Vegan Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Lentil Muffins Date Sweetened

Flavor packed satisfying plant-based muffins perfect for sweater weather. Lentils are a delicious way to boost nutrients and keep protein ratios high. Pumpkin spice, dates and molasses tantalize the taste buds while chocolate chips add a dose of happiness these delightfully healthy treats.

WHY I LOVE THEM

These are seriously tasty maximalist muffins that boost my energy level. Yes, I do try to live a whole food plant-based (WFPB) compliant life which means keeping processed ingredients at a minimum. But I’m not an absolutist, I’m a maximalist! To me, being a maximalist means that I like to be as healthy as possible while still having fun. When I add chocolate chips, I do so mindfully in the context of a healthy recipe like this one—high in protein, fiber and other essential nutrients with no added oil. Caution doesn’t get thrown to the wind just because I’ve decided to include chocolate. That’s because the surrounding ingredients matter. The protein, fiber and nutritional density in these muffins creates a nutritional context that mitigates the potentially unhealthy sugar spikes from a handful of chocolate chips. I love how dates and lentils keep things moist and spongy without the need for oil. A little molasses and a modest amount of pumpkin spice go a long way in grounding the earthy autumn flavors.

BAKING WITH LENTILS

Using beans in plant-based oil-free baking is relatively new to Western cuisine, with health conscious vegan and plant-based foodies at the forefront of this trend. While many Westerners remain reluctant about getting their beans in these unexpected places, Asian culinary traditions have used beans in sweet confections for centuries if not longer. Putting beans in your sweet snacks is a delightful way to increase your intake of legumes. And nutritional science suggests that regular intake of legumes and other pulses may be the single strongest dietary predictor of a long lifespan. Each kind of bean brings a unique nutritional profile, color, flavor and texture to your baking.

While all beans have some binding properties, lentils work less well as binders. So when baking with cooked lentils, I usually also include flaxseed meal in my recipe to help everything hold together. In this recipe, pureed fruits also act as binders.

For this recipe you can use any lentils you like, including red lentils. The lentils should be cooked until they are very soft and not too watery.

CHOCOLATE CHIP OPTIONS

Dairy-free chocolate chips are widely available, so at least staying plant-based or vegan shouldn’t be an issue. When I can get them, I like using Just Date Organic 65% Cacao Dark Chocolate Chips that are sweetened entirely from dates, no sugar. You can also make your own chip size chocolate chunks out of your favorite healthy plant-based chocolate bar. There are several brands of minimally processed date sweetened chocolate out there that are worth ordering online, but they are pricey. The best date sweetened chocolate I’ve tried is The Conscious Bar.

THE MAGIC OF DATES IN VEGAN BAKING

In this recipe, the muffin batter is sweetened with whole dates which have been incorporated into the liquid and wet ingredients using a high speed blender. Nearly all of my sweet recipes get most of their sweetness from whole dried fruits, and my go to dried fruits for sweetening recipes are dates. Dates are intensely sweet with a rich caramel-like flavor that blends seamlessly with other ingredients. When pureed with liquid ingredients, preferably in a high speed blender, dates work as a binder, helping to hold batters together the way that eggs do in traditional non-vegan baking. Pureed dates also help to lock in moisture, acting as a substitute for added fats in whole food plant-based recipes. From a nutritional standpoint, dates are a whole plant food packed with fiber and a symphony of other nutrients. For this recipe, the dates are pureed with plant milk and all the other liquid and wet ingredients.

CHOOSING YOUR DATES

My favorite dates for baking are pitted Deglet Noor because they are sweet, flavorful, widely available and usually soft and moist. You can also use other kinds of dates by prepping and measuring them in the same way as you would Deglet Noor.

PREPPING DATES FOR BAKING

When I bake with dates I always begin by slicing them. I have found that dates that are supposedly pitted are, in fact, usually not all pitted. Pre-slicing my dates gives me the opportunity to remove any hidden pits and hard stems that may still be attached. In recipes like this one where the dates will be processed in a blender or food processor, slicing the dates allows them to be processed more quickly and effectively. Finally, slicing dates allows for greater consistency when measuring. Once the dates are sliced they can be pressed into measuring cups or spoons.

BLENDER OR PROCESSOR NEEDED

You’ll need a blender or food processor for this recipe in order to create a thick smoothie that does so many great things for these muffins. A high speed blender is best if you have one, but if you don’t you can use a regular blender or a food process. Electronic appliances like food processors and high blenders allow us to quickly and easily harness the power of whole plant foods, eliminating the need for ingredients like oil, sugar, white flour and eggs which are calorie dense and comparatively low in nutrients. In this recipe all the wet ingredients are processed together with the dates. With a high speed blender the processing usually takes one and a half to two minutes. A conventional blender or food processor takes a bit longer. Be patient. The important thing is to have a mostly smooth blend of the ingredients. It’s ok to still see small specs of dates.

CREATING THE MUFFIN BATTER

My technique is unusual in that I incorporate whole dates and cooked lentils into the liquid ingredients by creating a kind of smoothie, something that wouldn’t be possible without electronic appliances. The rest of my recipe proceeds in a way that’s fairly typical of traditional baking. I start with combining the dry ingredients. After that I add the wet ingredients which have been blended together into a single smoothie incorporating dates. Finally, I fold in the chunky ingredient, chocolate chips.

Note that I treat ground flaxseed as one of my dry ingredients instead of mixing it with water to make ‘flax egg’ as many plant-based recipes suggest. I just think pre-mixing ground flaxseed with water is an unnecessary step. Once flaxseed comes into contact with moisture, it turns into a binder just as easily whether it’s by itself or pre-mixed with the other dry ingredients.

SCOOP BAKE COOL

Paper baking cups make being oil-free easy because there’s no need to grease anything. I like to use a large soup spoon to scoop my batter into 2-1/2 inch paper baking cups which line a standard muffin pan. Ideally all the muffins get the exact same amount of batter.

Baking time at 350 ℉ in my oven is 30 minutes. When muffins are done they should look golden and feel firm. I strongly recommend that you let your muffins cool completely before serving because when they’re still warm they stick to the paper baking cups.

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