Serve up veggies in a kid-friendly form with these SO-good Veggie Muffins. They have broccoli, carrots, protein, and kid-approved flavor!
Veggie Muffins
With broccoli, carrots, and cheese, these savory muffins are like a corn muffin with a load of extra flavor. They’re a fun way to change up the usual muffins you make for the kids and have a nicely balanced mix of nutrients, too—with protein, fiber, calcium, and vitamin C. We love to have these for simple lunches and breakfasts, with sides like fruit and hard-cooked eggs, or to pair them with soup.
These are a great baby muffin since they’re made without added sugar. And are a nice way to vary the flavor profile of a muffin and add veggies.
I like to make these with fresh, raw veggies, so read on to learn how to make and enjoy these healthy muffins for kids.
Table of Contents
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Ingredients You Need
To make this recipe you’ll to have the following ingredients on hand and ready to go.
- Grated carrot: I prefer to grate my carrot on a box grater or to use a handheld grater to ensure the pieces are small enough to soften in the batter.
- Finely chopped broccoli: You’ll want to use just the top parts of each broccoli floret and avoid using any of the harder stems. This will help ensure a fluffy overall texture to the muffins. You can chop the tops of the broccoli florets or cut that part off with a pair of kitchen shears.
- Shredded cheese: Cheddar cheese is a great option here, but feel free to use Monterrey Jack or another shredded cheese if you prefer.
- Egg: I use large eggs in my baking, so that’s what I call for here.
- Butter: I typically bake with unsalted butter so I can control the amount of salt.
- Milk: We keep whole milk in our fridge, and that’s what I use most for baking and cooking. If you prefer another fat percentage, that is also fine. Or you can use a plain, unsweetened nondairy milk.
- Cornmeal: This adds a nice texture to the muffins. Look for finely ground cornmeal.
- Whole wheat flour: Using whole wheat flour adds fiber to the muffins, so I use it here. It’s balanced out by the milk, eggs, and cheese.
- Baking soda and powder: A combination of the two of these ensures the muffins rise and bake through evenly.
Step-by-Step Instructions
These muffins are so easy to make once you have the veggies prepped. Here’s a look at what to expect. Scroll down to the bottom of the post for the full recipe.
- Stir the ingredients together.
- Divide among 12 muffin cups.
- Bake!
- Let cool slightly on a wire rack.
TIP: These are a great make-ahead meal. To store, place cooled muffins into an airtight container and store in the fridge for up to 5 days. Reheat for 15-30 seconds and serve warm. You can also freeze them.
Can I make these Veggie Muffins vegan?
I don’t have a dairy- and egg-free option for this recipe, but check out some of my other veggie muffins: Carrot Cake Muffins, Flourless Chocolate Protein Muffins (with Hidden Veggies), Corn Muffins with Squash, and Butternut Squash Muffins.
How to Store
To store, place cooled muffins into an airtight container and store in the fridge for up to 5 days. Reheat for 15-30 seconds and serve warm. Or freeze for up 3 months in the freezer in a zip-top storage bag with as much air removed as possible. Thaw in the fridge or at room temperature and warm to serve.
Best Tips for Success
- Use just the top parts of each broccoli floret and avoid using any of the harder stems. This will help ensure a fluffy overall texture to the muffins. You can chop the tops of the broccoli florets or cut that part off with a pair of kitchen shears.
- Use gluten-free cup-for-cup flour blend in place of the whole wheat flour to make these gluten-free.
- These pair nicely with soup and salad, or are a nice lunch or breakfast main dish with simple sides such as fruit, eggs, or additional veggies.
Related Recipes
I’d love to hear your feedback on these muffins if you try them, so please comment below to share!
Easy Veggie Muffins
Ingredients
- 1 cup grated carrot
- 1 cup finely chopped broccoli (top parts of the florets only, no stems)
- 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
- 1½ cups milk
- ¼ cup melted butter (or neutral oil like canola)
- 2 eggs (lightly beaten)
- 1 cup cornmeal
- 1 cup whole wheat flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon salt
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F and grease a standard muffin tin with nonstick spray.
- Place all ingredients into a medium bowl and stir together gently to combine. Divide the batter among the prepared muffin tin, filling each about ¾ full.
