These Lentil Banana Muffins are the perfect on-the-go breakfast. They’re kid-friendly and packed with fiber and protein. Plus you can’t even taste the lentils!
{Originally published 12/2012. Update 6/2018 and 6/2021}
Hi Friends!
I first shared this recipe for Lentil Banana Muffins way back in 2012 and I’m still making it! If you were to ask my kids for their favorite banana muffins recipe, this would be it. In fact, it’s their favorite muffin recipe of all time. I make them weekly- sometimes multiple times per week. I also often put them in their lunch boxes! If you need lunch box ideas, I have a whole guide- A Month of Easy Packed Lunch Ideas For Kids!
You may be thinking that these banana lentil muffins sound pretty gross, but I promise you don’t taste the lentils. If I’ve learned one thing about bananas it’s that they do a great job covering the taste of other things. So this is an easy way to boost the fiber and protein content of your muffins.
If you’re looking for a regular banana bread recipe, this Greek Yogurt Banana Bread is our favorite.
Ingredients to make lentil banana muffins:
- Lentils – I use brown or green in these muffins but I’ve also had people tell me red lentils work fine!
- Bananas – The riper the better to help add sweetness.
- Oil – I use avocado oil but any mild-flavored oil will work.
- Egg – You can sub a flax egg very easily for a vegan version.
- Sugar – You can use white sugar or sub maple syrup in this recipe.
- Oats- Rolled oats work perfectly!
- Flour – I use white whole wheat flour. AP flour will also work.
- Baking soda, vanilla and cinnamon
- Chocolate chips – optional but encouraged 🙂
How do you cook lentils?
The good thing about lentils is that they freeze really well! I often cook an entire bag of lentils at once and then portion into one cup portions and freeze. Then i can just defrost in the fridge or microwave as needed.
Don’t know how to cook lentils? Let me teach you! How To Cook Lentils on the Stove.
More details:
So when should you enjoy these banana lentil muffins? Anytime! They’re great breakfast muffins for kids or adults because they’re full of protein and fiber! If you want to serve them to babies, you can leave out the sugar or swap in some baby food prunes for added sweetness! In addition, they freeze well so you can easily make a double batch and pull them out later!
Lentil Banana Muffins
Here’s the full recipe.
PrintLentil Banana Muffins
These Lentil Banana Muffins make a healthy, high-fiber breakfast or snack. They’re kid-friendly and freeze well. And I promise you can’t even taste the lentils!
- Prep Time: 10 min
- Cook Time: 20 min
- Total Time: 30 minutes
- Yield: Makes 12 large muffins 1x
Ingredients
- 1 cup cooked green or brown lentils (approx 1/3 cup dry)
- 3/4 cup mashed banana (2–3 medium)
- 1/4 cup oil (i used avocado oil)
- 1 egg
- 1/4 c sugar
- 1 tsp vanilla
- 2/3 c oats
- 2/3 c white whole wheat flour
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 1 tsp cinnamon
- 1/2 cup chocolate chips
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
- Add cooked lentils, oil, banana, egg, sugar and vanilla to a food processor and process until smooth.
- Add oats, flour, baking soda, and cinnamon and process until just mixed.
- Add chocolate chips and pulse a couple of times to combine.
- Scoop into greased muffin tins and bake at 375 for 18-20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
Notes
- You can leave out the sugar for babies under one, or swap in baby food prunes or a couple of dates for sweetness.
- Red lentils should also work fine in this recipe.
- To freeze, cool completely, wrap in plastic wrap and put in a freezer safe bag.
These muffins freeze well so feel free to make a double batch. Like chocolate? Try these Chocolate Lentil Bars!
Want more muffin and bar recipes we love?
- Kid-Friendly Baking Recipes (this is a big roundup of all my fav muffins and bars)
- Sweet Potato White Bean Bars
- Carrot Oat Bars
- Carrot Applesauce Muffins
- Zucchini Carrot Apple Muffins
- Healthy Chocolate Muffins
- Blondie Snickerdoodle Bars
Enjoy!
–Lindsay–
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I may be in the minority, but the lentils don’t bother me at all. I think it is a great way to add healthy protein to your recipe.
i agree!!
