These blueberry mini muffins are freezer-friendly and kid-approved. A great little grab-and-go snack in the summer months that fits nicely into lunchboxes. Naturally sweetened and perfect for meal-prepping fun-sized treats for the week ahead or for a quick snack or afternoon tea.
If you love having mini muffins on hand for easy snacking then be sure to try these Ginger Carrot and Apple Mini Muffins next.
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Apple Vanilla and Blueberry Mini Muffins
As life gets busier with more activities on the books like hiking, day trips, and afternoons by the pool in summer, I find it so important to have things on hand that can be grabbed and packed into a little cool bag.
I tend to whip up a couple of batches of mini muffins at the start of the month and freeze a few big Ziploc bags or airtight containers full.
On our way out the door, I will throw some in the snack pack and they will have defrosted by the time little bellies (and big bellies)start to rumble.
Warning: mini muffins do tend to disappear a lot more quickly than their regular-sized cousins - one pop and they are gone.
They are perfect when you just need a little bite to keep you going, and don't want to invest in a whole big muffin.
Or when the kids are popping in and out of the splash pad and just need a little bit of sustenance to see them through until dinner.
What's Good About These Muffins?
These mini muffins are:
- freezer friendly
- perfect for prepping ahead of time
- naturally sweetened
- kid-friendly
- using fresh blueberries means they are packed full of the sweetness of real fruit
- perfect for lunchboxes
- full of whole grains
- versatile in terms of substituting ingredients.
They are also simple and delicious!
Tips, Tricks, and Substitutions
If blueberries are not in season on your side of the world, or if they are still a bit on the expensive side, then you can definitely get away with using frozen blueberries or dried blueberries.
For this batch, I used some frozen organic wild blueberries from Trader Joe's which is why they are on the smaller side, and they made the best mini blueberry muffins.
If you do not have apple sauce you can sub in some mashed banana, pumpkin puree, sour cream, or regular yogurt in a pinch.
If you like a bit of crunch to your muffin tops you can always sprinkle on a little brown sugar, coconut sugar, or streusel topping before popping these sweet muffins into the oven.
TIP: be sure to use a nonstick spray for easy removal of the muffins from the muffin cups.
If you would like to make a full-sized muffin instead then use a standard muffin tin and increase the baking time to about 22 minutes.
The muffins should be golden brown on top and a skewer should come out clean (i.e. there should be no wet batter on the skewer) when it is ready.
Freezing and Storing Leftovers
Leftover mini muffins can last all week if stored correctly by following these simple steps:
- Allow the mini muffins to cool completely after removing them from the oven. This is best done by allowing them to rest in the muffin cups for about 5 minutes before transferring them to a wire rack.
- Line an airtight storage container with paper towels. This will absorb any extra moisture and prevent the muffins from becoming soggy. If preferred, you can use a large Ziploc bag instead. Still line the Ziploc bag with a paper towel.
- Arrange the muffins in a single layer in your chosen container. If you have an extra row of muffins to add, then be sure to separate them with another bit of paper towel.
- Add a paper towel to the top of the muffins before popping the lid on.
The muffins should be stored at room temperature for up to 4 days.
If you have leftover muffins after 4 days then these should be frozen.
To freeze place the muffins in a single layer on a baking sheet or another container that will fit into the freezer. Once the muffins have frozen, transfer them to a freezer-friendly container or Ziploc bag.
This method will prevent them from sticking together and allows you just to remove the muffins that you need, instead of a whole clump.
Allow to thaw at room temperature or gently reheat in the microwave if you want to eat them straight away.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes. Frozen, fresh or dried blueberries will work just fine.
If stored correctly they should last about 4 days. They can also be frozen for about 3 months.
Yes. See detailed instructions within the post on how to best freeze mini muffins in a freezer bag or freezer-friendly container.
Yes. Simply increase the baking time to about 22 minutes and check for doneness before removing them from the oven.
Get out your mini muffin pans and get baking with these easy blueberry muffins that are the perfect size for a quick snack or as a side to your morning coffee.
Need more easy muffin recipes? Check these out:
- Baked Cinnamon Apple and Oat Muffin Cups
- Peanut Butter Choc Chip Banana Oatmeal Muffins
- Cranberry and Honey Cornbread Muffin
- Healthy Pumpkin Muffins With Apple and Granola Crumb
- or try making some air fryer muffins with these Air Fryer Blueberry Muffins from Upstate Ramblings
Happy eating.
xx
Recipe
Freezer Friendly Apple Vanilla and Blueberry Mini Muffins
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Ingredients
- 1 cup white whole wheat all purpose flour
- ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 4 tablespoon unsalted butter melted and cooled
- ½ cup pure maple syrup
- 1 large egg beaten
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ½ cup unsweetened applesauce
- ½ cup fresh or frozen blueberries
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F
- Coat a mini muffin pan with nonstick cooking spray (I use fractionated coconut oil)
- Combine the dry ingredients (the flour, cinnamon, salt, and baking soda) in a large mixing bowl and whisk until thoroughly combined
- In a second bowl, combine the wet ingredients (the butter, maple syrup, egg, applesauce and vanilla extract)
- Add the wet ingredients to the dry and stir until just combined
- Add the blueberries and stir until just combined
- Fill each muffin cup in the pan to about ¾ full and bake for about 15 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the centre of a muffin comes out clean.
