These blueberry blender baby muffins are sweetened with fruits only and loaded with nutrition! They are incredibly soft and moist, making them the perfect first muffins for babies. But rest assured, they will also be loved by toddlers, older kids, and adults alike!
Thanks to Lifeway for sponsoring this post. I only work with companies that I love and believe in. All opinions are my own.
Seeing just how much you guys are loving my spinach and sweet potato blender muffin recipe, I am determined to develop many variations of it, starting with these blueberry baby muffins. The base ingredients and texture will be similar – soft and moist!
Updated: For easy access, I’ve compiled ALL of my baby and toddler-friendly muffins.
What makes these muffins perfect for babies
- No added sugar.
- Oats provide iron and zinc, which are top priority nutrients from 6 months and up, as well as fiber.
- Bursting with flavor! If you thought that you should start off with bland foods, think again! Introducing a wide variety of flavors and textures from the very beginning is super important in helping establish food preferences.
- Because of its round shape, introducing blueberries may have you a bit anxious. Not to worry! Once baked, these antioxidant-rich fruits get soft making them perfectly safe for babies.
- If you’re doing baby led weaning, you can serve the whole muffin, slice in half or into strips. They’re perfect to suck on.
- If you started off with purees and are feeling anxious about introducing textured food, these muffins will be perfect to try. Although these are soft, most likely there will be some gagging involved, which is completely normal and to be expected with new textures. However, allow your baby to work through it. Soon you will gain the confidence to keep moving forward with texture, which is VERY important.
A note about kefir
Kefir is a cultured, fermented beverage that tastes a lot like a yogurt drink. It has a slightly tangy and creamy flavor. It’s most commonly made with dairy milk, but you’ll also be able to find non-dairy alternatives.
Kefir vs. Yogurt
- They are both great sources of protein, calcium, and probiotics. However, kefir has more fat (super important for babies and their developing brains), protein, and probiotics.
- Not only does it have more probiotics but also a greater variety of healthy bacteria, which is important in helping diversify yours and your child’s gut population.
- Kefir is thinner in consistency.
If you want to learn more about probiotics, their health benefits, and whether or not they’re suitable for babies and toddlers, check out this in-depth post.
We absolutely LOVE all the Lifeway Kefir products. My son has been enjoying them since he was one. He doesn’t drink much milk so I’m happy to have found an alternative calcium and vitamin D-rich food source with the added benefit of probiotics!
If you haven’t tried baking with kefir, oh you’re in for a delightful treat!
- Adds richness without the use of oil or butter.
- Makes the product moist and tender.
- Amps up the protein and fat content, which will keep you fuller for longer.
- Imparts a subtle tangy flavor and therefore is a great alternative to buttermilk
Step-By-Step Instructions
I don’t have to write much here because it’s SOO simple! Just dump all the ingredients, minus the blueberries, into your blender and process until smooth.
Fold in half of the blueberries. I recommend using fresh if possible. You can use frozen but expect the final product to be a bit more liquid-y. They also bleed into the batter more. If using frozen, add them directly to the batter without thawing them.
Pour into a muffin pan. You can grease, use liners, or bake in a silicone pan (no need to grease). Personally, I LOVE my silicone muffin pan and use it for everything!
Top with the rest of the blueberries. Into the oven they go! A busy parent’s dream!
Ingredient Substitutions
- No kefir? Plain Greek yogurt (use the same amount or a bit less) will be the best alternative.
- No dairy? Any plant-based alternative will work. Look for plain and unsweetened though as many contain added sugars. Several readers have told me that coconut yogurt worked really well!
- No egg? Use a flax egg!
- No applesauce? You can puree fresh apples or pears. Can also try using mashed banana or sweet potatoes (add a little bit of water so it’s similar in consistency to applesauce).
- No banana? Use 3 medjool dates (soaked in warm water for at least 30 minutes to make them easier to blend. Will also result in a smoother consistency.
Baking Tips
- If you’re looking for a bread-y type of muffins, this is not it. As mentioned, these baby muffins are super light and moist.
- Again, if using frozen blueberries, add them into the batter straight from the freezer. Do NOT thaw! You can also toss them with a tablespoon or so of flour.
- Every oven is slightly different so check for doneness by inserting a toothpick in the middle, making sure it comes out clean.
- Once done, don’t attempt to take them out immediately from the muffin pan. Allow to cool for at least 10 minutes.
- If you find that the muffins are too moist, put them in the fridge to help firm up.
How to Store
- Store in an airtight container for 3-5 days in the fridge.
- Freeze for up to 3 months. I personally flash freeze all my baked goods.
Other baby-friendly muffins to try
- Beetroot Muffins
- Mexican Lentils Muffins
- Spinach Sweet Potato Blender Muffins
- Carrot Cake Blender Muffins
- Vegan Apple Cinnamon Muffins
Do you want to minimize picky eating and set a solid foundation for a lifetime of healthy eating habits?
Check out this 3 month mastering self-feeding program! It’s the closest thing to me being in your kitchen
Healthy Blueberry Blender Baby Muffins
Ingredients
- 1 cup rolled oats
- 1 ripe medium (138g) banana
- 3/4 cup Lifeway whole fat plain Kefir
- 1/2 cup (110g) unsweetened applesauce
- 1 large egg
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 1/2 teaspoons aluminum-free baking powder
- 1 teaspoon lemon zest
- 3/4 cup (100g) fresh or frozen blueberries, see note
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
- In the blender or food processor, add the oats first and then the rest of the ingredients except the blueberries. Blend until smooth. Stir in half the blueberries.
- Pour batter evenly into a greased or lined 12-cup muffin pan (see note). Top with remaining blueberries.
