These mini turkey meatloaf muffins with apple make the perfect protein and iron-rich snack for both little ones and adults. Great for school lunches, snacks and as a finger food for babies! Can also be prepped ahead of time and stored in the freezer for a quick and easy snack on the go! {Paleo & Gluten-free}
Table of Contents
Why make Mini Meatloaf Muffins?
Easy – All of the ingredients for these turkey muffins can be mixed together in a bowl in a matter of a few minutes! Then simply pop them in the oven for about 15-20 minutes and you’re good to go!
Perfect finger food for little ones – These mini meatloaves are great for babies, toddlers and kids because they’re just the right size for small hands. They are also the perfect texture for little ones since they’re soft, moist and easy to chew and swallow and even work well for babies with no teeth!
Freezer-friendly – This muffin tin meatloaf is baked individually in a muffin tin which means it’s super easy to freeze. I highly recommend making a batch of these turkey muffins and storing them in the freezer for a quick grab and go meal or snack. They’re also great for those lunch boxes since they can be eaten warm or cold!
Great for meal prep – Because these mini muffins are made in a muffin tin and can be stored individually, it’s SO handy to make up a batch in advance and simply grab a few (great for busy mamas and kiddos) warm them up and serve them up along with some veggies or another preferred side! If you’re a fan of meatloaf muffins, you’ll love these BBQ Beef and Quinoa Baby Meatloaf Muffins too!
Ingredients for Turkey Meatloaf Muffins
Ground turkey – Ground turkey forms the base of this recipe and pairs SO nicely with the apple flavour. We used extra lean ground turkey but you can also sub in ground chicken if preferred.
Almond flour – Acts as a binding agent and also makes this recipe a lower carb option. If you don’t have almond flour, you can sub in bread crumbs, either regular or gluten-free, or quinoa flakes.
Ground flaxseed – The flaxseed further acts as a binding agent and also incorporates some fibre and omega-3s. If you choose to incorporate the flaxseed, make sure that you use the ground flaxseed and not the whole ones, as they are not readily digested.
Apple – Adds some moisture and sweetness to these mini muffins, which makes them extra tasty! Use whichever type of apple you have on hand. I tend to prefer using gala.
Egg – The egg helps to bind the ingredients together. If you don’t want to use egg or have an allergy or intolerance, you can try leaving it out if preferred.
How to make Mini Turkey Meatloaf Muffins
These meatloaf muffins are a cinch to prepare!
First you’ll want to preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Spray a mini muffin tin with cooking spray.
In a large bowl, combine the turkey, apple, garlic, onion, almond flour, flaxseed, egg, tomato paste, Dijon mustard, salt and thyme.
Divide mixture evenly among approximately 24 cups. The cups will be slightly heaping with the meat mixture.
Bake for 15-20 minutes or until meat thermometer inserted inside registers an internal temperature of 175 degrees F.
Mini Meatloaf Recipe Tips
- Allow the meatloaf muffins to cool in the pan. Remove them by running a knife around the edges to help nudge them out.
- Once finished cooling, I recommend placing the muffins on a paper towel and lightly dabbing the bottom. Flaxseed tends to gelatinize due to its soluble fibre content so the paper towel can help absorb the excess moisture from the bottom of the muffins.
Meatloaf Muffins Recipe FAQs
Are these mini meatloaf muffins healthy?
Yes! They’re especially a great option for little ones! The turkey provides the protein and iron, which is needed for growth and development. If you’re not a fan of turkey, you can always sub in ground chicken.
One of my favourite elements of this recipe is the addition of the shredded apple. It not only provides some extra moisture to the muffins, it also lends a flavour that compliments the turkey so nicely. Not to mention, apples are a great source of vitamin C, which helps to better absorb that iron.
Last but not least, there are also plenty of healthy fats coming from the ground flaxseed and almond flour, which can help to promote a healthy heart, skin, eyes and hair!
Do I have to use ground flaxseed?
You may notice in the recipe that there are two unique binding agents used to avoid the use of bread crumbs — ground flaxseed and almond flour. This also happens to make the recipe a lower carb option and pumps up the content of heart-healthy fats.
Not everyone loves the texture of flaxseed, so if you prefer, you can sub in all almond flour for a total of 2/3 cup and skip the flaxseed altogether.
Or alternatively, you can use quinoa flakes or regular (or gluten-free) bread crumbs as a binder instead of the almond flour and flaxseed. Totally up to you!
If you do opt for flaxseed, keep in mind that flaxseed tends to gelatinize slightly when cooked, so make sure that you place the meatloaf muffins on some pieces of paper towel after removing them from the muffin tin to absorb some of the excess liquid from the bottom of each muffin before consuming or storing.
How to Store
You can store these meatloaf muffins in the fridge in an air-tight container for up to four days. Beyond that, I would recommend freezing them, which brings me to the next point…
Can you freeze these meatloaf muffins?
Yes! To freeze, allow them to fully cool and then place them on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Flash freeze and then transfer them to a large Ziploc bag or freezer-safe container and freeze for up to three months.
