My recipe for The Best Toddler Muffins is one of my most viewed recipes. Apparently making muffins for toddlers is more fun than making them for adults. So here is another one of my favorite toddler muffin recipes. Just don’t be surprised when the whole family loves them.
These tasty toddler muffins are packed with bananas, cream cheese, wheat germ, ground flaxseed, coconut oil, oatmeal, and whole wheat flour. They are delicious and so good you and your toddlers will never guess you are eating so many healthy ingredients–so many good things to cram into your kiddos (and yourself.)
The cream cheese is a fantastic addition and gives the muffins a unique and delicious texture. They’re the perfect snack or breakfast on the go.
This recipe makes two dozen normal-sized muffins or four dozen mini muffins, and they freeze really well.
More Delicious Muffins
- Banana Chocolate Chip Muffins
- No-Fail Blueberry Muffins
- Refrigerator Bran Muffins
- Amazing Fresh Peach Muffins
- Chocolate Zucchini Muffins
- Pumpkin Oat Muffins with Streusel Topping
how to make toddler muffins with banana, cream cheese and oatmeal
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
- Grease or put liners in muffin tins.
- With a hand mixer or a stand mixer, cream softened cream cheese, coconut oil, and sugar.
- Add eggs one at a time and continue mixing.
- Next, add bananas and vanilla.
- Add wheat germ, ground flaxseed, oats, whole wheat flour, all-purpose flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Mix until well combined.
- Fill muffin tins 2/3 full, sprinkle with cinnamon sugar, if desired, and bake at 350 degrees for 18-20 minutes or until top springs back or toothpick comes out clean when inserted in the middle of a muffin.
- If using mini muffin tins, bake at 350 degrees for 12-16 minutes.
- Remove the muffins and let them cool on a cooling rack.
- Enjoy!
Tips for making Toddler Muffins with Banana, Cream Cheese and Oatmeal
- Make sure your bananas are really, really ripe to give the muffins optimal sweetness!
- If you only have whole flaxseeds on hand, you can grind some up in a coffee grinder, pepper mill, or food processor. Store remaining ground flaxseeds in an airtight container in the refrigerator.
- To quickly soften the cream cheese, remove the foil wrapper and set it on a microwave-safe plate. Microwave the cream cheese for 15-20 seconds. To test its softness, place your finger on the middle of the cream cheese. It should feel softer but not hot.
- The muffins stay fresh 2-3 days covered on the countertop. If you have leftovers, freeze them in an airtight container or Ziploc freezer bag for up to two months.
baker’s tools:
- 1 (8 ounce) cream cheese, softened
- ½ cup coconut oil
- ½ cup sugar
- 2 eggs
- 3 really ripe bananas, mashed
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 3 tbsp wheat germ
- 3 tbsp ground flaxseeds
- 1 cup quick oats
- ¾ cup whole wheat flour
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 1½ tsp baking powder
- ½ tsp baking soda
- ½ tsp salt
- ½ tsp cinnamon
- pinch of nutmeg
- cinnamon sugar, for sprinkling (optional)
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
- Grease or put liners in muffin tins.
- With a hand mixer or a stand mixer, cream softened cream cheese, coconut oil, and sugar.
- Add eggs one at a time and continue mixing.
- Next, add bananas and vanilla.
- Add wheat germ, ground flaxseed, oats, whole wheat flour, all-purpose flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Mix until well combined.
- Fill muffin tins ⅔ full, sprinkle with cinnamon sugar, if desired, and bake at 350 degrees for 18-20 minutes or until top springs back or toothpick comes out clean when inserted in the middle of a muffin.
- If using mini muffin tins, bake at 350 degrees for 12-16 minutes.
- Remove the muffins and let them cool on a cooling rack.
- Enjoy!
