More Than Muffins

Now that Zoe and “Muffin Man” Conor are one year olds, their tastes in foods and textures grow by the day. Every Sunday, I find myself baking a big batch of my go-to muffins that are tasty, easy to nosh on and filled with nutrients for the little ones.

On Co and Zo’s first birthday, I transformed the beloved muffins into a “smash cake” with a quick cream cheese frosting for the two to dive into after singing “Happy Birthday” three times (a tradition in our family). At first, they didn’t know the cake was edible and stared at the spectacle.

Once they put their hands in, they found the familiar-tasting muffin underneath! They loved putting their hands in, Zoe led the way massaging the frosting with her palms then putting finger-fulls in her mouth with Conor soon following with big fist-fulls of cake.

These muffins are portable, freeze fantastically and are super versatile with various add-ins like Zoe’s favorite, blueberries, Conor’s favorite, strawberries or the recent addition of grated zucchini. Patrick and I find ourselves chowing down on them too for a pick-me-up!

More than Muffins

1 c flour (we use all-purpose, but could use whole wheat)
1/2 c oats
1 t baking soda
1/2 t salt
1 t cinnamon
2 large eggs
2 bananas, mashed (the riper the better!)
1/4 c vegetable or melted unsalted butter
1/2 c apple sauce or 1/4 c applesauce + 1/4 c Greek yogurt
1/2 c chopped fruit (strawberries, blueberries, raspberries, even zucchini!)
(Optional) Cream Cheese Frosting

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Spray a muffin tin with cooking spray. In a large bowl whisk together the flour, oats, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon. In a medium bowl, beat the eggs, then stir in the mashed banana, oil and apple sauce. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and mix with a wooden spoon or spatula until combined. Stir in the chopped fruit. Spoon the batter into the muffin tins up to the top of each cup. Bake for about 15-17 minutes or until the tops are slightly golden and firm.

Makes 12 muffins; 2 smash cakes or 24 mini muffins

For an easy frosting for their first birthday, I caved and used some sugar but feel free to add maple syrup as a substitute.

Smash Cake Cream Cheese Frosting

8 oz cream cheese, softened
1/2 c unsalted butter, softened
2 t pure vanilla extract
2 c powdered sugar

Add the cream cheese and butter to a bowl and use an electric mixer to beat until creamy. Add the vanilla extract. With mixer on low, gradually add powdered sugar until completely combined.