Delicious Whole Grain Hulk Muffins {Naturally Green!}
These whole grain, all-natural, GREEN muffins are super soft, super fluffy…and super green.
The green color comes from a whole bag of spinach. And guess what? The muffins actually taste good. Not just good, incredible!

Muffin Batter
For this recipe the dry ingredients are whisked together:
- whole wheat flour
- baking powder + baking soda + salt
And the wet ingredients are processed in a blender until smooth:
- buttermilk
- bananas
- egg
- oil
- sugar
- spinach (and lots of it!)
For the whole wheat flour, use a white wheat variety for a lighter muffin, like soft or hard white wheat, kamut or einkhorn. Hard red whole wheat might make for a denser, heavier muffin.
You Can’t Even Taste the Spinach
These fun green muffins are foolproof. They always dome perfectly and have the ideal muffin texture: soft and sturdy but also deliciously fluffy.
And it’s true, you can’t even taste the spinach. Not even a little bit.
My kids go crazy for these muffins. They are easily one of our favorite muffins ever!
Try the muffins warm with butter and a drizzle of honey. So incredibly delicious!
FAQs for Whole Grain Hulk Muffins
Yes, the baked and cooled muffins freeze great. I freeze them in gallon-size freezer ziploc bags.
It is around 2 1/2 cups of spinach (lightly packed).
Nope! Throw the leaves in there, stems and all!
Yes. Just sub the same amount of all-purpose flour for the whole wheat flour.
I’m afraid I don’t have a good suggestion for a spinach substitute – that ingredient is pretty integral to these muffins.
Whole Grain Green Hulk Muffins
Ingredients
- 2 ½ cups (355 g) white whole wheat flour (see note)
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 large egg
- ¾ cup (159 g) granulated sugar (see note)
- ¾ cup buttermilk (see note)
- ¼ cup canola, vegetable, avocado, grapeseed oil or melted coconut oil
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 6 ounces (170 g) baby spinach
- 2 mashed very ripe bananas, (about 227 g)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line two 12-cup muffin tins with paper liners or grease with nonstick cooking spray (the recipe makes between 16-18 muffins).
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.
- In a blender, add the egg, sugar, buttermilk, oil, vanilla, spinach and bananas.
- Blend until pureed and smooth.
- Pour the spinach mixture into the dry ingredients and mix just until combined. A few small dry streaks and lumps here and there are ok. Don’t overmix or the muffins can be dry.
- Scoop the batter into the prepared muffin tins, filling the cups about 2/3 full. I use my #20 cookie scoop to make this process easy as can be.
- Bake for 15-18 minutes (increasing time as needed as each oven differs slightly in exact oven temperature) until the tops of the muffins spring back lightly to the touch and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean or with just a few moist crumbs.
- Let the muffins cool for a few minutes in the pan; turn them out carefully onto a cooling rack to cool completely.
Notes
Recommended Products
Recipe Source: from two recipes online (The Green Forks and Pamela Salzman) after a reader, Erin G., sent me one of the links almost two years ago – I put my own spin on the spinach muffins (using buttermilk, adding weight amounts, changing up the method just a bit)
Saw these on your ig stories and remembered that I had never made them. So I busted them out and they’re so good!
can you use thawed frozen spinach?
I haven’t tried using frozen spinach, but I bet it would work pretty well.
These are delicious! I used maple syrup instead of sugar. I think they would also be good if you add walnuts 🙂
I don’t “do” bananas. They just do not agree with me, what can I add instead? Applesauce? if so, how much? Thank you so much for all the muffin recipes. I love muffins and used to drool over the lemon poppy seed ones at the store that were almost $5 for 4 muffins!!! Now I can make my own!!
I haven’t subbed anything for the bananas, but you could try applesauce – or maybe even an avocado!
Hi! Did you try anything in place of bananas? I’ve tried these and love them but my 2 y/o somehow knows that bananas are in them and he won’t eat them!
