Plant Based Juniors

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PBJ Baby-Led Weaning Muffins

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muffin tin of strawberry heart baby led weaning muffins

If you’re looking for healthy, delicious muffins for your new eater, check out this recipe! It’s also gluten-free, sugar-free, and vegan.

Before we started introducing our boys to solid foods, we thought it would be a breeze. Like many excited new parents, we were both set on doing things a certain way and totally confident in our ability to make it happen. For instance, when it came to feeding our babies, we were all set on baby-led weaning, no question. 

And although we did successfully enjoy baby-led weaning for our boys, it wasn’t without challenges! 

Many people warned us about the dreaded “picky eater” phases that all kids go through, and we definitely experienced our share early on. Babies don’t always eat much – often, more food ends up on the floor than in their little mouths. And although we knew this was possible (as RDs, we counseled many other parents on this same scenario), it was still a somewhat unexpected obstacle.

Fortunately, through trial and error, and lots of experimentation, we eventually found ways to make sure our boys were getting some great nutrients every time they tried solids. 

As we’ve said before, nutrients like iron are really important to pay attention to while baby-led weaning, especially when it comes to predominantly plant-based kiddos. 

That’s why we love sharing recipes with you that offer some great nutrition – including iron – and are age appropriate to use during baby-led weaning (and beyond!). 

These PBJ Baby-Led Weaning Muffins, adapted for you from our original recipe, are one of our favorite go-to recipes for our kids. They’re a great way to offer your baby beans, whole grains, fiber, and healthy fats in one yummy food. 

They contain iron and protein from chickpeas, oats, chia seeds, and peanut butter, as well as vitamin C-rich strawberries to help boost your baby’s iron absorption. 

These muffins can also be really versatile, so you could add, remove, or substitute ingredients to make different variations at home. 

Check out the recipe below and let us know what you think!

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baby led weaning strawberry muffin on a white plate

PBJ Baby-Led Weaning Muffins

This is a delicious, sugar-free, gluten-free, vegan muffin recipe perfect for baby-led weaning.
Print Recipe

Ingredients

  • 1 cup strawberries, pureed
  • 1/4 cup chia seeds
  • 3/4 cup oats, ground
  • 3/4 cup chickpeas
  • 1 banana
  • 1/4 cup peanut butter
  • 3/4 cup non-dairy milk
  • 1/2 Tbsp vanilla extract
  • 1/2 Tbsp baking powder

Instructions

  • In a bowl, combine strawberry puree and chia seeds. Set aside and allow to sit for at least 15 minutes. Can be made ahead of time and kept in the refrigerator for 5-7 days.
  • In a blender or food processor, combine all remaining ingredients.
  • Grease a muffin tin and add half of the batter to the cups. Top each muffin with about a tablespoon of the chia puree. Add the other half of the batter on top.
  • Option to add sliced strawberries to the top of muffins.
  • Bake at 350 for 20-25 minutes.
  • Allow muffins to cool for 20 minutes before removing from the tin. Store in the refrigerator to eat within a week or freeze for later. 

Notes

These are VERY moist – that is normal. These have no eggs or dairy so no need to worry if they are slightly uncooked. The longer they sit the more they will firm up. They will also firm up more in the refrigerator. 

For more easy and healthy recipes for baby-led weaning, check out our e-book First Bites: The Definitive Guide to Baby-Led Weaning for Plant-Based Babies.

Comments

  1. I have ground chia seeds, is that ok since after they soak all of the ingredients are being put into a food processor? Does it change how many of the nutrients will be absorbed from the chia seeds?

    • Hello, what can I substitute for the banana? Also is it possible to use strawberry baby puree if I can’t find strawberries? Thanks!

      • Yes strawberry puree should work and you could sub the mashed banana with applesauce.

  3. Hello! I’m looking for the one you made earlier this week on posted on instagram with the kale. They were muffins. Am I looking in the wrong spot?

    Thanks!

  5. 5 stars
    Will frozen strawberries work? Possibly puréed with a little bit of breastmilk?

    • You may be able to replace some of the oat flour but we haven’t tried it before.

    • Hi Kim! Yes, place ground oats into a blender and puree until a flour forms. Let me know if you need anything else!

      • You mention to place “ground” oats into a blender and purée until a flour forms? Do you mean rolled oats rather than ground oats?

        Also does it matter if I use either quick cooking rolled oats here or old fashioned rolled oats?

