Sometimes, not every food that is good for us, tastes as good to us…
Even though the itsy bitsy moong (or mung) bean packs a hefty nutritional punch, I have not been it’s biggest fan!
I have choked off it’s taste in “A Medley of Moong, Yellow Split & Chick Peas in Pumpkin Curry” and “Moong, Lentil and Bean curry” because I grew up hearing how good they were for me. But, boiled, and mixed with a tad bit of salt, sugar and shredded coconut, moong beans helped ignite my younger self’s imagination on creative ways to help sneak them to our then family dog!
But, moong beans are loaded with fiber, phytoestrogen, protein, potassium, & magnesium to name a few, and are said to help lower cholesterol, slow or prevent osteoporosis, relieve hot flashes, help regulate blood pressure, promote heart health, aaaaaannnnnd…weeeeeeell…these Brown Sugar Moong Muffins are the result of me experimenting to find a way to include moong in my daughter’s diet, in such a way that she would NOT invent ways to sneak ’em to our current dogs!
These moong muffins have more raw cane sugar than I normally add to muffins, but the quantity seems to enhance the marriage of pumpkin spice seasoned moong and coconut flour. With Greek yogurt adding moister and an oat-canesugar-coconutoil-topping amping up the “heck yum” factor, these muffins are begging to be baked and devoured!
Ingredients
For the Muffins
- 1 cup cooked moong I cooked 1/3 pan of moong in 2/3 pan of water for 35 minutes
- 1 cup almond milk
- 1/2 cup raw cane sugar
- 1/4 cup flax meal
- 1 tbspn baking powder
- 1 egg
- 1/2 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice or cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves and ginger powders combined
- 1/2 cup coconut flour
- 2 tbspns vanilla Greek yogurt
For the Topping
- 3 tbspns oats
- 2 tbspns coconut oil
- 1 tbsp raw cane sugar
- dash of pumpkin pie spice
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375
- Blend moong and almond milk together in a blender
- Pour this mix into a bowl and add the cane sugar, flax meal, baking powder, egg and pumpkin spice and mix till well incorporated.
- Fold in the coconut flour and then fold in the greek yogurt
- Add 2-3 spoonfuls of moong muffin mix to a muffin tray, lined with cupcake/muffin liners.
- Make the topping by heat the coconut oil in a pan and adding the oats and brown sugar, add the pumpkin spice and top the muffins with the topping.
- Bake for 23-25 minutes and let sit for 10 minutes before digging in.
Notes
What’s your favorite bean?
Have you been “April-fooled” yet?
What could I substitute for the Greek yogurt? My son is dairy free and gluten free so I can’t use yogurt. Would coconut cream work?
You could add: 1 tbsp almond milk, so you will have 1 cup + 1 tbsp almond milk or 2 tbsp apple sauce instead.
The yogurt made these a bit richer.
Any ideas what to substitute for the greek yogurt? I love the idea of using mung beans (we call them monggos where I live) but my kiddo can’t have dairy.
Mari please do forgive me for the late reply – I use Greek Yogurt to sub in for butter (cut a few calories) so if you’d like, you could use vegan butter – I haven’t tried it so I cannot vouch for it but just a suggestion – thank you for stopping by 🙂
Wow, I love the idea of sneaking moong beans in muffins – so creative lady and I love the added health benefits too 🙂
Thanks dear – I so do love tricking people into eating healthier 🙂
I am learning about so many new ingredients from you! These muffins look delicious!
I’ve never cooked with moong beans and you have intriqued me with this recipe, Shashi! Sometimes muffins are just a waste of carbs and I try to avoid them. However, these muffins looks delicious and they’re also healthy! Nice post!
Ha! I love recipes like this where you “sneak” something in …. I do that all the time when I cook for my mom : ) This muffins look great! I need to make some – I haven’t had muffins in far too long!
What a creative dish! I’ve had moong beans in spicy dishes and liked them, but never in muffins. Really good stuff — thanks so much.
Such an interesting recipe! Would love to try them.
Healthy and delicious!
