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Amazing 5-ingredient lentil sandwich bread that is high protein (6 grams per slice) grain-free, sugar-free, and vegan! Made with whole lentils, it looks and tastes like whole wheat bread.
Table of Contents
- Grain-Free Lentil Bread
- Recipe Benefits
- Ingredients
- Step by Step Instructions
- Step 1: Rinse and Soak Lentils
- Step 2: Drain & Rinse Lentils
- Step 3: Blend the Lentil Batter
- Step 4: Add Remaining Ingredients
- Step 5: Spread Batter in Prepared Pan
- Step 6: Bake
- Cool and Slice
- More Easy, Grain-Free & Vegan Breads to Love
- 5-Ingredient Lentil Sandwich Bread (V, GF, oil-free option) Recipe
Grain-Free Lentil Bread
Hi everyone, I hope that you are enjoying the first few days of spring!
Everything is in bloom here in Texas and the weather is blissful. All at once, I am craving lighter, fresher flavors and foods, such as salads, simple vegetable preparations, smoothies.
Nevertheless, I am always in the mood to bake, so if it is still chilly where you are living, fear not, I have an option that works for any climate.
Recipe Benefits
It looks a lot like whole wheat quick bread, and has a taste and texture to match. Yet it is:
- Grain-free
- Vegan (egg-free, dairy-free)
- Yeast-free
- Sugar-free
- Gluten-free
- Oil-free option
- High Protein (6 grams per slice)
- High fiber (6 grams per slice)
It is an excellent slicing bread, too, ideal for the eponymous sandwiches, as well as toast. It’s great with sweet or savory toppings, too!
Ingredients
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.
To make this bread, you will need the following:
- Uncooked lentils (I used the common brown/tan variety, but you can use what you have on hand)
- Tapioca starch (potato starch works fine, too)
- Whole Psyllium husks (I have options if you do not have psyllium)
- Vegetable oil (e.g., olive, safflower or avocado oil. Only a tablespoon is needed (oil-free options included–simply use an extra tablespoon of water)
- Baking powder (be sure to use a grain-free variety if you need this to be 100% grain-free)
Step by Step Instructions
Note that the complete directions are also in the recipe card below.
Step 1: Rinse and Soak Lentils
Rinse the uncooked lentils under cold water and then place in a large bowl. Cover the lentils with water (enough so that there is about 1 inch/2.5 cm above the lentils) and let soak for at least 2 hours or up to 24 hours.
Alternatively, quick soak the lentils in boiling water for 30 minutes.
Step 2: Drain & Rinse Lentils
Drain the plumped-up lentils and give them another rinse under cold water.
Step 3: Blend the Lentil Batter
Place the lentils, 1/2 cup (120 mL) fresh water, and both the oil and salt, in a blender.
Blend away, stopping several times (especially at the start) to scrape the sides of the blender. Keep blending until the result is a completely smooth batter.
Step 4: Add Remaining Ingredients
Transfer the batter to a large bowl.
You can add the remaining ingredients to the blender, but I prefer to scrape the lentil mixture into a bowl before adding the tapioca starch, psyllium husk, and baking powder.
Why dirty an extra bowl? Because the final batter is quite thick and sticky; I find it more manageable to add the final ingredients in a bowl.
If you have a a traditional blender (as opposed to a high speed blender, like a Blentec or Vitamix), I strongly recommend transferring to a bowl before adding the final ingredients. You don’t want to blow out the motor, even for a great loaf of bread!
Step 5: Spread Batter in Prepared Pan
Scrape and spread the batter into a 9×5-inch (22.5 x 12.5 cm) loaf pan that has been lined with parchment paper.
Can you bake without the parchment paper? Yes, but the sides will get darker than in a parchment-lined pan. It’s good either way!
Spread the batter evenly and give the pan a hard bang on the counter to remove any big bubbles.
Step 6: Bake
Slide the pan into the middle of a preheated 400F (200C) oven and bake. Pretty simple, right?
In roughly 50 minutes (it will sound hollow when you tap the top), you have a glorious, golden loaf of bread!
Remove the bread from the pan soon after it emerges from the oven. I’ve found that leaving it in the pan can result in a slightly soggy bottom. No one needs that!
Cool and Slice
Let the bread cool completley on a wire rack. Your only remaining tasks are slicing and eating!
