Make these protein-rich lentil wraps/ flatbreads with just TWO ingredients to use with sweet and savory fillings and toppings! The lentil tortillas are gluten-free, grain-free, flour-free, dairy-free, and vegan!
Flexible and Versatile Protein-Rich Lentil Tortillas
As a vegan who eats primarily gluten-free, I love experimenting with ingredient swaps that fit my dietary needs and taste delicious. I’ve already shared recipes for regular gluten-free tortillas and keto almond flour tortillas. However, when I want to inject the dish with even more plant-based power and nutrients, I love turning to recipes like my easy spinach tortillas or these protein-rich red lentil wraps!
Lentils are one of my most popular pantry staples. They’re packed with fiber and plenty of plant-based protein (a must for any vegan household). They’re also an excellent source of several micronutrients, like iron, folate, potassium, zinc, etc. So, along with using them to make tasty lentil stew and red lentil dahl, I also use them to prepare a high-protein lentil bread, egg-free vegan omelette, and now these red lentil tortillas.
I haven’t even gotten to the best part… These protein tortillas require just TWO ingredients as a base. More so, while you need to account for time to leave the lentils soaking, the actual hands-on effort needed for these, is the bare minimum. Just soak, blend, and pan-fry!
With the neutral flavor of red lentils, these protein wraps will work for both sweet and savory toppings/ fillings, too, AND they’re freezer-friendly. So, there’s no excuse not to whip up a batch (or two) now!
The Ingredients
These lentil wraps require just two inexpensive, pantry-friendly ingredients that are likely already in your kitchen.
- Lentils: You’ll need dry red lentils for this lentils wrap recipe. Brown lentils also work, but you’ll only need ½ cup (100g), and they’ll need to soak for 10 hours at least. Other lentils may also work, but I haven’t tried, so I can’t guarantee results.
- Vegetable broth: Regular or low-sodium broth will work. Alternatively, you could use a combination of water and salt (especially if you plan to make sweet wraps).
What Can I Add to Lentil Wraps For More Flavor?
- Spices: For more flavorful savory lentil flatbread/ wraps, I like to add a mixture of several spices, including:
- Onion powder
- Garlic powder
- Smoked paprika
Other spices will also work, like turmeric, chili, cayenne powder, cumin, garam masala, curry powder, black pepper, etc.
- Herbs: Several herbs pair well with lentils, like dried oregano or thyme. Fresh herbs would also work, like parsley, cilantro, mint, etc.
- Sweetener: If you’re planning to use these wraps for sweet fillings/toppings, you could add a small amount of sweetener (refined, unrefined, or a sugar alternative) to the batter. Just note that sugars will lead to more browning/ risk of burning.
For the full ingredients list, measurements, complete recipe method, and nutritional information, read the recipe card below.
How to Make High Protein Lentil Wraps
Unlike flour tortillas, this recipe has you cook the wraps like lentil crepes/ pancakes. How? By mixing up a batter and cooking it on the stovetop.
Step 1: Prepare the batter
- First, rinse the lentils in a sieve under running water, removing any debris or bad lentils.
- Then, transfer them to the blender with the broth (or water and salt), and leave to soak for 3-4 hours.
- Blend the mixture for 2 minutes, or until the batter is smooth and lump-free.
Step 2: Cook the lentil tortillas
- Heat a little oil in a non-stick pan/ skillet. Once hot, reduce the heat to medium-low and pour in enough batter to make a thin layer across the bottom of your pan, spreading it with the back of a spoon as needed.
- Cook the red lentil tortillas for about 3-4 minutes.
- Flip it over when the edges start pulling away from the pan, and continue to cook for 1-2 minutes. Then transfer them to a plate, covered with a damp kitchen towel.
- Repeat this with the remaining batter, adding more oil to the pan as needed.
Note that the batter will thicken as it sits, so I recommend pulsing it for a few seconds between cooking each wrap. You may need more water/broth to bring it back to a pancake batter consistency.
