Lupins are also very low in anti-nutritional factors (like lectins, saponins, phytates, trypsin inhibitors). This means all the nutrients and protein are well absorbed from sweet lupin, so sweet lupin flour can be eaten uncooked if desired e.g in smoothies. This is not the case with other legumes (e.g soy), which are high in anti-nutritional factors, even after cooking. 

By replacing up to half the baking flour with sweet lupin flour, you will transform your recipes for cakes/biscuits/scones/pancakes etc into much healthier products. The starchy high GI carbs will drop by 50% and fiber will increase by at least 200% and plant protein by 100%!

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RECIPES

Reduced carb GF lupin Kale polenta bread - 4.5 health star rating

The kale tastes amazing in this bread. The polenta gives it a nice grainy texture with a crunchy crust. The parmesan, olives and oregano give the bread a gorgeous Mediterranean flavor. Great for breakfast or lunch or for a light dinner with soup.

CAUTION: Avoid lupin if you have a peanut allergy

INGREDIENTS
1 1/4 cup (120g) lupin flour
1 1/4 cup (140g) polenta 
1 cup (100g) parmesan
1 cup (250g) yogurt (full cream used in calculations) 
160g frozen kale (allow to thaw for about 15min and chop into small pieces)
50-80g (10-18) olives, sliced 
3 tablespoons (20g) chopped parsley
3 teaspoons (10g) dried oregano 
1/2 cup (100g) extra virgin olive oil
2 large eggs (150g) 
1 heaped teaspoon (7g) bicarbonate soda

Method: Preheat oven to 180C (plus fan). 
Spray a medium-sized loaf pan (11cm x 22cm) with oil and line with baking paper.
Combine flour, polenta, soda, parmesan in a large bowl.
In another bowl combine eggs, yogurt, oil, herbs, chopped frozen kale, sliced olives. 
Fold egg mixture into flour mixture.
The batter will be sticky. Pour batter into prepared tin and bake for 45 minutes or until golden and skewer inserted into the center comes out clean.
Allow to cool in tin for 5 minutes, then invert onto a wire rack to cool completely. 

per 100g  (typical serve is 50g so divide values in table by 2)	GF Lupin Polenta Kale bread per 100g	Gluten free soy linseed bread per 100g
Energy kJ	1000 (238 calories)	1110
Protein g	12	8
Fat g	14	8
Saturated	3	0.8
Carbohydrate g	12	36
Sugar g	1.5	5
Fiber	5	5
Sodium	398	420

 

Gluten-free Reduced Carb Lupin, Zucchini Fetta slice - 4.5 health star rating

This fresh-tasting slice is a cross between a bread and a quiche. The combined flavors of zucchini, fetta, dill and mint are a match made in heaven. Lupin flour works so well with polenta! This slice is great for lunch or for a light dinner with a soup.

CAUTION: Avoid lupin if you have a peanut allergy

INGREDIENTS
1 1/2 cup (140g) lupin flour
1 1/4 cup (140g) polenta 
120g feta cheese, grated
1 cup (250g) yogurt (full cream used in calculations) 
1 medium (250g) zucchini, grated
2 tablespoons (12g) fresh parsley, chopped
2 tablespoons (12g) fresh dill, chopped
3 tablespoons (10g) fresh mint, chopped 
1/2 cup (100g) extra virgin olive oil
2 large eggs (150g) 
1 heaped teaspoon (7g) bicarbonate soda
10 cherry tomatoes, cut in half 

Method: Preheat oven to 170C (plus fan). Spray a medium sized loaf pan (11cm x 22cm) with oil and line with baking paper. Place grated zucchini in a colander, sprinkle with salt. Leave to stand for 15min. Using your hands squeeze out as much liquid as possible and set aside. Combine flour, polenta and soda in a large bowl. In another bowl combine eggs, yogurt, fetta, oil, herbs and zucchini. Fold egg mixture into flour mixture. Batter will be sticky. Pour batter into prepared tin. Place sliced tomatoes on surface. Bake for 45 minutes or until golden and skewer inserted into the center comes out clean. Allow to cool in tin for 5 minutes, then invert onto a wire rack to cool completely. 

