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Sweet, crunchy, protein-packed red lentil granola with coconut and cranberries is allergy-friendly and has 11 grams of protein per serving! It is nut-free and grain-free. Serve it just like you would any other granola. This post was originally published on mar 13, 2015.

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Make this red lentil granola for the added crunchy protein. No nuts, no grains! A simple granola with simple flavors.

If you’ve never had lentil granola before, you might be feeling a little bit hesitant, let me put your mind at ease. This granola is crispy crunchy with nutty flavor, it mixes delightfully with the dried fruit and spices for a lightly-sweet, crunchy snack that’s high in protein!

Lentil granola is a delicious, grain-free alternative to conventional granola. It’s delicious on its own as a snack or served over non-dairy yogurt or with non-dairy milk.

red lentil granola on the pan after baking

Split Red lentils that cook quickly work best for granola. Red lentils are basically split brown lentils that have also been skinned (dehusked). We cook the lentils until they are aldente, then toss with maple and bake until crisp. They get crunch and light and delicious!

Red Lentil Granola | Vegan Richa

Why You’ll Love Lentil Granola

  • grain free granola with a lovely, sweet flavor
  • 11 grams of protein and 15 grams of fiber per serving
  • versatile! Use whatever dried fruit and whatever nuts or seeds you have on hand to add texture and flavor.
  • naturally gluten-free, nut-free, soy-free, and palm oil-free

Red Lentil Granola with Coconut and Cranberries

5 from 8 votes
By: Vegan Richa
Prep: 10 minutes
Cook: 50 minutes
Total: 1 hour
Servings: 2
Course: Breakfast
Cuisine: fusion
Sweet, crunchy, protein-packed red lentil granola with coconut and cranberries is allergy-friendly and has 11 grams of protein per serving! Serve it just like you would any other granola. It is nut-free and grain-free
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Ingredients 
 

  • 1/2 cup uncooked split red lentils, (masoor dal)
  • 2 cups water
  • 1.5 tablespoon sugar, divided
  • a pinch of salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
  • 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1 tablespoon maple syrup
  • 3 teaspoons oil, divided
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
  • 2 tablespoons shredded coconut
  • 2 tablespoons or more seeds, such as hemp, sesame, sunflower or pumpkin
  • 3 tablespoons dried cranberries , or chopped dates or use other dried fruit or raisins

Instructions 

  • In a pan, add water and bring to a boil over medium heat. Add the lentils, mix and cook. The water will come to a boil and might start to foam and boil over. Stir the foam to settle or scoop the foam out. If it is still boiling too rapidly, reduce heat to medium low. Stir once or twice in between to ensure the lentils cook evenly. At about the 7 minute mark, the lentils should be just about done. Take off heat as soon as the lentils start fraying and feel tender in the middle. Check a few lentils to be sure. If the center is hard, cook another minute.
  • Drain excess water using a strainer, and rinse very lightly with cold water. Then let us sit in the strainer to drain for 5 minutes.
  • Pre-heat the oven to 320° F (160º C). Transfer the lentils to a parchment-lined baking sheet. Add 1 tablespoon of the sugar and a pinch of salt, and mix in. (Use less sugar if you like your granola less sweet). Spread the lentils using a spatula into a thin layer, then bake for 20 minutes.
  • In a small bowl, mix the maple syrup, cinnamon, vanilla, baking powder and 2 teaspoons of the oil. Add another 1/2 tablespoon sugar, if desired. Remove the baking pan from the oven, and mix the maple mixture into the lentils and move them around. Drizzle another teaspoon oil, if desired. If they are too clumpy, break the clumps and spread. Bake for 10 minutes then Reduce oven temp to 305° F (150° C). If they are browning too much reduce temp to 295 or 290 deg F (142 C). Bake 15 minutes or longer. Check if the lentils are crisping evenly, mix and bake longer until most are crisp.
  • Remove from the oven and Add in coconut and seeds, and mix in and then bake for 5 minutes. Switch off the oven. Let the lentils sit in the oven for another 5-10 minutes to ensure all are crisped, then remove. They should be crisp, light, and crunchy. Add the dried fruit and mix. Cool completely before storing. Serve as you would serve other granola. Goes well with non-dairy yogurt, non-dairy milk or an as-is snack.

Video

Notes

To make a savory version, add only 1 teaspoon of sugar, and add salt, garam masala or any other spices and bake. Serve the savory granola as a snack, or use as garnish with soups and salads.

Nutrition

Calories: 384kcal, Carbohydrates: 57g, Protein: 11g, Fat: 12g, Saturated Fat: 4g, Sodium: 184mg, Potassium: 467mg, Fiber: 15g, Sugar: 26g, Vitamin C: 2mg, Calcium: 32mg, Iron: 3.7mg

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

Did you make this recipe? Rate and comment below!
red lentil granola ingredients on the table

Ingredients and Substitutions

  • red lentils – Quick-cooking red lentils are ideal for making this granola.
  • water – To boil the lentils.
  • sugar – For sweetness. Use the full 1.5 tablespoons for sweeter or reduce to 1 tablespoon for less sweet. Or omit for sweetness from just the maple syrup.
  • cinnamon and vanilla extract – Adds such a nice flavor and masks the lentil taste in the granola.
  • maple syrup – For sweetness and for adding the granola texture. Use syrup made with jaggery or sugar as a substitute
  • oil – Helps the lentils crisp in the oven. You can use the full 3 teaspoons or reduce to 2 teaspoons.
  • baking powder – Helps the lentils get more crisp in the oven.
  • shredded coconut – Adds texture and flavor. Use sweetened or unsweetened, or omit for coconut-free.
  • dried cranberries – Adds texture and flavor! You can use raisins instead or other chopped dried fruit, like dates or dried apricots or dried blueberries
  • seeds – For more protein and crunch! Hemp seeds, sesame seeds, sunflower seeds, and/or pumpkin seeds all work well in this red lentil granola recipe.