Julie Sanders
I did not have any wheat flour on hand, nor wheat germ, nor flax seeds. I simply left all of that out and just used regular flour and added chia seeds. My 19 month old loves them and so do I. I love the fact that they aren’t too sweet and really enjoyed the light crunch from the chia seed. I froze them and just pull them out and heat as needed. Thank you for a delicious recipe! Oh….my toddler had her first experience in the kitchen watching the mixer. She poured in the sugar, wiped the counter down, and even dried a few dishes. We had a great time in the kitchen together!
Maria
Yay! I am so glad you liked them and had a fun time cooking with your toddler. And seriously, is there anything cuter than a toddler wiping of the counter? Adorable! 🙂
Cheryl
Just made these and they are delicious, cannot wait for family breakfast time in the morning mmmmm! Thank you X
Maria
Oh good! You are welcome, glad you like them!
Karen
I’m just wondering it says 8oz cream cheese on one page but in recipe it say 18 oz or I’m reading it wrong it’s one 8 oz just written 18oz? Thanks!
Maria
Hi Karen,
It is 1 (8 oz) …sorry about the confusion. I will hurry and fix it. 🙂
Maria
Karen
Thank you! I figured I was probably reading into to too much! 🙂
Maria
No problem!
Karen
I made these and I didn’t have quick oats so I ground rolled oats, and used a mixture of whole wheat with a touch of spelt (I didn’t have white flour) instead of white sugar half a cup honey half cup brown. (Apparently I need to grocery shop was missing a lot lol). Even and didn’t have wheat germ of flax but the are DELICIOUS!! The cream cheese just makes them so tasty! Even my husband (harder than the toddler to please) loves them. Thank you so much for this wonderful recipe.
Maria
Hi Karen,
Sounds like you made some great substitutions. I am glad they turned out delicious. I am so glad your husband and toddler love them too. I love the flavor and texture the cream cheese gives them and it’s nice to know there is a little extra protein in there. 🙂
Maria
Nicole Wilson-Storey
How many calories are in one regular muffin? With the exact ingredients required?
Maria
I am sorry, Nicole, but I have no idea.
Christina
This recipe is great! My 18 month old is loving them as we speak! How would you store these for a few days besides freezing them?
Maria
If I know I won’t be using them for a day or two I still put them in the freezer, it keeps them the most fresh and they thaw rather quickly so its usually never a problem.
Amanda
I used whole flax seeds instead of ground, and added 1-1/2 cups of frozen blueberries, and they came out awesome!!!
Maria
I’ll have to give adding blueberries a shot, my 4 year old would love that! Thanks Amanda!
Tori
One of my cooking magazines said our bodies have a very hard time breaking down whole flax seed, men especially. This was annoying to find out since I had just bought an entire bag of whole flax seed and had to grind them. 🤪
Anna
They turned out delicious! Only had 1 banana but added a cup of applesauce. Best toddler muffins I’ve had!
Terry Brandau
Maria, can’t wait to make these muffins for my grandchildren (and me!) I am a first time visitor to your site and will be back to check you out and share some additional recipes
soon!
Maria
Welcome Terry! I am glad you found me. Your grandkids (and you) will loves these!
Leanne
My 4 year old and 22 month old just devoured their muffins! Not only are these muffins tasty, the house smells glorious! The smell of cinnamon is one of my favorites. The only ingredients I didn’t have on hand were the wheat germ (I substituted oat bran) and whole wheat flour. I just used regular flour and they turned out great! I like how these muffins hold together nicely and your little ones won’t make a big crumbly mess out of them (for the most part, ha!)
Maria
Yay! They’re the best, right! 🙂
JoAnna
I was looking for a nutritious muffin recipe that I could make for my 14-month-old daughter to send with her to daycare, and I stumbled across your recipe… They are phenomenal! I made mini muffins that can fit in her little lunch box, and I know she is going to love them just as much as me. Thanks so much for sharing!
Maria
You are so welcome! I love hearing this. My 2 year old loves it when I make these as mini muffins. Perfect for their little hands. 🙂
Carrie
Does the coconut oil have to be melted? Thanks.