- Bake for 18-20 minutes or until the edges are lightly golden brown and a cake tester inserted into the center comes out clean. Remove from oven, let cool in the pan for a minute or two, then transfer to a wire rack to cool at least slightly.
- Serve warm or store.
Video
Notes
- Use just the top parts of each broccoli floret and avoid using any of the harder stems. This will help ensure a fluffy overall texture to the muffins. You can chop the tops of the broccoli florets or cut that part off with a pair of kitchen shears.
- Use a box grater to grate the carrot. You’ll need about 1-2 medium or large carrots.
- Use gluten-free cup-for-cup flour blend in place of the whole wheat flour to make these gluten-free.
- To store, place cooled muffins into an airtight container and store in the fridge for up to 5 days. Reheat for 15-30 seconds and serve warm. Or freeze for up 3 months in the freezer in a zip-top storage bag with as much air removed as possible. Thaw in the fridge or at room temperature and warm to serve.
- These pair nicely with soup and salad, or are a nice lunch or breakfast main dish with simple sides such as fruit, eggs, or additional veggies.
Nutrition
This post was first published March 2020.
Can you use use them as packed lunch or it really needs to be warmed? Was thinking of taking them out.
Delicious!! Already want to make a 2nd batch
Hi there! I’m about to make these and I’m wondering do you strain the moisture out of the grated carrots or leave them as is?
You don’t have to do anything to the carrots since they usually are not moist enough to cause any issue. Enjoy!
I’ve seen a few comments bout cornmeal sub. I want ti make sure… you can sub 1c cornmeal with 1c whole wheat flour… for a total of 2 cups ww flour?
I would substitute cornmeal with all purpose flour.
Love this recipe. I have a box of jiffy corn bread mix laying around and was wondering if that would work for the next recipe.
I bet you could make that recipe per the box and just add the veggies.
Hi, I made them as mini muffins. Unfortunately the broccoli was a bit too “aldente” if you know what I mean. I will revert back once I try them as normal muffins! Thanks
Or you could more finely mince the broccoli perhaps?
Would using mozzarella instead of cheddar be fine (in terms of baking texture)?
Totally fine!
Could I use cooked broccoli? My only concern is they might be too moist
Yes, just pat it dry first and it should be fine.
Can I substitute the cornmeal for flour? ( I don’t have cornmeal atm.)
Sure
Can I use regular flour?
I haven’t made them that way but I bet!
Can you make these mini muffins?
Sure, just reduce the baking time by a few minutes.
Love these! I was able to use almond milk and vegan cheese for my dairy free guy. Worked great and he just ate a full muffin!!
Is there anything I can use to replace the cornmeal?
These muffins are delicious! Recently tried this recipe and everyone loved it in the family. Thanks for sharing!
I love the texture of these. Great with some salted butter. My toddler unfortunately wasn’t impressed. I suspected this might be the result since this muffin is savory as opposed to sweet. I’m desperately trying to get her to eat more, or any, vegetables and thought these might work. Sad to say they missed the mark for my kid, though the recipe came out as good as it could have.
I only have white Lilly self rising cornmeal. Should I adjust the baking powder ?
Thanks !!
Looking online I can’t see how much baking powder is in each cup. Does it happen to say on the package?
Could these be made as mini muffins? If so, would that affect the cook time? Thanks!
Yes, reduce the cooking time. Mini muffins are usually 10-12 minutes.
I just made a batch exactly as written. Excellent! Good for adults and not just toddlers !
I don’t have corn meal or whole wheat flour. Can I use two cups regular flour instead?
I would do 1 3/4 cup all purpose flour. Enjoy!
Never give reviews but these are amazing! Got 16 full size muffins from this. No modifications.
I’m so glad!
I would love to make the recipe and was wondering if I can replace wheat flour for cornmeal. Let me know and thank you for another easy muffin.
Would I be able to omit the cheese and instead of corneal add more flour?
Hi, Can just use 2 cups all purpose flour and no 1 cup cornmeal, 1 cup whole wheat flour?
Can I add frozen corn?
Thank you so much
I bet that would work similarly.
So excited to try these. My mom used to bake cornbread muffins with a slice of keilbasa inside and it was one of my fav lunches. Wonder if that would work here too!