💡 Tips

  • You want the lentils to be just al dente. Red lentils turn to mush if you overcook them, so keep an eye on the pot as they boil.
  • The cooked red lentils are a bit delicate, so be gentle with them while mixing .

How to Make Lentil Granola

In a pan, add water and bring to a boil at medium heat. Add the lentils, mix and cook. The water will come to a boil and might start to foam and boil over. Stir the foam to settle or scoop the foam out. If it is still boiling too rapidly, reduce heat to medium low. Stir once or twice in between to ensure the lentils cook evenly. At about the 7 minute mark, the lentils should be just about done. Take off heat as soon as the lentils start fraying and feel tender in the middle. Check a few lentils to be sure. Or cook another minute.

Drain excess water using a strainer, and rinse lightly with cold water and then let sit and drain for 5 minutes.

drained, cooked red lentils
adding red lentils to the baking pan

Pre-heat the oven to 320° F (160º C). Transfer the lentils to a parchment-lined baking sheet. Add 1 tablespoon of the sugar and a pinch of salt, and mix in. (Use less sugar if you like your granola less sweet). Spread the lentils into a thin layer, then bake for 20 minutes.

In a small bowl, mix the maple syrup, cinnamon, vanilla, baking powder and 2 teaspoons of the oil. Add another 1/2 tablespoon sugar, if desired.

stirring red lentils on the baking pan with sugar
making the maple syrup mixture

Remove the baking pan from the oven, and mix the maple mixture into the lentils and move them around. Add another teaspoon oil, if desired. If they are too clumpy, break the clumps and spread.

adding maple syrup mixture to the red lentils
red lentils mixed with maple syrup mixture

Reduce oven temp to 305° F (150° C) after 10 minutes. Move the lentils a bit, and bake 15 minutes or longer. Check if the lentils are crisping evenly, and bake longer until most are crisp. If they are browning too much reduce temp to 295 or 290 deg F.

Add coconut and seeds, and mix in and bake for 5 minutes. Switch off the oven. Let the lentils sit in the oven for another 10 minutes, then remove. They should be crisp, light, and crunchy. Add dried fruit and mix.

red lentil granola spread out on the baking pan, before baking
red lentil granola spread out on the baking pan, after baking

Cool completely before storing. Serve as you would serve other granola. Goes well with non-dairy yogurt, non-dairy milk or an as-is snack.

bowl of yogurt topped with red lentil granola

What to Serve with Red Lentil Granola

Red lentil granola makes a delicious snack on its own, or you can serve it like you would grain-based granola, with non-dairy yogurt or with milk.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is this recipe allergy friendly?

This recipe is naturally gluten-free, nut-free, and soy-free.

What does red lentil granola taste like?

While there is a mild lentil flavor to this granola, it tastes more nutty than lentilly. The crunch nutty flavor mixes delightfully with the dried fruit and spices for a lightly-sweet, crunchy snack that’s high in protein!

What kind of lentils work best for granola?

Split Red lentils that cook quickly work best for granola. Red lentils are basically split brown lentils that have also been skinned (husked).

About Richa

Hi, I'm Richa! I create flavorful plant based recipes that are inspired by my Indian upbringing, including many gluten-free, soy-free, and oil-free options.

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47 Comments

  1. Greta says:

    5 stars
    I am so glad I found this recipe! Thank you for the smaller-serving size. It allows me to try it out. I wasn’t sure I was cooking it enough: at 7 minutes, some still seemed very firm in the middle. Yet some were obviously getting overcooked, and several people accidentally overcooked theirs. So, I stopped at 7 minutes, and was convinced I would need to add that extra minute the next time. Ha Ha – it worked! I also don’t usually like granola, so I halved the amount of sugar per your recommendation, skipped the dried fruit, and added some walnuts with the coconut and seeds. Next time, I’ll skip the sugar altogether and maple add a bit more maple syrup. I look forward to experimenting more, and also trying the savory version! I love the idea of sprinkling it over salads for a bit of crunch AND protein!

    1. Richa says:

      Awesome! I didn’t use too much maple coz it takes longer to crunch. But try away!

  2. Karen Arnett says:

    Misleading recipe. It’s impossible to make cooked red lentils soft without putting them in a food dryer for who knows, maybe a day? It didn’t work for me even doubling the amount of time in the oven. There’s still soft and not dried out. And I followed the directions. Also I don’t know why anyone would go to the trouble of making such a small batch of a time consuming recipe as granola is. I went to triple the recipe. I’m sure it tastes good but I think there is a flaw in this process.

    1. Richa says:

      Maybe the lentils were not spread out enough. With the higher volume I think they’d need more time. Just leave them in at 300 f for 20-30 mins more. They will get nice and crisp.
      I made a smaller batch recipe so people can try that before making a double or triple batch.

  3. Jenn says:

    5 stars
    Made this today and my only regret is not knowing how amazing baked crispy lentils were for ALL these years!!! This recipe is perfection. Thank you!!! About to change my breakfast routine and I’m excited to try a savory version too.

    1. Vegan Richa Support says:

      Yay!! So good to hear.

  4. Sarah says:

    5 stars
    Whole family liked this! I love a way to get some extra protein. I’ll try a double batch next time.

    1. Vegan Richa Support says:

      So good to hear!