Incredible Hulk Blender Muffins
In January 2017 we got rid of cereal. We discovered that our whole family has the MTHFR gene mutation and our bodies can not convert folic acid properly. You can read more about that here.
Did you know that’s it’s incredibly difficult to find a cereal that isn’t fortified with folic acid?
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So we ditched Cheerios and I began making the kids blender muffins for breakfast. These are their favorite. We call them Incredible Hulk muffins or better known by my kids as Grumpy Hulk Incredible Green Muffins because of their brilliant green color. At Christmas time they can be “Grinch” muffins!
I make these in ENORMOUS batches and freeze them. When I know we’re going to have them for breakfast I set them out to thaw the night before.
If you have a baby under 1 years old use the dates instead of the honey to sweeten the recipe.
If you make this recipe please share a link to the recipe online and tag me (@instantloss)! I love to see what you are cooking up in your kitchen!
For other amazing recipes, pick up a copy of one of my cookbooks at your local bookseller! The Instant Loss Cookbook tells the story of how I lost 125 pounds in one year, just eating real food at home! Our second cookbook, Instant Loss Eat Real, Lose Weight just hit stores and is a National Best Seller! It focuses on how to ditch the diet mindset, heal unhealthy habits, and repair your relationship with food! Packed full of 125 NEW recipes, it is a must have for every healthy cook!
Incredible Hulk Mini Blender Muffins
Print RecipeIngredients
- 1 very ripe large banana or 1 medium gala apple, cored and sliced into 4th's
- 1/4 cup raw honey or 3-5 pitted dates
- 2 large eggs
- 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
- 1 to 2 large handfuls baby spinach
- 1 cup steel cut oats
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- Toppings of choice: granola, dairy free chocolate chips, dried fruit
Instructions
- Preheat an oven to 350°F and grease a mini muffin pan with oil or butter, set aside.
- In order, place all of the ingredients into a high powered blender capable of grinding grain, wet ingredients first, I use the Vitamix. Blend until smooth, about 45 seconds.
- Fill the mini muffin pan cups 3/4th's full and sprinkle with additional toppings, if desired. Place the muffin tin inside the oven.
- Bake for 12 minutes and let cool completely before serving.
These sound great! Just want to check, you are using uncooked steel cut oats, correct?
That’s correct. 🙂
Thank you!
Can you use the dates instead of honey? Feels like honey would have a lot of carbs/sugar/calories?
I sub dates all the time.
how much dates would you use in this recipe as a sub?
It depends on the size of your dates, but I would use about 3 or 4 pitted ones.
Wow, I’ve got to try this. I cannot believe that these ingredients result in a muffin! Seeing will be believing! No muffin tins so I’ll make it it like cake in a low pyrex dish and then cut into 16 pieces. How can just 1/2 cup of steel-cut oats give a muffin texture? The spinach does, too? How much spinach is too much?
When you blend the oats they become a flour. 🙂 Just grab a big handful or a small handful. It works for as much as you’d like to throw in. Obviously don’t use five cups, lol, that may be a bit too much. But 1 or two cups is fine.
Do you think frozen spinach would work?
I subbed a cup of frozen spinach straight out of the freezer today and they worked perfectly.
Just got a Vitamix and tried these today. They were actually really good and I even got my kids to eat them. Thanks for the recipe!
I tried these today! They came out flat! Think I undercooked them???
Hmm, is your baking soda old? They are a bit dense but the do puff up a bit.
Yum! These are SO good! I don’t have a Vitamix so i put the oats in first and pulsed it a bit to be sure they broke down enough. I think next time i’ll fill the cups up all the way to make them bigger since they’re for me and my grown kiddo! Can’t wait to try the other flavors 🙂
We found out my niece and nephews have the mthfr mutation as well. I would love to hear more about what you have learned in a post sometime. The doctors around here are not very knowledgeable about it and it has mostly been research on our own and a lot of trial and error.
Jennifer, I am working on a post right now. 🙂 Keep your eyes peeled, I will be posting much more on this subject very very soon.
