
Out of all my favourite vegan recipes, this lentil loaf ranks in my top 10. This is a big deal, considering I’m in love with no less than 3,000 foods at any given moment. The original loaf recipe hails from talented chef and author, Terry Walters. I’ve enjoyed playing around with the recipe countless ways since I first made it in 2011. There’s just something about the combo of hearty, stick-to-your-ribs lentils, shredded carrots and sweet apple, chunky celery, toasted walnuts, and a sweet tangy glaze to finish it all off. It’s total comfort food to me.
I find myself eating the cold leftovers for breakfast in the morning. It gets crumbled over salads, stuffed into wraps and buns, and more recently thrown onto pasta sauce over a bed of spaghetti squash. I once ate half a loaf in the span of about 8 hours. Breakfast, lunch, and dinner. I guess it could be worse! To complicate matters, Eric is also a huge fan and we often find ourselves vying for the last slice…

The only issue I have with the recipe I made a couple years ago is that it’s quite labour intensive. For this version, my goal was to simplify the recipe without compromising the flavour and texture. I also played around with different ingredients and amounts. I’ll be sharing my 3rd trial with you today – it’s actually my new favourite out of all of them I’ve made. Make sure to see my notes below for a few tips I’ve picked up along the way.


Glazed Lentil Walnut Apple Loaf, Revisited

Yield
1 loaf
Prep time
Cook time
Total time
Adapted from 2011 recipe, which was adapted from Terry Walters.
Ingredients
For the loaf
- 1 cup uncooked green lentils
- 1 cup walnuts, finely chopped and toasted
- 3 tbsp ground flax + 1/2 cup water
- 3 garlic cloves, minced
- 1.5 cups diced sweet onion
- 1 cup diced celery
- 1 cup grated carrot
- 1/3 cup peeled and grated sweet apple (use a firm variety)
- 1/3 cup raisins
- 1/2 cup oat flour
- 3/4 cup breadcrumbs
- 2 tsp fresh thyme (or 3/4 tsp dried thyme)
- salt & pepper, to taste (I use about 3/4 tsp sea salt + more Herbamare)
- red pepper flakes, to taste
For the balsamic apple glaze
- 1/4 cup ketchup
- 1 tbsp pure maple syrup
- 2 tbsp apple butter (or unsweetened applesauce in a pinch)
- 2 tbsp balsamic vinegar
Directions
- Preheat oven to 325°F. Rinse and strain lentils. Place lentils into pot along with 3 cups of water (or veg broth). Bring to a boil and season with salt. Reduce heat to medium/low and simmer, uncovered, for at least 40-45 minutes. Stir frequently & add touch of water if needed. The goal is to over-cook the lentils slightly (see pictures in post). Mash lentils slightly with a spoon when ready.
- Toast walnuts at 325°F for about 8-10 minutes. Set aside. Increase oven temp to 350°F.
- Whisk ground flax with water in a small bowl and set aside.
- Heat a teaspoon of olive oil in a skillet over medium heat. Sautee the garlic and onion for about 5 minutes. Season with salt. Now add in the diced celery, shredded carrot and apple, and raisins. Sautee for about 5 minutes more. Remove from heat.
- In a large mixing bowl, mix all ingredients together. Adjust seasonings to taste.
- Grease a loaf pan and line with parchment paper. Press mixture firmly into pan. Whisk glaze ingredients and then spread half on top of loaf. Reserve the rest for a dipping sauce.
- Bake at 350°F for 40-50 minutes, uncovered. Edges will be lightly brown. Cool in pan for at least 10 minutes before transferring to a cooling rack. I usually wait until loaf is cool before slicing.
Tip:
Note: Use Gluten-free oat flour and breadcrumbs if necessary. If you need a nut-free version you might want to try using toasted sunflower seeds.
I used to have a problem with my lentil loaves falling apart on me. I’ve since discovered that it really helps to over-cook the lentils a bit, so the consistency of the lentils is doughy, almost like mashed potatoes. As you can see in the photos, the lentils are the perfect consistency to bind with the other ingredients.
In addition to playing around with the ingredients, I also switched up the sizes of the tins/pans:
Trial 1: I made 4 mini loaves (the green and red ones).
Trial 2: I used a muffin tin. I got about 16 portions out of the batter which was great, but I made the mistake of using paper muffin liners and they completely stuck to the paper. Next time I will grease the tins well and not use paper liners. I also cooked them a bit too long (40 mins at 350F) and they dried out more than I’d like.
Trial 3: I made 2 medium-sized loaves using 9×5 loaf tins and baked for about 45 minutes or so. Keep in mind you can also use one big loaf tin too!