You can slice the bread very thin, or go thick and rustic. It’s very filling, so I prefer thin slices for sandwiches and medium slices for toast.
I’m loving this bread but I am excited to know what you think if you give it a try.
Happy Baking, everyone!
More Easy, Grain-Free & Vegan Breads to Love
- Easy High Protein Red Lentil Sandwich Bread (4 ingredients, oil-free)
- 2-Ingredient Lentil-Flax Bread
- Chickpea Flour Beer Bread (3 ingredients, oil-free)
- Coconut Flour Bread (4 ingredients, oil-free)
- Almond Flour Soda Bread (oil-free)
- 3-Ingredient Vegan Almond Bread
- 2-Ingredient Flax Sandwich Bread
- Fluffy Red Lentil Bread
- Chickpea Flour Protein Bread
5-Ingredient Lentil Sandwich Bread (V, GF, oil-free option)
Ingredients
- 1.5 cups uncooked lentils, (I used tan/ light brown lentils)
- water to cover lentils
- 1/2 cup water
- 1 tablespoon olive oil, (or more water)
- 3/4 teaspoon fine sea salt
- 1/2 cup tapioca starch
- 1 tablespoon whole psyllium husks
- 2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder, (certified GF, as needed)
Instructions
- Rinse the lentils to remove any debris and then place in a large bowl. Fill the bowl with enough water to cover the lentils by at least 1 inch (2.5 cm). Soak for at least 2 hours or up to 24 hours. Drain the lentils and transfer to a blender. (See notes for doing a quick soak with boiling water)
- Preheat oven to 400F (200C). Line a 9×5-inch (22.5 x 12.5 cm) loaf pan with parchment paper (leaving an overhang). Grease or spray exposed interior sides of pan.
- Add the 1/2 cup water, oil (or extra water) and salt to the blender with the lentils. Process, stopping several times to scrape sides and bottom of blender, until completley smooth.
- Scoop the lentil mixture into a large bowl. Stir in the tapioca starch, psyllium husk and baking powder until completely blended. Spoon batter into prepared pan, smoothing the top. Give the loaf pan a bang on countertop to release any large bubbles. Re-smooth the top, if needed.
- Bake in the preheated oven for 48 to 53 minutes until golden brown and bread sounds hollow when tapped.
- Remove bread from pan and cool completely on a wire rack. Slice and eat as desired!
Love love love this bread, an absolute winner in our home. Thank you for sharing this recipe xx
Yay! So glad, Anita! 🙂
I really like the taste of this bread, but it was taking forever to bake in my oven. I finally gave up after an hour and the inside was still under done – a little too “doughy” at the bottom even though the bottom crust was quite hard. I’m not sure what I did wrong, but it was easy enough to make, so I’ll try again when I finish this loaf. I find toasting it helps with the gummy parts. Thank you for the recipe!
Make the bread today and turned out lovely. my favorite is still the buckwheat sandwich bread!. I was looking for a lentil bread recipe that was shaped into a loaf on a sheet pan and cannot find it. I certainly thought it was yours–was it?
Hi Jane! So glad you like the bread. I do have another loaf, my Lentil Protein Bread. The photo shows rolls, but I have the cariation for making it into loaf in the recipe card notes.
Hi can you make this in a bread maker? Not with just baking function…
Hi Christine,
The lentils need to be soaked and then blended–my bread machine is super basic, but I am not familiar with bread machines that have a blending function, or a way to soak the lentils along with the other ingredients. Sorry!
Oh what I meant was to use the bread machine after blending the soaked lentil. Maybe I should give it a try and see. Thanks for your kindness!
Hi Christine,
Ok, sorry about the misunderstanding! It has got me thinking there should be some new alternative bread bread-machines, right? One day! I would love to know if you try in the bread machine. Cheers 🙂
Hi Camilla,
How much do the lentils weigh when soaked? I already soaked them for another recipe and wanted to make this incredibly looking recipe too? TIA 😊
Hi Stephanie,
I do not have a precise number, but…approximately-ish (😉) 3 to 4 tablespoons water is absorbed by this quantity of lentils, so, you will need about 228 grams (original amount) + (45 to 60 grams for the absorbed water) = about 273 to 288 grams of soaked lentils. I hope it works out well!.
