Turkey Apple Mini Meatloaf Recipe | Haute & Healthy Living (2024)

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}

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
• 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:

1. A quick and easy lunch (great for busy moms or as a grab-and-go work lunch)
2. A finger food for babies or toddlers (great for baby-led weaning!)
3. A pre or post-workout snack
4. A back to school lunch
5. A cute party appetizer
6. 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!

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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