Lentil Granola(Gluten-Free, Oat-Free, High Protein)

Lentil granola with almonds and coconut

Lentil granola might sound a little crazy, but trust me on this one. Red lentils are briefly simmered, tossed in honey and cinnamon, then baked with almonds and coconut until golden and crunchy. The result is a gluten-free, oat-free granola that’s higher in protein and fiber than the usual kind, and absolutely delicious with yogurt and berries.

As much as I love the internet, sometimes it can spoil all the fun. Especially if you have an idea, only to discover it’s been well and truly done before.

So when I had the (I like to think) brilliant idea to make a gluten-free version of granola using lentils, I decided not to do any internet searches on the subject.

Mostly because I wanted to believe, just for a little while, that I had been the first person in the world to think of lentil granola.

So I set about experimenting to create ‘possibly’ the world’s first legume-based granola. The perfect recipe proved elusive.

First there were the Puy or French-style lentils that tasted way too earthy for breakfast. Then there was the ‘psyllium effect’. Let’s just say, I won’t make that mistake again.

Happily, the ‘Goldilocks’ of lentil granola came my way.

Using mild-flavored, pretty red lentils, simmered briefly and then sweetened with honey and cinnamon. We have a winner!

Why Make Granola with Lentils?

  • Gluten-free and oat-free – perfect if you avoid oats or grains.
  • More protein and fiber – red lentils are packed with plant-based protein, fiber, iron and folate.
  • Great crunch – once baked, the lentils turn into crunchy little nuggets, a bit like toasted rice or puffed grains.
  • Just 5 ingredients – red lentils, honey, cinnamon, almonds and coconut (plus a little oil).

Ingredients

  • Red lentils – dried split red lentils have the mildest flavor. Don’t use brown or green lentils, they’re too earthy.
  • Honey – or use maple syrup.
  • Cinnamon or vanilla extract – for flavor. A pinch of ginger powder or allspice is lovely too.
  • Raw almonds – or any nuts or seeds you like.
  • Shaved coconut – added near the end so it doesn’t burn.
  • Oil – macadamia, olive oil or melted coconut oil.
Homemade lentil granola recipe

Lentil Granola Recipe

Don’t be tempted to add psyllium to the wet granola mixture. It binds up the moisture and makes the texture really gummy and weird. Add oat bran or psyllium to the cooked and cooled granola if you’re looking for a higher fiber breakfast.

And I did try making this with Puy or French-style lentils. It was edible, but only just. Very, very lentil-y and earthy in flavor. Red lentils work much, much better here.

Print

Lentil Granola

A crunchy, gluten-free and oat-free granola made with red lentils, honey, cinnamon, almonds and coconut. Higher in protein and fiber than regular granola.
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 1 hour 15 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 30 minutes
Servings 3 cups

Ingredients

  • 9 oz red lentils 250g
  • 3.5 oz honey (about 1/3 cup) 100g
  • 2 teaspoons cinnamon or vanilla extract
  • 2 tablespoons macadamia or olive oil
  • 7 oz raw almonds 200g
  • 2 oz shaved coconut 50g

Instructions

  1. Bring a medium pot of water to a boil. Add the lentils and simmer for 5 minutes or until just tender but still 'al dente'.

  2. Drain the lentils and spread out on a tray. Allow to steam dry and cool. Preheat your oven to 300°F (150°C).

  3. Combine the honey, cinnamon or vanilla and oil in the saucepan you used to cook the lentils. Toss the cooled lentils in the honey mixture.

  4. Spread the coated lentils on a tray lined with parchment paper. Bake for 15 minutes.

  5. Stir and add the almonds. Keep baking for another 45 minutes, stirring every 15 minutes or so.

  6. When the granola has been baking for an hour, add the coconut and bake for another 10-15 minutes or until everything is golden. Cool and store in an airtight container.

Variations

regular granola – if lentils aren’t your thing and you’d prefer a more normal oat-based granola, just replace the lentils with about 13 oz (375g) rolled oats and skip the boiling step.

nut-free – either skip the almonds or replace them with sunflower seeds or pumpkin seeds (pepitas) or both.

different flavors – almond and coconut are my favorite, but feel free to add your own favorite granola flavorings. Seeds are good, as are other nuts like pecans or macadamias. Stir in raisins or other dried fruit once the granola has cooled.

chocolate for breakfast – toss a few handfuls of cacao nibs into the cooled granola.

higher fiber – toss a few handfuls of oat bran in with the cooked and cooled lentils, or add psyllium to the finished product.

sweeter – I’ve kept the sugar to a minimum here. If you prefer a sweeter granola, feel free to increase the honey or stir some brown sugar in with the cinnamon.

vegan – use maple syrup instead of honey.

