Delicious and wholesome banana lentil muffins that adults and kids alike will love. With no sugar added, you can enjoy these as a healthy breakfast, snack, or dessert.
Don’t wait for a special occasion to make this incredible treat. With wholesome ingredients like whole wheat flour, lentil puree, and bananas, you can enjoy these without any guilt.
These muffins are inspired by my lentil banana pancakes, and just as delicious, too. 😉
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Ingredients + Substitutions
Here’s everything you’ll need to make these tasty lentil banana muffins.
- Lentils: Use green lentils that have been cooked from dried, or use canned lentils that you drain and rinse. To cook dry lentils, rinse them first, then boil ⅓ cup dried lentils until tender, to get approx. 1 cup of cooked lentils.
- Banana: Choose RIPE bananas. There is no added sugar in this muffin recipe, so you want to use sweet bananas.
- Whole wheat pastry flour: Also known as soft whole wheat flour or white whole wheat flour. Always use weight vs. measuring cups for accuracy and best results.
- Applesauce: Use unsweetened applesauce to keep these refined sugar-free.
- Vanilla: Choose pure vanilla extract, not artificially flavoured.
- Baking powder: Make sure your baking powder is fresh and active. Baking powder starts to lose its effectiveness once open for 6+ months.
- Cinnamon: For added flavour, but you may omit it if needed.
- Blueberries: Fresh tastes best, but frozen works in a pinch. Or use cranberries, blackberries, chopped strawberries, or dried fruit like raisins, or chopped dates. (You could also sub with 1 cup chocolate chips, but noting this will increase the calories, fat, and sugar.)
Instructions
(This is a summary with step by step photos, full recipe measurements and instructions are in the recipe card below.)
Blend the lentils with your mashed banana, applesauce, and vanilla until smooth. (photo 1)
Pour the mixture into a large bowl and add the dry ingredients on top. (photo 2)
Stir until combined without overmixing. You’ll have a thick batter. (photo 3)
Then gently fold in the blueberries, without overmixing. (photo 4)
Divide the mixture between your 12 muffin tins. (photo 5)
Then bake for approx. 20-22 minutes. (photo 6)
Let the banana lentil muffins rest at room temperature for 10 minutes before transferring them to a wire rack.
Equipment
To make the lentil puree use a blender (I use a Vitamix) OR a food processor. Make sure the mixture is completely smooth.
Use parchment liners in your muffin pan, or grease the tins with a touch of avocado oil or coconut oil if necessary.
Storage
You may keep leftover muffins covered at room temperature for 1-2 days.
To keep longer, store them in the fridge in a sealed container for 3-4 days.
To freeze, store the muffins in an airtight container for up to 3 months. Make sure the muffins have cooled to room temperature BEFORE freezing.
Expert Tips
- Use overly ripe bananas with lots of brown spots on the peel for extra sweetness. You may also use frozen bananas, just let them come to room temperature before mashing them.
- Use FRESH + ACTIVE baking powder. Baking powder that has been open in the pantry for 6+ months may start to lose its effectiveness.
- Don’t overmix. The texture of the muffins comes out best when folded together until just combined.
- Gently tap the muffin tray on a hard surface to close up any gaps in the batter before baking.
- Let your muffins rest for 10 minutes after baking. This short cool-down time will allow your muffins to completely set, and prevent them from breaking when removing them from the pan.
More delicious healthy muffin recipes
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Buon appetito
Rosa
📖 Recipe
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 cup green lentils cooked or canned (approx. ⅓ cup dry)
- 1 cup mashed banana from approx. 3 medium bananas
- ½ cup unsweetened applesauce
- 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
- 150 grams whole wheat pastry flour approx. 1 + ⅓ cup
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- ½ teaspoon cinnamon
- 1 cup fresh blueberries
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350℉/176℃ and line a muffin pan with parchment liners.
- Add the cooked lentils, mashed banana, applesauce, and vanilla to your blender and process until completely smooth. Then pour the mixture into a medium mixing bowl.
- To the same bowl, add the flour, baking powder, and cinnamon, and mix until just combined. Then fold in the blueberries.
- Scoop the mixture between 12 muffin tins and bake for 20-22 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center of a muffin comes out mostly clean.
- Remove the pan from the oven and let your lentil muffins rest at room temperature for 10 minutes before transferring them to a wire rack.
Notes
- Use overly ripe bananas with lots of brown spots on the peel for extra sweetness. You may also use frozen bananas, just let them come to room temperature before mashing them.
- Use FRESH + ACTIVE baking powder. Baking powder that has been open in the pantry for 6+ months may start to lose its effectiveness.
- Don’t overmix. The texture of the muffins comes out best when folded together until just combined.
- Gently tap the muffin tray on a hard surface to close up any gaps in the batter before baking.
- Let your muffins rest for 10 minutes after baking. This short cool-down time will allow your muffins to completely set, and prevent them from breaking when removing them from the pan.
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