These are great! I love that they have whole wheat and are still moist and not too sweet. Good flavor, too! We used fresh ground whole wheat, which gave them a more cornbread-type texture.
My husband hates bananas, so I subbed a zucchini for the bananas, and it worked great! I did a smallish (but not THE smallest, lol, does that help?!) zucchini and grated it, just to make sure the blender could handle completely pulverizing it. Did everything else the same (didn’t even squeeze the zucchini to drain extra liquid), and they turned out great! 5/5 ate them happily!
Also, just wanted to say how glad I am to be able to make something bright green that contains ZERO DYE!! Spinach for the win!!
Can I use almond flour instead?
I haven’t tried that, but it’s worth it if you’ve successfully subbed almond flour for other muffin recipes.
I accidentally used a baby spinach, baby kale, and baby bok choy mix — the package said super spinach and was on a quick sale price so I went for it and didn’t realize it was a mix of stuff till I was adding it to the blender. Was confused about why some of the spinach had white stems. Haha. But I’m happy to report it still turned out great, no weird flavors from it!
I would like to use 3.5 tablespoons of stevia instead of the sugar. What should I add to maintain the correct consistency to bake the muffins?
You’ll have to experiment as I haven’t tried splenda in this muffin recipe – good luck!
Any tips for gluten free options for those of us that have celiac?
I haven’t made these gluten-free, but I believe others have below in the comment thread using a 1:1 gluten free flour.
My kids now request “green muffins” when I have brown bananas instead of my usual banana cake. I love how fluffy they are!
The most perfect muffin. I’ve tried so many recipes and this wins. Fluffy, moist, flavorful and my boys love it.
I made these muffins & they turned out very good. I like them a lot. My muffin pans made 23 muffins. I froze them so I could have one whenever I wanted one – they freeze fine. I used honey instead of sugar, makes them that much more healthy. Thank you for the recipe 🙂
Wondering how much honey you used in place of the sugar? Loved these with coconut sugar and want to try them with honey or maple syrup next but not sure about amounts for these.
I decided to try using oat flour in place of the whole wheat flour because my family is is on an oat kick. They turned out great. I did a ⅔ oat to ⅓ all purpose flour ratio. These are my go to muffins now when we have a surplus of bananas. Thank you Mel 🙂
Taste so good and moist!Mel I have learned so much cooking your recipes! I love the extra notes,the buttermilk options (mixing greek yogurt with milk) So good and tastes great! It has changed the way I cook a lot! Thanks for sharing so much! I have been following now for a few years and cooking has been a lot more enjoyable!-Mary
Thank you so much, Mary!
Have you ever used freeze dried spinach for this recipe? I’ve got some but I’m not sure how to measure it.
I haven’t, sorry!
I wasn’t sure what to expect from these and I was pleasantly surprised at how yummy they are! Love the banana flavor that comes through and that they are so moist. And knowing they have all that spinach in there is great! Thanks!
My toddler can be somewhat picky, and she loved these! Plus they’re super healthy making this a winner in my books. Thanks Mel!
I’m one of those weirdos that doesn’t like banana bread…is there something I can substitute fir the mashed banana?
I’m not sure – the texture would be completely different and I haven’t tried it. Sorry!
My friend uses pumpkin in this recipe and says its really good!
We loved these so much! I made a double chocolate version by swapping 1/2 cup flour for 1/2 cup cocoa and added chocolate chips. So good! Thanks so much for this recipe!
I’ve made this recipe multiple times now and it was the perfect St Patrick’s Day breakfast this morning! The taste is like a banana muffin, but the green color from the spinach make them so much fun. My whole family loves them! Thanks for being my go-to site for recipes Mel!
Thanks, Amanda! I’m kicking myself for forgetting to make these this year. St. Patricks Day totally snuck up on me!