- Bake for 25-30 minutes, until inserted toothpick comes out clean.
- Cool completely (wait at least 10 minutes) before taking them out of the pan.
Notes
- I recommend using fresh if possible. If using frozen, add them directly to the batter without thawing them. You can also toss them with a tablespoon or so of flour.
- No kefir? Plain Greek yogurt (use the same amount or a bit less) will be the best alternative.
- No dairy? Any plant-based alternative will work. Look for plain and unsweetened though as many contain added sugars. Several readers have told me that coconut yogurt worked really well!
- No egg? Use a flax egg!
- No applesauce? You can puree fresh apples or pears. Can also try using mashed banana or sweet potatoes (add a little bit of water so it's similar in consistency to applesauce).
- No banana? Use 3 medjool dates (soaked in warm water for at least 30 minutes to make them easier to blend. Will also result in a smoother consistency.
- I like to use a silicone baking pan as there's no need to grease and is easy to clean!
- If you find that the muffins are too moist, put them in the fridge to help firm up.
- Store in an airtight container for 3-5 days in the fridge or in the freezer for up to 3 months.
Can’t wait to try this! Wanting to avoid going to the grocery store right now…. is the kefir/yogurt necessary for this recipe?
It is
Can I add chia seeds to this?
Sure!
Hi! My older son loves blueberry muffins, so I am excited to try these! However, I don’t have any kefir in the house at the moment. Can I swap with something? I have whole milk, almond milk and Greek yogurt in my fridge. Will any of those work? Thanks!
I’d try Greek yogurt first. I think the milk will work too but recommend adding less than the suggested amount since it’s thinner in consistency. Let me know how they turn out! Curious to know!
These looks delicious.My daughter cannot have applesauce, any other recommendation to substitute?
hmm..you can try pureed pears or mashed banana or sweet potatoes. I haven’t tried them myself though
Hi Min, if I want to add mashed banana instead of applesauce, does this mean I just add more banana on top of the 1 banana in the recipe? Thanks!
Hi yes, but first, do you have fresh apple or pear? can us instead of applesauce
If you freeze them, how do you thaw them? On the counter, in the fridge, or in the microwave? And about how long does it take?
Hi! I like to thaw in the fridge overnight. I don’t actually reheat but if you want to then do so very briefly so it doesn’t get soggy
I tried this with Greek yogurt ( same amount) and accidentally blended first half of the frozen blueberries instead of adding them later . Turned out delish! The blended blueberries added sweetness throughout. They were so moist even after reheating. Thank you!!
HI! Oh good to know it didn’t make the muffins too soggy! yay ;). Thanks for sharing. Enjoy!
Made these today for my 8 month old and he happily ate them and turned a lovely shade of purple! I used skyr plain yogurt and frozen blueberries, and left out the lemon zest (because I didn’t have any), mixed by hand, poured into mini muffin pan, and baked for 15 min. Yummy for baby, toddler and mama!
Yay!!! So glad you guys enjoyed these! Good to know you can mix the batter by hand and will still turn out well! And you used the same amount of plain yogurt as kefir?
Hi, I’m wondering if I can use flour instead of oats in this recipe, and how much flour should I use if so? Really excited to try this out for my kids and am totally inexperienced with baking!
Can a 7-month-old baby eat this muffin? It looks so delish!
Absolutely! Developed for babies in mind 😉
is kefir & vanilla extract safe for a 7 month old?
Yes 😉
my son is a picky eater. He loves your food. Can I swap rolled oats to quick oat? Thanks in advance
Hi! So glad to hear that. Yes, should work since you’re turning it into flour
I made these for my 16.5 month old and they turned out great! Two things: 1) I thought it would be just enough batter for the 12 mini muffins but also got 4 full-sized ones? 2) it says there’s 12 servings which makes me think it’s 1 muffin, but my son is not a big eater and he just ate 3 and wants more! Is the serving size accurate? Thank you!
Hi! Whoa! That’s a lot of batter..hmm not sure. Every time I make it I get enough for 12 muffins…oh the serving size is there to tell you the nutrition facts for each muffin. Follow your child’s lead but bc these are so addictive hehe you can serve it with other foods so that he gets exposure to a variety. As a snack, I like to serve a muffin with some nut butter along with fruit/veggie. Hope this helps!
Approved by my pickiest eater! He doesn’t eat anything… no bread no pasta no carbs except these muffins. I will add spinach next time 🥰
so great to hear! Let me know how it goes with spinach 😉
Hey! Thanks for sharing this. I baked mine for 25 mins and they looked great on the outside but like raw dough on the inside. I baked for an additional 17 mins, still no change. Are they supposed to be that wet? For reference I followed the recipe to the T except I subed the Kifer for Greek yogurt. Thanks!
Absolutely!
Hi! Can I use a regular sized muffin pan to make these? Or do I need to use a mini muffin pan? Thanks!
you’re referring to the 6 cup muffin pan right? you can you’ll just need to adjust the cooking time
Hi ! May I know how do you serve it to a baby after refrigerate ? Do you serve it cold from the fridge or let it sit for a bit at room temperature before serving? Thank you in advance!
you can do both! or microwave for 10 seconds or so
Hi Min, I’m from Singapore and I’ve been trying your recipes for my 11-month old boy. So far I’ve tried the banana protein pancakes and the banana cookies, both of which he loves. I just tried making this blueberry muffin today but my batter yielded 6 muffins instead of 12. May I know when you say 1 cup of rolled oats, is it 120g of rolled oats? FYI – I used Greek yogurt and flax egg for this recipe.
Hi! Yes it’s around 100g of rolled oats