When the holiday season rolls around, my three-year-old can’t get enough of watching The Grinch. After one too many Grinch movie marathons, I decided it would be fun to create a healthy green snack inspired by everyone’s favorite Christmas grouch.
These Fresh Milled Flour Healthy Grinch Muffins get their festive green color from baby spinach, their natural sweetness from ripe bananas and maple syrup, and their hearty texture from rolled oats and freshly milled soft white wheat flour. The best part? My daughter has no idea she’s happily eating spinach for breakfast.
This quick blender muffin recipe comes together in just minutes and makes a wonderful holiday breakfast, lunchbox addition, or afternoon snack. I often serve these muffins with a side of eggs for a balanced breakfast that keeps little bellies full and happy throughout the morning.
Because everything starts in the blender, cleanup is minimal and the batter comes together faster than traditional muffin recipes. They’re soft, moist, naturally festive, and a great way to sneak extra nutrition into the holiday season.
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Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Festive green color perfect for Christmas
- Made with freshly milled soft white wheat flour
- Easy blender recipe with minimal cleanup
- Naturally sweetened with banana and maple syrup
- Packed with spinach and whole grains
- Freezer-friendly for holiday meal prep
- Great for breakfast, snacks, and lunchboxes
- Kid-approved, even with the hidden spinach
- Ready in about 30 minutes
- A fun way to celebrate Grinch season with little ones
Fresh Milled Flour Benefits
If you’re new to baking with fresh milled flour, this recipe is a wonderful place to start.
Freshly milled flour contains all parts of the wheat berry, including the bran, germ, and endosperm. Because the flour is milled immediately before baking, more of the naturally occurring nutrients remain intact compared to commercially milled flour that may sit on store shelves for long periods.
For these muffins, I use soft white wheat berries, which produce a lighter texture perfect for muffins, pancakes, quick breads, and cookies.
Grain Mill I Use:
I mill my flour using a Nutrimill Classic. It produces a fine flour that works beautifully in baked goods while allowing me to bake with freshly milled grain whenever I need it.
Where I Buy Wheat Berries:
I purchase most of my wheat berries from Azure Standard. Buying berries in bulk helps keep fresh milling affordable while ensuring I always have quality grain available for baking.
How to Store Wheat Berries:
Store wheat berries in airtight containers in a cool, dry location away from direct sunlight. Properly stored wheat berries can maintain their quality for years.
I like to use 5 gallon buckets with gamma lids.
Why Weigh Your Grain:
For the most consistent results, I highly recommend weighing your wheat berries before milling. This recipe uses 135 grams of soft white wheat berries, which helps ensure accurate hydration and consistent muffin texture every time.
Ingredients
- 1 cup banana (about 2 small or 1 medium-large bananas)
- 2 cups lightly packed baby spinach
- ¾ cup milk
- ¼ cup pure maple syrup (or honey)
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 eggs
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 cup rolled oats
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 135 grams soft white wheat berries, freshly milled into flour
- Mini chocolate chips, as desired
Ingredient Notes
A few simple ingredients come together to make these festive healthy Grinch muffins. Here’s what you need to know before getting started:
- Baby spinach gives the muffins their bright green Grinch-inspired color while adding extra nutrition. Don’t worry, you won’t taste it!
- Ripe bananas naturally sweeten the muffins and help keep them soft and moist.
- Fresh milled soft white wheat flour creates a tender muffin texture while adding the benefits of whole grain flour. Soft white wheat is my preferred wheat variety for muffins, cookies, pancakes, and other softer baked goods.
- Rolled oats add fiber and help make these muffins filling enough for breakfast or snack time.
- Maple syrup or honey provides just enough sweetness without making these muffins overly sweet.
- Mini chocolate chips are optional but make these muffins extra fun for kids and add a festive touch during the holiday season.
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 375°F. Prepare a muffin pan by lining it with muffin liners or spraying generously with nonstick spray.
- Weigh 135 grams of soft white wheat berries and mill them into fresh flour.
- Add the bananas, spinach, milk, maple syrup, olive oil, eggs, vanilla, oats, baking soda, and salt to a blender. Blend until the mixture resembles a smooth green smoothie.
- Add the freshly milled flour and pulse a few times until just combined.
