Gluten-free lentil crackers recipe that is healthier than store-bought snacks. These vegan crackers are tasty, wholesome, easy to make and are a great healthy nut-free snack for any time of the day.
I remember my first experience as a new vegan when I was searching for a recipe to make my very first vegan cake — one ingredient freaked me out, totally. Vinegar! Vinegar? In cake? No! Can I omit it? Won’t the cake taste/smell like vinegar? Thinking back on this only makes me smile.
Any concept of ingredients being used in ways that were unfamiliar to my then accustomed ways would certainly spur marvel within my yet curious mind. If there is one thing that a vegan lifestyle has taught me, it is the openness at which I now look at things — with wonderment for culinary creativity to say the least.
Evolving from traditional soups to decadent brownies, for the demand of healthier alternatives, lentils have sure been in the spotlight during the past decade or so. If not for their incredible ease of cooking, requiring no pre-soaking, these humble legumes are highly versatile and so darn tasty!
For their rich, earthy and nutty taste, these homemade lentil crackers are a winner over pricier store-bought options on the gluten-free shelf. While I have experimented with chickpea flour (or besan), I find that cooked lentils produce a much better flavour and texture. I do now wonder why it took me so long to put red lentils to other use than to thicken soups and curries.
Roasted Pepper & Lentil Crackers Recipe
If you’re making the roasted red pepper version, roast the red bell pepper as follows:
Cut the top and bottom of the pepper. Then cut along the length into quarters (to form flat rectangles). Place on a baking tray lined with parchment paper. Bake at 180 degrees Celsius (350 degrees F) for 20 minutes or until the skin has just started to char a little. Remove immediately from the oven and allow to cool. Peel off the skin and discard. Blend the peppers to a puree (an immersion blender may be more handy to do this).
Meanwhile cook the lentils. Add lentils and 2 cups of water in a pan and cook uncovered for about 12-15 minutes until all water is completely absorbed and lentil has become a thick paste. (You should be able to make a ball that holds together well). You should obtain 1 3/4 cups (430 g) of lentil paste.
Allow the lentil paste to cool for about 15 minutes.
Preheat oven at 180 degrees Celsius (350 degrees Fahrenheit).
Add all ingredients into a mixing bowl. Mix and very lightly knead to form a soft non-sticky dough.
Do not overwork the dough.
Flour the work surface with some cornstarch.
Place dough on floured work surface and roll out flat to about 2 mm thick. (You will not be able to turn this dough over so you will have to roll on one side only).
Cut into any shapes you like; I made triangles.
Transfer shapes, by lifting them with a large knife or thin spatula, on a baking tray lined with parchment paper. (You may form a ball again with the uneven shapes around the edges but I did not bother, I just baked them as well).
Bake for 14 minutes, then flip the crackers on the other side. Bake for another 12 minutes.
Place crackers on a cooling rack.
Crackers will still be slightly soft when hot but they will become crispy as they cool down. (If not, you may put them back in the oven for another 3-5 minutes or so).
The crackers keep well in a airtight container for 3-4 days. If they go soft, just pop them back in the oven for a few minutes to get the crunch back. Enjoy with your favourite dips.
Roasted Pepper & Lentil Crackers Recipe | Vegan + Gluten-free Crackers
Ingredients
Plain Red Lentil Crackers
- 1 cup dried red lentils, this should yield 1 3/4 cups (430g cooked red lentil paste)
- 2 cups water
- 1/2 cup cornstarch, [65 g], or potato starch
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/4 cup oat flour, [20 g], see notes
- 1 teaspoon sesame oil, or sunflower oil
- 3 tablespoons sunflower , or melted coconut oil
- 1/8 teaspoon cumin
- 1 teaspoon paprika
Variation:
Roasted Red Pepper & Lentil Crackers
- 1 cup dried red lentils, this should yield 1 3/4 cups (430g cooked red lentil paste)
- 1 cup cornstarch, [130 g], or potato starch
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/4 cup oat flour, [20 g], see notes
- 1 teaspoon sesame oil, or sunflower oil
- 3 tablespoons sunflower, or melted coconut oil
- 3 tablespoons roasted red pepper puree , [50 g], obtained from one large roasted red bell pepper
- 1/8 teaspoon cumin
- 1 teaspoon paprika
Instructions
If making the roasted red pepper version, roast the red bell pepper as follows:
- Cut the top and bottom of the pepper. Then cut along the length into quarters (to form flat rectangles). Place on a baking tray lined with parchment paper. Bake at 180 degrees Celsius (350 degrees F) for 20 minutes or until the skin has just started to char a little. Remove immediately from the oven and allow to cool. Peel off the skin and discard. Blend the peppers to a puree (an immersion blender may be more handy to do this).