Tips for Crunchy Lentil Granola

  • Don’t overcook the lentils – simmer them for just 5 minutes so they’re ‘al dente’. Overcooked lentils turn to mush.
  • Let them steam dry – spread the drained lentils on a tray so the extra moisture evaporates before you add the honey.
  • Low and slow – bake at a low oven temperature and stir every 15 minutes so everything browns evenly.
  • Cool completely – the granola crisps up more as it cools.

How to Serve Lentil Granola

  • With Greek yogurt and fresh strawberries or other berries.
  • With milk, like breakfast cereal.
  • As a crunchy topping for smoothie bowls or chia pudding.
  • By the handful as a snack.
  • Sprinkled over salads for crunch.

How to Store Lentil Granola

Keep it in an airtight container in the pantry for 2-3 weeks. If it softens, pop it back in a low oven for 5-10 minutes to crisp up again.

Are Lentils Healthier Than Oats?

Both are healthy! But red lentils have roughly twice the protein of oats, plus lots of fiber, iron and folate. Lentils are also naturally gluten-free.

Can Lentils Irritate Your Gut?

Lentils are high in fiber and contain some fermentable carbs, so they can cause gas or bloating, especially if you’re not used to them. Rinsing and cooking them well helps, as does starting with a small serve. Red lentils tend to be the easiest to digest.

More 5-Ingredient Healthy Breakfast Ideas

In your corner,

Jules from Stonesoup xx
(Your favourite Australian Food Scientist)
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I’m Jules Clancy, an Australian Food Scientist and certified Health Coach. Stonesoup (est 2005) helps you lose weight without counting or depriving yourself. So you feel good in your clothes.


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51 Comments

  • I’ve been patiently waiting for this recipe ever since you mentioned your experimenting with the concept. Ironically enough I made my own granola yesterday for the very first time so I shall have to wait a while to finish that lot up before I make a new batch.

    Those blueberries look amazing :) My mum never seems to add them to our weekly shopping list as they always seem so expensive and the frozen ones never compare

  • I’ve just gotten turned on to chia seeds as a healthy additive to bring some omegas and fiber, would I be able to add some to this recipe (which looks delicious)? Could they be added at some point during the baking process or would it be better to stir them in during cooling?

  • Hi Jules,

    This is great. Thanks so much for the recipe. Is the honey essential? I’d love to know how to make this without any sugar.

    • Great question Olivia

      You need something to add a little sweetness, otherwise it will just taste like toasted lentils (not necessarily a bad thing!)

      I’ve kept the honey low enough to give a subtle sweetness. And given that I’m only using a few tablespoons on my yoghurt, I’m not too worried about the sugar from the honey.

      If you wanted to try a lower sugar version you could replace the honey with apple sauce as Shivi suggested. The other option is to use Stevia, a natural sweetener instead of the honey. Also adding cinnamon and vanilla both boost sweet flavours without adding sugar.

      Hope that helps!
      J

  • Angeline, I recently made traditional granola with chia seeds and added them right in at the beginning but that of course wasn’t using damp red lentils so I would add them half way through, with the almonds but you could always pop them in right at the end with the coconut, don’t think it would make much of a difference either way.

    Olivia- from what I’ve heard many people use applesauce(unsweetend) in their granola to coat the mixture as well as other pureed fruits(perhaps mashed bananas and pureed mixed berries). You could also try pure vanilla extract instead of the honey as well. I’ll admit I haven’t tried either method but I see no reason why they wouldn’t work.

  • Jules, I prepared your lentil granola this morning because I couldn’t wait to try it and it turned out to be delicious!!! I mean super truly delicious!!! Thanks for this recipe.

  • This definitely looks intriguing. Maybe the next time I make a batch yogurt using your brilliant recipe (seriously: love it – thank you!), I’ll try some of this with it. And fresh blueberries, of course.

  • This is such an interesting recipe! I can’t wait to try it. I love using different grains and legumes to make breakfast alternatives.

  • I made your healthy and delicious lentil granola and brought it to a potluck for our group of 10-day cleansers. 10 whole days (and nights) of eating only pure food, no caffeine, no sugars (except raw honey). It was a hit, a major hit. Good thing I printed out loads of recipes for everyone. My nutritionist, Sara Bradford who hosted the cleanse posted a link to your site and recipe on her blog. http://nourishwholefoodnutrition.wordpress.com/2012/05/19/cleanser-ender-potluck/ Thanks so much for this soon to be staple in my home.

