These flourless lentil protein muffins are just as delicious as they are nutritious. They’re soft, fluffy and chocolatey, yet boast nutritional powerhouse ingredients like lentils, eggs, and bananas.
We’re on the school homestretch, and to be honest, I’m feeling a little bit uninspired when it comes to school lunches and after-school snacks. To get us through the next couple of months, the kids and I decided to bake some of our favourite nutritious muffins, protein bites and cookies, and this one stood out as our all time favourite.
In fact, we made a triple batch! By the way, if you’d like to read this post in a visual way, check out my Google Web Story for Flourless Chocolate Lentil Protein Muffins Recipe.
A variation of this delicious recipe was first introduced to me by my friend Natalie, and not surprisingly, it was a big hit with the whole family.
These muffins just as delicious as they are nutritious. They are soft, fluffy and chocolatey, yet boast nutritional powerhouse ingredients like lentils, eggs, and bananas.
High in protein, fibre, vitamins and minerals, they are the perfect snack to add to your child’s lunch box. These flourless lentil protein muffins will keep your kids satisfied and energized during the day. I know this will give you some peace of mind knowing that you’ve sent a healthy nutrient-packed (and tasty) snack that your kids will actually eat.
Here are the muffin baking cups that I love and use all of the time. I love that they’re non-stick!
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Flourless Chocolate Lentil Protein Muffins
A chocolate muffin that is not only nutritious and snack-worthy, but tastes so good it could be dessert too!? Yes please!
Ingredients
- 1 can (14 oz) lentils, drained and rinsed (or one cup of cooked red lentils)
- 3 large eggs
- 1 large over-ripe banana (or two small)
- 1/4 cup honey or maple syrup
- 1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 3 tbsp coconut oil, melted
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1/3 cup dark chocolate chips
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350° F.
- Prepare 12 muffin cups by lining with muffin papers
- Place banana(s), lentils, eggs, honey, cocoa powder, baking soda, coconut oil, and vanilla extract into blender or food processor; cover. Blend until smooth. Add the
chocolate chips and stir gently using a wooden spoon. - Fill muffin cups about 2/3 full
- Bake for 20-25 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.
- Cool completely and enjoy!
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Comments
Sara says
What type of unsweetened cocoa powder do you use? I have Dutch processed on hand but I’m thinking that may not work since there is baking soda in the recipe. Thank you!
Sarah Remmer says
I have used Dutch processed as well and they have turned out fine. Hope this helps!
Katie says
I made these using leftover cooked green lentils and they were delicious! I had to use butter instead of coconut to make them school-safe (strict no tree nuts) but no complaints whatsoever. I was almost hoping my kids wouldn’t like them… more for me! 🙂 Thanks!
Christine Nguyen says
Have most people had success baking for 20-25min at 350F?
bridget says
These are delicious, do they freeze well do you know ?
Sarah Remmer says
Yes they sure do!
Angie says
My son can’t have bananas – any substitute? Thanks!
Sarah Remmer says
Apple sauce!!
Michelle Popoff says
How much apple sauce? Is there another food item you could use 8nnplace of a banana or Apple Sauce?
Sarah Remmer says
When substituting applesauce for oil in baking, the ratio is typically 1:1. So if the recipe calls for 1/4 cup of oil, use 1/4 cup of applesauce. You could also use mashed avocado if you do not prefer banana or apple sauce.
Emmanuella says
Mine are just hot out of the oven. I had to bake them for well over 20 minutes to get them cooked through. I think the issue might have been using too many lentils (used one can and realized that the alternative says one cup). AS a result they are concave on top. But my kids are excited to try them. I will try again and only use one cup of lentils next time. Love that they are a blender mix so easy, and friendly for willing young chefs to help with.
Lisa says
Same thing happened to me and I used 1 cup of lentils! Wondering what else could’ve caused this.
Sandra Heusel says
Same! I just kept cooking them until eventually they were done. Probably about 25 mins.
Sara says
These muffins are amazing! I served them as Birthday cupcakes with a little cream cheese icing on them. People loved them!
Sarah Remmer says
Yay! That’s great! I’ve used them for cupcakes too!
Anna says
I just made these for the first time and although the flavor was delicious, I had the same issues as a couple other people where it needed longer to cook and they came out concave. I used one cup of cooked red lentils but I think what happened is that I cooked the red lentils too much. I wasn’t sure how long to cook them for this recipe (first time using lentils in baked goods) so I figured it didn’t matter if they were mushy. But maybe they had too much water in them for the recipe.
I’ll try again with less mushy lentils! If that doesn’t work, I’ll try a can.
Jen says
Thank you for this recipe! Our family loves them! We are not big on counting calories, but do you know the calories per serving for these?