per 100g  (typical serve is 50g so divide values in table by 2)	GF Lupin Zucchini Fetta slice per 100g	Quiche per 100g
Energy kJ	985 (234 calories)	1300 (309 calories)
Protein g	11	10
Fat g	15	22
Saturated	4	10
Carbohydrate g	12	20
Sugar g	1.5	3
Fiber	7	1.5
Sodium	398	478

 

GF Reduced Carb Lupin Turmeric Seed bread - 5.0 health star rating 

Thanks to the lupin flour and high content of seeds, this loaf has half the refined carbs of other gluten-free breads and more than double the protein and fiber, so one 50g piece is very filling! Thanks to the polenta it has a great texture and crunchy crust. The turmeric, pepper and cumin provide exquisite flavor and antioxidants. 
Great for breakfast or for lunch with hummus or for dinner with soup. 

CAUTION: Avoid lupin if you have a peanut allergy

INGREDIENTS
120g (1 1/2 cups) lupin flour
140g (3/4 cup) polenta 
45g (4 tbs) pepitas
45g (4 tbs) sunflower seeds
30g (3 tbs) chia seeds
100g (1/2 cup) extra virgin olive oil
150g (2 large) eggs
250g natural plain full cream yogurt 
7g (1 heaped tsp) ground turmeric 
1g (1/4 tsp) cumin
1g (1/4 tsp) ground pepper
3g (1/2 tsp) salt
7g (heaped tsp) bicarbonate soda
Method: Preheat oven to 160C (plus fan). 
Spray a medium sized loaf pan (11cm x 22cm) with oil and line with baking paper.
Combine flour, polenta, seeds, soda, salt, spices, in a large bowl. In another bowl combine eggs, yogurt and oil. Fold egg mixture into flour mixture. The batter will be sticky. Pour batter into prepared tin and bake for 35 minutes or until golden and skewer inserted into the center comes out clean. Allow to cool in tin for 5 minutes, then invert onto a wire rack to cool completely.

Muffins: Spread batter into muffin tray. Bake for 20 min or until skewer comes out clean. 

CAUTION: Avoid lupin if you have a peanut allergy

per 100g  (typical serve is 50g so divide values in table by 2)	Gluten free Lupin loaf per 100g	Gluten free paleo seed bread per100g	Gluten free soy linseed bread  per 100g
Energy kJ	1300	1647	1110
Protein g	14	14.8	8
Fat g	21	25.8	8
Saturated	3.4	3.3	0.8
Carbohydrate g	15	27	36
Sugar g	1.6	2	5
Fiber	8	8	5
Sodium	392	534	420

 

Gluten-free Reduced Carb Lupin Pancake (single serve) - 5.0 health star rating

This pancake is incredibly fluffy (amazing for gluten-free) and very filling. 
Terrific for a quick breakfast. Pancakes are usually quite energy dense and nutrient poor, high in refined carbs, moderate in protein and low in fiber (see table below).

The lupin pancake is more nutritious, has 30% less calories, 60% less refined carbs, 400% more fiber and 50% more protein so can be included in a weight loss program.

One lupin pancake (100g) is only 150 calories so there is room to add a further 50-100 calories as TOPPING if you are having it for breakfast for e.g.

1. a) 2 tbs cottage cheese (or 1 tbs ricotta or 1/4 avocado) and 1 slice of smoked salmon (or vegemite - tastes great with avocado or cottage/ricotta cheese) 
2. b) 1/2 cup berries with 2 tablespoons of yogurt 
   c) sprinkle 1/2 tsp sugar, cinnamon and lemon juice. 
   d) 2 tsp peanut butter

If you added parmesan cheese to the mixture then add some low-calorie savory toppings like wilted spinach, mushrooms and grilled tomato.

