20 Mini Muffin Recipes That Will Satisfy Toddlers and Grown-Ups Alike
Ah, mini muffins: They’re nostalgic, comforting, kid-friendly and endlessly riffable. You’re always buying a box at the grocery store, but have you ever tried baking them yourself? Most iterations only require a handful of pantry staples and a mini muffin tin. In case you’re not sure where to start, we’re giving you 20 mini muffin recipes that provide all the inspiration you need to make a batch at home. Some are decidedly timeless (like chocolate chip and blueberry), while others will surprise you (like ones that taste like doughnuts, brownies and cinnamon buns).
50 Toddler Lunch Ideas Even the Pickiest Eaters Will Love
1. Mini Chocolate Chip Muffins
Eat with Clarity
Time Commitment: 40 minutes
Why We Love It: beginner-friendly, kid-friendly, gluten free, one bowl
Picky kids don’t stand a chance against these one-bite delights. They also just so happen to be gluten-free (in case they have wheat sensitivities) and can easily be made dairy-free as well.
2. Mini Cinnamon Sugar Pumpkin Muffins
Averie Cooks
Time Commitment: 20 minutes
Why We Love It: vegan, dairy free, make ahead, <30 minutes
These are just the starter for a Halloween party or Thanksgiving dinner. Thanks to coconut oil and vanilla almond milk, they’re also totally dairy-free and plant-based.
3. Corn Dog Mini Muffins
Damn Delicious
Time Commitment: 25 minutes
Why We Love It: <30 minutes, kid-friendly, <10 ingredients
Ready thy ketchup, friends. The kids can dip their hearts out with these hearty poppables, made with buttermilk for an extra tender texture.
4. Spinach Banana Oat Muffins
Inspiralized
Time Commitment: 30 minutes
Why We Love It: <10 ingredients, vegetarian, make ahead, low sugar
Whether you make teeny-tiny doughnuts or muffins with this recipe, they’ll be a breeze to prepare. All they require is eggs, oats, flaxseed and fresh produce.
5. Mini Powdered Sugar Doughnut Muffins
Sally’s Baking Addiction
Time Commitment: 45 minutes
Why We Love It: crowd-pleaser, kid-friendly, make ahead
Best of luck not eating an entire pan’s worth after your first bite. The cake-style doughnuts are dipped in melted butter and rolled in confectioners’ sugar once they come out of the oven.
6. Pecan-Cran Oatmeal Bites
Owlbbaking
Time Commitment: 25 minutes
Why We Love It: <30 minutes, crowd-pleaser, make ahead
Think of these as better-for-you oatmeal cookies. Yogurt in the batter makes the muffins supremely moist, a stellar foil for crunchy pecans, toothsome oats and chewy dried cranberries.
7. Raspberry-Kissed Mini Muffins
This Mess Is Ours
Time Commitment: 55 minutes
Why We Love It: <10 ingredients, gluten free, crowd pleaser, make ahead
Bookmark these now to serve first thing in the morning on Valentine’s Day (with a glass of strawberry milk, of course). Take your pick of fresh or frozen raspberries for the puree.
8. Mini Blueberry Muffins
Fork and Beans
Time Commitment: 20 minutes
Why We Love It: <30 minutes, <10 ingredients, kid-friendly, make ahead
Unsweetened applesauce keeps the crumb tender, while coconut sugar sweetens the muffins without making them too indulgent.
9. Ham and Cheese Mini Corn Muffins
Mom on Time Out
Time Commitment: 25 minutes
Why We Love It: crowd-pleaser, kid-friendly, beginner-friendly
Each muffin contains 3 grams of protein, so a few of them should definitely hold your kid over at lunchtime. Pack them a dipping cup of ketchup, ranch dressing or honey mustard to seal the deal.
10. 30-Minute Whole Wheat Cinnamon Buns
Half Baked Harvest
Time Commitment: 30 minutes
Why We Love It: crowd-pleaser, special occasion-worthy
Whip these decadent cuties up for Sunday brunch and let the compliments roll in. They’re made with whole wheat pastry flour, so go ahead and have two (or um, five).