Normally, I LOVE your recipes. In fact, I keep checking your website for a cookbook because I would totally buy it. But this one is just ok. Lacking in flavor. Plenty moist and good texture but the flavor is just ordinary. Maybe I should mix in some mini chocolate chips.
If you make a cookbook, this one can just be skipped over, but definitely include your divine Apple Crumb pie recipe. That was a huge hit this thanksgiving!!
Which muffin recipe should I try next if I want one with more flavor but still as hearty/healthier like this one?
These ones are pretty terrific: https://www.melskitchencafe.com/easy-pumpkin-chocolate-chip-blender-muffins/
But having said that, I also think these hulk muffins are terrific, too, so I don’t know what you’ll think of them but they might be worth a try. 🙂
My family loves this recipe! Thank you for sharing!
I’ve made these and we loved them! I’m wondering if you have ever played around with adding cocoa powder to them? Just trying to get my chocolate in all forms.
I haven’t – sorry, Aimee! Sounds like a fun idea, though!
Loved it! My boys loved it too. My only issue was that a lot of the muffin remained in the wrapper after peeling. Not sure why that happened.
I find this happens if I don’t let the muffin cool – which is too bad because I’m all about popping hot foods right into my mouth!
These are yummy! My kids ate almost the whole batch in one sitting! They are seriously green, and seriously moist. I shared the recipe with everyone I know. I love all your recipes PS- you cannot taste the spinach. At all.
These tastes wonderful and my kids loved them. Mine did not turn out green- they were a light brown with green specks- did I do something wrong. I used a cup of spinacha maybe I didn’t use enough. We love them though!
Sounds like maybe that wasn’t quite as much spinach as called for in the recipe – that will definitely make them less green. 🙂
Wow. Super impressed. I really didn’t think these would be so good. but they are delicious!
We made these today! So delicious and so green! We all loved them!
Made these “Leprechaun” muffins this morning and everyone loved them. Can’t taste the spinach at all. Thanks for another great recipe!
The kids were super excited to have the hulk muffins again this year. I wanted to let everyone know that I didn’t have spinach on hand, so I substituted kale and they were still awesome! (and because kale is so nutritious, I justified eating an extra muffin!) 😉
Any progress on those bran spinach muffins? I’m excited to try these tomorrow!
These turned out soooo good! Like many people, I loathe the word “moist”, but these muffins were probably the most moist baked good I have ever made. all 3 kiddos (ages 2, 4, and 6) loved them, despite the fact that they looked like they were “made out of poison” . Thanks for a great recipe!
Do you store these in the refrigerator or are they ok to leave out overnight for the next day?
They are fine to leave out overnight (I’d just make sure they are well-covered).
These are deliscious!!! Any idea of the nutrition info?
I don’t have that info – sorry!
These are awesome!
These are yummy. I hardly believed everyone that said “You can’t even taste the spinach!” . . . but i tried them and you were all right! They taste like delicious, hearty banana muffins, but they have a way more exciting color than your average banana muffin. also, i bought a 6 oz bin of spinach and it I thought it was a 10 oz when I bought it- 6 oz is way more than I would have estimated! (I need to get a kitchen scale.)
We LOVE THESE. My 13 year old breakfast hater happily eats one of these from the freezer every morning with a quick warm up in the microwave. We measured out the spinach the first time using a kitchen scale and now know that using the entire plastic bin of organic baby spinach is the perfect amount if anyone wants to avoid having to weigh it. We need to blend 1/2 of spinach first and then add the second half to the blender to fit it all in. Our first 2 batches
came out ‘flat/sunken’ (but still delicious!) but this time- I added a few extra minutes to the baking time and got perfect little domed tops. We add mini chocolate chips and this is a breakfast win. THANKS MEL!!
Yummy! I have a question for you, do you usually measure by weight or volume? I did by weight this time and the batter was quite a bit thicker than I anticipated. They did turn out beautifully though. Not smooth like yours, tall and crackly on top (and I made 18). I’m quite pleased.