CAUTION: Avoid lupin if you have a peanut allergy

INGREDIENTS (for single pancake 100g)

1tbs (10g) lupin flour

1 tbs (10g) gluten-free flour (or spelt or plain flour if not avoiding gluten)

1 tbs yogurt (2% fat) (this will make pancake fluffy)

1 egg (50g cracked weight)

1/4 tsp (1g) baking powder or soda (this will make pancake fluffy)

1/4 tsp (1g) cinnamon (optional)

1 tsp of sweetener (stevia etc.) (optional) or 1 tablespoon (10g) parmesan cheese if you prefer a savory pancake

oil spray

Method:

1) Combine dry ingredients in a small bowl.
2) Add egg and yoghurt to dry ingredients and stir until dry ingredients are dispersed.
3) Mixture will have a thick paint consistency (if it’s too thick add a little milk or water).
4) Let mixture rest for about 10min - this helps to activate raising agent.
5) Spray a small frying pan with oil and heat over low heat. 
6) Pour all the mixture into the frying pan. 
7) Cook until bubbles start to burst on the top. Flip and cook for about 1min on the other side. Pancake should be golden on both sides so adjust heat accordingly.
8) Serve with suggested toppings mentioned above.

 

	Lupin Pancake x 1 100g (nil topping)	Commercial pancake x 1 100g (nil topping)
Energy kJ	644 (153 Kcal)	950 (226 Kcal)
Protein g	12	7
Fat g	5.7	7.7
Saturated	2	4
Carbohydrate g	11	30
Sugar g	3	4
Fiber	4	1.4
Sodium	200	100

 

Reduced Carb Breakfast Oat Lupin Orange slice - 4.5 health star rating

With a 4.5 star rating, this oaty lupin orange slice can be eaten daily. If you are sick of porridge or muesli, why not try this for breakfast with a cup of coffee or tea. Alternatively, take a slice to work for lunch. A typical serve is 100g (which is very generous as you can see in the photo, 1 piece) with an impressive 6g fiber, 12g protein, 25g carbs (which is less than 2 slices of bread) and only 200 calories! The sugar is coming from the yogurt, fresh orange and honey which is off-set (i.e. delayed absorption) by the high protein and fiber.

CAUTION: Avoid lupin if you have a peanut allergy

INGREDIENTS
1 cup (90g) lupin flour

1 3/4 cup (160g) rolled oats (blitz in blender to turn into a flour)

1/4 cup (80g) poppy seeds

4 eggs (220g)

1 cup (200g) plain yogurt (2% fat e.g. Chobani)

juice of one orange (include the fiber) (about 1/2 cup or 100g)

zest of 1 orange (for an extra taste you can add some orange blossom water)

1/4 cup (100g) honey

2 1/4 teaspoons baking powder

Method:

1) Preheat oven to 180C (plus fan). Grease (or spray) a medium size loaf pan. Dust with flour to avoid cake sticking to pan.

3) Whisk eggs and then add honey, yogurt, orange juice and orange zest. Combine

4) In a separate bowl combine flours, poppy seeds, baking powder

5) Add egg mixture to flour mixture and combine well.

6) Bake for about 35 min (insert a knife into the cake and it should come out clean). 

7) Set aside for 5 minutes, before turning out onto a wire rack to cool completely.

per 100g	Oat Lupin Orange slice per 100g slice (photo)	Orange poppyseed cake per 100g
Energy kJ	932 (220 cal)	1450 (347 cal)
Protein g	12	6
Fat g	7	13
Saturated	1.7	5
Carbohydrate g	25	50
Sugar g	13	30
Fiber	6	1
Sodium	300	360

 

Gluten-free Reduced Carb Lupin Choc Beetroot cake - 4.0 health star rating

This cake has a great moist fluffy texture due to the yogurt and high content of beetroot (25%) which you can't taste! All you can taste is chocolate!
It also has 25% less calories, 35% less sugar, 45% less carbs, 50% more protein and 400% more fiber than regular chocolate cake (see table below). Despite replacing half the sugar with sweetener, this cake is not very sweet.

CAUTION: Avoid lupin if you have a peanut allergy

INGREDIENTS
150g (1 1/3 cup) gluten-free flour 
(if you do not need to eat gluten-free you can try wholemeal spelt flour instead and cake texture will be lighter)

150g (2 cups) lupin flour

70g (1/2 cup) cooking cocoa 

80g (1/3 cup) Cadbury's dark chocolate chips (these are gluten-free)

7g (1 level tsp) bicarb soda

10g (2 tsp) vanilla sugar

300g (3 medium) beetroot (use vacuum sealed boiled beetroots rather than canned which may have added salt/sugar or bake raw peeled beetroot in the oven in foil until cooked)

250g (1 cup) low fat plain yogurt

180g (3 large) eggs

100g (1/2 cup) canola or olive oil

100g (2/3 cup) dark brown sugar

25g (3/4 cup) granulated natural sweetener (stevia/natvia) or artificial sweetener (Splenda - this tastes the best). If you don't want to use sweeteners you can use sugar instead, but cake will become high in sugar.