        Finally (my apologies I am new to this), does oat flour work? (Or perhaps it should be in meal format rather than fine oat flour).

        I apologise again for the question.

        Thank you

        • Either quick oats or old fashioned oats will work to make oat flour; you will process them in a food processor or blender until a flour forms.

  9. Hi,
    I’m really new to baking/cooking with chickpeas. In this recipe do I use dry ones or canned ones? Do I need to cook them first? I’m looking forward to try this.

    Greetings from Germany

  10. How old can they be to start eating these? I’m just worried it might be too dense and possibly a choking concern for my 8 month old.
    Any suggestions or guidance would be greatly appreciated!

    • We gave them to our kids at that age! If your child has the pincer grasp, then you can cut the muffin into small pieces for them to pick up on their own to eat. We made these in mini muffin tins and cut them in half for our kids that age.

  11. Hi, what do you mean by ground oats? Also I have quick cooking oats and old fashioned rolled oats, which do I use?

    • EIther will work, just blend them into flour using a food processor or high-powered blender.

  12. Hi, what do you mean by ground oats?
    Also I have old fashioned quick cooking oats and old fashioned rolled oats (both old fashioned from Bob’s Red Mill). Which do I used?

    • Hi Azza- you place the oats into a food processor and pulse until a fine flour forms.

  13. 5 stars
    How can I incorporate Aquafaba into the recipe so I don’t waste the chickpea liquid (if I’m using it from a can)? Thanks

  14. 5 stars
    These turned out delicious, Thank you! My 10.5 month old enjoyed them. I love the fact that the sweetness comes only from the bananas and strawberries. I would love my four month old to have them too but they aren’t sweet enough for him. I am thinking of adding maple syrup to either half of the batter or the chia/strawberry mix and make half the portion for him and the other for his sister. Have you tried this for old ones? How much maple syrup would you advice me to add? And would add it to the chia or the batter?
    Many thanks

  15. These were a hit with my 11 month old. Thank you!
    My toddler loved the idea of them but I think he would have gone for more if they were sweeter. I know they are meant for babies not for a four year old but I am thinking of doing a half batch for him. It would be great if the whole family to enjoy them (i don’t see why not).
    Should i perhaps add honey or maple syrup? Would you advice I do it with the batter or the chia seed strawberry mix, or to both? How much would be a good amount?

    Many thanks, Azza

  16. 5 stars
    These are delicious! Is it normal for them to be wet inside due to the banana…I did 20 minutes at 350, hard to tell if moist inside due to ingredients or if it is undercooked? Thanks!

    • I followed recipe exactly as written and mine were raw inside. Had to throw the whole batch out. 🙁

    • Yes they will naturally be very moist inside. After they cool down, and in the fridge, they will harden more.

  17. If your second step said combine all OTHER ingredients, that would be helpful. Just blended everything together including the chia/strawberry puree. Whoops.

    • I was just coming to say the same thing. When it said “combine all ingredients” it reads as if to combine everything including the strawberry chia purée.

      Brooke how did yours come out? I’m pot committed now that everything is blended.

  18. What can I use as a banana substitute? My little one has a banana allergy and find a lot of recipes use it for binding.

  19. 5 stars
    I substituted equal parts fortified oat cereal for ground eat flour and it worked great. These are yummy and so convenient to have on hand!

  20. Hi! Can I replace the chickpeas with lentils? Chickpeas are still a bit heavy for my baby’s stomach ☹️ Thanks!

  23. How much chia seed do you hold back for going between layers instead of when adding everything into the blender?

  24. Hi recipe looks delicious! Going to start experimenting with baking for my son in preparation for his first birthday in a few weeks.
    He has a condition which has caused him to be allergic to wheat, gluten, dairy, oats and soya! Any suggestions for an alternative to oats and traditional flour?

  26. I screwed up the recipe a few times and it still came out good! I forgot the banana, subbed chickpeas for black beans because I realized I didn’t have any after starting the recipe, and put the batter in in the wrong order. I just did all batter on the bottom, topped with the strawberry purée… when I realized, I mixed 6 in the muffin tin and left 6 the way it is just to experiment- the mixed ones were better.
    I’ll definitely make this again and next time I’ll make it according to the original recipe.

  27. 5 stars
    These were so great as mini muffins! Could the batter be used to make a single layer cake (to later be topped with the strawberry spread)? If so, do you have any suggestions on pan size and how long to bake? Thanks!

4.41 from 60 votes (53 ratings without comment)

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