What is “MTHFR gene mutation” and how did you find out you have it?
Hi Jennifer, You can read more about my MTHFR story here:https://instantloss.com/2017/08/27/lets-talk-mthfr/
I don’t know what I did wrong but these were awful. 🙁 Gummy, overly sweet… I don’t have a high powered blender so I just food processed them like crazy! Could that be it?
Leanne, I updated the recipe. If you feel up to it, give these another go. 🙂
Hi! I’m looking for recipes to use my pulp in from juicing. Do you think I could use pulp instead of spinach and apple?
You could definitely give it a try, you might need to add a bit of liquid, a splash of oil or a splash of almond/coconut milk but I’m thinking it should be just fine! Please let me know how it goes! Love this idea!
Made these today. They didn’t turn out great. I don’t think my oats broke down enough and I maybe need a bigger apple for a little more flavor.
We like these much better with the banana versus the apple.
Any advice for substituting eggs (allergy here)?
Use a chia egg replacement. 1 tbsp chia seeds mixed with 3 tbsp water(equals 1 egg). Let it sit and gel for 5 minutes, then add.
When I make a double batch, I use 2 eggs and 1/2 cup of applesauce instead of 4 eggs. I haven’t tried just applesauce, but that may be an alternative to try.
Love these muffins. They are fluffy and just enough sweet to curb my sweet tooth. Although these are usually for breakfast, I preferr them as snacks. My husband and co-workers enjoyed em and even more when they found out what it was made out of. Thanks for sharing this with us!
Tricked my kiddos with these yummy muffins. I love that you blend everything, less mess always works for me! 🙂
These are life savers! I am the worst about rushing out of the house in the morning, and making these ahead of time have saved my tail on many mornings. My 3-year-old son loves anything green (except actual veggies, of course) so when I told him these were Hulk Muffins, he was all in. I don’t have a fancy blender (it’s on my wish list) so for now, I’m using my Nutri-bullet and to be honest, it works perfectly for these blender muffins. I’ve found that if you grind the dry ingredients first, and then add the wet stuff, it works best.
My modifications: I also substitute old fashioned oats for the steel cut oats (mostly b/c that’s what I had on hand and it just works well, no grittiness that a 3-year-old might refuse to eat). I also used one extra date (4 vs the 3 that the recipe calls for) because we like it sweeter and again, I was appealing to a 3-year-old’s tastebuds.
These came out a bright, vibrant green and tasted delish! THANK YOU!
These are so tasty! Love how easy they are to mix up in the blender! My 2 year old grandson loved them!
Can we say amazing?! My 1 year old LOVES these, I love these and to my suprise my 18 year old asked me if I’d make her a batch sometime as well! I love mine with a little bit of real butter on top, my kids love them plain. This is sonething that was so easy to make and something I definantly need to keep on hand always in the kitchen – yum!!!
Oh my gosh!! I just made these for the first time today. My kids (5 and 8) LOVE them! They are pretty quick and easy to whip up! I love that I can feel good about all the ingredients, too. I’m so excited to have another healthy option for quick before-school breakfasts!!
These muffins are great! Hope to be entered in your meal plan giveaway! Thank you.
My kids actually ate these. I Made them with very little hope they would eat them. They ask me to make them constantly.
How were you tested for the MTHFR GENE? Did your doctor do it or someone else? These sound good.
Hi Amy! I just wrote a post on it, you can find it here:https://instantloss.com/2017/08/27/lets-talk-mthfr/
Made these for the first time this morning. I did not have dates. I’d like to try them with the dates next time. I probably should have used a bit less spinach (2 very big handfuls). I added a 1/2 tsp. of cinnamon too. I’ll definitely be making these again!
Made recipe just as written. Muffins came out beautifully, but I and other family members found them to be very bland….really no taste at all. Any suggestions?
You can add cinnamon, berries, granola on top, etc. This is more of a base recipe. 🙂
Is there an alternative to the nut butter? We don’t eat any nut butters or faux nut butters. Is it necessary?