Method:

1) Preheat oven to 160C (plus fan). Grease (or spray) a medium size loaf pan. Dust with flour to avoid cake sticking to pan.

2) Grate or blend beetroot (in a blender).

3) Whisk eggs and then add sugar, sweetener, oil, yogurt, and beetroot. 
Mix until well combined. 

4) In a separate bowl combine flours (sifted), choc chips, cocoa (sifted), soda, vanilla.

5) Add egg mixture to flour mixture and combine well.

6) Bake for about 65 min (insert a knife into the cake and it should come out clean). 

7) Set aside for 5 minutes, before turning out onto a wire rack to cool completely.

8) Instead of serving with icing, try a low-fat Greek style yoghurt (e.g. Chobani) mixed with vanilla, some grated beetroot and a little honey!

Even though this lupin choc cake is healthier, a typical serve (50g) still provides 138 calories, so take it easy! It has 6.5 g sugar, 12.5g carbs and a whopping 3.5g fiber per serve.

per 100g  (typical serve is 50g so divide numbers in table by 2)	Lupin Choc Beet Cake  (no icing) per 100g	Regular Choc cake (no icing) per 100g
Energy kJ	1117 (266 cal)	1535 (365 cal)
Protein g	9	6
Fat g	12	18
Saturated	2	11
Carbohydrate g	25	45
Sugar g	13	20
Fiber	7	1.5
Sodium	200	500

 

Gluten-free Reduced Carb Greek Walnut Syrup cake - 3.5 health star rating

The traditional Greek version of this cake is high in sugar/carbs (from bread crumbs, semolina and sugar). These were reduced by replacing some of the bread crumbs with lupin flour and replacing 70% of the sugar with sweetener. The fiber and protein content were doubled with the lupin flour and high content of walnuts (20%). Semolina was replaced with polenta to make all ingredients gluten free (polenta like the semolina gives the cake the desirable grainy texture). Despite all these healthy changes the cake still only achieved a 3.5 star rating (so it’s not that easy to get a high star rating!)

CAUTION: Avoid lupin if you have a peanut allergy

INGREDIENTS

Cake: 360g eggs (6), separated
1 tsp grated lemon peel
300g (2 1/2 cups) chopped walnuts
150g (3/4 cup) extra virgin olive oil
100g (1/2 cup) milk
80g (1 cup) lupin flour
60g (1/2 cup) gluten free bread crumbs 
60g (1/3 cup) polenta
30g (1 cup) granulated natural (stevia/natvia) or artificial (Splenda) sweetener (if you don't want to use sweeteners you can use sugar instead but cake will become high in sugar)
15g ( 4tsp) cinnamon, ground
1g (1/2 tsp) clove, ground
5g (1 level tsp) baking powder
5g (1 level tsp) bicarb soda

Syrup:

1 cup castor sugar
1 cup water
3 whole cloves
1 cinnamon stick
1 tbs grated lemon/orange peel

Method: Preheat oven to 160C (plus fan). Grease (or spray) a medium size loaf pan. 

Combine dry ingredients (flour, bread crumbs, polenta, spices, raising agents).
Chop walnuts in a processor and add to dry mixture (put a few tablespoons aside to sprinkle on cake once cooked).

Beat egg yolks with granulated sweetener, oil, lemon rind and milk until creamy.
Fold egg mixture into dry mixture.

Whisk egg whites. Fold them carefully into cake batter, trying to keep as much air in batter as possible.

Pour batter into a greased baking pan. Bake for about 40min or until skewer comes out clean.

Syrup must be poured over cake as soon as it comes out of oven:

Whilst cake is in oven, make the syrup. Add sugar, spices, lemon and water into a small pan. Bring to the boil and simmer for 10minutes or until slightly thickened. Keep syrup warm on low heat.

