Toddler Muffins

This is a good way to up the veggie consumption of your picky toddlers, but these muffins are delicious, so don't hesitate to serve them to your whole family (or eat them yourself).  I used cooked sweet potato since that is what I had on hand, but you could also use winter squash or pumpkin.  The original recipe uses a jar of winter squash baby food..  I also think you could get away with adding other veggies - maybe shredded zucchini, chopped greens, etc. - but I haven't tried that.  If you do, let me know how it turns out!

I had the perfect test subject - my grandson who just turned 2 years old who has apparently decided to drive his parents nuts by refusing vegetables in any form.  I made a dozen mini muffins, and had enough extra batter to make 8 regular size muffins. I served him one of the minis, and he devoured it and wanted more.  The only down side was that after carefully smelling and licking the muffin, he shoved the whole thing into his mouth.  I played it safe with the second one and broke it into fourths before giving it to him which slowed him down a bit.  Since I was trying to get him to also eat a scrambled egg, I didn't offer him any more of the minis, but he did talk me out of about 1/4 of the regular sized muffin I was eating. (Yes, he ate most of the egg.)

Toddler Muffins
Adapted from All Recipes.com

• 1/2 cup coconut oil
• 1/2 cup brown sugar, or to taste
• 2 large bananas, mashed
• ½ cup mashed cooked sweet potato
• 2 carrots, grated
• 2 eggs, beaten
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 1 cup white whole wheat flour
• 1/2 cup uncooked oatmeal
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
• 1/2 teaspoon salt

Preheat an oven to 375 degrees. Grease 24 mini muffin cups or 12 standard muffin cups with coconut oil. (I used a mini muffin pan with 12 cups and a regular muffin pan for 8 regular sized muffins.)

Cream together the coconut oil and brown sugar until smooth. Mix in the mashed bananas, sweet potato, carrots, eggs and vanilla. Add the flour, oatmeal, baking soda, baking powder, pumpkin pie spice, and salt and mix well. Spoon the batter equally into the prepared muffin cups. Bake in the preheated oven until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, 15 to 20 minutes. Cool in the pans for 10 minutes before removing to cool completely on a wire rack. The muffins came right out without sticking.

Store at room temperature for up to two days, or freeze.