You can use a seed butter like sunflower seed butter or tahini, you can omit altogether, too.
Can you use any oats for these? Or is there a reason for the steel cut ?
Has anyone tried using Kale instead of spinach?
Do you think that kale would work instead of spinach?
No, kale will give it a bitter flavor. You can use kale just don’t use as much.
These are such a hit in our house. My husband is probably the laziest cook ever haha And we both work from home except I go into the office 2 days a week. On those days he was struggling with what to feed himself and our toddler, so I started making these for them to just heat up. They LOVE them!! And I’m sneaking in veggies. I tried to make it with rolled oats and it wasn’t quite the same, the steel cut is the best way and makes them hold up better.
My kids were hesitant at first given the color, but now they love them! Will be making frequently.
Just made these today and I can hardly believe I’m eating something healthy. My kiddo wasn’t too sure about them (next time I’ll use chocolate chips on top) but that just means more for me! Can’t wait to try the Pumpkin blender muffins.
I love, love these. I add a dash of cinnamon and I reach for these instead of a piece of candy I love them so much. I make a double batch each time I make them.
These were good. We made the mini ones but it was hard to only eat a few :-). Topped the. With chocolate chips so the kids would eat them. The baby liked them more Than the 3 year old but still ate them.
I made these for another breakfast/snack option. Super easy and tasty. I used 1/2 dates and 1/2 honey as I was running low on both. I doubled the recipe to make full size muffins and topped with dairy free chocolate chips. Love them!!!
Did you change the time in the oven with full size muffins?
Omg, been meaning to try these and finally did. My kids and hubby all gave your recipe a thumbs up. Thank you!
Hi Ellen! Hooray! I am so glad ya’ll liked them! <3 <3 Thank you so much for the update!
Any suggestions on what to do to hide the green color, I know no one in my family would eat them including me because of the green color. I would like to include more fruits and vegetables in our diets but if it looks green they won’t eat it.
Cacao powder works really well! You can call them “chocolate muffins” instead. 🙂
Is it possible to make these or any of the blender muffins in a food processor? I don’t have a blender nor do I plan to get one anytime soon or have the space for that matter. The instant pot recipes on here that I have tried are great but I need some breakfast/sweets options. Thanks.
Can you share what brands of organic honey, vanilla extract, and non dairy chocolate chips you like to use
Hi Stephanie you can find those here:
Pantry:
https://instantloss.com/pantry/
Costco List:
https://instantloss.com/2017/10/10/what-i-buy-at-costco/
Oh, and I make my vanilla homemade:https://instantloss.com/2017/07/20/instant-pot-homemade-vanilla-extract/ 🙂
how many will a single batch make? thanks!
24 minis.
Can you substitute the Organic Steel Cut Oats with either almond flour, coconut or arrowroots? I can’t have oat meal?. If so do I need the same 3/4 cups? Thanks,
Will one-minute Quaker oats work as well?
Sure!
Has anyone ever tried these blender muffins in a food processor?
Love these!
What do you use to grease the pan?
Thank you!
Coconut Oil Spray. 🙂
I LOVE these muffins! thank you so much! I love using these ingredients but I don’t have the patience or talent for tinkering with recipes so I truly appreciate your efforts!
Just made these for first time, had them on counter and came back to find my 22 yr old son eating 3 or 4 without knowing what they were, he loved them ! I was nervous but I have to say they are pretty good.
I have been following your website for about a month now and just bought your 4 week meal plan finally, decided it was time to quit putting off a better life style of eating. Here we go 🙂
Thanks so much !
Can I use baking powder instead if I don’t have any baking soda?
I thought my adverse -to -veggie 3 year old would love these because they’re green (her favorite color). Nope! Big fail. Apparently, they taste like green beans. HA! More for me then. I love them! Thank you for your time and effort.
hahahaha! Oh no!
If you use a regular size muffin tin, how long do you cook them for?
Thank you for this recipe! I made these today and my toddler loved them. I think it’s the first time she has willingly, if unknowingly, eaten spinach.