Turn cake onto a plate and poke about 20 holes in the cake with a knife (this will allow syrup to seep into the cake). Bring syrup up to the boil again and pour all over cake. 
Sprinkle with chopped walnuts and allow to cool completely. Cut into diamond-shaped slices and serve with Greek yogurt. 

 

per 100g  (typical serve is 50g so divide numbers in table by 2)	Lupin Walnut Cake 3.5 health star rating	Traditional Walnut cake 2 health star rating
Energy kJ	1520	1550
Protein g	9	4
Fat g	26	25
Saturated	3	3
Carbohydrate g	22	40
Sugar g	14	27
Fiber	4	1.5
Sodium	147	200

 

Gluten-free Reduced Carb Lupin Carrot cake - 4.0 health star rating

This cake has a high content of carrots (35%) and walnuts (17%). It also has 1/3 the sugar, 1/2 the refined carbs, double the fiber and protein of regular commercial carrot cake (see table below). The fat content is high due to the walnuts and olive oil but 
this is counterbalanced by the low content of refined carbs! PS. despite using a sweetener, this cake is not very sweet.

CAUTION: Avoid lupin if you have a peanut allergy

INGREDIENTS

80g (2/3 cup) gluten free flour (if you don't need to avoid gluten, try wholemeal spelt flour instead and cake texture will be lighter)

80g (1 cup) lupin flour

120g (2 large) eggs

400g (4 medium) carrots

200g (2 cups) chopped walnuts

100g (2/3 cup) dark brown sugar

110g (1/2 cup) olive oil

30g (1 cup) granulated natural (stevia/natvia) or artificial (Splenda) sweetener (if you don't want to use sweeteners you can use sugar instead, but cake will become high in sugar)

5g (1 level tsp) bicarb soda 

5g (1 heaped tsp) cream of tartar (will react with soda to help cake rise)

5g (1 heaped tsp) mixed spice

2g (1/2 tsp) cinnamon

5g (1 tsp) vanilla sugar

Method: Preheat oven to 160C (plus fan). Grease (or spray) a medium size loaf pan. 
Beat eggs and add sugar, oil, spices and vanilla. Add flours, soda, walnuts and carrot to egg mixture. The batter will be quite moist and dense with the grated carrots (don't worry!). Spread batter into loaf pan. Bake for 70-75min (or for 55-60min if at 180C with no fan). Insert a knife in to the cake and it should come out clean - don't be tempted to take cake out earlier because it will be soft/mushy in the center. Set aside for 5 minutes, before turning out onto a wire rack to cool completely. Instead of serving with icing, try a low-fat Greek style yoghurt (e.g. Chobani) mixed with vanilla, a little honey and cinnamon!

Even though this lupin carrot cake is healthier, a typical serve (50g) still provides 164 calories due to the walnuts, so take it easy! But it has only 5 g sugar, 8g carbs and a respectable 2.5g fiber so suitable for people watching their blood sugars.

per 100g  (typical serve is 50g so divide numbers in table by 2)	Lupin Carrot Cake  (no icing)	Commercial Carrot cake (no icing)
Energy kJ	1380	1426
Protein g	8	4
Fat g	24 (has more walnuts!)	18
Saturated	2	2.7
Carbohydrate g	16	40
Sugar g	11	27
Fiber	5	3
Sodium	158	215

 

Final Tips

Other uses of lupin flour to help improve the nutritional profile of your meals: Because lupin flour does not need cooking it can be used as a "stir in" additive to soups, casseroles, scrambled eggs and even sprinkled on breakfast cereals, muesli and porridge or added to your smoothies. It is perfect for flatbreads/chapatis and pancakes (around 50% wheat flour can be replaced with lupin flour). It is also really nice when used to coat fish, chicken or patties.

If you also want to reduce the sugar content of your baked goods the only way to do it is to use natural (nil sugar) (stevia, thaumatin, monk fruit) or artificial sweeteners (Splenda) (a recent authoritative report from France have found these to be perfectly safe). Rice malt syrup (or other syrups), agave, coconut sugar, palm sugar, dried fruit etc etc are not ideal as they are still high in sugar. Don't kid yourself - sugar is sugar no matter where it comes from!