Maria
it can be melted or softened. It needs to be able to mix into the rest of the mixture which is difficult if it is in solid form.
Shauna Kelley
My kiddo devours these! I have my second batch in the oven now. They have made day care snacks so much easier than me trying to cut up and transport fruit and other things. I freeze them and then pull 3-4 out at a time. They thaw in a few hours and he seriously cannot get enough of them. I am happy knowing that he is getting something nutritious, and he is happy getting to eat these. Thanks so much for sharing!
Maria
Yay! I love hearing things like this. This is exactly why I blog. Glad he loves them and glad they make your life easier!
Cindy G
I absolutely love this recipe! I have made it several times and it comes out so moist and I love that it has alot of healthy ingredients…alot of other toddler muffin recipes are more like regular muffins but this is so nutrient dense..and tastes great too. I never have wheat germ so I just put some extra flax seeds. Thank you for sharing.
Maria
Hi Cindy! I am so glad you love this recipe and have made it many times. That makes me so happy! Flax seeds are a great substitution. That’s one of the best things about this recipe. You can play around with what you have on hand and it still comes out great!
Desiree
I usually make your other “best toddler muffin” recipe with pumpkin purée/sweet potato with veggies and those are my kids favorite. I decided to try this recipe and after they came out of the oven, they were good. I made them at night and stored them in the freezer (as you suggested) and a few in the fridge for the morning, but this made them hard and dense as opposed to how soft they were coming out of the oven. I let them thaw and my toddler is not too picky of an eater and he took one bite and left it on the counter 🙁 Are they supposed to be so hard/dense? Do you have to store these in the fridge/freezer? I’m tempted to microwave them for a few seconds when ready to eat in hopes to make them more appealing.
Maria
Hi Desiree, No you do not have to freeze or refrigerate them. That was meant as advice if you are not going to be eating them in a day or two. The muffins should not be hard and dense once they are thawed. You can put them in the microwave for 20-30 seconds if you are pulling them out of the freezer. Hope that answers your questions.
Nancy
Thank you so much for this recipe!!!
My little one loved them ? And even my husband (who never cares for any healthier recipes) loved these as well!
These muffins are a very good choice to add to any lunch box.
Maria
Yay! this makes me so happy Nancy!
Lynn Armstrong
I found you randomly on Pinterest ; ) I am no cook but here I go!!!!! So nice to “meet” you!!
Maria
Nice to meet you too! You’ll find plenty of awesome, easy recipes on this site!
Carla SOMERVILLE
Made these for my college-aged kids. Used old-fashioned oats, doubled the vanilla, cinnamon, and nutmeg, and added 1/4 cup ground walnuts and a small chopped apple. Yum!
Kimberly Lynne
Hi Maria, I know this post is older but I just found these via Pinterest. I added chocolate chips hoping to entice my kiddos to try them. Neither of them like bananas. Success! They gobbled them up. Thank you for a great recipe!
Maria
Yay Kimberly! This makes me so happy!
Alisa
Wish I found this recipie sooner! Made them exactly as written and they are fabulous! My picky 5 yr old and my husband and I love them. Thank you!
Maria
Hi Alisa, I am so happy to hear this! I am so glad your family loves them! Thank you for your feedback!
Suzanne
This looks so good! What a great breakfast meal prep to have ready for the little one!
Maria
Thanks Suzanne.
Vanessa
Thanks for sharing! Do they keep long?
Maria
2-3 days or you can freeze them in a Ziploc for up to a month or two.
D Morris
Yum!! My boys and I both loved these! I did not feel guilty letting them eat them with all the helpful good stuff inside. Thanks for another yummy recipe! #marchgiveaway
Maria
Yay! This makes me so happy Danelle!
Kathrine
I just made these. They are delicious! My whole family loved them.
#aprilgiveaway
Maria
Yay! I love hearing that Kathrine!
Callie
#septembergiveawsy