Carrot Lentil Protein Muffins

These carrot lentil protein muffins are a great kid-friendly snack, filled with sneaky lentils to add healthy protein, fibre and nutrients. You'd never guess there were lentils in them!

When it comes to grab and go snacks, muffins are at the top of my list. We love these Healthy Blueberry Muffins and these Healthy Cinnamon Rhubarb Muffins, but sometimes I want to sneak a little extra protein and fibre into my kids diets, and that's when I make these carrot lentil muffins!

If putting lentils into your muffins sounds strange, I get it...but give it a try! After tasting these, I bet you won't even be able to tell there are lentils hiding in there. They are tender, soft, and perfect with a little bit of butter!

Not only do these carrot lentil muffins have sneaky lentils, but they contain a full cup of carrots. If you finely shred the carrots, I bet your kids won't even notice! They blend in color-wise with the dark brown of the muffins.

Recipe Video

Wondering how these muffins come together? Watch the 1 minute video below to see how it happens! You can find more recipe videos on my YouTube channel.

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Let's talk ingredients

• Lentils- I recommend canned brown lentils (as pictured below).
• Carrots- we need 1 cup of finely shredded carrots...make sure you use the small part of your box grater so the carrots are fine in texture and not chunky.
• Flour- you can use white whole wheat, all purpose, or 50% all purpose 50% whole wheat flour. This recipe has not been tested with gluten-free, almond or any other flours.
• Applesauce + Greek yogurt- to replace the oil and some of the sweetener in this recipe. Go for plain yogurt and unsweetened applesauce.
• Sugar- you can use brown or coconut sugar. I have not tested with maple syrup or honey.
• Eggs- I have not tested with an egg replacement and do not know if it will work.
• For flavor- we are adding in some cinnamon and sprinkling shredded coconut on the tops.
  

Protein muffin recipe FAQ

I can't find canned lentils, can I make these with dried lentils? 

You can, however you will need to cook them first. I have only tested with brown lentils and recommend seeking them out. I would especially avoid red lentils which are much softer in texture and may not work in these muffins.

Which kind of yogurt is best to use?

The recipe calls for plain greek yogurt, but I have made it with regular plain yogurt as well. I would not recommend sweetened yogurt as this may make the muffins quite sweet.

What do I do with the leftover mashed lentils?

This recipe calls for 1 can of mashed lentils, but you only need half of it. I would either make a double batch, or freeze the leftover lentils for a second muffin batch!

More tasty muffin recipes:

• Low Carb Cauliflower Pizza Muffins
• Lemon Chia Yogurt Muffins
• Coconut Cranberry Muffins
• 7 Healthy Baked Oatmeal Muffins
• 7 Healthy Breakfast Egg Muffins

Did you make this? Tag me on social @sweetpeasandsaffron and be sure to leave a comment and rate the recipe!

Coconut and Carrot High Protein Muffins

4.87 from 23 votes

Prep Time: 15 minutes mins

Cook Time: 25 minutes mins

Total Time: 40 minutes mins

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These carrot lentil protein muffins are a great kid-friendly snack, filled with sneaky lentils to add healthy protein, fibre and nutrients. You'd never guess there were lentils in them!

12

Ingredients

• ▢ 19 oz can of brown lentils (drained & rinsed; note that you will not use the whole can in the recipe)
• ▢ 2 large eggs
• ▢ ½ cup unsweetened applesauce
• ▢ 1 teaspoon vanilla
• ▢ ½ cup plain yogurt (full fat, not light)
• ▢ ½ cup packed brown sugar
• ▢ 1 cup all purpose flour (125 g, fluffed, spooned & levelled)
• ▢ 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• ▢ 1 teaspoon baking soda
• ▢ ⅛ teaspoon baking powder
• ▢ 2 carrots shredded finely (just over 1 cup)
• ▢ ¼ cup sweetened shredded coconut

Instructions 

• Preheat the oven to 350°F.
• Line a standard-sized muffin tray with parchment or silicone liners and set aside.
• Add the lentils to a food processor and process until smooth. You can also mash with a fork or potato masher.
• Measure out ¾ cup of the lentil purée, and mix in a large bowl with the eggs, applesauce, vanilla, yogurt and brown sugar.
• Add in the flour, cinnamon, baking soda and baking powder.
• Mix the wet and dry ingredients together until just combined (do not over-mix). Fold in the carrots.
• Spoon the mixture into the muffin liners, filling just to the top. Sprinkle with the coconut.
• Bake for 20-25 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean.

Storage

• Store in a sealed container in the fridge for up to 4 days.
• Store wrapped in parchment paper in a meal prep container in the freezer for up to 1 month.
• Reheat and serve with butter.

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Tips:

This recipe was tested with parchment and silicone liners.
Freeze leftover mashed lentils for another batch of muffins

Video

Nutrition Information

Serving: 1muffin, Calories: 135kcal, Carbohydrates: 25g, Protein: 5g, Fat: 2g, Saturated Fat: 1g, Cholesterol: 29mg, Sodium: 122mg, Potassium: 179mg, Fiber: 3g, Sugar: 12g, Vitamin A: 1748IU, Vitamin C: 1mg, Calcium: 37mg, Iron: 2mg

Author: Denise Bustard

Course: Breakfast

Cuisine: American

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