Red Lentil Muffins

Don’t worry–you can’t taste the lentils!

I have a few bags of Bob’s Red Mill Red Lentils that need to start making their way into recipes so on Sunday I cooked a batch and started to get creative.

I figured that pureeing the lentils would make for a good liquid base for a muffin mix.  And my real goal was to create a muffin with staying power from protein and fiber with a hint of sweet (raisins).

Red Lentil Muffins

Ingredients
2 cups cooked red lentils*, pureed in food processor
1 cup applesauce
2 Tablespoons orange juice
1 tsp vanilla
1 cup oat bran
3 tsp baking powder
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp ginger
1 tsp nutmeg
1 egg
1 cup raisins
Optional:
1/8 cup chia seeds
1/8 cup millet (uncooked)

Instructions
1.  Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2.  In a large mixing bowl, stir together the lentil puree, applesauce, orange juice, and vanilla.
3.  Add in dry ingredients and combine with wet ingredients.  Batter will be thick.
4.  Put in greased or lined muffin tins and bake for 35-40 minutes.
5.  Let cool in pan for 5 minutes and then transfer to a baking rack to cool.
6.  Store in an airtight container and keep refrigerated.

These muffins are dense and hearty.  The raisins and spices add a sweetness without adding sugar to the batter.  *I cooked 1/4 cup of red lentils and that yielded about 3 cups of cooked lentils.

I have another recipe to share this week with the last cup of cooked lentils!

Tucker was my kitchen helper all day and was really interested when I was trying to take a photo of the muffins! Here are a few out-takes…

Notice the muffin in the background?

I’d be happy to help you taste-test!

Do you have a good red lentil recipe to share?  What’s your most creative kitchen creation?  Have you snuck healthy ingredients into a dish and no one knew the difference?