My vitamix won’t work without liquid in it! Is that not normal lol?! Can i add some sort of liquid to blend these?
Hi Mara! The eggs, banana and honey act as the liquid. Just make sure that you put those on the bottom. I use my 48oz square pitcher or my regular 64oz tall and narrow pitcher (the one that comes with the 5200 model) and I have never had an issue. 🙂
I’m so glad I discovered this recipe! These are quick and easy to make, have a beautiful green color, and my toddler loved them! I used honey, but I can’t wait to try with dates and/or with added cacao powder as you suggested in an earlier comment. Thanks for significantly improving our upcoming breakfasts!
Thank you for your sweet review Annie!
What’s the bake time for regular muffin tin?
Can I replace oats with almond or coconut flour?
How many mini muffins should be eaten with your green smoothie for breakfast, and how many mini muffins would be good for a snack serving? By the way, I love them!! Such a healthy breakfast! Thank you!!
Is there any other green that could be used instead of spinach? I did see the comments on kale (use less) but wondering if swiss chard or de-stemmed collards might work. Interesting recipe!
My kids hated them 🙁 I think I need a better blender to break up the oats maybe?
My kids love these as long as I add chocolate chips to the mix. The color turns brown, rather than green, which they have an aversion too! As long as I put chocolate in something, it’s a guaranteed win with them. They LOVE them though.
I would love to try this recipe, however have oat allergy. Do you know of a substitute for oats? Thanks!
Since these are being blended (basically like flour) use quinoa flakes. If you have a recipe that needs the oats to remain whole for texture, use flattened rice/rice flakes (also called poha)….who knew there was even such a thing? I learned this from Nicole at GlutenFreeOnAShoestring.com Hope that helps 🙂
Dying to try these but wanting to know how many muffins is considered breakfast?? I can’t imagine just eating 1 mini muffin!
I usually eat 2 or 3 blender muffins with whatever else I am eating for breakfast for example with my morning smoothie or something. 🙂
Made these today and went for a double batch. It made 32 mini muffins. My toddler happily ate one and I enjoyed one, too. I didn’t add any toppings as I wanted to try the original recipe. Delicious. I didn’t have steel cut oats on hand and used what we had. No complaints here. Going to make more blender muffins, soon.
Wow, wow, and wow. These muffins are awesome! I made them with regular rolled oats, but changed nothing else. I ended up making two batches. They are moist, a beautiful green color, and most importantly, my 5 year old loves them. Thank you for this great recipe!!
Awww, I am so happy to hear that your family loved them, and that you loved them enough to make a second batch!;) Thank you so much for the review!
Is it just me or did these used to have almond butter in them? Just want to make sure I am making the right recipe!!
Yes, at one time they did. I later removed it to make it a nut free recipe! 🙂
How do you store these??
I store mine in a air tight container on the counter.
My 6 year old granddaughter calls these “salad” muffins. I used old fashioned oats the second time as the steel cut oats didn’t give it the right consistency. (maybe because I didn’t have a blender and I used a mixer.) I also found that they definitely need chocolate chips on the top to make them really attractive for the kids, makes them taste sweeter too! I found that the recipe only makes 8 regular muffins if I fill them 3/4 full. I like to cook them in the microwave at 70% power for 3 minutes and they are perfect!
So how many of these muffins is considered a serving? When you make these for breakfast, how many do you generally eat?
I generally have about 2-4 muffins. It just totally depends on what else I am having for breakfast eggs, a smoothie, etc.
Absolutely loved making these with my 4 yo son.
He & I loved eating them even more!
What would you recommend as a serving suggestion (mini muffin)?
I’ve lost already 30+ pounds & these are so freaking delicious that I don’t want to sabotage what I’ve lost lol!
So easy! I blended the oats first and this seemed to crate a good flour texture. The muffins were delicious and my picky 5 year old gobbled them up!!!! ❤️❤️❤️
I made these for my 6 year old grandson. I used banana and dates. I also added regular chocolate chips. My husband and I thought they were great. The grandson didn’t care of them and he usually eats anything. His loss!
