Banana Red Lentil Muffins

Name: Banana Lentil Muffins
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 25 min
Total time: 35 min
Ingredients: 1 cup cooked red lentils; 1 cup mashed very ripe bananas (usually 2 to 3 large bananas); ½ cup unsweetened applesauce; ½ cup extra virgin olive oil (can sub avocado or coconut oil or melted butter); 1 egg (beaten); 2 teaspoons vanilla extract; 1.25 cups whole wheat flour; 1.5 teaspoons baking powder; ¾ teaspoon baking soda; ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon

Published: Feb 16, 2023 / Modified: Feb 16, 2023 by Lizzie Streit, MS, RDN / This post may contain affiliate links / 28 Comments

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These healthy lentil muffins are naturally sweetened with mashed banana and applesauce instead of refined sugar. Red lentil puree adds a boost of protein and fiber, making them a nutritious snack or breakfast. They’re great for baby led weaning and toddlers as well as older kids and adults!

10 lentil muffins next to each other on a counter with lentil puree and bananas

Lentil muffins? Hear me out. They’re good! In fact, they’re great! I promise. I even like them as much as my Zucchini Carrot Oat Muffins and Spinach Banana Muffins.

I really am pleased with how this recipe turned out. I wanted to make a muffin that used mashed bananas and applesauce instead of granulated sugar or maple syrup as the sweetener. This is mainly because I wanted to create something for my daughter but also so that I could have some healthy snacks on hand for myself!

I also wanted to incorporate a legume into the muffin batter to boost the protein and fiber content. Since red lentils break down into a puree when they are cooked, I knew they’d be the perfect choice! And boy was I correct.

The final result has just the right amount of sweetness. Each muffin is filling and satisfying. Plus, the texture is perfectly moist. I know these will be on repeat in our house, and I hope they will be in yours too!

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Ingredients and Substitutions
Instructions
Equipment
Storage
Serving Muffins to Babies
More Muffin Recipes
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whole wheat flour, bananas, egg, spices, red lentils, applesauce, olive oil, and vanilla extract

Ingredients and Substitutions

Red lentil puree/mash: Red lentils break down when they are cooked, so you don’t even need to whip out a blender to puree them. Just cook and mash gently with a fork. I imagine you could substitute another kind of lentil puree, such as green and brown lentils, but I have not personally tried it.
Bananas: Use very ripe bananas for best results, since they will be sweeter than green or slightly ripe bananas.
Applesauce: Use unsweetened applesauce.
Extra virgin olive oil: You can substitute melted butter, coconut oil, or avocado oil if needed.
Egg: To make these vegan (or egg-free if you have someone with an egg allergy in your house), substitute a flax egg. Combine 1 tablespoon milled flaxseed with 3 tablespoons water. Let it sit for 10 minutes to thicken up before adding to the batter.
Vanilla extract
Whole wheat flour: You can also make banana lentil muffins with all purpose flour, but whole wheat flour adds some extra nutrition.
Baking soda and powder
Ground cinnamon

Instructions

For the full recipe card with ingredient quantities and cooking steps, scroll down to the bottom of the post.

cooked red lentils in a saucepan on an oven mitt on a counter

Combine 1 cup of dry red lentils with 3 cups of water in a large saucepan or pot. Bring to a boil, cover, and reduce heat to very low. Cook for 5 to 8 minutes until the lentils start to break down and are cooked through. Drain excess water and measure out 1 cup of mashed lentils for the muffins. See How to Cook Red Lentils for more tips.

wet ingredients for banana lentil muffins mixed together with a rubber spatula in a bowl

Combine the wet ingredients: lentils, mashed banana, applesauce, olive oil, egg, and vanilla in a large bowl.

dry ingredients for muffins mixed into wet ingredients with a rubber spatula in a bowl

Add the dry ingredients: whole wheat flour, baking soda, baking powder, and cinnamon to the wet ingredients. Stir to combine.

muffins spooned into a muffin tray before going into the oven

Fill the cavities of a muffin tray about ¾ of the way each. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes at 350 degrees F.

Equipment

I love using a silicone tray for baking muffins. It makes it so easy to pop them out, and you don’t have to use any liners!

Storage

Since they are made with banana, these lentil muffins have a moist texture and will keep better in the refrigerator than at room temperature. Store them in an airtight container in the fridge for up to a week.

You can also freeze the muffins. Place them in a freezer bag, such as a Stasher bag, in a single layer and store on a flat surface in the freezer for up to 3 months. For best results, you may want to wrap each muffin individually in plastic wrap to prevent freezer burn.

lentil muffins on a counter next to lentil puree

Serving Muffins to Babies

If you are serving banana lentil muffins to babies or toddlers, remember to cut them into the appropriate shape and size. Do not serve these muffins if your child has not started solids or if they have not already been introduced to the ingredients on their own, especially wheat and eggs (common allergens).

If your child has started solids with the approval of your pediatrician, is at least 6 months old, and is doing baby led weaning, cut the muffins into halves, quarters, or even strips. For older babies with a pincer grasp, around 9 months of age and older, you can cut muffins into bite-sized pieces. Lentil muffins are a great finger food for babies of this age, whether they started with baby led weaning or traditional purees.

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Happy muffin making! – Lizzie

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Comments

5 from 19 votes (10 ratings without comment)