- Divide the batter evenly between the muffin cups. Sprinkle with mini chocolate chips if desired.
- Bake for 18 to 22 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
- Allow the muffins to cool in the pan for 3 to 5 minutes, then promptly transfer them to a cooling rack to prevent soggy bottoms.
Tools I Used
Storage
- Store leftover muffins in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 days.
- For longer storage, refrigerate for up to 5 days.
- These muffins also freeze beautifully. Place them in a freezer-safe container or bag and freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw at room temperature or overnight in the refrigerator before serving.
Tips for Success
- Use very ripe bananas for the best flavor and sweetness.
- Weigh your wheat berries before milling for the most accurate results.
- Blend the wet ingredients completely before adding the flour.
- Avoid over-mixing after the flour is added.
- Transfer muffins to a cooling rack after a few minutes to keep them from becoming soggy.
- Add a few extra chocolate chips on top before baking for a fun holiday appearance.
Variations
Grinch Heart Muffins
Add a few red sprinkles or a small red candy on top to represent the Grinch’s growing heart.
Coconut Grinch Muffins
Sprinkle unsweetened shredded coconut on top before baking for extra texture.
Substitutions
Need to make a swap? Here are a few substitutions that should work well in these healthy Grinch muffins:
- Replace the maple syrup with an equal amount of honey.
- Swap the milk for your favorite dairy-free alternative, such as almond milk or oat milk.
- Use avocado oil, melted coconut oil, or another neutral oil in place of the olive oil.
- Baby kale can be used instead of spinach, though the flavor may be slightly stronger.
- Hard white wheat berries may be substituted for soft white wheat berries, but the muffins will have a heartier texture.
- Leave out the mini chocolate chips or replace them with chopped nuts, dried fruit, or festive holiday sprinkles.
- If you’re out of rolled oats, quick oats should work in a pinch.
Fresh Milled Flour Healthy Grinch Muffins (Spinach, Banana & Oats)
- Total Time: 30
- Yield: 12 muffins 1x
Description
Ingredients
- 1 cup banana (about 2 small or 1 medium-large bananas)
- 2 cups baby spinach, lightly packed
- ¾ cup milk
- ¼ cup pure maple syrup (or honey)
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 large eggs
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 cup rolled oats
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 135 grams soft white wheat berries, freshly milled
- Mini chocolate chips, optional
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375°F. Line a muffin pan with paper liners or spray with nonstick cooking spray.
- Weigh 135 grams of soft white wheat berries and mill into fresh flour.
- Add the banana, spinach, milk, maple syrup, olive oil, eggs, vanilla, rolled oats, baking soda, and salt to a blender. Blend until smooth and the mixture resembles a green smoothie.
- Add the freshly milled flour and pulse a few times until just combined.
- Divide the batter evenly between the prepared muffin cups.
- Sprinkle the tops with mini chocolate chips, if desired.
- Bake for 18–22 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
- Cool in the muffin pan for 3–5 minutes.
- Transfer the muffins to a wire cooling rack and cool completely before storing.
- Prep Time: 10
- Cook Time: 20
- Method: Baking
Frequently Asked Questions
Can You Taste the Spinach?
No! The banana and vanilla flavors completely mask the spinach. It mainly contributes color and nutrition.
Can I Make These Without Fresh Milled Flour?
Yes. While fresh milled flour provides the best flavor and nutrition, you can substitute whole wheat flour if needed.
Can I Make These Ahead of Time?
Absolutely. These muffins are great for meal prep and freeze well.
Are These Muffins Very Sweet?
No. They are lightly sweetened and designed to be a healthy breakfast or snack rather than a dessert-style muffin.
Can I Mix Chocolate Chips Into the Batter?
Yes! You can stir them into the batter, sprinkle them on top, or do both.
Try Our Other Festive Holiday Bakes:
- Fresh-Milled Double Chocolate Peppermint Cookies
- Fresh-Milled Flour Pumpkin Bread
- Fresh-Milled Flour Pumpkin Scones
- Fresh-Milled Flour Maple Pecan Cookies
- Fresh-Milled Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Muffins
Call to Action
If you make these Fresh Milled Flour Healthy Grinch Muffins, I’d love to hear how they turned out! Leave a comment below and let me know if your family loved them as much as mine does.