- Enjoy the red lentil wraps with the fillings or toppings of your choice!
You can enjoy these protein tortillas as tacos, enchiladas, wraps, and more, with sweet or savory toppings (like hummus, tomato, cucumber, roasted vegetables, etc.). They’ll also work as a lentil flatbread side to serve with curries and stews.
Storage Instructions
Make ahead: You can prepare the batter up to 2 days in advance and store it, covered, in the fridge. You may need to add more liquid or pulse it in the blender again before making the wraps.
You could also leave the lentils to soak for up to 48 hours. However, they should be stored in the fridge for any longer than 4, to stop them from fermenting.
Store: Allow the cooked lentil wraps to cool and store any leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. I recommend placing parchment paper between the wraps to avoid sticking.
Freeze: Stack the tortillas with pieces of parchment paper between each one (to avoid sticking) and freeze in a Ziplock for 3-4 months.
Reheat: I recommend gently reheating a wrap either in the microwave or on the stovetop. You could also reheat a stack by placing them under foil in the oven for 8-10 minutes at 400F/205C.
FAQs
Can I use canned lentils?
No, this lentil wrap recipe relies on dried red lentils. It won’t work with cooked lentils.
Are lentil tortillas pliable?
Yes, these wraps are very pliable and will work in any way a regular tortilla would. Just make sure they’re warm when using them; otherwise, they could tear/break.
Are red lentil wraps healthy?
Yes! But why? Along with being an excellent source of fiber (8 g per wrap), protein (7 grams of protein per wrap), and several essential micronutrients like iron, these lentil tortillas are also satiating to keep you feeling full for longer.
Compared to regular flour tortillas, these are far superior in both micro and macro content (and their lack of ‘empty calories’).
Can I speed up the soaking time?
You could ‘hack’ the soaking part by using boiling water and leaving them to soak for just 20-30 minutes. I haven’t tried this, though.
Why are the wraps gritty?
This may be because you didn’t soak the lentils long enough or blend them for enough time.
Can I use a food processor?
This recipe works best using a high-speed blender to achieve a smooth batter. Unfortunately, I don’t think a food processor can produce a non-gritty batter.
Can I use brown lentils?
Yes, I have tried it! However, you only need 100 g of brown lentils (use the same amount of broth) and soak them for at least 10 hours.
Recipe Notes and Tips
- Adjust the size: Adjust the amount of batter you add to the pan based on how big you wish the wraps to be.
- Adjust the liquid content: The batter will thicken as it sits, so you may need extra liquid.
- Don’t discard the soaking liquid: This is what you’ll use when blending the batter.
- Use a non-stick pan: If you have a well-seasoned cast-iron pan, that might work, too. Otherwise, any non-stick pan should be great for these wraps and can help you reduce the amount of oil needed to avoid sticking.
- Make a test wrap: These cook like lentil crepes, which means the first one may be the worst. However, use it to adjust the cooking times and temperatures on your stovetop.
More Vegan Lentil Recipes
- Lentil and tahini salad
- The best vegan lentil soup
- Vegan lentil shepherd’s pie
- Red lentil patties
- Lentil enchiladas
- Lentil stuffed eggplant
- Okra and lentil gumbo
- Lentil moussaka
- Bolognese sauce
If you try this easy vegan, high-protein lentil wrap 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 #elavegan—I love seeing them.
Lentil Wraps
Video
Ingredients
- ¾ cup (150 g) dry red lentils
- 1 ½ cups (360 ml) vegetable broth (or water + 1/2 tsp salt)
Instructions
- You can watch the short video for visual instructions.Rinse the lentils in a sieve under running water.
- Transfer them to the blender with the broth (or water and salt), and leave to soak for 3-4 hours.
- Blend the mixture for 2 minutes, or until the batter is smooth and lump-free.
