If you’re looking for a healthy and delicious treat to serve your kids or guests, look no further than these fiber and protein-packed muffins. Low in sugar, they are sweetened with applesauce and maple syrup (and a few chocolate chips), with a hint of pumpkin pie spice for extra flavor.
The unexpected ingredient is lentils, which provide fiber and important brain-healthy nutrients like magnesium, which is important for learning and memory, and vitamin E, which reduces neuroinflammation. Carrots are a great source of lutein and zeaxanthin, which are known for their antioxidative and anti-inflammatory qualities in the eyes and brain.
Enjoy these muffins right out of the oven, or freeze for after school snacks or a quick breakfast. And, to make this recipe gluten free, swap out whole wheat flour with oat flour. Don’t have pumpkin pie spice? Substitute with cinnamon!
Preheat oven to 350 degrees and line a 12-muffin tin with parchment paper muffin cups. Set aside.
Add the following wet ingredients to a blender or food processor and blend until mixture is smooth: egg, applesauce, lentils, olive oil, oat milk, maple syrup, vanilla extract, and apple cider vinegar. Set aside.
In a large bowl, whisk together the dry ingredients, including flour, baking soda, baking powder, pumpkin pie spice and salt.
Add wet ingredients to the bowl of dry ingredients and stir to combine. Do not overmix.
Fold in the carrots and chocolate chips.
Portion batter into prepared muffin cups (make sure to use up all the batter, cups will be pretty full).
Bake for 20-24 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the middle comes out clean.
Let cool in the pan for 5 minutes before transferring to a cooling rack. Enjoy and let cool completely before storing leftovers in an air-tight container in fridge or freezer.
