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Delicious, satisfying, and nutrient-packed vegan coconut flour lentil cookies are perfect for breakfast (yes!), sweet treats, or for packing on day trips and into school lunches! The cookies are oil-free, grain-free, and easy-to-make, too.
Happy August, everyone! It is approaching one million degrees here in Texas, so you may be surprised that I have been baking. I know, crazy. But so long as it is done in the early morning or late evening, I can do it.
Also, I have a specific incentive to bake: late summer travel. As you may have noticed, I have been absent for the past two weeks. It involved a new activity, one I’ve tried before, but forget about often: relaxing. I recommend giving it a try in these last weeks of summer!
Enough about relaxing, let’s return to baking. Specifically, baking these nutritious, delicious cookies.
Table of Contents
- Healthy & Delicious Vegan, Grain-Free, Nut-Free Cookies
- Recipe Benefits
- Ingredients for Vegan Coconut Flour Lentil Cookies
- How to Make Vegan Coconut Flour Lentil Cookies
- Step One: Soak the Lentils
- Step One: Preheat the Oven & Prepare Baking Sheet
- Step Three: Process the Cookie Dough
- Step Four: Portion the Dough
- Step Five: Bake the Cookies
- FAQ
- How Should I Store the Cookies?
- Can these Be Made with Brown or Green Lentils?
- Is there a Substitute for Coconut Flour?
- Can I Add Other Ingredients to the Cookies?
- More Lentil Recipes to Try & Love
- Vegan Coconut Flour Lentil Cookies (Grain-Free, Oil-Free) Recipe
Healthy & Delicious Vegan, Grain-Free, Nut-Free Cookies
I could call these “breakfast” cookies, but that would be misleading. Rather, I suggest following my lead and eating these any time of the day for quick energy and lots of satisfaction. Nevertheless, they are especially healthy and convenient for breakfast on the go.
They also happen to be grain-free. And nut free. Vegan, too. I made them with soaked red lentils and coconut flour and the texture is hearty and filling, much like whole wheat cookies. They are super-travelers, too, meaning a paucity of crumbles and a taste that is even better a day or two after baking.
Recipe Benefits
- Vegan (egg-free, dairy-free)
- Oil-free
- Gluten-free
- Grain-free
- High fiber
- Easy to make
- Frugal
Ingredients for Vegan Coconut Flour Lentil Cookies
The exact amounts of each ingredient are indicated in the recipe card at the end of the post. Toggle between US Customary (volume) and Metric (weights) for preferred measurement option.
- split red lentils
- nondairy milk (I used almond milk)
- unsweetened applesauce
- coconut flour
- coconut sugar
- ground cinnamon and ground ginger
- baking soda
- salt
How to Make Vegan Coconut Flour Lentil Cookies
Note that the complete directions are also in the recipe card below.
Step One: Soak the Lentils
In a small bowl, combine the lentils and the milk; loosely cover and let stand for at least 6 hours or up to 24 hours. Do not drain.
Quick Soak Option: Heat the milk until hot and pour over the lentils. Soak for 30 minutes.
Step One: Preheat the Oven & Prepare Baking Sheet
Preheat the oven to 350F (180C). Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.
Step Three: Process the Cookie Dough
Once the lentils are plump, process them (along with any remaining milk in the bowl) in a food processor until they are broken down but not completely smooth.
Add the remaining ingredients–coconut flour, applesauce, coconut sugar, baking soda, salt, and some spices–and process, using on/off pulses until the mixture comes together into a cohesive dough.
Stop to scrape down the sides of the processor bowl a few times to ensure that it is all blended.
Step Four: Portion the Dough
Scoop the batter onto a parchment paper-lined baking sheet (I used a small cookie scoop). The cookies do not spread much, so spacing them an inch or so apart works fine.
I leave the cookies in a dome shape. You can also flatten them slightly into rounds, if you prefer.
Step Five: Bake the Cookies
Bake in the preheated oven 14 to 17 minutes until golden brown (technically, pinkish golden-brown, due to the lentils!). Remove the cookies with a spatula to a cooling rack and cool completely.
Hello, nutrition-packed, anytime cookies!
FAQ
How Should I Store the Cookies?
Once cool, these cookies can be stored for days at room temperature, weeks in the refrigerator, or months in the freezer.
Can these Be Made with Brown or Green Lentils?
