Swap regular bread for quick and easy, wholesome, high-fiber, protein-rich lentil bread rolls. They’re soft, fluffy, delicious, and free from flour, grains, gluten, eggs, dairy, yeast, oil, and sugar!
Why You’ll Love This flourless Bread
I’ve already shared a recipe for high-protein bread with lentils, oat flour, and chickpea flour. However, a few people reached out on social media to ask for a completely flourless version. Well, ask, and ye shall receive with this super simple lentil bread recipe!
After several batches to get it right, these wholesome lentil rolls are slightly crusty outside with a surprisingly soft middle. Unlike white bread, this bread is also loaded with protein, fiber, and beneficial nutrients from healthy red lentils. It’s also gluten-free, dairy-free, yeast-free, grain-free, soy-free, oil-free, eggless, and sugar-free!
Enjoy it as-is or toasted with mashed avocado, pickled red onions, or sauteed oyster mushrooms, alongside vegan soups and stews, and for sandwiches and burgers. You might also enjoy my 2-ingredient lentil tortillas/flatbread, oatmeal seed bread, and/or keto bread.
The Ingredients and Substitutes
- Dried Lentils: I use red lentils, though green or brown lentils work as well (they turn out denser though), but require 8 hours of soaking.
- Ground flaxseed: Works as a great binder and contains healthy fat.
- Psyllium husk powder: This makes the dough easier to work with, helping it mimic gluten dough’s tenderness and elasticity and the rolls rise better.
- Baking soda + powder: Skip yeast and rely on these leavening agents for lift. Ensure they’re in date.
- Lemon or lime juice: Or any kind of vinegar like apple cider vinegar, white vinegar is needed to activate the baking soda.
- Water
- Salt
- Seeds: (Optional) Sprinkle over the top for crunch and extra nutrients. I.e., sunflower seeds, pepitas, hemp seeds, chia, flax, etc.
How to Flavor Lentil Bread?
If you like, you can optionally add some of the following ingredients:
- Spices: i.e., garlic powder, onion powder, paprika, red pepper flakes, nutritional yeast, turmeric, cumin, etc.
- Herbs: Use fresh or dried herbs like Italian Seasoning, Herbs de Provence, rosemary, thyme, oregano, sage, dill, basil, scallions/green onion, etc.
- Add-ins: i.e., chopped olives, sun-dried tomatoes, jalapeño, roasted garlic, caramelized onion, shredded vegan cheese, roasted red pepper, etc.
For the full ingredients list, measurements, complete recipe method, and nutritional information, read the recipe card below.
How to Make Red Lentil Bread Rolls
- First, rinse the lentils in a sieve until the water runs clear. Then, soak them in a large bowl covered with plenty of water for at least 2 hours or overnight, then drain.
- Preheat the oven to 360 °F (180 °C) and line a baking tray with parchment paper.
- Blend the soaked lentils, fresh water, ground flaxseed, psyllium husk, and salt in a food processor until it forms a sticky dough mixture.
If your machine has a tamper, use it, and/or pause the machine to scrape down the sides so the ingredients are fully, evenly blended.
- Add the baking soda + powder and lemon or lime juice (or vinegar) and pulse for a few seconds until well distributed.
- Using damp hands, divide the dough into 4 round ‘rolls’ and transfer them to the prepared baking sheet, optionally dipping each into a bowl/plate of seeds first.
- Bake the lentil bread rolls for 23-25 minutes, then leave them to fully cool. Enjoy!
How to Store?
Make ahead: Soak the lentils overnight, ready to puree the ingredients the following day.
Store: Allow the lentil bread rolls to fully cool and store in an airtight container at room temp for 1-2 days.
Freezer: Flash freeze until solid, then transfer to a Ziplock for up to 3 months. Thaw at room temperature for several hours or in a microwave using the defrost setting.
FAQs
Is red lentil bread healthy?
This lentil bread minimizes empty calories, using fiber, protein, and antioxidant-rich red lentils (which contain several vitamins and minerals, like B vitamins, iron, magnesium, and potassium).
Combined with the protein, fiber, several vitamins and minerals, and heart-healthy omega-3s in ground flaxseed (and the optionally seedy topping), these lentil buns may not be very low calorie but are packed to the brim with wholesome nutrients.
Can I make a loaf with this recipe?
I haven’t tried it yet, but I imagine you’d be able to bake it in a loaf pan if you double the recipe, increasing the time to 45-50 minutes.
Can I use sprouted lentils?
Yes, that should work fine, and the bread may even puff up more, though I haven’t tried it.
Can I substitute the psyllium husk?
I don’t recommend it, as psyllium husk is essential for the dough texture. You could use more ground flaxseed (like I did for my keto bread), but it’s a weaker binder, so you’d need more, and it yields denser bread that won’t rise much.
Recipe Tips and Notes
- Soaked lentils expand: 1 cup of dried lentils expands to about 2.5 cups soaked. Use the full soaked amount.
- Work quickly: Once you’ve added the baking soda + powder and lemon/lime juice or vinegar, the reaction will start immediately, so work quickly to form the rolls and get them in the preheated oven within 10 minutes maximum. Ensure the baking soda + powder is in date.