Can I use canned lentils?
absolutely!
Can anything be swapped for oats?
you can leave them out and all 1/4 cup more flour or ground flax
Dooood… this is a #strangebutgood if I ever saw one!!! I love this idea – lentils are a great way yo add protein – I bet these muffins will keep you full for a while!
P.S. So glad I’m not the only one that misplaces my recipe scraps… 😉
def not the only one! i remembered to link up today!
Everyone that I make these for loves them! Even the most skeptical child! Have made them vegan for some friends and they turned out great just used soy milk and flax egg.
I tried samples of lentil muffins at the Food and Nutrition Expo this year and was impressed. Thanks for posting your recipe – glad you found it!
me too!!
Nice! I’ve put lentils just about in everything but never muffins. Lentil granola is one of my favorite nontraditional ways. Wish I would have saw this recipe yesterday – I made coconut banana bread but would have loved to try this. Next time!
lentil granola?! i need that recipe!
I know this comment is going on 6 years old but I usually soak red lentils for a few hours and then roast them in the oven with a little oil and salt, they come out nutty and crunchy and are a great addition to granola!
I forgot you shared a photo of these and I was looking forward to the recipe! I don’t mind trying ‘weird’ things like lentils (or black beans!) in my sweets. I can’t wait to see how it turns out!
black beans are next on my list!
So….let me get this straight. I would have to take a BEANO with these muffins?! lol. Interesting. Where do you come up with these Lindsay?! I love it!
haha beano for the win! i actually saw lentils in baked goods for the first time at FNCE this year!
Yummmmmmmmmmmmers!
I’ve only added lentils in my crockpot dishes – this looks like a recipe I could handle I’m gonna try it!
yay! let me know how it turns out 🙂
These look yummy! I always end up with extra lentils after I make sloppy joes. Can’t wait to try these!
let me know what you think!
great idea!!! I think lentils would make them more dense and hearty but not taste bad. Brilliant Linz, as usual.
hehe thanks lady!
Confession: I’ve never cooked with lentils. Going to have to try these!
get on it girl!!!! i throw them in everything 🙂
Can I add a sugar substitute such as Splenda instead of sugar to make this more diabetic friendly?
i’d imagine you could…however, i don’t have any experience cooking with splenda so i probably won’t be much help. but since there’s not very much added sugar to begin with it should work if you just leave out the sugar and add a little splenda. like i said, i left the sugar out of mine completely and they were still good.
Thank you. Banana is a problem for me… I might cut that in half and add Splenda. Wish I had some now!
Have these been tried with any type of gluten free flour? I’d love to know! Looks so yummy. Thank you!
yes i’ve made with king arthur gluten free 1:1 mix and they work great!
wow, what an interesting recipe!! I would totally eat one of these, I can see how the lentils just fall into the background, especially with the banana flavor. I love muffins that you don’t feel bad about eating 🙂
After trying your chickpea cookie dough, I’m not afraid of strange sounding concoctions anymore!
Thanks for sharing Lindsay!
I have definitely never thought about adding lentils to muffins before! But muffins are one of my favorite things to experiment with.. so I may have to give that at try! 🙂
Never thought about using lentils to bake with. Pretty cool! I’ll have to try this out.
I’ve never considered putting lentils into baked goods but I love this idea!! You’re right that bananas cover up the taste of all kinds of things 🙂 yum!
I do the same thing with my recipes!! This is such a great combo of flavors- I’m really curious to try it! Thanks, Lindsay!
Not gonna lie….I NEVER would have thought to use the lentils like that, but now I want to! Great idea 🙂
These look SO good!! I might have to let some bananas sit around a little longer so I can make these!
Lentils in a muffin?? Never would have thought of that! Brilliant!
These look incredible!! Can’t wait to try them!
I love how little sugar you need when cooking with bananas! I’ve never baked with lentils, but these sound great 🙂
You have the best recipes to hide healthy nutrition for children!! I love it!!
HI –
I have a sensitivity to oats and wheat. Would almond flour work in place of both?
