled him up a few months ago!
These Banana Muffins for baby smells so good when they’re baking, our entire house smelt amazing. They are such a great idea for a healthy, tasty snack for our little ones, and for us adults! After making a batch of 24 muffins for Kai, a few of these mysterious disappeared. I enjoyed them as they’re a good size for a guilt-free snack.
To keep Kai happy and healthy, I made these muffins with wholemeal flour, bananas and date syrup. There’s no added processed sugar or salt, and yet these muffins come out delicious. You won’t have problems getting your baby or toddler to snack on these little muffins.
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Healthy Banana Muffins for Baby
I’ve made a habit of tasting my son’s baby food before I give it to him. The thought always grossed me out, but my husband, Tomasi, made a valid point. ‘What if tastes horrible or, even worse, what if his food is off?’ If you ever wondered what baby food tastes like, then I’m here to tell you it’s bland and awful. Homemade baby food definitely tastes better!
I’ve followed a few healthy muffin recipes for babies, ones that promise great results by blending ingredients in a blender. Uh, they ended up tasting and looking like rubber. There’s no way I’m feeding that to my child because he could’ve choked on it.
It’s my fault, as a passionate cook, I should’ve known better. Why do we need to blend muffins when they’re so simple to whip up by hand? I also knew that over mixing muffin batter results in dense hard muffins!
I promise you that these muffins will not be hard as rocks or rubbery. They do taste healthy but, they also taste good and a little sweet. The secret ingredient is using date syrup to sweeten the muffin naturally.
Nurses warned us not to give honey and maple syrup before they turned a year old. When Kai was less than 12 months old, I used prunes and dates to sweeten his homemade baby food, so it was more palatable for him. Kai absolutely loved my CHIA PUDDING FOR BABIES which is made with dates.
Dates just don’t add natural sweetness, they also have plenty of nutrition value. They’re rich in fibre and vitamins, and although they are high in natural sugar, they won’t cause a rapid hike in blood sugar levels.
Ingredients for banana Muffins for Baby
Wholemeal flour (Whole-wheat flour) is less processed and more nutritious than plain/all-purpose flour. It’s a sneaky way for us to make our little ones eat healthier. However, if you don’t have any in the pantry, plain flour will work just fine. Don’t worry, these muffins will still be healthy!
Mild/light olive oil – Olive oil is the healthier alternative for oils. I used light olive oil as it doesn’t have a strong taste, and therefore less likely to deter our little ones from eating these muffins.
Date syrup – I found 3 varieties of date syrup at our local supermarket, so they’re easy to find. They’re stocked around the health section. Most date syrup brands are natural with no added sugar but always check the label. If you cannot find date syrup, leave it out because babies between 8 to 12 months old will still happily munch on these muffins. Toddlers are harder to trick as we subject them to more food choices at this stage, so for some sweetness, use honey or maple syrup.
How to make Banana Muffins for Baby
Step-by-step guide with photos
Preheat oven to 180°C (360°F) or 160°C (320°F) for fan-forced ovens. Line a 24 hole muffin tin with paper cases and spray the inside of the cases generously with oil to prevent the muffins from sticking.
In a large bowl, place in the flour and sift in the cinnamon and bi-carb soda. Then give it a quick whisk.
For the wet ingredients – In a separate bowl, whisk together the egg, milk, oil, date syrup and vanilla extract until combined. Then add in the mash banana and mix a few times.
Make a well in the flour mixture, then pour in the wet ingredients over it. Fold the mixture to combine just until there are no dry bits showing. Don’t over mix the batter as this will cause tough muffins.
Using two teaspoons, scoop up the batter and place them in the muffin holes. Divide the batter evenly for 24 muffins. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes or until a skewer comes out clean when inserted in the middle.
Leftovers – Allow the muffins to cool completely at room temperature. Transfer the muffins into an airtight container and store them at room temperature for 3 days. If frozen, these muffins will be good for up to 3 months.
A Third-Party Application calculated the calories and nutritional information. Please use this as an approximate guide only.
Cooking measurements are in Australian standard spoon and cup measurements.
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Cheers (I’ll drink to that) – Cat Tre
Banana Muffins for Baby
Ingredients
- 1¼ cup wholemeal flour (whole-wheat) (NOTE 1)
- ¼ tsp cinnamon
- 1 tsp bicarbonate soda (bi-carb/baking soda)
- 1 large egg
- 3 tbsp olive oil (mild/light) (NOTE 2)
- 2 tbsp milk (full cream or whole)
- 3 tbsp date syrup (NOTE 3)
- ½ tsp vanilla extract
- ½ cup mashed overripe banana (approx 1.5 bananas)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 180°C (360°F) or 160°C (320°F) for fan-forced ovens. Line a 24 hole muffin tin with paper cases and spray the inside of the cases generously with oil to prevent the muffins from sticking.
- In a large bowl, place in the flour and sift in the cinnamon and bi-carb soda. Then give it a quick whisk.
- For the wet ingredients – In a separate bowl, whisk together the egg, milk, oil, date syrup and vanilla extract until combined. Then add in the mash banana and mix a few times.
- Make a well in the flour mixture, then pour in the wet ingredients over it. Fold the mixture to combine just until there are no dry bits showing. Don't over mix the batter as this will cause tough muffins.
- Using two teaspoons, scoop up the batter and place them in the muffin holes. Divide the batter evenly for 24 muffins. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes or until a skewer comes out clean when inserted in the middle.