Nicole says
My two year old son LOVED these muffins! He helped me make them and he devoured 5 of the mini muffins immediately. I’m definitely going to save and make these again!
I’ll probably add less maple syrup next time, just for personal preference.
Thank you for the recipe!
Donna says
Aww love to hear that Nicole! I miss baking with mine when they were little, now they want to do everything themselves!
PJ says
These muffins were delicious. I did need to make one substitution and used one cup of gluten free all purpose flour in place of the whole wheat flour. The recipe turned out perfectly. Thank you for this wonderful recipe. It's a keeper and is a new family favorite.
Erin says
I am beyond impressed with these- I added a little bit of brown sugar but I’m sure it wasn’t needed! I also added more blueberries and some ground flax seed and I used whole wheat flour. These are so delicious that my family of six ate all before they cooled so nothing for me to freeze. Guess it’s time for another batch!
Donna says
Haha I am happy to hear that, sounds like fresh muffins in our house - they never last long past the getting out of the oven stage 🙂
Rosanne Robinson says
Ummmmm these muffins look and sound super yummy, love the ingredients and they sound easy to make. Thx very much for this recipe.
Holly says
Thanks for this wonderful recipe. My two sons and I made these this morning, and together we polished off eleven regular-size muffins. Slightly shameful, I suppose, but the muffins were irresistibly good. We'll be making these again for sure!
Donna1 says
Hahaha I am glad to hear we aren't the only ones to finish off an entire batch of fresh muffins 🙂
Tonia Mason says
I am required to provide a healthy peanut free snack once monthly for my son's kindergarten class. I believe this recipe will be a winner so I will be preparing these in the next couple of days. I do have a question though. Could apple butter be substituted for the apple sauce, and if so what kind of adjustment should be made to the amount used? Thank you for this lovely recipe!
Donna1 says
Hi Tonia, I haven't used apple butter in this recipe, but I am sure it would work just fine. I would just add the normal amount and then a little bit more if the mixture seems a little on the dry side. Let me know how it goes 🙂
Shannon says
Have you ever tried without the maple syrup? Want to try making these for my 9 month old but don't want them super sweet
Donna1 says
I haven't tried them without, but I am sure they would be sweet enough for a 9 month old without! Let me know how you go 🙂
Andrea says
How do you freeze these? Once they have cooled? I was planning on FoodSavering them how long would they last?
Donna1 says
Yes once they have cooled down is the perfect time to freeze. I have never used a FoodSaver so I am not sure how long they would last with that process, but I usually keep frozen muffins for about a month or so.
Blithe Raines says
Heavenly...MAKE THESE!
Jordi says
How to I change this to do regular size muffins??
Donna1 says
You would just need to adjust the cooking time for regular sized muffins. I would guess about 18-20 minutes should do it, just check them with a toothpick to make sure they are cooked through before removing from the oven! Enjoy
Jennifer @ Delicious Everyday says
These gorgeous little muffins tick all the boxes for me. Mini, naturally sweetened and they contain blueberries! They would definitely disappear in no time at our house!
Donna1 says
Oh thanks Jennifer!! Haha, they don't last long around here at all 🙂
Jessica {Swanky Recipes} says
I bought a bunch of blueberries from the store yesterday and am now torn between this and a blueberry crisp. I might just have to make these, yum!
Donna1 says
Ooh yum, now I am craving a blueberry crisp 🙂 Anything with blueberries is a yes around here!
Renee says
Freezing muffins is such a great way to do it! It keeps me from eating the whole batch in two days. Question about using frozen blueberries. Do you use them while still frozen or do you let them thaw first? I always use fresh, but the one time I tried frozen I ended up with purple batter when the blueberries broke open. It was a beautiful color, but not the look I wanted.
Donna1 says
I use them when still frozen, and pop them into the batter right at the last minute, right before going into the oven. If I let them thaw (even a little bit), everything turns purple and gets way too moist. Oh I am right there with you - if I don't put them in the oven they all end up in my belly 🙂
Dorothy at Shockingly Delicious says
For breakfast, for mid-morning snack, for after school, for all day long!
Donna1 says
Yes! 🙂
Nicole says
I love making my own applesauce and think that it sounds great in these! Love anything that can go in the freezer -- hate wasting yummy food!
Donna1 says
Me too! I have been trying so hard to be less wasteful (although I have to make extra batches of these to have any leftover for the freezer 🙂 )