It’s easy to make your own high protein gluten free bread using red lentils. This healthy bread recipe is simple as just blending and baking – the oven does all the hard work. The final bread is firm with a fluffy center.
Suitable for oil-free, gluten-free, grain-free, nut-free, vegan/plant-based, high protein and general wholefood diets.
It’s great to keep a batch of this lentil bread in the freezer for when you want something high protein, high carbohydrate and gluten free to snack on. I will often have this toasted with some coconut butter.
Avocado on Protein Toast Video
I made this protein bread quite thick to make it more filling and substantial. You could easily half the water and lentils to make a flatter bread.
This lentil bread will often serve me for two portions. I would usually store half of the leftover bread in the fridge without the topping and smash avocados freshly. You can freeze the red lentil bread if you like then defrost in the oven.
This bread is made of lentils so is naturally gluten-free and high in protein. Also very inexpensive to make as lentils are cheap and you don’t need that many. I’ve tried with other lentils but red split lentils work the best and give a spungy texture that while isn’t as light as normal bread it is similar.
You don’t boil the lentils in this gluten free bread recipe as they are cooked in the oven. Soaking and blending the lentils makes it possible to eat lentils without any boiling.
Greaseproof/parchment paper is used to make this gluten free bread without using any oil or grease. It allows the bread to slide out very easily in one piece. You can use silicone bakeware instead for easy removal and fat-free baking.
The lentils are soaked so they have a lower phytic acid content meaning the body can digest them easier. This gluten free lentil bread isn’t suitable for a paleo diet but if you have had issues with digesting lentils before then do try soaking them and see how you get on.
Many recipes are paleo on Nest and Glow but this one isn’t due to the lentils, but like everything it’s probably best to listen to what your body is telling you and only avoid a food group if it disagrees with you.
Lentils used to be considered a poor mans food by the upper classes. They’re cheap, nutritious and mineralise the soil as they grow making them a perfect food for everyone to enjoy!
Lentil Protein Bread Recipe
It's easy to make your own high protein gluten free bread using red lentils. This recipe as simple as blending and baking - the oven does all the hard work
Ingredients
LENTIL PROTEIN BREAD
- 3/4 cup / 105g Red Split Lentils
- 3/4 cup 175ml Water
- 2 cloves of Garlic
- ¼ tsp Turmeric
- ¼ tsp Cayenne pepper
- ¼ tsp Black pepper
- pinch of Salt
- Water for soaking
TOPPINGS
- 2 Avocados
- 2 tbsp Apple Cider Vinegar
- 10 Cherry Tomatoes
- 2 slices Red Onion
- a dash of Smoked Paprika
Instructions
METHOD
- Soak the lentils for an hour or overnight in at least double their volume of water.
- Pre-heat oven to 375F / 190C.
- Drain and rinse the lentils then add to a blender with the other bread ingredients.
- Blend for 1-2 mins until smooth.
- Pour into your lined pan (no need to oil or grease) and then bake the lentil bread for 45 minutes.
- Take protein bread out of the oven and pan then leave for a few minutes to firm up.
- Roughly smash your avocados with vinegar using a fork, quarter the tomatoes, slice the onions then layer on the gluten free bread.
- Lentil bread is best eaten straight away before. Can be kept for a few days in the fridge.
Notes
Equipment: Blender, Oven, 8″ Pan and Greaseproof paper.
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Nutrition Information
Yield
4Serving Size
1Amount Per Serving Calories 210Total Fat 15gSaturated Fat 2gTrans Fat 0gUnsaturated Fat 12gCholesterol 0mgSodium 51mgCarbohydrates 18gFiber 10gSugar 3gProtein 5g
The crust was by far the best GF, plant based, flourless crust I have ever made. I could actually eat it with my hands without it crumbling. I did add about 2TBL of Psyllium Husk as I wasn’t sure if it would bind. Thank you!!
Thanks so much Carey, that’s great to hear! I love the texture of this crust and how cheap it is to make. If it didn’t work I wouldn’t put it on the site (many don’t make the cut). I think it would hold together fine without the physium husks but something like that or chia or flax are probably a great addition to it 🙂
Hello dear. I love your recipes and i tried this lentil bread today even without soaking (i forgot ?) it turned out great. I hope won’t have digestive issues lol will let you k ow;)
Question: do you think this can be made with brown lentils instead as i understand they are a little bit richer in protein fiber and iron?
Well this was different! Mine didn’t come out like that pictured, but it was still edible………it was okay, needs some tweaking, for me, and SO EASY! I WILL make it again. It tasted watery., but still addictive, I tell ya! I had to have another square, lol. I will use Carey Miller’s tweak and add a tad of psyllium husk next time. Maybe THAT will give me a better sponge. Hey, if this will let me have biscuits, sammies, TOAST, and snackage, I will make it a LOT. T2D, and I am FINALLY ready to do what I gotta do to reverse those numbers and this bread is a FANTASTIC way to start.