This is tasty, like regular bread I remember from a long time ago. I made as written, using tan lentils and canola oil. My loaf looks just like your photos with the roof-like top and everything, but it’s very short. I used brand new baking powder, and my loaf is only about an1 1/2″ tall on the sides and slightly taller in the middle, so I don’t know if it rose at all, or if it was even supposed to. It really looked the exact same size coming out as going in. The result is somewhat dense, though it is cooked properly and sounded hollow when tapped on. Also, I used a true nonstick loaf pan with no oil or parchment, and the loaf just slid out and the sides look the same color as the rest of the loaf. A delicious bread I will enjoy, but I wish it was taller so I could fit more stuff on it!
I am so glad that you like the bread, Rene! The bread does not have a tremendous rude, but 1.5 inches is a little bit short. I’m wondering if the silicone pan makes a difference. Not sure, but it sounds like it baked it well. One option for bigger slices that I employ for shorter loaves: slice the bread horizontally into long slices (length of loaf) then cut each length in half crosswise ☺️
Hi from Norway! Love your recipes and their beautiful simplicity.
Just tried the 4-ingredient high protein lentil bread (with brown lentils) – just added an egg, some nutritional yeast and a little olive oil. I don’t currently have a working blender, so I strived with my immersion blender for a good while. It turned out a little grainy, but I’m hoping for the best and looking forward to check these out ones they have cooled! yum
Now for this loaf with tapioka starch:
I have brown lentils.
Can I sub baking soda for bicarbonate and lemon juice og ACV?
And can I make these into dinner rolls instead of a loaf? What adjustments would I need to make?
Very eager to start baking with lentils.
Thanks in advance,
Julie
Hi Julie, greeting back to Norway from Texas!
I am so glad to hear that you forged ahead with your immersion blender. Yes, definitely will not get a smooth batter, but rustic bread is delicious, too 🙂
For this loaf: Yes, you can replace the baking powder with baking soda (bicarbonate). Perhaps 3/4 teaspoon + 1 tablespoon lemon juice or vinegar. You can definitely make these as rolls. Maybe 8 rolls, same temp, about 25-30 minutes? You will have to check as you go.
Tried this and lived the taste! However, the bread came out really dry. Made this twice. The first time I used a blender and the second time a food processor to grind the lentils. But both times it cane out really dry. Any idea what I can do to help this?
Hi Rohene,
Oh no, I am sorry to hear it. Did you weight the lentils or use cups to measure? I am wondering if perhaps there were too many lentils?
Followed the recipe, 1.5 Cups green lentils. Omitted the oil.
Love the taste, but the bread was quite doughy and a large empty space at the top of the loaf. Wonder what I did wrong?
Hi Judy! Any chance that your oven is convection (as opposed to traditional radiant heat)? The bubble top with doughy bottom seems to come up with spree of my other alternative bread recipes when convection heat is used. These unusual breads need slow steady heat from a radiant oven.
I made as directed but in a 8×4 in pan, baked for 60 minutes, came out very similar to whole wheat bread and quite tasty. I recommend using 1.5 cups lentils and not 300 grams, I made a similar lentil bread recipe on this site using weight in grams instead of volume that came out gooey, but when I measured volume vs grams the recommended volume was much heavier.
So glad you like the bread, Tim! And thanks, too, for sharing your tips, much appreciated 🙂
Would regular corn starch work instead of tapioca starch?
Hi Shirley,
Yes, that should work fine 🙂
Hi! I’m very happy with this bread, lentils are so cheap and gluten free flour is not so it’s a huge win for me.
Can this be made into waffle bread (without sweetener)? I gotta tell ya, this loaf looks horrendous and I’d much rather eat waffle bread anyway. Do I need to change the recipe in any way to make waffle bread?
I think you could probably just place the batter in the waffle iron. You could try a smaller test waffle and then add more water, as needed.
I just made the bread and it is delicious!!! Thanks for the recipe.
Yippee! So glad to hear it, Claudia!
Yum yum yum!
This is great bread. Easy to make too.
I mixed in some pumpkin and sunflower seeds.
All sliced and packed in 2-slice bags in the freezer for my breakfasts.
Thanks Camilla (following you now, from NZ, in Level 4 lockdown again).
