For a healthy snack that kids will love, try these avocado banana muffins with carrot and oats! Naturally sweetened, ABC muffins are nut free, refined sugar free and packed with healthy ingredients. Perfect for lunchboxes or a nutritious after school treat.
Being a busy mum to four kids, I’m always on the lookout for a variety of healthy and nut free snacks for school. I admit that at times I’m not the most organised mum! So I am a huge fan of any snack that can be easily made in bulk and stored in the freezer to save time on busy school mornings.
ABC muffins (avocado, banana and carrot) make a perfect, nutrient-rich snack for kids. The heart healthy fats in the creamy avocado is used instead of butter or oils, while the banana and honey naturally sweeten the muffins without the need for refined sugars. They can be frozen for convenience to throw into lunchboxes and will thaw by snack time!
These avocado banana muffins are a great way to deliver a serve of nutrient rich avocado and extra veggies, in a sweet and delicious little package! And they are so versatile too. Add your own twist by adding chocolate chips, sultanas, dates, blueberries or your favourite add-ins.
Ingredients
Here’s what you will need to make avocado muffins;
- Bananas. For this recipe, you will need two over-ripe, brown and spotty bananas. Over-ripe bananas are perfect for baking as they are smoother and provide more sweetness and moisture to the muffins.
- Avocado. It is important to find a ripe avocado! A ripe avocado will feel slightly firm, but will yield to a little pressure. The flesh inside should be green and soft.
- Carrots. There is no need to peel the carrots, they are more nutritious when the skin is left on!
- Eggs. If you require egg free muffins, swap 2 eggs for ½ cup of applesauce.
- Cinnamon for flavour.
- Oats. Rolled oats reduce the flour content and provide extra antioxidants. They also help to control blood sugar.
- Flour. Either whole wheat/wholemeal or white flour can be used in this recipe.
- Vanilla.
- Honey or your preferred sweetener of choice can be used. Or, leave the extra sweetener out entirely if you like.
- Baking powder.
- Chocolate chips. Or your favourite add-ins like blueberries, sultanas, chopped dates, strawberries, grated apple.
How to make ABC muffins
So, once you have a ripe avocado and some over-ripe bananas, you are ready to make some muffins! They are so simple to make, just follow these easy steps;
- Blend the mashed avocado and bananas together in a food processor along with the cinnamon and vanilla. (If you don’t have a food processor, a fork can be used. However, the mixture won’t be as smooth).
- Mix the wet ingredients, including the avocado mix, together in a large bowl.
- Add the dry ingredients and stir to combine.
- Bake the muffins for 15-20 minutes, or until cooked through. Transfer the muffins to a wire rack to cool completely.
These healthy muffins make a perfect lunchbox or after school snack and can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days. Or, they can be stored in the freezer for up to three months in a good quality, airtight container. To thaw, simply leave at room temperature or microwave. If placed into lunchboxes in the morning, they will be thawed by snack time.
Try multiplying the mixture and making in bulk for easy grab-and-go school snacks!
Health benefits of avocado and banana
The health benefits of adding a serve of avocados and bananas to these ABC muffins include;
- Healthy fats that are important for brain development
- Soluble fibre, which helps with digestion
- Vitamins C and E which boost the immune system and help with healing
- Potassium, which helps with growth and building muscle
- Added iron and folate.
Baby muffins
These healthy muffins are a great snack for kids and adults alike. And they are also suitable for baby led weaning. If making muffins for babies (12 months +), you can skip the honey and chocolate chips and add blueberries or grated apple instead.
This recipe makes 12 medium sized muffins. But, smaller mini muffins can be made for babies and little fingers instead. Just be sure to reduce the cooking time.
Ensure that the carrot in the recipe is finely grated for babies to swallow and always watch them while eating!
Other nut free snacks for school
If you are looking for some more healthy, nut free snack ideas, give these recipes a try!
- healthy banana muffins
- chocolate zucchini muffins
- chocolate chia pudding
- apricot chia energy bars
- healthy banana bread (egg free, no added sugar)
Or, check out my 50 freezer friendly school snacks e-book for more healthy inspiration!
If you try these ABC avocado muffins, I’d love to hear about it! Feel free to leave a comment or review below, or send me a message. For more food inspiration, tips and to share your own recipes and creations, head over to my Facebook Recipe Group.
Avocado Banana Muffins
Ingredients
- 2 bananas medium over-ripe/spotty bananas, mashed
- 1 avocado ripe/soft avocado, mashed
- 1/2 tsp cinnamon ground
- 1 tsp vanilla vanilla bean paste or extract
- 2 eggs
- 1 cup grated carrot no need to peel
- 1/4 cup honey or natural sweetener of choice
- 1 cup oats
- 1 cup plain flour white or wholemeal
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1/3 cup dark chocolate chips or swap for blueberries, sultanas, chopped dates, strawberries.
Instructions
- Pre-heat oven to 180 °C (356F). Line a 12 hole cupcake or muffin tray with paper cases.
- Add the avocado and banana together in a food processor with the cinnamon and vanilla and blend until completely combined and smooth.
- Add the avocado and banana mixture to a mixing bowl. Add the wet ingredients (carrot, eggs, honey). Mix until combined.
- Add the oats, flour, baking powder and chocolate chips (or your other add-ins) and stir until combined.
- Divide the mixture evenly between the muffin cases and bake for 15-20 minutes, or until completely cooked through. Transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
Video
Notes
- For this recipe, you will need two over-ripe, brown and spotty bananas. Over-ripe bananas are perfect for baking as they are smoother and provide more sweetness and moisture to the muffins.
- It is important to find a ripe avocado! A ripe avocado will feel slightly firm, but will yield to a little pressure. The flesh inside should be green and soft.
- If you require egg free muffins, swap 2 eggs for ½ cup of applesauce.
- Use chocolate chips, or swap them out for your favourite add-ins like blueberries, sultanas, grated apple, chopped dates, strawberries and more!
- These healthy muffins can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days. They can also be stored in the freezer for up to three months in a good quality, airtight container. To thaw, simply leave at room temperature or microwave. If placed into lunchboxes in the morning, they will be thawed by snack time.
- These healthy muffins are a great snack for kids and adults alike. And they are also suitable for baby led weaning. If making muffins for babies (12 months +), you can skip the honey and chocolate chips and add blueberries or grated apple instead.
- This recipe makes 12 medium sized muffins, but smaller mini muffins can be made for babies instead. Just be sure to reduce the cooking time.
Nutrition
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2 comments
I love starting the day with muffins – and these look so good. Perfect with my morning coffee!
Thanks Alex! They do make a great healthy breakfast or morning tea snack 🙂