Sarah Remmer says
Hi Jen. Thank-you! My family loves them too. I’m also not a calorie counter so I’m unsure about the total per serving. If I had to guess I would say under 200. Hope this helps 🙂
Pidge says
I used a can of lentils but had to cook these a full 25 min before they would solidify. I realized after that a cup = (250 ml) and I used a can (540ml). They still turned out super yummy and moist but I will watch the lentil measurement next time.
Sarah Remmer says
This is good to know! I will change the recipe 🙂
Brenna says
I just made these. They had to bake for about 20mins before they weren’t runny anymore and it was then that I read through the comments and saw it was only 1 cup of lentils. My can was about 2 cups but it was the smallest can at the store. Maybe the recipe could be edited to say 1 cup instead of 1 can? My toddler likes them anyway but they are pretty mushy.
Julie says
Wondering if the coconut oil is important here or could it be replaced with another oil that I have at home like canola? Thanks!
Sarah Remmer says
You can use butter as an option, but I’m not sure how another oil would work out… let me know if you try it!
Laura Davies says
I used olive oil and it worked out great! My bananas were cold and I didn’t want the coconut oil to be lumpy. Honestly, I’ve made two batches of these with home cooked green lentils this week and I’m kind of obsessed . My kiddos LOVE them too! I’ve shared the recipe with half a dozen people already!
Sarah Remmer says
Amazing! Thanks for sharing. A trick for baking is to try to have all ingredients at room temperature. That rarely happens for me though too! I’m usually softening butter or trying to warm up eggs! Glad your kiddos enjoy.
Kristin says
I just made these, and they’re delicious! I made 16 rather than 12 to bring the carb count down just a bit per muffin, so my 4 year old T1D can have one with some berries as a snack. Baked them for about 15 minutes. 🙂 The only cans of lentils I could find were pretty large, so I just measured out a cup once they were rinsed and drained.
Sarah Remmer says
I’m glad they worked out!!
Steph says
My son can’t have eggs. Can I replace the eggs in this recipe with chia or flax eggs? Thank you!
Sarah Remmer says
I’m sure you could! I’ve never tried it myself, but I don’t see why not!
Melanie says
How did that work out? I tried using egg replacer but they did not solidify. Did you find something that worked instead of egg?
Ashley c says
What kind of lentils did you use? I have red, would they work?
sarahrem says
Any lentisl will work, but I usually use canned brown lentils 🙂
Lauren O'Connor says
You had me with the lovely Chocolate muffin. Kudos for making it with lentils! Love finding ways to add protein to my treats!
sarahrem says
Thank you!!
kirsty whayman says
How long do you think these keep for? They look great can’t wait to try.
Sarah Remmer says
Thanks, Kirsty! Can’t wait for you to try them! Properly stored, freshly baked muffins will last for about 1 to 2 days at room temperature and about 1 week in the fridge. You can also freeze them for 2-3 months!
Ginger Hultin says
Yum! These look so decadent and delicious – lovely recipe!
sarahrem says
They really are amazing 🙂
Jessica @Nutritioulicious says
I’ve seen black bean brownies before, but never anything with lentils. Such a neat idea! Looks like you had a blast making them too! 🙂
sarahrem says
Thanks Jessica!
Shannon @ KISS in the Kitchen says
Your kiddos are so cute! And this recipe looks really yummy! Love that they’re both gluten and dairy free!
sarahrem says
Thank you!! Yes, it’s a nice bonus for those who can’t have gluten or dairy!
Erika says
Just made them and they are absolutely delicious! My kids and family devoured them! Thanks for the great recipe!
Sarah Remmer says
Thank you so much, Erika! I’m so glad your family loves them as much as we do.
Whitney @ To Live & Diet in L.A. says
I’ve seen black bean brownies before, but never lentil treats! These look amazing. Can’t wait to try!!
sarahrem says
Excited for you to try them! 🙂
Roxana says
These are so healthy and delicious. Inspiring.
sarahrem says
Thanks!!
San says
Hi,
Do brown lentils work as well?
Sarah Remmer says
They definitely would!
San says
Thank you!
Sandra Carmo says
Hello sarah. They look delicious. If I want to substitute the lentil’s can for homemade baked lentils how much to I need?
sarahrem says
Hi Sandra! Yes, you absolutely can do that. It’s about 1 cup of cooked lentils 🙂
Rebecca S says
I was going to ask the same question as above. I have lentils in my fridge that need to be used up since my kids barely tried them. This recipe is a great way to sneak them in!
sarahrem says
Awesome! Hope it works out! Using dry lentils that you’ve cooked definitely works!