I’d say it’s worth a shot. i rarely bake with almond flour so i’m not super familiar with how it bakes.
I made these muffins today for my son and they are so good!! You would never know lentils are in them!! I do have one question…do you have any recommendations for high altitude baking? I’m in demver and they turned out a little dry…. great recipe!! Will be making them again!!
Hmm you could add a bit more oil or try baking for a little less time or maybe at a lower temp?
These muffins look delicious! Would gluten free flour work?
I’d assume if it’s a 1:1 gf flour it should sub fine.
Just made these with 1/2 green and 1/2 red lentils (ran out of green), frozen thawed banana (strained the water), coconut sugar (for the added caramely flavor), and with a combo of these GF flours: oat flour, almond flour, and Bob’s 1:1 flour. Turned out perfectly. Texture is fluffy and great! Perfect breakfast muffin. — (Also, just a note: I doubled the recipe and it made 17 muffins filling up 3/4 the way in the liners)
yay!!! so glad to hear it!
I’ve made 3 batches of these in less than a month! I have a newborn and eat at least one of these every morning for quick energy. They are so delicious! I added chocolate chips and walnuts and will definitely continue to try different add ins.
yay! glad to hear it!
So good! You cannot even taste the lentils
Thoughts on making it sugar free to give to baby?
you could leave out the sugar!
I found this recipe via Mama Knows Nutrition. Baking with lentils – amazing! My 13 month old and I both love them and it’s been a great way to get some protein In her as she refuses most meat, beans, etc!
I made these with blueberries instead of chocolate chips and they are delicious! Can’t taste the lentils.
Can I use pinto or black beans instead of the lentils?
i don’t think so. they both have stronger flavors than lentils
Hi. What kind of oats do you use? I have the 1-minute quick oats. Will that work? Thank you!
i haven’t tried them but i think they’ll be just fine!
Can I use all purpose flour instead of white whole wheat flour? Would I still use 2/3C? Thank you. I can’t wait to try this recipe.
yep. Same quantity and it will work fine
Just made these- yum! I made them as mini muffins and baked them for 15 minutes. Can’t wait to see if they pass the test with my 4 & 2 year old.
My kids love them!
I make these all the time. Works well with red lentils (I might actually prefer the red actually). I also increase the banana to 1 cup and omit the sugar. Great recipe!
The kids and I love them! Super easy to make as well. The lentils do not affect the taste either which I wondered about initially.
Oh em gee Lindsay! I made the lentil banana muffins today and they were SOOOOO good. I used almond meal and swerve as replacements. I can’t wait to make them again.
I have been returning to this recipe regularly and my family loves them. I even replaced the sugar with honey and they still eat them. They’re super yummy with pumpkin purée instead of the banana too.
Ohh, Pumpkin puree is a great addition or replacement. I always have a little left over when I make anything with pumpkin.
I have made these so many times and they’re always amazing! Super forgiving recipe – I’ve subbed maple syrup for the sugar and tried different types of oil based on what I have on hand and they always come out great!
Would canned lentils work?? I know it’s not the best but I already have those on hand!
yep! Just rinse them first.
I’ve made these 4 times now. My 4 year old loves them and he enjoys helping me bake them. So good! They go quick
Do you have to cook the lentils first or can you add them uncooked? If added uncooked, will they be hard?
yes they need to be cooked first. Or you can buy pre-steamed lentils or use canned lentils.
These muffins are a great balance of healthy and tasty… My preschool children love them, and so do my husband and I! I usually add chopped walnuts because I like them.
I would love to try these muffins. Do you know if almond flour would be a successful substitute for the whole wheat flour?
Delicious! Crowd pleaser!
I tried this recipe a few weeks back, and they were such a hit! Just the right amount of sweetness, density and the extra nutrition is such a bonus. My son had no idea they had lentils in it. We made a batch and they were gone so quickly, that we made another to freeze.
This has been our favorite recipe from here! Everyone loves them. Have you ever tried with other beans? We’re all our of lentils and trying not to go to the grocery store right now.
i think they would work with white beans!
Made these tonight and they were a huge hit with the whole family and I was able to use up the random bit of lentils hanging out in the pantry, double win!
yay!!! love hearing that!