I bet it would!
Why is there no measurements
They’re always at the end of the post
I really loved this one despite the fact that I used polenta cornmeal because it was on hand. It made the muffin crunchy.
I made these for my one-year-old this afternoon. He loved them! I quartered the muffin & he was able to eat on his own for snack time. These are very filling.
I really like these muffins. I used my mini
silicone muffin pan and it worked well.
Baked for 20 minutes. I ended up with a lot
of muffins.
I will put the rest of the batter in this afternoon. These muffins are a mini meal.
Can I use all purpose flour
instead of whole wheat flour? The child I take care of had a little trouble chewing them.
Thanks!!
Hi Amy,
can you use zucchini instead of broccoli?
Hi- sure, just make sure it’s squeezed very dry after grating it.
Can white flour be use instead of whole wheat flour?
Thanks
(Your recipes are awesome!)
It should work fine and thank you!
can you use ap flour in place of the whole wheat flour?
Can you use frozen broccoli instead of fresh?
You can, though still chop it up into small pieces as much as you can
Thanks!
I left these in a ziplock bag on the countertop instead of refrigerating them! Do I need to throw them out? 🙁
Unless it’s been more than 3-4 days or very hot, they should be totally fine!
Hi Amy! I was curious if there is a way to make these sweet muffins instead of savory? My daughter loves sweet so much that it’s been tricky getting her to eat more savory foods. Any suggestions? Thank you so much! We love your recipes!!
Hi- I haven’t tried that and I’m not sure you’d want to do it and leave the cheese in, so if I was going to try it, I’d probably omit the cheese and add 1/4-1/3 cup sugar. I may also add some golden raisins so they’re sort of a harvest muffin. Let me know if you try it!
I omitted the corn meal and just increased the whole wheat flour and the texture was great. However, I feel like the savory flavor wasn’t balanced enough and needed some sweetness. I’ll bake these again but I’ll add either honey or brown sugar and see if that helps. For now, I’ll be drizzling honey butter on them so they don’t go to waste. Toddler didn’t like them unfortunately, probably because they weren’t sweet enough.
Hey Amy!
I took a risk and instead of using cornmeal or whole wheat flour, which I had none of, I just used all almond flour. Now it’s been almost double the cooking time and the insides are still raw… I really want to salvage these, do you have any tips? Maybe I could turn the oven onto a lower setting and just cook for a bit longer?
Thanks for your help!
Hi- You could try that and maybe cover with foil. I am not sure it will work in the end though since almond flour bakes so differently. It’s really hard to just use it in place of the other flours that were in the recipe. I’m sorry that happened!
Hi there, I love your recipes and everything you do to support and lift up parents of littles everywhere!
I was wondering if you can sub most muffin recipes like this one for mini muffins? When I do mini muffins I usually use silicone muffin tray on top of a cookie sheet- does this work? Add more time or less?
Thank you Amy!
Sincerely,
Amy!
Hi- Thank you for the kind words! For minis, just reduce the cooking time by about 4 minutes. Should work similarly. Enjoy!
Have you tried storing the muffin batter? Any success?
I’ve never made the batter and stored it, but the baked muffins store really well. I am sure you could make it and cover it in the fridge overnight and bake in the morning though. Maybe just let it sit at room temp a bit so it’s not freezing cold when it goes into the oven.
Amy, Any replacement for the cornmeal in these?
Thanks!
I’d do whole wheat flour
Making these for my toddler , who is a picky eater. Fingers crossed he’ll eat these haha! My question is do you have to refrigerate these muffins?
Fingers crossed! I do store them in the fridge due to the cheese.
Amy –
What makes the various flours unique? What is the difference between white flour, whole-wheat flour, or gluten free flour other than it’s origins?
I just made them! I like the flavor! I substituted cauliflower for broccoli. I also substituted gluten free flour for wheat flour. The outside is the perfect texture, but the inside is gooey. Any thoughts?
Hi- the differences in how they bake are related to how they absorb moisture and also there are nutritional differences. Did you use a 1:1 style of gluten-free baking mix? I would also check to make sure that your baking soda is fresh as that is key to muffins baking through properly. Hope that helps!