Hi Noelene, huzzah for bread baked, sliced, packed and stored! Stay safe in NZ, trying to do the same here in Texas ❤️
@Noelene, adding pumpkin and sunflower seeds sounds great! Do you toast them first or put in raw?
I made this bread once and it did not come out too great (I subbed one of the ingredients for flaxseed and I didn’t blend the lentils smoothe enough). Before I reviewed it I tried the recipe again and did the following: used a food processor instead of blender. Also, instead of flaxseed I just used an egg (forgive me). The loaf came out DELICIOUS! I am certain if you follow the recipe as is it would be GREAT!
@Rochell, do u mean you substituted an ingredient for flaxseed ? Or substituted an ingredient with flaxseed? I’m confused. I don’t see flaxseed listed as an ingredient in the recipe.
🥰love this bread!!!
Would this recipe work with cooked lentils?
What about other recipes you have with chickpea flour, would cooked chickpeas mashed work?
Hi Tat,
This particular recipe only works with uncooked lentils, sorry.
Could I leave the dough to ferment overnight at room temperature before baking?
Hi there! Gosh, I am not familiar with fermenting lentils. Apologies, I am not sure about how that would work.
Excellent!!! I had baked lentil bread last week that felt like a brick so I decided to give your recipe a try and glad I did!. The texture waz just like real bread and it tasted delicious. Have you ever doubled the recipe to make larger sized slices? If so, what was the baking time?
Hi Kim! Excellent I am so glad that this bread was a success! I have indeed tried making it bigger–and, sadly, it rose and sunk. Here is my hack for sandwich slices: Divide the bread batter into three small loaf pans (5×3 inch), baking for about 20 minutes less time. Slice the loaves lengthwise for sandwich slices 🙂
Wow! Using lentil to make bread?! What I brilliant idea!! I wonder if it actually works as “sandwich” bread? Not being too dry or tough? Does it still taste good when it gets cooled?
Can’ t wait to try this!!
Great recipe! So happy I’ve discovered it. The bread is tasty and super filling.
Best bread ever! I love all of your recipes that I have tried. thank you so much for sharing it with us. Im amazed! I am on grain free and vegan diet for few years now, was wondering if lentil bread would work as in banana lentil bread? It might be too mushy if I added bananas?
I think that could work, Destiny! I think I may have to experiment 🙂
it is super tasty!
I used red lentils and arrowroot starch.
I love your fluffy led lentil and coconut flour bread before, but this one is supposed to be this dense and kind of sticky?
I know it might be because of arrowroot starch, but I actually think tapioka starch is even more sticky when it is cooked, so I just wonder if this is the correct texture or not!
I love this bread anyway!
could u use 300g lentil flour instead of whole lentils?
I think that should work, Stephanie!
Hi, this looks great! Could xanthin gum be substituted for the psyllium husk?
Hi Imogen! I have only used xanthan gum a handful of times in the past, so alas, I cannot say one way or another whether it will work as a sub here.
I love the taste of this bread and it’s a wonderful addition to my low oxalate recipes. However, I am having a bit of difficulty with the batter being too thick. I have made it twice, both times weighing the chickpea flour to 300g. After adding the 12oz of seltzer water and oil, it is still very thick and is definitely not as liquid as your photo appears. I used an entire 16.9 oz bottle of seltzer water to make the batter pourable. Has anyone else experienced this?
Hi Rhonda! I think you meant to post this on my chickpea flour sandwich bread post, yes? Regarding that recipe–so sorry you had trouble with the batter being too thick. I am not sure what could be causing that, so sorry.
This is really good! I’ve just tried it in the breadmaker and it’s come up a treat and is delicious. I used red lentils so have a dusky pink loaf. Fantastic. Next time i want to double the ingredients so it’s a thicker loaf (the breadmaker pan is larger than a standard bread tin). Do you have any guidance on whether it needs a longer cooking time for the larger loaf?
Many thanks for this excellent recipe.
Hi Sally,
I am so glad this came out well for you! Based on previous testing, I am not sure about the larger (thicker) loaf for this particular bread; I tried several times and had issues with it rising (stayed dense near the center, did not rise well). That’s not to say that more testing, or perhaps using the bread machine (I did not try in a bread machine) ight do the trick. But yes, I think you would need to increase the baking time, perhaps close to double.
