High Protein Lentil Banana Bread

high protein banana bread topped with peanut butter and banana slices

5 from 2 votes

High Protein Lentil Banana Bread

Learn how to make high protein lentil banana bread, without any flour! Lightly sweet, tender, and filling, it is grain-free, gluten-free, oil-free, and high in fiber.

Prep Time10

Cook Time30

Additional Time45

Total Time1 25

Course: Bread

Cuisine: American

Keyword: banana bread, easy grain-free bread, easy high protein bread, grain-free gluten-free bread, high protein banana bread, high protein bread without protein powder, high protein vegan bread, lentil bread, no oil high protein gluten free bread, oil-free vegan banana bread, wfpb bread

Servings: slices (1 loaf)

Author: Camilla

Equipment

Ingredients

12 oz dried lentils (I use tan lentils; see notes for alternatives)
Boiling water for soaking
1 cup mashed banana (VERY RIPE and squishy bananas)
1/2 cup coconut sugar (see notes for alternatives)
1 tablespoon lemon juice (or light-colored vinegar)
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1/2 cup whole psyllium husks (see notes regarding psyllium powder)
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
Optional: Add-ins, such as chocolate chips, dried fruit and vanilla (see notes)

US Customary - Metric

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, mashed banana, coconut sugar, lemon juice, vanilla, cinnamon, and salt in the bowl of a food processor or a blender. Cover and process, stopping several times to scrape down the sides of the bowl, until smooth.
*If you are using a blender, not a food processor, STOP HERE. Transfer your lentil mixture to a large bowl to stir in the remaining ingredients.*
Add the psyllium husks and baking soda to the banana lentil mixture. Cover and process, stopping once or twice to scrape down the sides of the bowl, until just blended into a soft dough.
Gather the 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 loaf is puffed and risen. The surface of the bread will appear dry, with a deep brown color.
Transfer the bread to a cooling rack. Let cool completely before slicing.

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 lentil banana bread in an airtight container at (cool) room temperature for 1 day, the refrigerator for 2 weeks, 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 theoretically, they should work.

Loaf instead of Rolls: See post for directions to make banana 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).

Add-In Suggestions: Customize your loaf, or rolls, with one or more of these add-ins

Zests: Add 2 teaspoons of finely grated orange zest, lemon zest or lime zest to the dough.
Dried Fruit: Add between 1/2 cup to 1 cup of chopped dried fruit, such as dried cranberries, dried blueberries, raisins, dried apricots, dried cherries, prunes, or dried figs.
Chocolate: Add between 1/2 cup to 1 cup of your favorite dark chocolate chips or chunks.
Nuts or Seeds: Add between 1/2 cup to 1 cup chopped nuts or seeds, such as walnuts, pecans, peanuts, pepitas, or sunflower seeds. Alternatively, sprinkle a few nuts or seeds on top of the loaf, or rolls, before baking.

Nutrition