Due to various drivers, food and income insecurity in African countries like Malawi hampers Sustainable Development Goals 1 and 2. In attempt to redress this, Malawi's agricultural policy promotes legumes among smallholder farmers for consumption and marketing. We investigated the role of common beans, groundnuts, and soybeans in smallholder men and women farmers’ food and income security. We used qualitative and quantitative data from key informants and 515 smallholder farmers in Dowa district, Malawi. Our theoretical framework is rooted in the six dimensions of food security and the farmer typology, which comprises ‘moving out’, ‘hanging in’, and ‘stepping up’. Despite the policy attention, the contributions of the three legumes in various typologies of smallholders’ food and income security are minimal and declining. Limited access to productive assets and resources such as land, labour and inputs weakens farmers’ agency, as observed among ‘moving-out’ and ‘hanging-in’ farmers. With the upcoming marketing potential of the groundnuts and soybeans, men smallholders are increasing their attention in decisions and actions on these legumes, though limited to marketing and revenue use, with women as primary labour providers of all production activities. Enhancing the role of these legumes regarding smallholder farmers’ food and income security requires strengthening smallholder farmers, both men's and women's, agency and effective and conducive policy implementation. Overall, we conclude that the role of these legumes in smallholder farmers’ food and income security in Dowa is limited and declining.