Spinach Muffins with Chocolate Chips

Spinach muffins with chocolate chips are soft, lightly sweet, and packed with greens. They’re great for picky eaters, lunchboxes, and breakfast on-the-go. Yes, they’re green. But no, you can't taste the spinach!

Spinach muffins with chocolate chips are one of those recipes that sound weird but win people over.

They’re soft, just sweet enough, and full of banana and chocolate flavor. The spinach gives moisture and color without ruining the taste.

You don’t need fancy ingredients or tools. Just a blender or bowl, and about 30 minutes.

They store well. Freeze well. Feed kids. Satisfy adults. And they work any time of day.

Make them once. You’ll probably make them again.

The flavor of the spinach fades away, but it leaves green goodness and that awesome color behind.

If you're looking for something that:

• Feels a little healthier.
• Is fun for kids (and adults).
• Perfect if you're looking for muffins with hidden vegetables.
• A vegetable dessert.
• Doesn’t take a million steps or tools.

Then this is for you.

I’ll freely admit that the addition of chocolate chips in the spinach banana muffin recipe is pure bribery. I know that kids (and grown ups!) can be a bit wary of eating green things, so I’ve added chocolate to persuade them.

A little (literal) sweetener if you will. According to my children, it works.

The muffins are still rammed full of green goodness, they’re low in sugar and also have nutritious banana, but the flecks of chocolate will likely encourage anyone to tuck in.

Then I’m sure they’ll be convinced that bright green muffins aren’t anything to be wary of!

Try these other spinach recipes.

Jump to:

• Why You'll Love This Recipe
• Reader Testinmonials
• What Do Spinach Muffins Taste Like?
• Ingredients
• How to Make Spinach Muffins
• More Spinach Recipes
• More Hidden Vegetable Cakes and Desserts
• Green Muffins
• Tips and Tricks for Spinach Muffins
• Storage and Freezing
• Muffin Recipes
• 📖 Recipe
• Storage and Freezing
• 💬 Comments

Why You'll Love This Recipe

• Fun naturally green color.
• Lower in sugar.
• Full of spinach and banana.
• A healthier muffin for lunchboxes.
• A great snack, lunch or breakfast.
• They come together in one bowl.
• Chocolate chips make them feel like a treat.
• Freezer-friendly and great for meal prep.
• Kid-approved (usually).
• Great for Halloween or St Patrick's Day.

Reader Testinmonials

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ "Great! Made this for my 3 year old with low iron and she really liked it! Added extra dark chocolate chips for more iron." - Laura

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ "Made them, loved them, will bake again! My three elementary boys also approved and want them again." - Shelly

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ "My son absolutely adores these and calls them “chameleon muffins.” He’s now known for having them in his school snack almost every day" - Maria

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ "Our son is extremely picky and has severe food texture issues. He only eats about 10 different foods. He has eaten PB&j sandwiches every school day for the last 3 years and go to where he won't eat them now. I was determined to get some nutrition in him so I made these muffins. I swapped out the refined sugar for honey & called them "green monster muffins" since it's a week before Halloween. He said they are DELICIOUS! A muffin, Greek yogurt and fruit is his new school lunch. Thanks for the great recipe." - Jennifer

What Do Spinach Muffins Taste Like?

• Soft and tender crumb.
• Just sweet enough.
• Banana-forward but balanced.
• Chocolate chips melt into little pockets.
• Slight earthiness from spinach, but it’s background noise.

They don’t taste like salad. They taste like muffins.

Ingredients

• Spinach. Use raw baby spinach. Don’t use frozen or cooked spinach unless you’re ready to adjust the liquid.
• Banana. Use ripe or even overripe. This brings natural sweetness and moisture. You can sub with applesauce or pumpkin purée, but banana gives the best texture.
• Oil. Neutral oils like canola or vegetable oil work best. Coconut oil is fine, but adds flavor.
• Sugar. Granulated white sugar or light brown sugar. You can cut it down slightly if your banana is very sweet.
• Eggs. They help with structure and binding. For egg-free, use flax eggs (1 tablespoon ground flax + 3 tablespoon water per egg).
• Vanilla extract. Adds depth and rounds out the flavor. Don’t skip it.
• Flour. Plain (all-purpose) flour works well. Whole wheat flour works too, but makes them denser.
• Baking powder. Gives lift. Make sure it’s fresh.
• Salt. Balances everything. Don’t skip it.
• Chocolate chips. Semi-sweet or dark work best. You can also use mini chips or chop up a bar.

How to Make Spinach Muffins

Preheat oven to 325°F/170°C. Line or grease a muffin tray.

Wilt the spinach by putting into a bowl of boiling water for a few minutes.

Drain and rinse briefly under cold water.

Gently squeeze out the excess moisture from the spinach, then chop it.

Add it to a blender along with the oil, banana, sugar, eggs and vanilla.

Whiz until it’s smooth.

Pour it into a bowl, then sift in the flour, baking powder and salt.

Gently stir to combine, then fold the chocolate chips. Take care not to overmix, but ensure no streaks of flour are showing.

Fill the muffin cups ¾ full and bake for 15-20 minutes or until an inserted skewer comes out clean. Allow to cool in the tray for 10 minutes then remove and allow to cool completely on a wire rack.

More Spinach Recipes

I hope that you'll love these Spinach Muffins as much as we do. Be sure to check out these other tasty spinach recipes!

Strawberry Spinach Salad
Spinach Burgers
Green Spinach Crust Pizza
Hot Artichoke Spinach Dip

More Hidden Vegetable Cakes and Desserts

I started this blog to write about all the crazy vegetable cakes that I love to make! I even wrote a cookbook all about the subject.

You can check out my cookbook, Veggie Desserts and Cakes on Amazon USA and Amazon UK.

Green Muffins

I made these many times to get the right balance of maximum spinach and minimum sugar and every time my kids loved them.

Once kids are used to green muffins, you can even try making them savory.

Just leave out the sugar, vanilla and chocolate chips, and add in a small handful of grated cheddar cheese or a little sweetcorn.

It’s baby steps to getting kids to try new foods. 

Tips and Tricks for Spinach Muffins

• Turn them into Halloween Monster Muffins with a few candy eyes!
• Use a really ripe banana. It will be sweeter, so will add a lot of sweetness to this lower sugar muffin recipe.
• Try adding a little mint extract to make them into naturally green Mint Choc Chip Muffins.
• Make it vegan: substitute 2 flax 'eggs' (2 tablespoon of flaxmeal/ground flax mixedin 6 tablespoon of water and left to thicken for 5 minutes).
• Make it gluten free: use gluten free flour and baking powder.

Storage and Freezing

Store these muffins in an airtight container on the counter for up to 4 days. 

These muffins freeze well. Simply wrap them in plastic wrap, place them into a reusable freezer containers or add them to a freezer bag and place in the freezer for up to three months.

Muffin Recipes

I hope you'll also love these other tasty muffin recipes!

📖 Recipe