I’ve never even heard of moong beans…but after seeing these muffins, I think I need to hear more about them! These look amazing…thanks for sharing. 🙂
I don’t think I’ve ever had moong beans! So I can’t say whether or not I have an aversion to them. But I think I can safely predict that I would love them in these muffins. What a fun way to sneak in some nutrients!
Great gluten free and delicious muffins. Actually here in Hong Kong, mung beans are used quite often in a sweet bean dessert soup and they also make ice lollies from them as well. I know it sounds kind of strange but it is really good so I know your muffins would be out of the this world.
Haha, Shashi! After your final comment I did actually wonder whether these were an April Fool, but they look so delicious that I was quickly convinced that they aren’t!! Such a surprising ‘star of the show’ ingredient, but they look amazing!
MOONG BEANS?!?!?! Whattt! I have NEVER heard of these things before – I swear there are so many foods in this world I have never ever heard of!
Haha interesting recipe!
Thanks Matt!
I love moong beans on their own. Am I weird? Haha. Looks super good in this muffin though!!
Thanks bunches P!
No – you are not weird at all – my mom loves them plain too!
you come up with the most interesting flavors. I love it! i must find moong
Coming from you, that’s a mighty fine compliment! Thanks Lindsay!
These sound so delicious! I didn’t know what moong was at first but then I realised it was mung beans. We use them a lot in Chinese desserts! 🙂
Thanks Lorraine!
I am going to have to google Chinese desserts with mung beans now….
I don’t even know what moong is but I’m thinking if you don’t really like it then I probably won’t!!!
We are lame – no April Fool’s stuff. I should get creative and do something before the boys get home from school but truthfully I probably won’t – I’m lame like that!
Kim, I didn’t prank my daughter or anyone else either – but I got pranked!
These muffins look so inviting and so original! Please send leftovers!!
Hahaha – I have 1 – there might be carnage at the Platter-talk abode over dividing one! Only one way to settle this – gulp…no leftovers now! 🙂
Thanks Dan
Love that you made a muffin healthier with the mung beans. I actually have some in my pantry that I need to use…
Thank you so much!
We both have bean recipes up today — love it! 😀 I don’t think I’ve ever had mung beans before, but I wouldn’t mind being introduced to them in the form of muffins! I love how creative you are with your recipes, Shashi. Maybe it my mom had been more sneaky about the beans and veggies, I would have been more willing to eat them 😆 And I think I managed to avoid getting pranked so far — hopefully it stays that way!
Great minds think alike eh? 😉
Gah – I got pranked big time today! A friend at work told me security had informed him that there was a car that matched mine with a flat rear tire… 😆
i have a bag of mung bean staring at me..lovely use here.
Thanks friend 🙂
Interesting! I think this is a bean I could honestly embrace…anything in a muffin is yummy, right??!!-Ashley
Hahaha – You got that right Ashley – anything in muffin form or with chocolate is fabulous 😉
Not sure which version of moong beans you’ve used. Over here we get quite a few types. Guess whichever does not matter. These muffins are awesome; healthy, moist and loads of nutrients.
I didn’t know there was a variety of moong! The store I shopped at had only the green unsprouted moong beans- btw, thank you 🙂
I’ve never even heard of moong beans before. Where do you find them at? I’ll have to check vitacost or something because this recipe sounds delicious. I wonder how they’d taste subbing the cane sugar for coconut sugar? I’d imagine just as delicious.
Jessie, I picked mine up at a South Asian store called Cherian’s here in Atlanta, did you try Whole Foods?
I confess, I have never tried coconut sugar – thanks lady – now I know coconut sugar exists 🙂
OK, I never had Mung beans in a muffin. That’s so clever.
So what was your daughter’s reaction? She liked them? I really hope so…
Btw happy April fools’ day Shashi 🙂
Thanks Mike! Yes, she did like them – all recipes I post are daughter tested and approved 😉
I made some savory ones too to give to my mom who is diabetic and my daughter raided that package too – ended up taking my mom 4 instead of the 8 I had intended to!
Hope you were not pranked too badly today!
Moong beans in a muffin? That’s impressive. You know, I like everything that makes sweets more nutritious. this recipe is health conscious food for sweet lovers like me (who loves all things green as well)!
From one sweet lover to another – Thank you so much Daniela! 🙂