11. Gluten-Free Blueberry and Avocado Muffins
40 Aprons
Time Commitment: 30 minutes
Why We Love It: gluten free, kid-friendly, beginner-friendly
Aka the best sneakiest way to get your kids to eat carrots without a fight. Substitute standard blueberry yogurt with coconut or oat milk yogurt to make the muffins dairy-free.
12. Mini Whole Wheat Chocolate Chip Muffins
How Sweet Eats
Time Commitment: 30 minutes
Why We Love It: crowd-pleaser, kid-friendly, beginner-friendly
You could totally bake these little guys ahead, but we prefer them straight out of the oven so you can sink your teeth into all that gooey chocolate. Thank us later.
13. Mini Eggnog Doughnut Muffins
Two Peas & Their Pod
Time Commitment: 45 minutes
Why We Love It: special occasion-worthy, beginner-friendly, crowd-pleaser
Sure, cookies are the go-to, but we don’t think Santa would mind wolfing these beauties down after a long night’s work. Don’t even get us started on the buttery, spiced eggnog glaze.
14. Mini Chili-Stuffed Cornbread Muffins
Brown Sugar Mama
Time Commitment: 1 hour and 25 minutes
Why We Love It: special occasion-worthy, crowd-pleaser, beginner-friendly
Shoutout to boxed cornbread mix for the time-saving shortcut. The real star is the beefy beer-spiked filling, after all. Serve with all the cheese, sour cream and chives.
15. Gluten-Free Cranberry Muffins
Fork and Beans
Time Commitment: 30 minutes
Why We Love It: crowd-pleaser, make ahead, gluten free, beginner-friendly
You can really use any gluten-free flour blend you’d like for these handhelds, but it’s best to use one with rice flour—it’ll give the muffins a light, fluffy mouthfeel.
16. Mini Cinnamon Sugar Pull-Apart Muffins
Brown Sugar Mama
Time Commitment: 30 minutes
Why We Love It: <10 ingredients, beginner-friendly, kid-friendly
Is it just us, or do these glazed treats scream Christmas morning? They’re easier to assemble than you think, since the recipe starts with canned refrigerated biscuits.
17. Mini Corn Muffins
I Am A Food Blog
Time Commitment: 30 minutes
Why We Love It: crowd-pleaser, special occasion-worthy, beginner-friendly
These buttery delights boast whole corn kernels in the batter. While they’re tasty as is, we’d also suggest adding shredded cheddar cheese and chopped jalapeños to the mix.
18. Mini Cinnamon Sugar Donut Muffins
Owlbbaking
Time Commitment: 25 minutes
Why We Love It: <30 minutes, crowd-pleaser, kid-friendly, beginner-friendly
Try these once and they’ll become your go-to recipe to bake at the start of every fall. Wash them down with mulled apple cider to up the seasonal ante.
19. 45-Calorie Mini Chocolate Chip Muffins
Sally’s Baking Recipes
Time Commitment: 35 minutes
Why We Love It: crowd-pleaser, kid-friendly, beginner-friendly
These are made with standard ingredients (plus a generous glug of maple syrup), but due to the muffins’ size, they’re still surprisingly low in calories. Win-win.
20. Crinkle Top Brownie Bites
What’s Gaby Cooking
Time Commitment: 20 minutes
Why We Love It: <30 minutes, beginner-friendly, kid-friendly, <10 ingredients
Nosh on them straight out of the oven or serve them at the bottom of a sky-high ice cream sundae. Either way, they won’t disappoint.
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Taryn Pire is PureWow’s associate food editor. A former bartender and barista, she’s been writing about all things delicious since 2016, developing recipes, reviewing restaurants and investigating food trends at Food52, New Jersey Family Magazine and Taste Talks. When she isn’t testing TikTok’s latest viral recipe, she’s having popcorn for dinner and posting about it on Instagram @cookingwithpire.