- Add lentils and 2 cups of water in a pan and cook uncovered for about 12-15 minutes until all water is completely absorbed and lentil has become a thick paste. (You should be able to make a ball that holds together well). You should obtain 1 3/4 cups (430g) of lentil paste.
- Allow the lentil paste to cool for about 15 minutes.
- Preheat oven at 180 degrees Celsius (350 degrees Fahrenheit).
- Add all ingredients into a mixing bowl. Mix and very lightly knead to form a soft non-sticky dough.
- Do not overwork the dough.
- Flour the work surface with some cornstarch.
- Place dough on floured work surface and roll out flat to about 2 mm thick. (You will not be able to turn this dough over so you will have to roll on one side only).
- Cut into any shapes you like; I made triangles.
- Transfer shapes, by lifting them with a large knife or thin spatula, on a baking tray lined with parchment paper. (You may form a ball again with the uneven shapes around the edges but I did not bother, I just baked them as well).
- Bake for 14 minutes, then flip the crackers on the other side. Bake for another 12 minutes.
- Place crackers on a cooling rack.
- Crackers will still be slightly soft when hot but they will become crispy as they cool down. (If not, you may put them back in the oven for another 3-5 minutes or so).
- These crackers keep well in a airtight container for 3-4 days. If they go soft, just pop them back in the oven for a few minutes to get the crunch back. Enjoy with your favourite dips.
Notes
To make oat flour:
Blend oats, either jumbo or quick oats, in a blender/food processor until it becomes a flour. Link to original recipe – Roasted Pepper & Lentil Crackers Recipe – https://veganlovlie.com/roasted-pepper-lentil-crackers-vegan/Love this Lentil Crackers Recipe? Don’t forget to pin it for later.
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Those look delicious, I can't wait to give them a try. The colour is just beautiful, and I'm a sucker for anything with red lentils in!
There was a time when I didn't care for lentils at all but now I like them and even started to cook with them. The homemade lentil crackers looks awesome! especially the color. 🙂
Red lentils are great, I like their taste and they are so quick and easy to cook.
Before, I only used lentils in a few recipes but now I can think of so many ways to use them. 🙂 The plain red lentils crackers are the lighter coloured ones, but the orangey ones are the red pepper flavour which is my preferred version.
Your photos are stunning (love the triangles!), and this recipe looks like a winner. The cost of really good crackers like these is just so high that I never buy them. I'm definitely going to give these a try but will adapt the recipe for grinding the lentils in my Thermomix 😉 Thanks!
I'm with you. I so love the creativity that comes from being vegan. Beautiful crackers.
I actually have all the ingredients to make these crackers! I’ve a pound of dried red lentils because of an Ethiopian vegan cookbook and I don’t know what to do with the rest! The colors are gorgeous and these crackers look super duper tasty! Mmmmmmm!
These crackers look incredible! I should really be making more of my own. Much cheaper too 🙂 I'm such a huge fan of lentils so these are perfect. Definitely going to be trying these 😀
Guys, I’m from the uk and getting confused over cornflour and cornstarch. I’m of the understanding that they mean different things in the uk / us / Canada?
So for the recipe, are we talking corn flour, meaning finely ground cornmeal? (Yellow?)
Or corn starch (white super fine), which we call cornflour in the U.K. (Even though there are probably differences there too!)
Thanks!
Cornstarch is what is known as cornflour in the UK, the white fine powder that is used to thicken sauces or make custard. The cornstarch here is the same as the cornflour in the UK in terms of how much is needed. The yellow one – cornmeal – is used to make polenta or puddings. Then there is also masa harina which is finer than cornmeal and is used to make tortillas, taco shells etc. I hope this helps. 🙂
thanks for that explanation. Here in New Zealand we also use the word cornflour, and I was wondering the same thing until I read your comment.