- Heat a little oil in a non-stick pan/ skillet. Once hot, reduce the heat to medium-low and pour in enough batter to make a thin layer across the bottom of your pan, spreading it with the back of a spoon as needed.Note that the batter will thicken as it sits, so I recommend pulsing it for a few seconds between cooking each wrap. You may need more water/broth to bring it back to a pancake batter consistency.
- Cook for about 3-4 minutes, flip it over when the edges start pulling away from the pan, and continue to cook for 1-2 minutes. Then transfer them to a plate, covered with a damp kitchen towel.
- Repeat this with the remaining batter, adding more oil to the pan as needed.
- Enjoy the red lentil wraps with the fillings or toppings of your choice!
Notes
- Broth: If you plan on making sweet wraps, use water and a pinch of salt instead of vegetable broth.
- Spices: For savory wraps, feel free to add a little onion powder, garlic powder, smoked paprika, or spices of choice.
- Lentils: You can use brown lentils, but you will only need 1/2 cup (100 g) and need to soak them for at least 10 hours.
- The total time doesn't include soaking time.
- The recipe makes 10 small/medium wraps or 5 large wraps.
Nutrition information is an estimate and has been calculated automatically
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I was really skeptical about trying these, but I needed a wrap that was made without “flour”. I added garlic powder to the soaking time. Oh my goodness – I love these wraps! These will be a staple in my house. I cannot find wraps made without added oils in the grocery store, and these are absolutely delicious. Thank you so much for this recipe!
That’s so good to hear, Teresa. Thanks a lot for your great feedback. 🙂
Sorry – I take it back – it did say to soak aaarrgghh. Just to be clear though is it soak the lentils for 10 hours and soak the batter for 3-4 hours or just the batter that needs to soak?
Hi Lucy, it seems you might have overlooked it, but the post clearly mentions twice that the red lentils need to be soaked for 3-4 hours:
This is also demonstrated in the step-by-step pictures and the video for added clarity. Brown lentils should be soaked for 10 hours, as mentioned in the recipe notes.
This page needs to be updated to make it really clear what needs soaking and for how long – I thought I had followed the instructions but didn’t do any soaking I am really worried I’m going to make myself ill. Following the instructions on the main page (not the actual recipe bit later on it implies strongly that the soaking is required for brown lentils. It doesn’t say anywhere in these instructions (but does further down) that the batter should be left to soak for 3-4 hours….. fingers crossed they don’t make me ill
Hi Lucy, it seems you might have overlooked it, but the post clearly mentions twice that the red lentils need to be soaked for 3-4 hours:
This is also demonstrated in the step-by-step pictures and the video for added clarity. Brown lentils should be soaked for 10 hours, as mentioned in the recipe notes.
I tried making these today and have mixed reviews. The first 2-3 weren’t appealing, I’ve decided that making these is like making pancakes. The first ones are never as good as the last. I mixed every single time before scooping some into my pan. I try not to use oil but had to spritz some on the noon stick pan to make these come out right. My electric stove (first problem, I know) had to be set at 5 (medium heat) and I set a timer for 1:30 for each side of each wrap. Slightly less of either the time or the heat might have produced even better results. I tried one of the early wraps, it was more like a thin pancake and slightly burnt by it was ok as it was. I’m looking forward to trying these with some quinoa taco meat later though. it’s nice to have a healthy alternative made from scratch at home. Thank you for the recipe!
You are very welcome, Cheryl. Thanks for your feedback! 🙂
i’m just about to try this recipe, howver the recipe details are horribly inaccurate. The prep/cook time should include that the lentils need to soak for 3-4 HOURS. Those small recipe details help people decide if this recipe will work for them. Please correc this
Will try this soon, looks great.Can I use a smoothie machine for blending?
It should work fine if the blender is strong enough. If not, try soaking the lentils a bit longer to soften them more. 🙂
I made two batches since my last post, and they were amazing.. My family enjoyed them so much. The recipe was easy to follow and they came out perfect. I made 2 sizes, 6 and 12 inches. wish I could share the photos.