I user brown lentils and they turned out delicious and perfect! My husband and 3 year old loved them! It’s a lot of chocolate chips (in every bite), so if you prefer to taste more muffin and less chocolate, you can use less. Great recipe!!!
thank you! glad you liked them!
We’ve made these so many times! So fun to make together and so delicious. Thanks for this recipe.
I just have to write a comment saying how much my 2.5 year old and my 9 month old enjoy these muffins. I’ve made them twice now in a month both with and without chocolate and using red lentils (since that’s what I had on hand) and they’ve been a huge hit with a VERY picky eater. The picky eater is so excited about them he easily eat three or four (I use my mini muffin pan so they’re small). They freeze really nicely, too. I do taste the lentil, but it’s not problematic and is well balance by a very, very ripe banana (or two) and the chocolate. Thank you so much for sharing this recipe.
Great recipe! I made these using red lentils and in place of the chocolate chips I added chopped up apple. Thank you for this recipe! I had a big bag of red lentils in my cupboard and didn’t know what to do with them!
Thanks for this recipe! I made them with red lentils which is what I had on hand. I actually used three packages of old quaker apple cinnamon oatmeal that needed to be used up. And decrease the flower to a third of a cup whole wheat pastry flour. I added slivered almonds in place of the chocolate chips and a little extra cinnamon and they came out awesome!
These are tasty, you can’t tell there’s lentils in there at all
Delicious! I made 6 regular and 12 mini muffins and my 2 year old gobbled down 2 mini muffins immediately! I used canned lentils and added an extra tablespoon or two of sugar for our family’s preference. Will make again!
These are great! My 2 yr old ate two of them right out of the oven!
Just discoverd this recipe and we love it. We have made this at least 6 times now and i have substituted with any other beans avail in my pantry at the time and it weoks just as well, with a bit of extra aquafaba. Works a treat! Thanks for the recipe.
How can I get around making these without the food processor? We have a hand mixer and magic bullet, but the magic billet only has like a 16 oz. container
you can mix the lentils with the liquid ingredients and then transfer to a bowl and make like regular muffins.
These have NO BUSINESS being this good. I just ate 3. For reference, I eye-balled the lentils and oil and used brown sugar instead because I am low on white. I also used red lentils instead because it’s way less cooking time. For fun I put a tsp of baking power as well. These still turned out incredible.
I love that these have undetected lentils in them! Another hit in our house but I think I’ll try a bit more banana in them next time.
These muffins are a constant in our house! SO easy to make and I love than my toddler can help me, with minimal cleanup! Seriously don’t know how I’d get through my days without these on hand.
I just made these yet again. They are wonderful. I don’t have a food processor so just mix all the ingredients together in one bowl with beaters and they turn out wonderful.
My daughter has low iron and I made a batch of these and within days I noticed her mood change. She loved them and I felt like a better mom knowing she was getting iron + protein + fiber in one snack. Thank you!!!
This is exactly what I was searching for! Do you have any idea about how many calories in each regular muffin? Thanks!
i don’t, sorry!
These were SO good, 4 year old approved! Even my husband loved them (ooh they remind me of banana bread). Next time I’ll omit sugar and up the bananas. I used red lentils. Thanks for this!
Love these! We have made them several times and they are a big hit 🙂
I was wondering – could I use all oats instead of oats and flour?
Hello! how would you adjust it if I don’t want to put sugar in? LO is 9 months old.
you can leave the sugar out or add some baby food prunes for sweetness!
We make these regularly and love them! I cut the sugar amount in half and they still taste delicious and my kids can’t get enough!
Just made these for the first time, subbing applesauce for the oil and monkfruit sweetener for the sugar. I made them in my Vitamix, which is always out on the counter, but next time I might try just mixing them by hand in a bowl. These are SO good, and SO filling. I love oatmeal, but was looking for a portable breakfast/snack that has a little more protein and this is it. Thanks so much for the great recipe.
My daughter has grain intolerance so we replaced the flour with almond flour, added another egg, and did flax meal instead of oats. They turned out great!! I love that all your recipes are so adaptable for allergies.