Just made these for the 2nd time and love them! First time we made exactly as in the recipe. The second time, I used a combo of shredded mozzarella and parmesan because I didn’t have cheddar on hand, and those were equally good. As mentioned, they freeze well, and I found that if I set one out at breakfast, it thaws easily by lunch. These will definitely be a go-to for us!
My 16 month old absolutely loved these! I was out of broccoli so I used a yellow squash instead and they turned out perfect!
I have made these several times. I like that they have no added sugar. Give these a try!
These turned out perfect and taste amazing!!!
Hello, what can i use as an option to corn meal please?
A whole wheat flour should work similarly
I could only find course cornmeal, will this still work ok?
I think so, though the final texture may not be quite as fluffy
Yummy!! Loved these muffins- easy to make and a great on portable/easy access snack. My little guy loves them and I think they’re delicious too! Thank you for the recipe 😊
Can I substitute the eggs for anything else? my toddler is allergic to eggs and milk
I would omit the eggs, increase the baking soda to 1 teaspoon and add 1/2 cup additional nondairy milk. Or you can use a store bought egg replacer, use nondairy milk, and leave the rest of the ingredients the same.
Would a dairy free cheese be acceptable?! Is cheese absolutely needed or is there another replacement?
Thank you!
They taste better with cheese than without, so I would add a dairy-free one if you can.
I made these and my toddler wouldn’t eat them due to flecks of green bits.
Do you think Cauliflower would be ok?
Sure
The short of it- my one year old eats them great! They freeze well! Fantastic for that single purpose.
The long of it- These muffins are really truly disgusting, they were, unfortunately, exactly what I was expecting. *They are a baby food*, and I can feed them to my 1 year old easily, muffins are always a great way for him to get nutrients.
Unfortunately my 3 year old is wise enough to know that these are absolutely terrible & won’t eat them. I couldn’t even finish my bite, I spit it out. I would ONLY make these for a very young infant/toddler.
Wow, I’m sorry that you had that experience. It’s interesting because I happily eat them and am not sure what could be truly disgusting with veggies and cheese. I value your feedback.
Your disgusting comment is uncalled for. I thought these were yummy and my whole family including my 2 year old toddler loved them. Maybe you cooked them incorrectly otherwise you should keep your rude comments to yourself.
Thank you, the muffins came out perfect, very fluffy!
I added some cauliflower and green onion, but kept the amount of veggies to 2 cups. Also added onion and garlic powder.
Big question, Please help: how to diminish the aftertaste of soda?
Hi- I would make sure to stir the dry ingredients together well before adding to the wet. That usually takes care of it. If no, you could try lowering the amount a smidge.
I don’t think they are disgusting at all. I made them for my toddler but my whole family loved them! I even made extra to take to my mom so she can have as a snack!
Do you cook the carrots and broccoli first?
No, they go in raw and soften during baking.
These were delicious and do easy to make! I used steamed broccoli and used a food processor to cut them up (including the stems). I also used a food processor for the carrots. I love spice, so I added fresh diced Serranos and jalapeños to half the batter. Topped them off with a jalapeño coin to make sure I could tell them apart lol
What a great idea. I am going to add peppers to my next batch!
Great recipe! I made this gluten free by using 1/2c almond flour and 1/2c oat flour instead of the wheat flour. Also added some chopped up summer sausage for an additional savory taste. Thanks for sharing this!
My son is allergic to corn so what could we use instead of the cornmeal?
I think you could likely use whole wheat flour instead.
I used Semolina flour where the cornmeal was used. I used 1 1/4 cups versus the 1 cup of corn meal and the muffins came out perfect!
How long will it bake using mini muffin tin?
About 12-14 minutes for mini muffins.
I don’t own a muffin pan (yet). If I want to make these in a brownie pan how long do I bake them?
I would guess 22-26 minutes. I haven’t made them that way but it should work fine. You’ll just want to make sure that the center is fully baked through before calling them done. Let me know how it goes!
I made them in a 8×8 brownie pan and cooked it for 30 minutes and it was perfect!
Would packaged steamed broccoli work? My town is always out of fresh broccoli
I think it would!
Hi! Can I omit the cheese? I’m not very keen on it. Thanks in advance!
I think that should work fine.