Technically, yes. However, they will have a notable lentil taste. Split red lentils have a neutral flavor that is not noticeable in the cookies. For best result, I strongly suggest using red lentils for the recipe.
Is there a Substitute for Coconut Flour?
You could use almond flour as a replacement, However, you will need to use 2 to 3 times as much almond flour (coconut flour and almond flour are very different in terms of how they work in recipes). Start with 1/2 cup (52 grams) of almond flour as a replacement, adding more as needed.
Can I Add Other Ingredients to the Cookies?
Yes! Do not hesitate to add other goodies to the dough, such as chocolate (chips or chopped bits), dried fruit, vanilla extract, more (or other) spices, or chopped seeds and nuts.
More Lentil Recipes to Try & Love
- Grain-Free Lentil Loaf {vegan, high-protein}
- 3-Ingredient Lentil Soup {vegan, high-protein}
- Grain-Free Red Lentil Granola {vegan}
- 3-Ingredient Carrot & Red Lentil Soup {vegan, oil-free}
- Mind-Blowing Red Lentil Tofu
Vegan Coconut Flour Lentil Cookies (Grain-Free, Oil-Free)
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup split red lentils, rinsed and drained (to remove any debris)
- 1/2 cup nondairy milk , (e.g., almond milk, soy milk, cashew milk)
- 2/3 cup unsweetened applesauce
- 3 1/2 tablespoons coconut flour
- 3 tablespoons coconut sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon EACH ground cinnamon and ground ginger
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
Instructions
- In a small bowl, combine the lentils and the milk; loosely cover and let stand for at least 6 hours or up to 24 hours. Do not drain.
- Preheat oven to 350F (180C). Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.
- In a food processor, process the soaked lentils and remaining milk in bowl until finely chopped. Add the remaining ingredients to processor and process until well-blended, stopping to scrape down the bowl several times. Let the cookie dough stand for 3 to 5 minutes to llow the coconut flour to absorb some of the liquid.
- Using a small cookie scoop, scoop by heaping tablespoons onto prepared baking sheet, spacing about 1 inch apart.
- Bake in the preheated oven for 14 to 17 minutes until golden brown and firm to the touch at the centers.
- Cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes and then transfer to a cool rack. Cool completely.
Can I use regular and not split red lentils?
Hi Joey,
Yes, that should work just fine 🙂
We don’t like the ginger. What can I use instead? (I love your chickpeas muffins. Made it dozens of times of times. Thanks!
Hi Hila!
You can omit the ginger and use cinnamon alone (1/2 teaspoon, or go up to 1 teaspoon), or replace it with a spice you prefer, such as cardamom, allspice, Ora pinch of nutmeg or a pinch of cloves. You can also leave out all spices, if you prefer :). I’m so glad you like the chickpea muffins!
This looks like a great recipe! Can I use lentil flour in place of the lentils?
Hi Paula! Yes, I think that will work just fine. I would use the same weight, skip the soaking, and simply stir the lentil flour together with the milk and other ingredients.
Do you have weight measurements for this? I would like to be as accurate (especially with the coconut flour) as possible.
I added Jubilee, thanks! Some of my much older posts do not have the weights, thanks for letting me know to add them to this one.
I really like these, which surprises me so much. And the 2 times I have made them, I botched the recipe. Surely 3 will be the charm. Thank you for sharing your creativity.
You are so welcome, Philis. Thanks so much for posting 🙂
Surprises never cease. I botched up the recipe, but I still liked these and will try them again. Thank you Camilla.
I added chopped dates to be like a chocolate chip. Chocolate chips were good too in the couple I added them to.
Yum! Date + chocolate sounds pretty heavenly, Philis! So glad to hear that you tried and like these 🙂
What can I use instead of a small cookie scoop? Thanks!
Hi Maria-Christina,
A tablespoon will work just fine! If you want them to have a domes look (like the photo) you could roll each portion into a ball and gently press the bottom of each ball into the pan.
Maria-Christina, I used two spoons – the mixture is soft and easy to shape into a dome using the spoons.
Camilla – these were pretty good straight out of the oven (after 10 minutes or so). Tomorrow I’ll find out what they’re like cold. I made them a bit bigger, dividing the mixture into 12 instead of 21.
Sounds great, Liesa! I may have to make some jumbo ones, too!