To reheat: Place back in the muffin tin and bake for 15-20 minutes at 350 degrees F or until heated through. You can also pop them in the microwave for a couple of minutes until warmed through.
Can you make this as a regular meatloaf?
Yes! If you prefer to make this recipe as a loaf rather than mini muffins, preheat the oven to 350 degrees F and pack the meat mixture into a greased loaf pan. Bake for 45-60 minutes.
What pairs well with these meatloaf muffins?
If I’m making these for the family, I usually like to serve them up with some brown rice or homemade sweet potato fries or roasted potatoes and a salad or seasoned green beans.
You can even put a couple of extra thinly sliced apple pieces on top of each muffin or melt a little bit of mozzarella cheese on top! That’s our little guy’s favourite way to eat them.
For some kid-friendly meal options, you might try serving them along with some:
- Broccoli cheddar quinoa cups
- Sweet potato lentil tater tots
- Butternut squash mac & cheese
- Carrot pasta
- Veggie quinoa muffins
- Mashed sweet potato fritters
How to put this Mini Turkey Meatloaf to use
These mini muffins can be consumed in so many different ways!
Try them as:
- A quick and easy lunch (great for busy moms or as a grab-and-go work lunch)
- A finger food for babies or toddlers (great for baby-led weaning!)
- A pre or post-workout snack
- A back to school lunch
- A cute party appetizer
- Dinner for the whole family!
More similar recipes
- 5 Ingredient Meatloaf
- Healthy Turkey Wrap
- Chicken Muffins
- Baby-Led Weaning Chicken Avocado Poppers
- Chicken Zucchini Poppers
- Zesty Zucchini Turkey Burgers
- Easy Zucchini Fritters
Did you make this recipe? Scroll down to leave a rating and review!
Turkey Apple Mini Meatloaf Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 lb extra lean ground turkey (can also use ground chicken)
- 1 small apple peeled and shredded (about half a cup shredded apple)
- 2 garlic cloves minced
- 1/4 cup shredded onion (or about half a small onion shredded)
- 1/3 cup almond flour can also sub in quick oats or quinoa flakes
- 1/3 cup ground flaxseed
- 1 egg beaten
- 1 tbsp tomato paste
- 1 tbsp Dijon mustard
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp dried thyme
Optional toppings
- Top each muffin with a couple pieces thinly sliced apple if desired
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Spray a mini muffin tin with cooking spray.
- In a large bowl, combine the turkey, apple, garlic, onion, almond flour, flaxseed, egg, tomato paste, Dijon mustard, salt and thyme.
- Divide mixture evenly among approximately 24 cups, filling to the top.
- Bake for 15-20 minutes or until meat thermometer inserted inside registers an internal temperature of 175 degrees F.
Notes
- Allow the meatloaf muffins to cool in the pan. Remove them by running a knife around the edges to help nudge them out.
- Place them on a paper towel and lightly dab the bottom. Flaxseed tends to gelatinize due to its soluble fibre content so the paper towel can help absorb the excess moisture from the bottom of the muffins.
- You can also bake this recipe in a loaf pan for 45-60 minutes at 350 degrees F.
- Nutritional facts are based on one mini turkey meatloaf muffin.
Nutrition
Adapted from Simply Great Recipes Cookbook
This recipe was originally posted in August 2018 and was updated in October 2020 to include better tips and photos.
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karen says
It was a little bland for my taste but I like super spicy dishes. These are great for my grandkids. I put/pushed one blueberry on top of each before baking – it was the perfect addition.
Elysia Cartlidge says
Glad that your grandkids enjoyed the recipe! Love the idea of popping a blueberry into the top — so creative! The recipe was originally created to be pretty mild so that it’s suitable for babies and young children, but you can always add some additional spices and seasonings to kick it up a notch :)
Tanner says
We don’t even like meatloaf, but we loved these!
Elysia Cartlidge says
That’s amazing! So happy you were able to find a way to enjoy meatloaf :)
Lisa says
Made this last night for myself, my husband, and 8 month old daughter. I didn’t have a mini-muffin tin so I used a cupcake tin and split into 12 and baked for 30 mins. Turned out great and my husband even went back for seconds! So happy that I found a recipe the whole family can enjoy :) It was so easy to make too!
Elysia Cartlidge says
Thanks so much for sharing Lisa — so happy you and your family enjoyed the recipe! It’s always a good sign when the hubby goes back for seconds! Glad to know it worked in the larger cupcake tin too :)
Caitlin says
Is there a substitution for the flax seed? We don’t have any at the moment
Elysia Cartlidge says
If you don’t have ground flax seed, you can just slightly increase the amount of almond flour or even add some bread crumbs if the mixture seems too moist. Hope you enjoy!
Samantha Hoffman says
We love these mini muffins! We freeze them and send them to school or have them for dinner. They are great to have on hand when I’m running out the door (as most moms do haha)
My favorite part about these is how easy they are to cut. They just kind of crumble. The apples keep them very moist
Elysia Cartlidge says
So happy your family is loving these mini muffins! They’re definitely handy to have around :) Thanks so much for stopping by to leave a comment!