Can I add cut up veges to this batter before I bake it?
Hi Sonia,
I have never though of that, but that could work. I would avoid large pieces of high water content vegetables (e.g., red bell pepper, onion, mushroom) as it will likely affect the rise and structure of the bread. It might be better to use shredded vegetables (e.g., carrots, broccoli stems, kale) or roast or saute (and cool ) the vegetables first
Could I use eggs instead of psyllium husk?
Hi Alana,
I have not made it with eggs, but I would suggest omitting the psyllium and replacing the water with 2 eggs (a large egg= about 1/4 cup). I would love to know how it turns out!
Hello! I love the idea of this bread and I’m very excited to try it! Can I just ask if I you think it would work with split red lentils as opposed to whole lentils? Thanks very much…….and thank you for so generously sharing all your amazing recipes, I just found your site and already made some of the almond flour cookies this morning for my husband which he really loved! xxx
Hi Kerry,
YES, absolutely. It is lovely with split red lentils, I have made it with them. I will add a note because they work great. If you can, go by weight rather than the cups measurement for best accuracy 🙂
Wonderful, thanks so much for letting me know, I’m really looking forward to trying it! xxx
you are welcome!
Hi,
Can I substitute
Hi Britton–just let me know what your question is, looks like you got cut off
Hi! I made this bread! It is cooling now. Thank you!
Great, Melisa! Hope you enjoy it!
Hi. Am I being silly but where are the measurements/quantities for each ingredient please?
Hi Leigh! No, not being silly. The recipe card with all of the specifics for measurements, baking times, etc, is at the bottom of every post. If you do not want to scroll through, you can use the “JUMP TO RECIPE” button at the top of the post to head straight to the recipe card.
Dear Camilla
I would like to say a heartfelt thank you for all your hard work to present such a great collection of recipes.
My medical team of consultants put me on a very restricted diet to control my biomarkers because I have a rare nueromuscular inflammatory degenerative disease. I am delighted and deeply relieved to tell you that after incorporating your recipes into my diet my uncontrollable pain levels are manageable without pharmaceutical medications. I also feel clearer headed and healthier and happier after many years of suffering. Plus, my torn tendons and ligaments heal faster… Within weeks rather than 9 months.
I shall recommend your site to others.
Thank you again,
What a wonderful gift you have to make such a difference in the world.
I am particularly grateful for the simplicity and ease of making the recipes as I am limited with how long I can stand.
Thank you
Dear Clare,
my eyes are pricking with tears…so glad that my humble recipes have helped so much xo.Thank you so much for letting me know and how wonderful to hear that you are feeling both healthier and happier! Thank YOU 🙂
Thank you so much for this recipe. So simple and so yummy. Its a big treat to be able to make toast!
You are so welcome, Rosita! I am with you re: toast, one of my favorite things to eat 🙂
This bread is the BEST, period. I have been searching for a bread recipe that was easy to make, grain free, gluten free, etc., and would last more than two days before going bad. This checks all the boxes, and then some. Tastes great.
Hooray! I am so glad it is a hit, Louis!
Can this be made with oat fiber, eggs, and minus the starch option? I’m looking for a slow carb diet compliant bread.
Hi Hillary,
I am really not sure, that is a lot of change to a bread that has a very short list of ingredients. That’s not to say it won’t work (worth a try!), but it could take several test batches to get it right.
Hello. I k is you mentioned can use red lentils but have you tried with other lentils? I ask cause I can never find brown lentils at our grocery stores. It’s either red or green only. Thsnk you!
Hi Penny! Yes, any variety of lentils will work just fine 🙂
Just wanted to say I have made your red lentil tortillas and I am so grateful!….they are now a weekly staple for me and so healthy! I am going to try this bread recipe soon. Thank you so much for sharing!
Thank you so much for the kind compliment, JoAnn! I hope this lentil loaf is a success in your kitchen, too 🙂
Thank you Camilla, that looks yummy.
Thanks, Andrew!
How interesting!! Have you tried it with bicarbonate of soda like a soda bread instead? Looking forward to trying it.it
Hi Susan! I have not tried it, but it should work here. I would recommend 1 teaspoon (no more than 1 and 1/4 teaspoons). Let me know if you give it a try!