These Grinch Mini Muffins are a great holiday treat for baby and toddler, but they’re also great for adults!
Made with whole wheat flour, banana, a little lemon zest, and packed with spinach, these muffins can be served as breakfast, lunch, snack or even a festive dessert!
And who doesn’t need a little delicious nutritious boost in their day!
The same recipe as my Spinach Quinoa Muffins but with some heart. The Grinch’s heart grew three sizes that day. Maybe that’s the day he ate these delicious little muffins! Hee hee
All you have to do is draw a cute little heart on top in icing and you have yourself a Grinch mini muffin!
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Please let me know if you have any questions about this recipe. I read all the comments myself and I try to help as soon as I can. I have readers from all levels of comfort and experience in the kitchen on my site, and I’ve tried to answer some of your questions already in the post. But if I’ve missed anything, please feel free to leave a comment and ask.
There’s so much to love about these muffins!
Blender muffins
These are freezer-friendly
There’s that hidden veggie so your kids or husband don’t know!
They make a great breakfast, lunch, snack or even dessert
Fits in a lunch box
Can these be made ahead?
Yes! These can easily be made ahead for a quick breakfast or snack at any time. Add the icing heart to them right before serving, as icing tends to melt or bleed if left out too long.
The muffins will keep for about 2 days in an airtight container on the counter.
If you aren’t going to eat the quinoa spinach muffins right away, store them in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days.
Can these be frozen?
For longer storage, about 3 more months, put the muffins in an air-tight container or a zip-top bag and place in the freezer.
To defrost, take them out of the freezer and pop them in the fridge overnight.
They can be enjoyed cold from the fridge, or reheat in the microwave about 20 seconds for refrigerated, and 60 seconds for frozen. You can also reheat them in the oven or toaster oven at 350° F for 5-10 minutes.
Can I make these vegan?
If you’d like to make a vegan version, substitute an additional tablespoon of ground flaxseed blended with 3 tablespoons lukewarm water for the egg.
Can I substitute the sugar?
The sugar in these muffins may be replaced by an equal amount of honey or maple syrup, but this substitution will alter the texture of the muffins.
How to cook quinoa
You’ll need to make sure you have some cooked quinoa.
Run cold water over uncooked quinoa in a fine mesh strainer.
In a medium saucepan, add ½ cup quinoa and 1 cup water. Bring to a boil. Once boiling, reduce heat to a simmer and cover. Simmer about 15 minutes or until all the water is absorbed. Fluff gently with a fork.
Once you have the cooked quinoa, either freshly cooked, or leftover, proceed with the rest of the muffins. (This recipe is a great way to use up any leftover quinoa that you may have.)
Do I need to take the stems off the spinach leaves?
No, you don’t have to remove the stems. Just throw the leaves in there, stems and all. Those prewashed containers at the grocery store sure are convenient for this!
Draw the Grinch’s heart
These sweet little muffins get their lovable Grinch nature from the red heart on top.
It’s easy to draw a heart free hand with icing from the store.
If you’d like to make homemade royal icing, check out Cake Whiz for a great recipe.
You can also buy premade icing hearts, decorations, or sprinkles from Amazon with my affiliate links.
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Grinch Muffins Recipe
Grinch Muffins
Ingredients
- 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
- 3/4 cup whole wheat flour
- ¼ teaspoon table salt
- ¼ teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- Around 3-5 cups fresh spinach enough to yield 1 cup puree
- 3 tablespoons water
- 1 overripe banana
- 1 egg
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- Zest of 1 lemon or ½ teaspoon lemon extract
- 1 tablespoon ground flaxseed
- ½ cup cooked quinoa
- Red icing to draw the heart
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350° F. In you have metal muffin tins, lightly grease & flour metal mini muffin tins. Silicone muffin cups don’t need any prep.
- In a large bowl, whisk dry ingredients: flours, salt, baking powder, and baking soda, and set aside.
- In a blender blend the spinach with the water. When you get one cup of puree, return the puree to the blender, add banana, egg, sugar, oil, vanilla extract, lemon zest (or lemon extract), and flaxseed, and blend until everything is uniform.
- Add the wet mixture to the dry mixture in batches, stirring gently just until evenly distributed. Gently fold in the cooked quinoa.
- Spoon the batter into muffin cups, and bake 10-13 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out dry.
- Allow the muffins to cool completely, and draw the red heart on the top of the muffin in icing.
Nutrition
Nutritional information is based on third-party calculations, and should be considered estimates. Actual nutritional content will vary based on brands used, measuring methods, portion sizes, and more.
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