That’s amazing! You can send the photos to my email address: [email protected] and I will share them here. 🙂
i am finding out that I am getting about a 50% success rate in getting them flipped. Half turned out ‘flat’ and wrap like but the other half ended up fluffy 😅 the taste is great and I know tweaking and practicing will help. I did add water and remix and I found that helped a bit and turning up the heat a touch. we have a rock pan. I am tempted to add in some cinnamon and nutmeg and make bitesize dots for my baby – she loved the fluffly wraps!
Thanks so much for your comment, Emily. So glad your baby likes the wraps. 🙂
Hi – thanks for this post! Wondering what sort of a pan you are using?
I am looking forward to trying these out. How best store store leftover pancakes? Thanks!
Allow the cooked lentil wraps to cool and store any leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. I recommend placing parchment paper between the wraps to avoid sticking.
Hi is the broth to be hot when mixed with the lentils?
Hi Nathalie, no, it should be cold or lukewarm. 🙂
Any different suggestions for green lentils? As a person with severe gluten intolerance, I’m excited to try these
Hi, the recipe uses red lentils. Split peas should work fine too.
Have you tried lentil tofu? Easy to make and really delicious. lots of recipes if you search.
Oh, I’m trying hard with these.. They smell SO good.. I got nothing but sticking to my pan..Usually a non stick pan.. Will try again , one more time with very little oil..
These are amazing! My husband cooked these in his blackstone grill. I have also used waffle maker.
I recently cut out gluten to see how effects my tummy – so perfect alternative to tradition bread and tortillas!
Hi Gina, I am so glad the tortillas came out great. Thanks for your amazing feedback. 🙂
Can this be used with canned lentils? Also, any suggestions on how to freeze these?
Hi Tara, I answered both questions in the blog post. Please check the section “storage instructions” and the “FAQs” section.
no mater what I tried – they stick to the pan and I just get a gloopy mess and a pan that needs scrubbing- how much oil to you need to keep them from sticking? Followed the recipe exactly. Does it have to be a non stick pan?
Yes, I am using a non-stick pan (as mentioned in the recipe) and almost no oil.
Same here. Seems like my non-stick pans are broken. I just put it in a tiny ovenproof dish and baked it instead. Now I have two tiny lentil loafs with the consistency of mashed potatoes. At least I tried. I also might be onto something…
I regard this tasty failure to improper blending and unfit utensils..
Absolutely love this recipe. Very easy to make
I am so glad you like it. 🙂
very easy to make and delicious.
Thanks for your great feedback. 🙂
Wow 👌 This is the best tortilla I’ve ever tasted. Fast, easy and affordable.
Such a great compliment! Glas you like the recipe. 🙂
Hello.
I only have split lentils. Will those work, and do I use the same amount as listed?
Thank you,
Hiroshi
Hi, as long as you use 150 grams, it should be fine.
It absolutely did not work as thin ones as it completely stuck to the pan when too thin (I’m oil-free). I was able to make it work by making it thicker. I’ll have to keep working on this to make it usable, but the idea was nice. I’ll try the rice tortilla ones and hope they work better. 🙂
I made these today, and they are excellent! I used brown lentils, soaking for 24 hours in the refrigerator. The first two small ones turned out good, then the next two crumbled and I had trouble trying to flip them, and it ended up as a mess. So I looked at the instructions and notes again and found I really needed to re-blend the batter in between cooking each wrap. After I started doing that, they turned out great, no problems. Great recipe I will be making again and again! By the way, l like the skillet used in this recipe, as seen in the photos. Will you share the brand so I can hunt for one?
I am so glad you like the wraps! Thanks for your great feedback. 🙂
PS: That’s a skillet set I bought in the Dominican Republic. I am afraid it’s not available in other countries. 🙂