Apple banana carrot muffins for baby and toddlers make the perfect lunch or snack.

They’re also called ABC muffins for short.

These muffins are fluffy and sweet but contain no added sugar. Their natural sweetness comes from all three fruits.

The best part is that they’re dairy-free and take only 30 minutes to make.

ABC muffins, apple banana carrot muffins, baby led weaning, baby, toddlers

Why I love Apple Banana Carrot muffins for Baby-led Weaning

Apple banana carrot muffins for baby-led weaning, have the perfect combination of sweetness and texture.

All three fruits combined give it a subtle sweetness that doesn’t require you to add any extra sugar.

These apple banana carrot muffins are also dairy-free because they contain no milk or milk products.

When my youngest was doing baby-led weaning, I made sure to only make recipes that didn’t use a ton of sugar.

So that he wouldn’t get used to sugary foods and start rejecting regular meals in the future.

That’s why I created this recipe.

Important Recipe Notes on BLW ABC Muffins

These muffins are dairy-free

I don’t use milk to make my muffin recipes for babies.

I know that a lot of kids have milk intolerance or allergies so I’m mindful of that in my recipes.

Instead of using milk to make the muffins moist, I use oil instead, and they all turn out delicious.

You can add a sweetener to make the muffins sweeter

Someone once told me they thought my muffins weren’t sweet enough.

Even though I always explain that I make them less sweet on purpose for babies and toddlers.

Anyway, if you want a very sweet muffin, feel free to add sugar or any other sweetener to it.

My preferred sweeteners are real maple syrups or brown sugar because they’re less processed.

You can make them with no eggs

You can make these muffins without eggs If your baby has an egg allergy or is sensitive.

Just use one of the egg substitutes in the table below.

Egg Substitute	Number of “eggs” Made
3 tbsp peanut butter	1 egg
1 tbsp ground flaxseed + 3 tbsp water	1 egg (whisk until gelatinous)
1/2 mashed banana	1 egg
1 tbsp mashed sweet potato	1 egg
1/4 cup applesauce	1 egg
1 tbsp chia seed + 3 tbsp water	1 egg (stir & rest it for 15 min)
1 tbsp soy protein + 3 tbsp water	1 egg (mix & use immediately)

Shred the carrots and apples to make them safe for a baby

Carrots and apples are safe to feed a baby. But you should always cut them approximately for their age.

That’s why I recommend shredding them with a cheese grater or a food processor.

You can also use a blender but be careful not to puree them.

Jump to Recipe

Ingredients For Baby Apple Banana Carrot Muffins

Carrots – I used medium carrots for my ABC muffins. You should shred the carrots rather than chop them. Shredding makes it safe for your baby to eat.

You can shred the carrot with a food processor or blender. Make sure you don’t puree the carrots if you’re using a blender.

My preferred method is using a potato peeler to “shred” them.

Apples – apples can either be shredded or chopped. Apples get very soft after cooking so they’ll be safe to feed a baby whether chopped or shredded.

Bananas – Ripe bananas are best to use with this recipe. The more ripe they are, the sweeter the ABC muffins will taste.

Flour – you can choose to use whole wheat flour, all-purpose flour, or a mixture of both. I prefer to use a mix of both for my muffin recipes. I feel like the muffins are much better this way.

Oil – since these muffins are dairy-free and use no milk in the recipe, I use oil as a substitute to make them moist. Without the oil, these ABC muffins will be hard and chewy, so don’t skip this step.

Eggs – eggs are necessary to help the flour bind with the fruits and other ingredients. If your baby has an egg allergy, then use the table above to find a suitable substitute for the eggs.

Cooking Directions For ABC Muffins for Baby and Toddlers

Set the oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit.
Combine all the wet ingredients in a bowl (carrots, apple, banana, eggs, oil, vanilla, and maple syrup if using)
In a separate bowl, combine the dry ingredients (flour, baking soda, baking powder).
Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and gently mix to combine (don’t overmix)
Grease a muffin pan and scoop the batter into each well. Bake for 25-30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean.

Step-by-Step Instructions

Step 1

Mix all the wet ingredients

Step 2

Combine the dry ingredients

Step 3

combine both wet & dry ingredients

Step 4

Bake and enjoy

Ingredient substitutions & Recipe Variations

Apple banana carrot muffins with oats

If you would prefer to use oats for this BLW Apple banana carrot muffin, you can do so.

All you need to do is replace half the flour with rolled oats. This will give you delicious ABC muffins with oats.

ABC muffins with Applesauce

Another common variation of ABC muffins is with applesauce instead of regular apples.

To make this variation, you will need to replace both apples with 3-4 pouches of applesauce, depending on how big the pouches are.

You may also need to reduce the amount of oil in the recipe to half to prevent the muffins from being too wet.

Why Apple, Bananas, and Carrots Are Good For Babies and Toddlers

Each fruit contains vitamins and minerals that babies and toddlers need.

They all contain fiber that helps maintain proper bowel movements.

They also contain vitamin C which helps to boost the immune system (source)

What To Serve With ABC Muffins For Baby

Serve it with some protein

I like serving my baby and toddler balanced meals. So with these muffins, I’d serve them with some protein.

Some ideas for proteins include peas, string beans, chickpeas, shredded chicken, pork, and beef.

How To Cut Apple Banana Carrot Muffins For Baby-led Weaning

6-9 Months old

Children between 6-9 months old can have ABC muffins cut in half. This way, they’ll easily be able to pick them up to eat.

9-12 months old

Kids and toddlers between 9-12 months old can have apple banana carrot muffins cut in half.

You can also serve it whole for kids closer to 12 months old.

12- 24 months and older

Toddlers between 12-24 months can be served whole muffins. They’ll be able to take individual bites at this age.

FREE printable – BLW Meal Planner

I Need This Now!

ABC Muffins for Baby Storage Tips

Can I refrigerate ABC muffins for a baby?

These BLW ABC muffins can be refrigerated for up to a week in the fridge. Anything after that and they will start to become soggy.

Can I freeze apple banana carrot muffins for baby-led weaning?

You can freeze these apple banana carrot muffins for baby-led weaning.

To do so, wrap them individually in parchment paper and store them in a Pyrex container or a ziplock bag.

This will keep them fresh for a long time.

Reheating BLW ABC Muffins

In the oven

If your muffins are frozen, then you should allow them to defrost first before heating them in the oven. Doing so will prevent them from heating unevenly.

In the microwave

Both frozen and cold muffins can be reheated in the microwave. If the muffins are frozen, you’ll need to heat them on high for 3-4 minutes. If they’re just cold, then use fewer minutes.

Tips for Picky Eaters

Don’t pressure

Give your baby or toddler a chance to say no. It’s okay if they don’t like what we serve them. Keep trying.

It takes at least 30 exposures for a baby to begin liking a food, so don’t give up.

Make it into a game

Sometimes I create games around the food I serve to get my kids interested in eating.

A game we’ve played in the past is called “Here comes the airplane… open the garage”. This encourages them to open their mouth as I bring the food in like an airplane.

Sometimes my kids will try new foods this way.

Apple Banana Carrot (ABC) Muffins For Baby + No Egg Option

Recipe by AghoghoCourse: LunchCuisine: AmericanDifficulty: Easy

Servings

servings

Prep time

minutes

Cooking time