  • I’ve been waiting for this recipe to appear! I am on a lentil kick right now and this will fit in perfectly!

    Since I’m not really into the yogurt thing, can anyone suggest other ways to use this granola that don’t involve me shoving handfuls of it in my mouth at a time?

  • Hi Jules, this is brilliant! I was wondering what you thought of adding some sultanas/raisins instead of coconut? Should they be roasted too?

    Also, Katie, you could make them into granola bars – though that is a bit more complicated and unhealthy as you’d probably need to mix it with butter or golden syrup so that it could be shaped. Otherwise maybe try it mixed in with bran flakes or other cereal?

  • i made this over the weekend – i found the lentils turned very dark brown.. just like your photos of the goodies in the tray after being baked – but then the oned in your jar still kept their orange colour? i did have to lower the temp in my non fan forced oven though, i was scared they would burn :(

  • Impressed! Like many of the other followers, I have been waiting for this recipe for a while after you’d first posted about wanting to try creating it!! It makes sense now – that you simmer THEN toast them, toasting them in a pan just didn’t seem to work, so I gave up experimenting and waited for you to wrok it out :-) !

  • I made it over the weekend along with some yogurt–and it’s delicious! Substituted local hazelnuts for the almonds and forgot to add the oil to the honey. Next time, I may do half lentils and half oats, and maybe substitute apple juice concentrate for the honey, but that’s only because I like to play around with recipes. The lentils are brilliant. It is nice to have a sweetish breakfast knowing that there is some serious protein backing it up.

  • Hello, this looks wonderful! Can’t wait to give it a whirl. I was wondering how long the granola stays fresh in an airtight jar like the one in your photo? (Although it might not be an issue, since I’ll probably just be pouring it straight from the jar into my mouth!)

    • It will keep for a few months Kit.. even up to 6 months if the jar is airtight… the first thing to go will be the almonds will go rancid

  • I’m looking forward to trying this. I make a lower carb kind of muesli using textured soy protein, flax seeds, and pumpkin seeds. Good on yogurt.

  • Just pulled a batch of this put of the oven (I added about 130g of quinoa in with the lentils, a la Mark Bittman)- it is heavenly. Thanks for the idea!

  • I made some of this last night using porridge oats instead of lentils, and it’s absolutely delicious. I calculated the calories and fat and it’s a bit on the high side (and I’m used to eating a biiiiig bowl of cereal in the morning) but with fresh fruit and yoghurt, you don’t need much to make a satisfying brekkie. Thanks for the recipe!

  • Hi Jules. I recently found a source for Nativa in Ireland I was wondering what quantity of it you would use instead of honey?

    Thanks for a great recipe – as always!

  • We made this the other day but had no honey so subbed maple syrup and brown sugar half and half. We also used sunflower and pepita seeds instead of almonds. My children have been harassing me to make more as soon as possible.

    We’ve been needing to drop our carb intake so this recipe has really hit the spot, thank you!

  • Hi,
    I have started making my own granola off late. My lentil addition is in the form of roasted gram (roasted bengal gram a.k.a pottukadalai in Tamil). I grind it to a powder and bake it along with oats, red rice flakes and amaranth seeds and honey for sweetness

  • I’m just starting on the gluten free journey. Starting with breakfast! Thanks for this recipe.

    • Just to follow up & slightly contradict Denise, although she is correct that soaking and boiling lentils thoroughly is best, roasting them also increases their digestibility and reduces the amount of phytic acid they contain so the fact that they have been baked in the oven should help here. It’s hard to say exactly what the digestibility of the lentils in this recipe will be like really though because parboiling and then roasting is an unusual way of preparing them!

      I’m thinking about trying this recipe with soaked lentils & will try to remember to report back!

  • Thank you! I love this idea, and can’t wait to try incorporating lentils into my granola, which I make raw sprouted buckwheat.

  • For how long can you store granola in the fridge? (Can you freeze?) Thank you!

    • Keeps for a few months in the pantry Dominika…. if it starts to soften you can always pop it back in the oven to freshen up. And will keep for ages in the freezer Jx

  • Lentil granola is a very interesting concept. This is the first granola recipe I’ve seen that has no oil in it. Definitely want to try it.

Comments are closed.