High Fiber Muffins
To call these high fiber muffins healthy would honestly be an understatement. They're packed with 9 different plant foods- including 4 hidden veggies- naturally sweetened with banana and dates, with no added sugar in sight. They're soft, moist and before anyone asks… no, they absolutely do not taste like spinach.
These high fiber muffins became my little survival project during my daughter's first picky eater phase. Fruit was usually fine…veggies? Absolutely not. So I figured if I could cover most of the veggie situation at breakfast already, I could relax a little for the rest of the day.
Research suggests aiming for 30 different plant foods per week for better gut health and these muffins pack in 10 different plants alone, all from wholesome ingredients. The base is oatmeal and flaxseeds, with pumpkin puree, carrots, zucchini, and spinach packed in for the veggies. Then for sweetness and flavor, there's banana, dates, and juicy blueberries.
Thankfully, they didn't just turn out healthy, but actually really delicious too and she still loves them! I honestly couldn't be happier with how they turned out.
Other wholesome muffin recipes include these Carrot, Zucchini Banana Muffins, Sweet Potato Zucchini Muffins, or my Cottage Cheese Blueberry Lemon Muffins.
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What makes these muffins high in fiber
These muffins are made entirely from wholesome plant foods rather than refined flour or sugar, helping keep the fibre content naturally high. With around 4g of fibre per muffin, one muffin already covers roughly 20-25% of a toddler's daily fibre needs and about 10-15% of an adult's recommended intake.
- Oats: The oat base adds plenty of wholegrain fibre to help keep little tummies full and satisfied.
- Flaxseeds: Naturally high in fibre and also rich in plant-based omega-3 fatty acids (ALA).
- Hidden veggies: Pumpkin puree, carrots, zucchini, and spinach all contribute extra fibre.
- Fresh fruit: Bananas and blueberries add extra fibre alongside natural sweetness.
- Dried fruit: Dates naturally sweeten the muffins without the need for maple syrup or refined sugar, while also adding additional fibre.
Ingredients you'll need
- Oats: Rolled oats work best here- quick oats can work too, but avoid steel cut oats.
- Flaxseeds: Can be swapped for chia seeds if needed.
- Bananas: The browner and spottier, the sweeter the muffins will taste.
- Dates: I used Deglet Noor. Make sure they're soft and sticky for easy blending. If not, soak in very hot water for a couple of minutes.
- Pumpkin puree: Sweet potato puree works well too. If using store-bought make sure there's no additives in there. Can be replaced with yogurt.
- Rapeseed oil: Can be replaced with another neutral oil.
- Spinach: Adds some healthy greens + you can't taste it, promise.
- Blueberries: Fresh or frozen both work.
- Zucchini & carrots: Make sure to squeeze out excess moisture before adding.
Step-by-step instructions
Here's a quick step-by-step with photos so you can see exactly how it comes together. You'll find the full printable recipe card down below.
Step 1: Add the oats and flaxseed to a blender, blend into course flour.
Step 2: Add eggs, pumpkin puree, bananas, oil, dates and spinach to a blender and blend until smooth.
Step 3: Pour the wet ingredients into the dry and stir in grated zucchini, carrots and blueberries.
Step 4: Divide the batter into 12 muffin tins and bake for 20-23 minutes.
Picky eaters tip
- Grate the zucchini and carrots very finely using the smallest side of a box grater so they blend almost invisibly into the muffins.
- Disguise green color: If your toddler is old enough to have cocoa powder, add about ¼ cup to help disguise the green color.
I share more little tips like this in my How to Get My Toddlers to Eat Veggies post.
Serving suggestions by age
Once your pediatrician has cleared mixed-ingredient foods, these muffins can be a lovely option from around 6 months onward, particularly for Baby-Led Weaning.
For more specific age-related serving suggestions- including how to serve muffins for 6-month-olds, 9-month-olds, and 12-month-olds check out our Healthy Muffins for Toddlers & Babies post.
Storage
- To store: Store the muffins in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days.
- To freeze: They are also freezer-friendly. Let them cool completely, then store in a freezer-safe container or bag for up to 3 months.
- To reheat: Let thaw at room temperature or warm briefly in the microwave for a few seconds until soft again.
FAQs
I personally like to peel the carrots because I find the flavour a little sweeter and milder that way, but the zucchini skin can stay on. Just give everything a good wash first.
That's simply from the spinach blended into the batter. If you want to hide the color a little more for picky eaters, you can add about ¼ cup cocoa powder (depending on the age of your kid).
Sweet potato puree or yogurt works really well as a substitute.
Yes- these are great for babies and toddlers, especially since they're naturally sweetened with banana and dates only. For younger babies, just make sure the muffins are served in an age-appropriate way.
More healthy muffin recipes
- Lemon, Blueberry Cottage Cheese Muffins
- Banana Carrot Zucchini Muffins
- Sweet Potato Zucchini Muffins
- ABC Muffins
- Carrot Date Muffins
High Fiber Muffins (with Hidden Veggies)
Ingredients
Dry Ingredients
- 2 cups (200 g) rolled oats
- ¼ cup (30 g) flax seeds
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
Wet Ingredients
- 2 eggs
- 7 oz (200 g) bananas (2 bananas)
- ⅓ cup (80 g) pumpkin puree see notes for substitution
- ¼ cup (60 g) rapeseed oil
- 4 dates *optional for sweetness
- 1 handful of baby spinach
Add-Ins
- ¾ cup (100 g) grated carrot (measured before squeezing)
- ⅓ cup (60 g) grated zucchini (measured before squeezing)
- ⅓ cup (50 g) blueberries
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F (180℃) and line or grease a muffin tray.
- Add oats and flax seeds to a blender and blend into a flour-like texture.2 cups rolled oats, ¼ cup flax seeds
- Transfer to a bowl, add baking powder and baking soda, and whisk together.1 tsp baking powder, ½ tsp baking soda
- Add eggs, banana, pumpkin puree, spinach, rapeseed oil, and dates (if using) to the blender. Blend until smooth. Make sure the dates are very soft- if not, soak them in hot water for a couple of minutes.2 eggs, 7 oz bananas , ¼ cup rapeseed oil, 1 handful of baby spinach, ⅓ cup pumpkin puree, 4 dates
- Squeeze out any excess moisture from the carrots and zucchini using your hands or a clean kitchen towel, then fold them into the batter together with the blueberries.¾ cup grated carrot , ⅓ cup grated zucchini , ⅓ cup blueberries
- Divide batter evenly into the muffin tray (I like using a cookie scoop). Bake for 20-23 minutes or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean.
- Let cool for a few minutes in the tray, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
Equipment
- 1 large mixing bowl
- 1 High-speed blender
- 1 box grater
- 1 Measuring cups/spoons or kitchen scale
- 1 muffin tray + liners
- 1 wire cooling rack
Notes
- Picky eaters tips: Finely grate the zucchini and carrots so they blend invisibly into the muffins. If feeding these to older toddlers and kids you could add ¼ cup cocoa powder to disguise the green color.
- Storage: Store the muffins in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days, or freeze for up to 3 months once fully cooled. To serve, let thaw at room temperature or warm briefly in the microwave until soft again.
- Pumpkin puree substitution: You can also swap the pumpkin puree for sweet potato puree or Greek yogurt if preferred.