Thanks for this recipe! I’ve made these so many times for my kids and they love them. The youngest is pretty fussy and wouldn’t eat lentils otherwise. I use a can of lentils, slightly less chocolate chips and a pinch of salt.
My kids love these muffins and I love that they are getting nutrients in their snacks. Thank you Lindsay!
My kids love these, my neighbor kids love these, even my nanny and I love them! We don’t taste the lentils – but I love that my kids aren’t just eating sugar! Thanks for the great easy recipe.
I’ve made these twice now and they’ve been a huge hit with my 3 and 6 year old! They scoffed 2 each today before I could get them into the freezer for easy school snacks! They are delicious!
I was so impressed with these muffins!
I didn’t have enough oats so I crushed some bran cereal to fill the measuring cup.
My 2.5 year old loved them.
First time making these muffins. I left out the sugar and added the chocolate chips – delicious!
My two and a half year old likes them as well.
This is my first time baking with lentils and I still have no idea what they actually taste like 🙂
Will make these again next time I have over ripe bananas.
I had never baked with lentils until we decided to make this recipe. These muffins are delicious! Lindsay’s tip for freezing lentils make it so easy to prepare a batch of these. My toddlers enjoy these so we always make a batch to take with us anytime we are traveling! It’s a fun and nutritious snack.
I just tried these and OMG. I’m a reluctant baker because nothing ever comes out how I want too, but these were just right for me. I LOVE recipes that involve a food processor because they are so easy. I made these super fast and they were ready for lunch time. My kids seriously loved them and so did I. It’s perfectly sweet and moist and and the only regret I have is that I didn’t blend in the chocolate chips but rather sprinkled them on top. I definitely will make them way more often.
yay!! glad they were a hit!
Just made these.. did not have lentil but used canned pinto beans!!! The muffins are so moist and delicious!! Fingers crossed my kids enjoy these healthy muffins for a snack or breakfast.. thumbs up with both hands!
oooh awesome! glad to hear they work with pinto beans!
These are a big hit in our house. They come together quickly with ingredients I usually have on hand. Perfect snack for my 4 year old. They rarely last longer than 2 days around here.
Great for an easy to-go breakfast option that’s high protein + fiber and low sugar. Recipe was perfect, moist and flavorful, perfect for toddlers.
Curious as to why it calls for baking soda when there is no acid? My go-to banana bread recipe has yogurt and baking soda to work together. For recipes without an acid it usually calls for baking powder. Did you experiment with this at all?
I thought baking soda was unusual. However it worked just fine. I always ad Apple cider vinegar to my banana bread so added 1tsp to this recipe. Light and fluffy
These are amazing! I always make a double batch to have some stored in the freezer for easy breakfast or snacks for my girls!
These are so good. They aren’t too sweet and add a swipe of PB it’s the perfect breakfast. Or snack. I made my first batch last week and making my second now!
Very good! I left the chocolate out of a few for my 8 month old and used maple syrup to sweeten.
I put chocolate in the rest.. heavenly!
Love these! I keep these on hand for a quick breakfast or snack. They keep you full, have a great texture and a yummy flavor. I’ve been sharing this recipe with everyone!
These are amazing! I’ve made them 4 times in the last couple weeks. My kids devour them each time! To mix it up, I’ve made them as apple muffins instead of banana chocolate chip – 2 apples, 2 tsp cinnamon, and about 1/8 – 1/4 c extra sugar (omit bananas and chocolate chips). I just blended everything with an immersion blender. I was worried the apples would make it too watery, but I haven’t had that problem. Delicious!
If you sub maple syrup would you just use the same amount as you would for sugar (1/4 cup)?
yep!
Hi Lindsay,
I made this recipe couple weeks ago. It’s absolutely delicious and I didn’t know we could use lentils for making muffin! Thank you so much! I’m wondering if I can use the same recipe to make a whole loaf of banana bread instead of muffin? Will I have to adjust anything (ingredients / cooking time etc)? I’m a beginner baker so still learning.
