By Matthew Kadey, MSC., RD

Gluten-Free Carrot Lentil Muffins

SERVES 12

Made with lentil purée, carrots and ground flax seed, you’d be hard pressed to find muffins with more nutritional firepower than these. Serve them warm with a wisp of honey.

¾ cup red lentils, rinsed
1½ cups water
1¾ cups gluten-free all-purpose flour blend of choice
⅓ cup ground flax seed
1½ teaspoons baking powder
¾ teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon xanthan gum (omit if included in your flour blend)
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
½ teaspoon ground cloves
¼ teaspoon salt
¾ cup unsweetened applesauce
⅓ cup honey
⅓ cup canola or grape seed oil
¼ cup sugar of choice
1 cup grated carrot

1. In a medium-size saucepan, combine red lentils and 1½ cups water. Bring to a boil. Then reduce heat and simmer until lentils break down, about 8 minutes. Set aside to cool.

2. Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease 12 standard-size muffin cups or line them with paper muffin cups.

3. In a large bowl, combine flour blend, flax meal, baking powder, baking soda, xanthan gum, cinnamon, cloves and salt.

4. Place cooked lentils, applesauce, honey, oil and sugar in a blender or food processor container and blend until smooth. Add lentil mixture to flour mixture and mix until everything is moist. Fold in carrots.

5. Divide batter among prepared muffin cups and bake 18 minutes in preheated oven or until a toothpick inserted into muffins comes out mostly clean. Let muffins cool several minutes on a wire rack before removing from pan.

Each muffin contains 235 calories, 8g total fat, 1g saturated fat, 0g trans fat, 0mg cholesterol, 183mg sodium, 38g carbohydrate, 4g fiber, 14g sugars, 4g protein, 21Est GL.