Red Lentil Pancakes (Sweet Breakfast Crepes)

These red lentil pancakes make the perfect high protein, budget-friendly sweet breakfast! They’re easy to make with simple ingredients and you don’t need a fancy pan.

This recipe makes very thin pancakes that are more like crepes, so I typically serve these as you would a traditional crepe; rolled or folded with sweet toppings like fruit and nut butter (and sometimes, chocolate and whipped coconut cream).

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Ingredients for Red Lentil Pancakes

This lentil pancake recipe uses just 8 simple ingredients, some of which are optional.

• Split red lentils: I can only find split red lentils where I live, so this is what I use. Regular (whole) red lentils should work as well but may take longer to soak (this shouldn’t be a concern if soaking your lentils overnight).
• Plant-based milk: For liquid, I like to use plant-based milk. This adds a richness to the crepes as well as some extra protein and nutrition. I use soy milk, but any plant-based milk should work (or you can use water).
• Oat flour: While not necessary, oat flour helps add a nice, sweet “breakfast” taste to these crepes. You can leave out the oat flour if you reduce the plant-based milk by ¼ cup (60 milliliters).
• Sugar: To make a sweet breakfast pancake or crepe, I like to add a bit of sugar to the batter. Any type of sugar or sweetener should work but I haven’t tested anything other than granulated sugar. This ingredient is technically optional.
• Vanilla extract: Vanilla is the perfect addition to this pancake recipe as it makes these taste more like a sweet breakfast crepes rather than a savory wrap. This ingredient is technically optional.
• Baking powder: You’ll need some baking powder to help get a great texture in these crepes. This helps them bubble slightly, making for a lighter, slightly airy texture.
• Cinnamon: Another optional ingredient, I like adding cinnamon to my pancake recipes for a nice flavor.
• Salt: A pinch of salt rounds out the flavor in these lentil pancakes.

If you want a savory crepe, simply leave out the sugar, vanilla and cinnamon.

How to Make Red Lentil Pancakes for Breakfast

This recipe is quite easy to make but there are a few important steps for getting the best flavor possible (in particular, removing the “beany” taste from your lentils).

Step 1: Wash and Soak Lentils

Start by washing the red lentils at least 3 times. Simply cover your lentils with water, swish them around until the water becomes cloudy, then carefully drain the water away. Repeat until the water is mostly clear.

Once washed, add fresh water to the lentils and soak them for at least 2 hours. Since I make this recipe for breakfast, I soak the lentils overnight so they’re ready next morning.

When you’re ready to make pancakes (or crepes), drain the water from your lentils and rinse them before adding to a blender.

Lots of other recipes use the lentil soaking water to blend the crepe batter, but I find this makes the crepes have a strong bean/lentil flavor. This is why I like to discard this water and use plant-based milk to blend the batter as it gives the crepes a delicious flavor.

Step 2: Prepare Pancake Batter

Add all remaining ingredients to your blender along with the drained lentils. Blend until the mixture is very smooth.

You’ll likely need to scrape down the blender’s edges once or twice while blending to make sure everything is evenly incorporated.

Step 3: Cook Pancakes and Serve

Warm a small amount of vegan butter (or margarine, or oil) in a large frying pan over medium heat. Then pour ⅓ to ½ cup of batter into the pan.

Spread the batter into the thinnest layer you can. I do this by picking up the pan and tilting it in all directions while also shaking it. Aim to spread the batter to all edges of the pan.

Cook your crepes/ pancakes for 1-2 minutes on either side. They should lightly brown on the first side before flipping and should hold together very well when you flip them. If they brown more quickly than 1 minute, lower your heat as the lentils need time to cook.

Remove the first crepe from your pan, add a bit more vegan butter, then repeat the process until all pancakes are cooked. This recipe makes 7-8 crepes, depending on how large you make them.

Serve these hot with your favorite toppings/ fillings. You can roll the crepes with filling inside or fold into quarters and top with whatever you like.

Create a Balanced Breakfast with Lentil Pancakes

I consider a balanced meal one that contains a good source of plant-based protein, carbohydrates, fats and lots of vegetables or fruits.

This red lentil pancake recipe has plenty of plant-based protein (especially if using soy milk), lots of healthy carbohydrates and fiber. There’s some fat as well from the vegan butter used to cook your pancakes.

The only thing missing is vegetables or fruits. I like to serve this recipe as a sweet breakfast crepe and usually top them with fruit (banana and some type of berry). I also love topping crepes with chia seed jam.

If you want extra protein and healthy fats, to make the meal more satiating, add some nuts, seeds or nut/seed butter.

You can also treat yourself to a decadent breakfast or brunch by adding vegan chocolate and/or whipped cream like in the photos!

If you want a savory meal, leave the vanilla, sugar and cinnamon out of the recipe and fill/ top the crepes with sautéed veggies or whatever savory filling you enjoy.

I make a red lentil tortilla recipe which is very similar to this one but with a more savory flavor. If you've ever wanted a nutritious homemade wrap that's soft and easy to roll, I highly recommend you try it too!

How to Refrigerate and Reheat Leftovers

This recipe makes a large amount of crepes, so unless you’re feeding a lot of people, there’s likely going to be leftovers (you can cut the recipe in half if needed).

Refrigerate leftover pancakes in an airtight container for up to a week. They’re slightly better when fresh but store quite well, making this a great idea for meal prep.

I reheat breakfast crepes in the microwave, but you can also reheat in a pan on the stove, flipping occasionally until it’s warmed through.

If you make this recipe, please rate and comment below to help others benefit from your experience!

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