These are great but how many would be considered a serving?
2-4 muffins, depending on what you eat with it (boiled egg, smoothie, etc.)
Have you ever tried using oat flour in place of blending steel cut oats? I’ve never used oat flour before, but I don’t have a very good blender for this, so I’m wondering if that would be a good substitution. Thank you for all of your amazing recipes! (I LOVE both books!!)
Yes you can use it as a substitution, and thank you so much for all the love and support Jessie! It means the world to me!
Made these today and they are so good! I used old fashioned oats, a very ripe banana, and 4 dates. I do not have a high power blender like a vitamix, but my ninja smoothie blender worked just fine. I blended the oats first, then added the other ingredients. Topped mine with mini chocolate chips. The only complaint is that my batter only yielded 18 muffins 🙁 but that’s okay! Next time I’ll be doubling the recipe anyways.
Has anyone tried subbing almond flour for some or all of the oats?
These are so good & easy to make. I use dried dates, so I add a little water. I also add a small amount of lemon juice (1/2 tsp). It makes 8 full size muffins (bake for about 18 minutes).
I accidentally put 1 banana and 1 apple…..didn’t see it was one or the other. Hope they turn out.
Can we add nut to the top before cooking? Anything non sugar (I’m a liver patient) like how much pure stevia or blended truvia? Also can we use the 5 min oats or will that be too mushy?
Yes you can add nut before cooking and you can also use the minute oats as well.
I made these today having some overripe bananas on hand and a strong curiosity of how they’d turn out after reading the recipe and ingredients. I was a bit skeptical, but delightfully proven wrong in the end! They are tasty and brilliant green (more than your picture). They’re not gummy, but pretty much spot on the texture of a healthy breakfast muffin. The steel cuts oats still have a slightly chewy bite, but I don’t mind. I can see a relationship building here, and I can already taste coconut in my next batch! Thank you so much for this 🙂
Btw, I got 11 standard cup muffins and they took about 25 minutes to bake.
These muffins are AMAZING! The whole family loves them and the kids (and husband) beg for me to make them! The kids have no idea what’s in them or that they are so good for them!
So I finally got around to making these…and had some learnings in the process 😉 I definitely don’t have a high-powered blender. I have a Ninja but it didn’t do the trick with the oats – just sort of flew them around in a circle instead of grinding them. Next time I’ll either buy oat flour or get a Vitamin. Even with the not as smooth texture, my husband loved them. I added chocolate chips and my 2.5 yr old who isn’t a fan of fruit or veggies thinks they’re “treats” and is eating them for breakfast as we speak! Thank you 🙂
Can I sub rolled oats for steel cut?
Hi Andreas,
Yes you can just make sure you have a really powerful blender like the Vitamix or you will end up with a lot of chunky oats in your muffins.
Oh my goodness! I LOVE these! They were delicious!
Do you have nutritional info/breakdown on these?
Hello Mayuree,
Thank you for reaching out! I do not include the calorie count or nutritional information on any of my recipes. All ingredients have different nutritional information so it will always vary depending on the exact ingredients (brands) you’re using. If you need to track nutritional information it’s best to calculate it for each recipe with your own ingredients into a program like MyFitness Pal because it can vary A LOT.
Wish you all the best!
These were delicious! Even my daughter and her friends loved them and they usually turn up their nose at anything not dripping in sugar! I did add 3 TBS cocoa powder, an additional ½ banana and threw some chocolate chips on top since I was trying to use things up. Thanks for such a great recipe!
Wow these are great! This is my third IL recipe because I just found this site and community. Very impressed! I used homemade oat flour and topped with dried apricots, cranberries and walnuts for a more adult muffin snack.
To make full muffins would you double the bake time (24 minutes instead of 12)?
These muffins are delicious and very filling! I used instant steel cut oats because that is all I had on hand. They baked up nicely! Adding to my rotation list for breakfast ideas!