If a recipe gives weight amounts, I always use them over the volume measures.
Thank you for all you do to make our homes better. You are a gift in my life!
Thanks, Kara – love seeing your comments pop up here and on Instagram! 🙂
I was attracted to making these muffins not only it looks pretty but uses vegetable, fruit and no artifical colouring in it. A five star for this healthy recipe.
We love these. So clever and tasty, even for my son with food sensory issues. I had him close his eyes and taste one. He loved it and told me, ‘Mom, you could have lied and told me it was just green food coloring and I would never have known!’ But I’ve promised I’ll never lie about what’s in his food. I want him to know and be comfortable with eating healthy ingredients! Question for you- have you experimented with chocolate spinach muffins? That would be so awesome!
I have this version on my to-try list but haven’t made them yet: http://thegreenforks.com/chocolate-spinach-muffins/
My son is on the autism spectrum and it is SO difficult to get him to eat anything, much less vegetables. Well, let me tell you, he gobbled these up and it made me the happiest mom ever!
Thank you SO, SO much!!
P.S. I called them ‘Shrek muffins’ because he is not so much into Hulk.
So happy your son loved these, Kelly!
Yum! These are moist and you cannot taste the spinach (even my 5 yr old avowed spinach hater didn’t figure it out). And the Hulk name was fantastic– it was a huge selling point!
Added about 3/4 cups chocolate chips and it tasted very similar to chocolate chip banana bread.
Delicious! My kids loved them; I didn’t tell them about the spinach until after they gobbled them up! I love that they’re so healthy. They were moist too! I often use applesauce in part or in place of the oil. I might try that next time. Thanks for the yummy recipe!
Yum! These are delicious. I love spinach and make spinach smoothies almost every day for lunch. I cut the sugar to 4 oz, subbed applesauce for the oil, and used 1/2 cup plain Greek yogurt (made in my Instant Pot!) mixed with 1/4 cup almond milk in place of the buttermilk. Oh, and I added a bit extra spinach, just because 🙂
Not my personal favorite, I have a hard time with banana flavor mixed with a veggie but I give it a five for my kids. My 5 year old and 3 year old loved them and when I was napping the 3 year old lied to my husband and said she was allowed to eat as many as she wants….so…she pounded down four more before he realized she wasn’t telling the whole truth. haha.
Such cute muffins, we will have to try them! Growing up, St Patrick’s Day was always made a big deal by my mother. We have Irish ancestry on both sides. Then my family has made it our own by always having corn beef and potatoes and carrots, truly a very simple and delicious meal, and mixed wheat/white rolls that I dye green. For dessert we mix it up, but my daughter made a lemon meringue pie that she dyed green this year. We always invite a family over to share the meal with and usually someone dresses up like a leprechaun to play games with the children. If you research St. Patrick, he is a man worth emulating because he was a phenomenal missionary who brought Christianity and literacy to Ireland. He is a wonderful example of mercy and forgiveness because as a boy, he had been kidnapped from Britain and forced into slavery in Ireland. Then after escaping back to his home and studying theology, he followed the Lord’s directions to return to Ireland and teach the people about Christ. Here is a great article: http://www.mormonmatters.org/2009/03/17/st-patrick-a-wonderful-missionary/
Anyway, don’t worry about not celebrating it, just some fun ideas.
How many cups of spinach is 6oz would you say? I have a giant costco size bag and it is in pounds… 2.5 pounds… a lot of spinach. Am I guess short if I say 1 cup
I’d say it’s right around 2 1/2 cups (lightly packed).
When I weighed my spinach, it turned out to be more like 4 cups!
I’ve found one densely packed cup of spinach = one ounce 🙂
Has anyone figured out nutritional info on these. Calories, ww points perhaps ??
4 points plus
You know what? I forgot I decreased the sugar by 1/4 cup. 4 points reflects using 1/2 cup.