Hulk Muffins

As a mom, I’m always on the hunt for healthy recipes that are yummy enough for my two- and three-year-old boys to eat and quick enough to make that I don’t feel like I’ve spent all day in the kitchen.

by Courtney Westfall

As a mom, I’m always on the hunt for healthy recipes that are yummy enough for my two- and three-year-old boys to eat and quick enough to make that I don’t feel like I’ve spent all day in the kitchen. I also consider it a big success when I can sneak veggies into my kids’ food without them knowing! After trying several different versions of “healthy muffin” recipes online, I ended up creating my own. These banana muffins are super delicious and you can add all kinds of extras to “up” the healthfulness of these little gems. If your kids ask why they are green, just tell ‘em they are Hulk Muffins. (It worked with my kids!) Here’s the basic recipe and I’ll list my add-ins at the end.

Hulk Muffins

1 cup old fashioned or rolled oats
¾ cup whole (white or whole wheat) flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
½ teaspoon baking soda
1/3 cup sugar, honey or agave (I use honey)
1 teaspoon cinnamon
2 Tablespoons ground flax seed (optional)
¼ teaspoon salt
3 Tablespoons butter (softened) or coconut oil (I like the taste of butter in muffins)
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 egg
1 handful of fresh spinach
2/3 cup milk
2 overly ripe bananas, mashed

1. Preheat oven to 375℉ and either line a 12-cup muffin tin with cupcake liners or grease the muffin tin cups.
2. Combine dry ingredients (oats through salt) in a large bowl and set aside.
3. In a blender, combine wet ingredients (butter/oil through bananas, including spinach).
4. Gently add blender contents to dry ingredients. Stir just enough to combine everything. It will be a thicker consistency and over-stirring can make the muffins turn out dry.
5. Pour mixture into muffin tins and bake for 15-18 minutes, until a toothpick inserted comes out clean. Cool muffins on a wire rack.
6. Once these muffins are completely cooled, they can be frozen until Jesus comes back (suck the air out of the freezer Ziploc and they won’t get freezer burn)! They taste delicious warmed up in the microwave.

Tips and add-ins:

1. You can substitute 1 cup of unsweetened applesauce for the bananas.
2. Add ½ cup dried cranberries, raisins, chocolate chips or chopped nuts for a fun variation.
3. I always double the recipe so I can have some to freeze.

I hope you and your family enjoy these muffins! I’d love to hear what you think when you try them and if you have any suggestions of variations to try. I’d like to see how zucchini or shredded carrots would do in this recipe, so let me know if you try something different.

Courtney grew up in Tulsa and is the Minister of Preschool and Lower Elementary at First United Methodist Church. She earned a BA in Organizational/Interpersonal Communications at Oral Roberts University and an MA in Intercultural Studies from Asbury Theological Seminary. Wife to Kyle and mom to Liam and Brody, with one more on the way, Courtney loves to find ways to make eating healthy enjoyable for her kids.