Hey Donna, glad you liked the base recipe! It’s so difficult to give amounts for recipes as even lentils can vary so much, but I’ve had some variable results when making this. Always been great but can vary in sponginess. Let me know how you get on with adapting it 😀
My lentil breads are never spongy, they are quite dense. But they taste so good and are just full of protein and in my budget so I am delighted with your idea to try.
Glad you like this lentil bread recipe, let me know how you get on with it. I find its quite spoungy – not the same as normal bread but not super dense either. I love this recipe also as its so cheap and such a different texture to boiled lentils.
Do you toast the cooled down lentil bread before you add the smashed avocado & the onion slices n tomatoes? Little confused thanks
Hi Bree, no I don’t toast again – as its a flatbread I consider it toasted once out of the oven. If it isn’t toasted enough for you then you could grill it. Sorry for the confusion on this gluten free lentil bread
Such a novel way of cooking lentils to make high protein toast. I was skeptical I’ll be honest but can vouch that the recipe is as good as it looks. Super cheap also!
Glad you like it! So easy to do gluten free protein bread like this and as you say pretty cheap
I don’t know if anyone has told you this yet but you are a genius
You’re way too kind and thank you, but lots of my recipes (that don’t make it on the site) are total failures!
This looks delicious! Could regular lentils be used instead?
Thanks glad you like the recipe! Depends what regular lentils are to you? I’m using basic red split lentils, the ones I consider regular for this.
Hi, I really enjoy your recipes, which are healthy and imaginative. However they all seem to require a blender. I only use my blender if I really have to because it is glass (I avoid plastic as far as possible), heavy, and difficult to clean. There is also a lot of wastage when food gets stuck in the bottom. Any chance of some recipes that don’t need blending?
Hi there, I have tried several without a blender like https://www.nestandglow.com/healthy-recipes/chocolate-avocado-nut-pudding but sadly they are never that popular as the final look isn’t as good. With recipes that are made from unprocessed ingredients it’s difficult to come up with good recipes and not use a blender. I know its difficult to avoid plastic – I use mine daily and it’s lasting well just as long as I hand wash. I did have a glass jug one but it just wasn’t very good – and the rest of the machine contained plastic anyway.
I followed the recipe and my bread crumbled when cutting it out of the pan and it stuck to the pan. Mine did not look like this picture. It was very dense. What did I do wrong?
Did you take it out of the pan while still quite hot? Maybe try blending for longer until it begins to warm. Recipes are made from unrefined ingredients so afraid there is a lot of variation.
Hi Bastian – I did this recipe with small green lentils, not split. I added 1 tbsp chia seeds well soaked, blended them 1 minute before adding lentils etc. This toast os so good my house will never buy regular bread again. You are humble about your creative genius, but you are really changing peoples health and lives. I sincerely thank you.
Oh wow that sounds great! Thanks for your kind words and sharing
Love this Bastian. Simply scrummy. I did the thinner version of the bread. Going to be a favourite. I love your recipes. Thank you so much ????????
carb count etc? please
Hi there, I don’t yet have full nutitional information for all recipes. I’m working on it – for the moment it should import into myfitness or similar
Nice recipe tried it and it came out so well thanks for sharing the recipe.
dear bastian. i love your website. i am trying to do some research on how much people generally make on the personal recipe posting websites. would you not mind telling me? i dont like being a party pooper, however, i sort of feel shafted that people arent working and are recipe sharing for a job.
Hi there, honestly if you think filming a new unique recipe and making several different videos for each platform, writing it up, editing then promoting it so people actually see it isn’t work you should try it yourself. I used to work as an IT professional and did a fraction of the hours I work now for far more money. No one gets into sharing healthy plant based recipes for money 🙂
I made this and tasted fine only that there was some after taste or flavor that I was not happy with. It came out dense and the color was was just like in your photo. It tasted good with a dollop of avo mash and seasoning! But I would try again. Not sure if the after taste was the garlic or whether I had cut it too soon while it was hot?
Ah sorry it didn’t turn out like the photo, natural products do vary so much! Was it more or less orange?
Mine doesn’t turn out like this at all. It isn’t firm it’s sludge and is cracked all on the top. What am I doing wrong? It’s not bread at all I’ve done it twice first at 375. Looks nothing like your video
I used canned lintels. Is That an issue?
Hi there, yes it will be the canned lentils. I use raw red lentils that are soaked. The canned ones will be too wet I think, may work with less water added.
So sorry, I realized that and I made it again. I love it, I added some olives on the top and it’s so awesome. Sorry again
So good ! I love your recipes , yesterday I made the carrot and beet cake and my husband and I love it . Thank you so much I’m planning to make the raw strawberries cheesecakes pots 🙂
I’m going to give this a try tonight and hope it comes out! Seems so inexpensive and easy to make regularly, could be a game changer for bread in my house- thank you!