These turned out great! My 1-year-old son loves them, and I enjoy them as well and plan to make double batches for an easy, healthy breakfast, side, or snack.
Just made a vegan version of these by replacing eggs with flax eggs and milk with soy milk. Turned out amazing! These are so delicious!
Hi! Just wondering if Unsweetened AlmondMilk will work just as good as the cow’s milk? What if you don’t have a whole wheat flour, what other flours can I use to substitute?? I really want to try making these for my 2 year old.
You can use all purpose flour and yes, unsweetened plain almond milk will work fine!
These muffins are SO GOOD. Unfortunately, my toddler isn’t a fan of the texture of cornmeal, but it was no problem because my husband and I polished them off in a few days. I wish he would eat them because these muffins would be perfect as an easy lunch. I will keep trying 🙂
Hi there! I just found you recently and absolutely love your recipes for my 17 month old! For the broccoli on this one, how do you grate it? Can I just pulse the florets in my mini food processor? Thanks!
I just chop it with a knife but a mini food processor would work great too!
Can i use precook cornmeal? Or can i sustitute cornmeal wit someting else?
You could use additional flour or oat flour instead.
Hi, can you please recomend a supplement for cornmeal? Polenta or ground oats maybe?
Thank you
A fine polenta would likely be similar to cornmeal or yes, probably ground or quick oats would work too.
When I made these fresh, my baby loved them. I froze and then thawed and reheated in the toaster oven and it was a weird consistency and my little guy wouldn’t eat it at all. You mention they freeze well but how/how long do you thaw and reheat for?
I’ve thawed them overnight in the fridge, then done 15 second increments in the microwave until warm (usually it’s about 30 seconds). I haven’t noticed the texture changing with that method.
I’d like to make these without cheese to minimize the sodium content. Will they turn out ok without cheese, or should I replace the cheese with another ingredient?
I haven’t made them with any other ingredient. Perhaps do half the amount?
I made these with cauliflower instead of broccoli and they came out great! Super easy and the family loved them. I think I’ll try with chives as well next time
I’m glad that worked well! (And I’m sorry I didn’t have a chance to respond to your first comment about this!)
Could I make with cauliflower instead of broccoli?
Would broccoli slaw work or would the stalks be too rough? Also, would almond flour work in place of the wheat flour?
I think the slaw would be okay but I would chop it up, I think, so the pieces are smaller. Almond flour will not work as it doesn’t absorb liquid in the same way and the middles will likely not cook through.
After freezing how long do you warm muffins in microwave or oven, to keep all nutrients still.
Muffins very good. Make them again.
Doris
Hello. I was wondering if these have been tried as a mini muffin and if so how long to cook etc. Thank you.
I would guess 12-14 minutes for mini muffins.
Will they cook & rise as well with baking cups? I don’t have cooking spray.
They may need a few more minutes of baking time. I’d check the middle with a cake tester if you can.
Could you use oats instead of cornmeal?
I haven’t tried that but it might work just fine!
Hi Jennifer, did you try it with oats? How did it turn out?
I would like to try this recipe for muffins . What quantity is one cup? Thank you.
I just responded so hopefully that helps!
What quantity is one cup for the ingredients? Thank you.
I don’t have metric conversions at the moment (I am working on it this spring!) but you can use a page like this for help converting.
Thank you Amy, that’s great. This does help. 🙂
Would you add any salt, pepper or spices for extra flavor?
There is salt in the recipe. I haven’t added anything else, but you can if you would like more flavor!
Is it possible to make in microwave ?
I don’t think so
Can you use olive oil instead of the vegetable oil? Or is there a healthier oil option you think would work?
I haven’t tried that but as long as it has a mild flavor, I think that would work.
Can you make these egg free?
I haven’t tested it without eggs, so I can’t say for sure. If I was going to try it, I would use 1/2 cup additional milk and up the baking soda to 1 teaspoon. That usually gives good results (though again it’s my best guess!)
I made these egg free with the additional 1/2 c milk and extra 1/2 tsp baking soda and they came out great!
can you freeze it for later use?
whoops i read through the instructions and saw the answer lol
Oh good! They freeze really well.
Absolutely wonderful! I have 14 month twin grand babies and 4 year old twin grand babies that will love these.
what can we use as a substitute for cornmeal?
