Citrus Chickpea Muffins with Almond Streusel (VIDEO)

Citrus and cardamom are a classic flavor pairing that makes these chickpea muffins fragrant and delicious. Using pureed chickpeas gives a very moist, tender muffin, because the chickpea starch holds water so well. The addition of ground walnuts to the batter creates a hearty nuttiness and adds healthy fats.

I usually use fresh cardamom pods when I make these muffins. If you have never smelled a fresh one, you haven’t experienced this spice’s true aroma. It is refreshing and pleasant to the palate. It is quite a versatile spice and can go with almost any sweet or savory dish. Today cardamom is most popular in Indian, Iranian, Moroccan, and Arab cuisine. In traditional Eastern medicine, cardamom has been used to treat a variety of health problems, including heart disease, respiratory ailments, and digestive problems.

Try these muffins as a healthy start to your morning or make a batch and freeze to have on hand for busy mornings. My children love them! Let me know what you think of them in the comments below.

Let's make them...

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 15 minutes

Total Time: 25 minutes

Yield: 12 muffins

Author: Inna of innichkachef.com

Ingredients for the muffins

1¾ cups cooked chickpeas or 1 can 15 oz (drained) Zest of one lemon Zest of one orange 2 tablespoons lemon juice 2 tablespoons orange juice ¼ cup olive oil ½ cup raw cane sugar or coconut sugar 2 egg yolks ⅔ cup whole wheat flour 2 teaspoon baking powder ½ teaspoon sea salt ½ teaspoon ground cardamom ⅓ cup ground walnuts 2 egg whites

Ingredients for the Streusel (optional)

1 tablespoon ground almonds 1½ teaspoons raw cane sugar or coconut sugar ½ teaspoon ground cardamom

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 325°F. 2. Line muffin tin with paper liners. 3. Whip egg whites and set aside.

4. Puree chickpeas in a food processor, scraping the sides as you go.

5. Add egg yolks, lemon juice, orange juice, and lemon and orange zest to the food processor and pulse a few times. 6. Add olive oil and sugar and pulse a few more times.

7. Add the dry ingredients to the food processor: flour, ground walnuts, baking powder, and salt. Pulse again.

8. Transfer all batter to a mixing bowl and add the whipped egg whites. Gently fold the egg whites into the batter. Being gentle helps the muffins stay light and fluffy instead of dense and hard. 9. Use a cookie scooper to transfer the batter into the paper liners. 10. Sprinkle the ground almonds, ground cardamom, and sugar on top of the muffins (optional). 11. Bake for 12 - 15 minutes or until the muffins have reached an internal temperature of 180°F. To turn these muffins into a delicious bread, increase baking time to about 25 minutes for a standard-size loaf, or bake until the middle has reached 180°F.

Enjoy!

Recipe Notes for Chickpea Muffins

I usually double this recipe and bake one pan right away and freeze the other pan. When you’re ready to bake the frozen muffins, you don’t have to defrost them. Just add 3 - 5 minutes to the baking time.

I hope you'll make this recipe soon. If you do, please tag me #innichka_chef on Instagram, Facebook, Patreon or Pinterest.