Amanda Goldstein says
They turned out great, but how do you recommend reheating then after freezing?
Elysia Cartlidge says
Glad you enjoyed them! For best results, I’d recommend defrosting the meatloaf muffins before reheating them either in the refrigerator or by putting them in a sealed freezer bag in a cold water bath, changing the water every ½ hour until thawed through. Then, you can pop them back into the muffin tin, cover with some foil and reheat at 350°F for 20 minutes or so or until warmed through. Or you can pop them in the microwave for about a minute or so. Hope that helps!
Fabiola Kim says
Hi I want to give these a try but I’ve never use almond flour. Are there any other recipes you’re recommend so I can use up the almond flour? I have a 9 month old BLW.
Elysia Cartlidge says
Yes, I use almond flour quite a bit because it’s quite tasty and has lots of nutritional benefits! Here are some other recipes that incorporate the almond flour. Hope you enjoy!
https://hauteandhealthyliving.com/healthy-mini-carrot-zucchini-muffins/
https://hauteandhealthyliving.com/almond-coconut-crusted-chicken-fingers/
https://hauteandhealthyliving.com/mini-blueberry-banana-muffins/
https://hauteandhealthyliving.com/easy-low-carb-meatballs-freezer-friendly/
Emily says
Can these be defrosted and eaten cold?
Thanks
Elysia Cartlidge says
For sure! You can eat them warm or cold, whatever you prefer!
Stacey says
Hi can these be frozen>
Elysia Cartlidge says
Yes you can freeze them!
Leighanne says
How did you shred the apple, would a fine cheese grater have a similar effect? Love the recipe! Definitely trying it!
Elysia Cartlidge says
Thanks Leighanne! Yes, I just used a cheese grater to shred the apple. Hope you enjoy the recipe!
First time mamma says
Other than eggs do the ingredients need to be given individually first to rule out allgery? And is flax hard for them to digest ? My almost 10 month old has a sensitive digestive system .
Elysia Cartlidge says
It’s really a personal preference how you go about introducing foods to your baby. If you have a history of allergies in your family or you’re concerned about the possibility of an allergic reaction, it may be a good idea to introduce foods separately before offering them combined together in a recipe.
However, some parents choose to offer combined foods right away. In our case, we started giving our baby combined foods right off the bat, basically feeding him what we were eating with some modifications, and he didn’t experience any issues with allergies.
With regards to the flaxseed, make sure that you add ground flax meal and not the whole flaxseeds to the recipe, as whole flaxseeds are not properly digested. There is such a small quantity of flaxseed in each mini muffin that I wouldn’t foresee it causing an issue, but you could try leaving it out if it causes any type of digestive issues for your little one. Hope that helps!
Amanda says
Hi. Could I just use normal flour rather than almond flour with this recipe?
Thanks.
Elysia Cartlidge says
Hi Amanda, I haven’t tried subbing in normal flour for the almond flour, but I’m sure it would work just fine. You can also sub in quick oats for the almond flour instead. Keep me posted on how it turns out if you go with the regular flour!
Cara says
Thanks for the great recipe idea! What do you fine is the best way to re-heat these?
Elysia Cartlidge says
My pleasure Cara! Generally, to reheat them, we just pop them in the microwave for a minute or so. Hope that helps!
Maria Carolina De Souza Monteiro says
We tried this one last night and it was lovely. We all had it for dinner (husband, myself and my 8 month old baby). I had to use regular cup cake pan as I don’t have the mini size. Thank you for this great recipe! Great hit.
Elysia Cartlidge says
Yay!! So happy you guys loved the recipe! Glad to know it worked out in the larger cupcake tin as well :)
Theresa says
Have you ever tried adding some minced vegetables to the blend?
Elysia Cartlidge says
I haven’t tried adding vegetables to this particular recipe, but I have in other meatloaf muffin recipes and it usually turns out great! Let me know how it turns out if you decide to add some minced veggies!
Mallory says
Just wondering if you have tried other apples ? Do you think Granny Smith would work?
Elysia Cartlidge says
I usually use whichever apples we have on hand. Granny Smith would definitely work!
Liz says
Hi! Do you have any suggestions for an egg substitution?
Elysia Cartlidge says
You could try leaving the egg out. I don’t think it would affect the recipe too much since the apple adds that additional moisture and the ground flaxseed acts as a binding agent. Hope it works out for you!
Brittany says
Hi! Do you think they would still turn out okay if I left the flaxseed out?
Elysia Cartlidge says
Yes, I’m sure it would turn out just fine! If you notice the meat mixture still seems too moist after mixing all of the ingredients together, you could always add some extra almond flour or sub in some bread crumbs. Hope you enjoy!
Jennifer says
You can sub a tablespoon of applesauce for the 1 egg.
Elysia Cartlidge says
Thanks for the tip!