More Gluten-free ‘Bread’ Recipes
- Almond flour tortillas
- The best gluten-free bread
- Potato flatbread
- Gluten-free bread rolls
- French baguette
- Gluten-free pita bread
If you try this healthy red lentil bread recipe, I’d love a comment and ★★★★★ recipe rating below. Also, please don’t forget to tag me in re-creations on Instagram or Facebook with @elavegan and #elavegan—I love seeing them.
Red Lentil Bread Rolls
Video
Ingredients
- 1 cup (200 g) red lentils
- ⅓ cup (75 ml) water
- ¼ cup (20 g) ground flaxseed
- 2 ¼ Tbsp (20 g) psyllium husk powder or ¼ cup whole psyllium husk
- ½ tsp salt
- 1 tsp baking powder
- ¼ tsp baking soda
- ¾ Tbsp lemon juice/ lime juice or apple cider vinegar
- Seeds of choice for the top (optional)
Instructions
- You can watch the short video for visual instructions.First, rinse the lentils in a sieve until the water runs clear. Then, soak them in a large bowl covered with plenty of water for at least 2 hours or overnight, then drain.
- Preheat the oven to 360 °F (180 °C) and line a baking tray with parchment paper.
- Blend the soaked lentils, fresh water, ground flaxseed, psyllium husk, and salt in a food processor until it forms a sticky dough mixture.If your machine has a tamper, use it, and/or pause the machine to scrape down the sides so the ingredients are fully, evenly blended.
- Add the baking soda + powder and lemon or lime juice (or vinegar) and pulse for a few seconds until well distributed.
- Using damp hands, divide the dough into 4 round ‘rolls’ and transfer them to the prepared baking sheet, optionally dipping each into a bowl/plate of seeds first.
- Bake the lentil bread rolls for 23-25 minutes, then leave them to fully cool. Enjoy!
Notes
- Soaked lentils expand: 1 cup of dried lentils expands to about 2.5 cups soaked. Use the full soaked amount.
- Work quickly: Once you’ve added the baking soda + powder and lemon/lime juice or vinegar, the reaction will start immediately, so work quickly to form the rolls and get them in the preheated oven within 10 minutes maximum. Ensure the baking soda + powder is in date.
Nutrition information is an estimate and has been calculated automatically
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This makes a fairly heavy roll. I was thinking it would work with the black bean burger, but needed a lighter bun for that. They did turn out well and weren’t too difficult to make. Nice texture and flavor.
Thanks for your feedback, Karie! 😊 Yes, they aren’t as fluffy as normal burger buns (however, I will share a gluten-free burger bun recipe in the future), so I totally get wanting a lighter bun for something like the black bean burger.
Really glad you still liked the texture and flavor though. Thanks so much for trying the recipe! 💛
A couple of things….
Thank you for the tip of wetting your hands before working with the dough. This has been a game changer!👌 I never would have thought of this myself.
I tried these red lentil rolls again this morning. The dough was beautiful and fluffy feeling. There was minimal time between mixing, shaping and getting it into the oven. But they didn’t rise as expected. I even made 8 rolls and tried to shape them flatter (comments from others). I did use the metric measures with my kitchen scale.
They taste great with roasted garlic spread over them.😋 Yum! Maybe I just won’t worry about the rise.🤷♀️
Is your Hamilton Beach food processor really strong? I’m asking because I put this in the blender to get the soaked raw lentils into a creamy dough, though I had to stop it often and coax the top batter down. My food processor doesn’t seem strong enough to get these bean doughs smooth. I do like the size of yours, because mine is maybe 4 cups… not big enough for many recipes. But I am hesitant to buy another kitchen appliance.
Thank you for your feedback, as always. Ela, you are a true companion in my kitchen. 🤗💕
Thank you so much for your lovely message, Karie, that really means a lot to me! 😊💛
I’m so glad the tip with wet hands helped, it really makes a difference!
About the rise: It sounds like you did everything right 😊 Sometimes it can depend on the freshness of the baking powder/soda or even the lentils themselves. It also helps to try a different brand of psyllium husk.
Regarding the blender/food processor: yes, the food processor is quite strong (even though it was not expensive) which definitely helps to get a smoother dough. A blender can work too, it just takes a bit more stopping and scraping down, like you did. 😊
Thank you again for your kind words, I really appreciate you being here! 💛🤗
Hi! Could I make this recipe using cooked brown lentils? TIA
Hi Judy, not this recipe. But please check out my Lentil Protein Bread Recipe which contains brown lentils. They need to be raw, not cooked.
I have made these two times now and the are delicious but my rolls don’t keep that beautiful red lentil color, they turn black. And it’s not burr or overcooked it’s just the color. Any suggestions how to keep this from happening. I don’t care I will eat them and it doesn’t impact the taste just not the most visually appealing
Thanks so much for making the recipe twice, I’m glad you enjoyed them! 😊
The dark color is most likely caused by the psyllium husk brand. Some psyllium brands react with baking soda or certain minerals and can turn the dough dark or even slightly purple/black during baking. It’s completely normal and doesn’t affect the taste or safety at all.
If you’d like to keep the lighter red lentil color, you could try using a different brand of psyllium husk next time. I link my favorite brand in the ingredient list of the recipe.