These moist, chocolaty, homemade treats are from food blogger Trudy Stone of Eat, Live, Play blog. As you mix them together, you’ll find they contain lots of nutritious red lentils. This healthy legume is a surprising alternative ingredient within these delicious baked treats!

Ingredients

1/2 cup (125 ml) of split red lentils
1 cup (250 mL) water
1 cup (250 mL) of lightly packed coconut palm sugar or dark brown sugar
2 eggs
2 teaspoons (10 mL) of pure vanilla extract
1 cup (250 mL) of all purpose flour (or your favourite gluten free option)
1/2 teaspoon (2 mL) of baking soda
1/4 teaspoon (1 mL) of cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon (2 mL) of sea salt
1 cup (250 mL) of unsweetened coconut flakes
1 cup (250 mL) of mini chocolate chips or cacao nibs

Directions

Prepare and preheat your oven to 350°F (180°C). Turn on your convection fan if you have one. Lightly oil a 9×9-inch baking pan with non-stick cooking spray. Set up your food processor or mixer.

Prepare the lentils. In a small saucepan, bring the lentils and water to a simmer. Reduce the heat and cover tightly. Continue cooking until the lentils are soft and tender, about 10 minutes. Pour the soft lentils into your food processor. Add the brown sugar, eggs, and vanilla. Process the works until smooth.

In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt. Add the wet ingredients, coconut, and chocolate chips, reserving 2 tablespoons of each for garnishing. Transfer the batter into the prepared baking pan. Smooth out the top and sprinkle with the reserved coconut and chocolate chips. Bake for 25 minutes. Rest until cool, 20 minutes or so, then cut into bars or squares.

#LentilTips
Red lentils are split and hull-less. Because their protective skin has been removed they easily break down into a smooth mush as they cook. That means you can hide them in anything and helps them replace butter and oil in baking!

© 2016 Trudy Stone – lentils.ca