I haven’t tried it but I bet additional flour would work!
Easy to make. Sadly my very picky 14 month olds did not like them. Hoping to try again. They weren’t too bad, feel like they are a little bland and veggie forward. Maybe if they had some other sort of spice or something added to them.
Would riced cauliflower and sweet potato work?
I haven’t tried that but maybe! I’d grate the sweet potato. (The cauliflower might be a little moister than broccoli)
Loved this recipe for getting my 1 year old (& myself) to eat veggies!
I used all purpose flour since that’s what I had on hand, and added 1/2tsp of Cajun seasoning!
I also used a pampered chef chopper to get the carrots in small pieces instead of grating them.
It turned out amazing and I’m excited to try more of your recipes!!
are the carrots supposed to be cooked prior to putting them in to the batter or raw?
Raw
Could I use spinach instead of broccoli?
I haven’t tried it and the texture might be different so I’m not totally sure if it would turn out exactly the same.
Can these be made as mini muffins? If so, what oven temp and baking time?
Yes. The baking temp is the same and I think 14-16 minutes is likely the right timing for minis.
My son loved these and the recipe is so easy to follow! Thank you!
Love your recipes! Is there any chance you could add grams as well? I do not use cup measurements and unfortunately sometimes my results are not very good…
Yes, it’s in the works and I hope it’s up and running soon!
This recipe is so good, the addition of cornmeal is a game-changer. My 13 months old and I really enjoyed it. My husband who was very skeptical ate 3 in 1 sitting.
Yes! I love passing the husband test!
Hi Amy,
I am loving all the recipes, but my 3yr old is very has a thing with texture where if she can see chunks, she won’t even try. Would I be able to use a food processor for the veggies in this muffin or most of your recipes? Thank you!
Hi. I think for this if you blend up the wet ingredients, then stir in the flour it should work okay. (I haven’t tried it but my best guess is that it will be fine.)
Can I use frozen broccoli?
Yes, though I would still recommend using as much of the top of the florets and less of the stems as possible to avoid tough stems in the muffins.
HI Amy, This looks so yummy!!! I have a question though, would it be okay to use just the whole wheate flour?
I think that should work just fine!
My 1-year old loves these! They are super easy to make and freeze well. Thanks so much!
These came out awesome! Perfect for my picky 2 year old. I used all purpose flour in place of whole wheat flour and almond flour in place of corn meal because that’s what I had on hand. It worked out perfectly. I may have used more than a cup of carrots as well. My recipe made 17 muffins, no complains about extras! Have you frozen them and then reheated in the microwave? That’s what I plan to do but I was wondering if it works out well.
I’m so glad! Yes, they do freeze and reheat well. I’d heat for 1 minute from frozen, then in 15-30 second increments so they don’t get too hot. It may vary based on your microwave.
Hi Amy…looking forward to making these today! Though I don’t have cornmeal on hand…I’ve read that ground flax can work as a substitute – do you think 1:1?
Would also like to do as minis as well – can you recommend baking time?
Thank you!
Another win! I used the pre-shredded broccoli carrot mix from Trader Joes which was super helpful. I also crumbled some aged cheddar cheese that wasn’t grater friendly and it worked quite well! The only thing I would say is to add some seasonings (maybe a herb mix with oregano and sage) to the veggies to flavor them and complement the cheese. Otherwise, I love!
Would this recipe be ok for a 10 month old, even with the cow’s milk used in the recipe?
You could use unsweetened nondairy milk if you prefer.
These are delicious – I made them into mini muffins and my daughter ate 4 ‘for dessert’ after her dinner.
I’m so glad to hear that!
I made these today, followed the recipe as is with the addition of adding “Trader Joe’s 21 Seasoning Salute” and they were delicious. Oh and I made them into mini muffins. Thank you so much for the recipe!
I bet that seasoning is great!
This recipe was easy and a great way to incorporate veggies into our lunch/dinner routine! My family found them a little bland as prepared (Cajun influence ?), but I think a simple addition of extra spices would, to steal a phrase, kick it up a notch! I also ended up finely dicing baby carrots instead of grating and it turned out well.
I bet they would be good with extra spice!