Thanks
Winnie
you definitely could. don’t change any ingredients but it’ll take longer to cook. i’d check after 40 min or so
great recipe. I cut oil to 2T to save calories. still very good texture. added 1tsp white vinegar because I always do to banana bread type recipes. by the way I was born and raised in Akron Oh so nice to see someone from Columbus creating great recipes. added 40 grams of shaved chocolate which pretty much melts away which was fine. next time will use chips or maybe raisins
These are the best banana muffins for our family! Easy recipe to follow so my little one helps me make them and the taste is incredible while making me feel great about the added protein with the lentils.
Simply perfect.
I made these in a last minute decision with my 2.5 year old (who loves to help bake) and it was fun.
Easy to follow, used up leftover lentils and nutritious!
What do we think about coconut flour ? And also skipping the sugar? I want to make them for my baby for finger foods.
you can leave out the sugar but coconut flour is not a good direct substitute for wheat flour. It needs much more liquid and will make things dry and crumbly.
Oh my goodness these are so good. And my 2 year old loves em too. I used coconut oil and maple syrup and a few dashes of salt. Will be making more often. Glad i found this recipe
These muffins are easy and delicious! I had almost 1 cup red lentils already cooked and so I offset that with 1 full cup banana (previously frozen & liquid drained). I added the oats to the wet ingredients as my 6 yr old doesn’t like texture of oats. Added butterscotch chips on her request. Cooked for 18m and they came out perfectly soft & moist. She loved them! Thanks so much for creating such an awesome recipe.
Great recipe. Used 1/2 cup banana and 1/4 applesauce. Used 1/2 cup oatmeal and 1cup ap flour. Great texture. And taste. Used 40 grams raisins. No chips.
Someone commented they used pinto beans. So I used canned baked beans in a sweet sauce (not tomato)’. Used applesauce not banana. Came out well. This is a great recipe for subbing with what you have on hand. Thank you
These were delicious! I made both mini muffins and regular muffins last night and my kids really liked them for breakfast.
I make these all the time for my kids, so easy and quick with the food processor and so far the only way I’ve gotten them to eat lentils
Do you think I would be fine to add peanut butter to this or would I have to make other changes to the recipe? Please let me know your thoughts. Thank you!
I’ve made these muffins more times than I can count. They are always a hit with everyone and I feel good giving them to the kids. Thank you for this recipe!!
Delicious! I made 9 big muffins. I used 1/4 cup applesauce instead of oil. In place of sugar, I used 3 dates (soaked in boiling water for 30 min. then blended with wet ingredients). I also omitted the chocolate chips and added 30 g of raisins and 30 g of chopped walnuts.
These are beloved in our house.
I returned from a 17-day work trip and the first thing my seven-year-old said when I walked in the door was “more muffins!”
(And I had stocked the freezer with four batches before I left!)
Thank you so much for this recipe!
Just came across this recipe, made last night for my kiddos. They loved them, thank you for giving us a healthy muffin recipe! My kids love those prepackaged muffins by hostess and I know they aren’t good for them. I feel much better about making real ingredients for them!! Thanks again!
Hi, how do you store these? In the fridge or air tight container? And how long for?
i store them on the counter in a container for 2 days or so. then move to the fridge. or freeze half and pull the second half out when the first are gone.
Scrolled to find the question about refrigeration; I accidentally left four on the counter for 3 days…are they safe to eat? Thanks for the GREAT recipe!!
yep they’re fine on the counter, they just spoil a little faster when it’s warm out. But 3-4 days should be fine!
Do you have a nutrition break down on these?
i don’t, sorry!
First of all, delish, and I struggle to up my protein intake so big bonus. I did add it all up and figured it to be 133 cal and about 3 grams of fat per muffin!! Crazy!!
Love this recipe! I’ve made the muffins a couple times and they’ve been great snack for me and my three year old who is on the spectrum. Would I be able to make this in a bread pan as a loaf bread or would that entail additional ingredients, measurements and cook time ?
These were good, and worked fine with a flax egg. I used mini choc chips. Needed 25 min to bake. Their only flaw is that I could taste the baking soda. Has anyone tried another combination of leavening with less soda? I would like to try them again, as they are otherwise everything I could want in a muffin.