Lentil and Oat Donuts

These gluten-free lentil and oat donuts are the perfect protein option as the main entrée for your meal! Soft on the inside and crispy on the outside, they’re savory and lightly seasoned, and baked in a fun donut shape for a fun and fresh take.

Lentils are one of my favorite plant-based sources of protein because they’re incredibly healthy and nutritious, and very versatile. They’re so versatile that I made them into these lentil and oat donuts for a fun and fresh idea for my kiddos. It’s amazing how if you change the shape of the food, they’re more likely to try it! Plus, who doesn’t love donuts?!

Lentils are fun to work with because they’re delicious and they pair so well with a variety of spices and other ingredients. In this case, we’re working with rolled oats and buckwheat flour (both gluten-free!) for the ultimate whole food plant-based creation! We’re using the aromatic flavors of dried spices like oregano, basil, cumin and mint for a well-rounded and fragrant donut.

What’s the scoop with lentils?

As I mentioned above, lentils are incredibly healthy and beans in general have been shown in studies to be linked to better overall health! Let’s take a closer look at a cup of lentils and why they’re amazing. Although there are several different varieties, the numbers are pretty consistent.

1 cup of lentils:

• Carbs: 39.9 grams
• Protein: 17.9 grams
• Fat: 0.8 grams
• Fiber: 15.6 grams
• Also a great source of folate, iron, vitamin B-6, phosphorous, magnesium, potassium, copper, zinc and so much more.

As you can see, lentils are rich not only in health carbs and protein, but in a wide variety of vitamins, minerals and micronutrients, and fiber, something you cannot get from animal-based foods.

If a lentil meatloaf is more your jam, I have a lentil meatloaf recipe here which is slightly different but contains some of the same ingredients.

These lentil and oil donuts can be eaten plain or they can be topped off! I have eaten them with cranberry sauce, hummus, baba ghanoush, tzatziki sauce and more.

I hope you’ll give these savory donuts a try and incorporate some more lentils into your food choices!

Lentil and Oat Donuts

These gluten-free lentil and oat donuts are the perfect protein option as the main entrée for your meal! Soft on the inside and crispy on the outside, they're savory and lightly seasoned, and baked in a fun donut shape for a fun and fresh take.

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Prep Time 10 minutes mins

Cook Time 25 minutes mins

Course Main Course

Servings 16 2.5 inch donuts

Ingredients

  

• 1 15oz can of lentils
• 2 cups rolled oats
• 3/4 cup walnuts
• 1/4 cup buckwheat flour
• 2 flax eggs
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 1/2 onion, diced into thick wedges
• 3 cloves of garlic
• 1 cup fresh parsley leaves
• 1 tsp dried oregano
• 1/2 tsp dried thyme
• 1/2 tsp dried basil
• 1/4 tsp cumin
• 1/4 tsp dried mint
• 1/4 tsp turmeric
• salt and pepper, to taste

Instructions

 

• Preheat the oven to 375.
• Prepare the flax eggs and set aside.
• In a food processor, add the rolled oats and walnuts. Pulse to a coarse (NOT FINE) texture.
• Drain and thoroughly rinse the canned lentils. Strain well.
• Add the lentils to the oats and walnuts. Also add the flax eggs, onion, garlic, buckwheat flour, olive oil and all the spices and herbs. Pulse the mixture until you get a thick batter. It should be not be perfectly smooth and it should not be overly chunky. It also shouldn't be too "sticky".
• Spoon or pipe the batter into a greased donut pan.
• Bake for 20-25 minutes or until golden brown and a solid crust.
• Flip the donut mold onto a cooling rack and allow the donuts to cool 5 minutes so they can hold their shape.

Notes

To create a flax egg, mix 1 tbsp of ground flax meal with 2 tbsp water. Mix and set aside, about 5-10 minutes. It will gel and thicken.

If using dried lentils instead of canned, soak your lentils overnight. Then, prior to making this recipe, completely boil the lentils until fully cooked. Drain and strain thoroughly. If using dried lentils, you may need to play around with the liquid to flour ratio which is the next  bullet.

The batter should be moist and a little sticky. You shouldn’t really be able to roll it in your hands. If it’s too try, add 1 tbsp of olive oil or veggie broth until you reach the proper consistency.

If the batter is too wet and soppy, add 1 tbsp of buckwheat flour at a time until you reach the proper consistency.

To fill the donut mold, you can spoon the batter from your bowl or you can transfer the batter to a piping bag/ziploc bag and pipe the batter into the donut cavities. I find piping to be the easiest and fastest method! If using a ziploc bag, fill with batter and simply cut the corner.

If you are oil free, sub the oil with veggie broth. You may need to play around with the flour/liquid ratio to compensate for the changes. 

Did you make this? Leave a comment below and share a picture on Instagram with the hashtag #thewholescoopblog