High Protein Carrot Cake Lentil Bread
Servings: 12 slices (1 loaf)
Equipment
Ingredients
- 12 oz dried lentils (I use tan lentils; see notes for alternatives)
- Boiling water for soaking
- 1/2 cup coconut sugar (see notes for alternatives)
- 1/2 cup water
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice (or light-colored vinegar)
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- 1 1/2 teaspoons ground ginger
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 7 ounces carrots peeled and grated (about 2 cups, lightly packed)
- 1/2 cup raisins
- 1/2 cup whole psyllium husks (see notes regarding psyllium powder)
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
Instructions
- Place the lentils in a large bowl. Cover with enough boiling water to cover the lentils with 1 inch (2.5 cm) of water. Let soak for at least 45 minutes until the lentils are plump and almost twice their size (see notes for soaking in cold water overnight).
- Preheat the oven to 350F (180C). Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Drain the lentils through a colander or fine mesh sieve. Discard the soaking water.
- Place the drained, soaked lentils, 1/2 cup water, coconut sugar, lemon juice, vanilla, cinnamon, ginger and salt in the bowl of a food processor (Process, stopping several times to scrape down the sides of the bowl, until very smooth (i.e., no noticeable pieces of lentil remain).
- Transfer the lentil mixture to a large mixing bowl to stir in the remaining ingredients. Add the grated carrots, raisins, whole psyllium husks and baking soda to the lentil mixture. Stir until completely combined.
- Gather the carrot lentil bread dough into a ball. With damp hands, roughly shape the dough into a log. Place on the prepared baking sheet. Shape and flatten the log into a loaf measuring about 9 inches (22.5 cm) long, 4 inches (10 cm) wide and 2 inches (5 cm) high.
- Bake the bread in the preheated oven for 55 to 60 minutes until the it is puffed and risen. The surface of the bread will appear dry, with a deep brown color.
- Transfer the lentil carrot bread to a cooling rack or other wire rack. Let the bread cool completely before slicing.
- Slice the bread (crosswise) into thick or thin slices. Enjoy without any further adornments, or add your favorite toppings and extras.
Notes
Note: Toggle the button between METRIC and US Customary to get ingredient measurements by grams and mL instead of volume.
Storage: Store the cooled bread in an airtight container at (cool) room temperature for 1 day, the refrigerator for 1 week, or the freezer for up to 6 months.
Lentil Weight Tip: 12 ounces/ 340 grams of dried (uncooked) lentils is about 1.75 cups.
Different Lentil Varieties: I use common tan/light green lentils for this bread, but you can also use an equal weight of split red lentils. I have not tested with other lentil varieties (such as black lentils or dark green lentils), but they should work fine.
Loaf instead of Rolls: See post for directions to make carrot lentil bread rolls instead of a single banana lentil loaf.
Overnight Soak Option: If you prefer, soak the lentils in cold or room temperature water for 8 to 12 hours or until plump and nearly double their size.
Coconut Sugar Alternatives: Substitute an equal amount of brown sugar or granulated cane sugar.
Psyllium Husks Tip: I have not tested this bread with psyllium powder, but theoretically it should work. Be sure to use an equal weight of psyllium powder to replace the whole psyllium husks (not volume). 1 tablespoon of whole psyllium husks (5 grams) = 1 teaspoon psyllium powder (5 grams).
Nutrition
Serving: 1slice | Calories: 178kcal | Carbohydrates: 36g | Protein: 8g | Fat: 0.4g | Saturated Fat: 0.1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 0.1g | Sodium: 171mg | Potassium: 378mg | Fiber: 17g | Sugar: 6g | Vitamin A: 2796IU | Vitamin C: 3mg | Calcium: 56mg | Iron: 3mg