The loaves freeze well too. Just make sure to fully cool the baked loaves before wrapping and freezing.
If you are looking for a nut-free version, you might want to try using toasted sunflower seeds. I probably wouldn’t use a full cup of seeds, but maybe 1/2-3/4 cup. For a gluten-free loaf, use GF oat flour and breadcrumbs and of course be sure to check all other ingredients.
As for serving suggestions, this loaf is great paired with applesauce, sautéed greens, and mashed/roasted potatoes.
With any luck, I might have a few left for our Thanksgiving dinner on Saturday. If you are celebrating Thanksgiving this weekend, have a wonderful holiday!
Looking for more Thanksgiving recipes? Check out my Thanksgiving Recipe round-up here, featuring high-protein garlic mashed potatoes, holiday salad, pumpkin garlic knots, and more.
My wife and I made this last night. It was really awesome. Thank you for posting this, and thank you BuzzFeed for sharing it.
I’m so happy to hear you both enjoyed it! Thanks for trying it out.
I made your lentil/walnut loaf for Christmas. I made in a large loaf pan. However, it was pretty mealy/sticky throughout. Good flavor but not so good to look at. Any suggestions?
Hey LouAnn, Do you think it needed a bit more time in the oven perhaps? Ovens can vary quite a bit so my guess would be that it needed a bit more time if it was sticky. I hope it goes better next time if you make it! Take care
My husband is a real meat eater, so when he had seconds of this loaf, then ate it cold in a sandwhich the next day for lunch…. I new this was going to be a winner! Thanks Angela!
I made this yesterday for a New Year’s Eve dinner where I was the only vegetarian. Many of the others (including one extremely picky eater) had it and loved it! The only changes I made were using pecans for walnuts because they were what I had and substituting a jar of mildly curried apple cranberry chutney for the glaze because I’m visiting someone’s house and didn’t have any of the glaze ingredients. What a wonderful recipe!
This was my NYE dinner last night – winner!! Thanks for blogging. :)
Hi Angela, I just wanted to comment on what a delicious recipe this was! My husband and I love, love, love it! Thank you so much for sharing these recipes, yours is my go-to-site for meal planning and preparation. We have been vegan for almost a year now and you should know what a fantastic resource and an inspiration your blog is. Thank you for helping us live healthier, simpler lives through your sharing and caring; your gifts are greatly appreciated. Happy New Year to you and your family!
Just wanted to let you know I made this last night. I had made the lentils the night before so I had to chop and put together. I changed the glaze a bit – I made it with ketchup, brown sugar, water and dry mustard. It was good last night, but absolutely phenomenal for lunch today (as I type this). I think next time I’ll make it on the weekend when I have more time so I can just heat it up one night for dinner. Easy and delicious.
PS – I was really surprised how similar to a meatloaf this is. My boyfriend commented that you almost get the same texture as with ground beef! But so much better for you!
Hi Angela,
Do you think I can use chickpeas instead of lentils?
Im really not sure Mia, sorry about that! If you do try it out please let me know how it goes.
Hey Angela!!
I’m making multiple recipes from your site this week and I am so excited. Everything I’ve made from your site comes out delicious.
I left a question for you on a different recipe and now I have another question regarding this one and the oat flour and breadcrumbs. I have neither at home and I am making this tonight (already have some ingredients prepped). I have instant oats as well as non-instant. Could I put them in the food processor and make them fine like flour? And what about the breadcrumbs? I have bread I could toss in the processor as well but I’m not sure how important the ingredient is.
Thank you!!
Hi Angela, Just writing to say that I thoroughly enjoy your blog. The recipes, of course, many of which I’ve made (and kept!) but also the narratives that accompany the recipes — the evolution of the recipe, how it’s fitting in with you maintaining a healthy lifestyle, etc. Inspiring. When notification arrives in my email that you’ve made a new post, I check it out immediately. Thanks, and Keep Up The Excellent Work!
Hi Matt, Well thank you for brightening my day! That really means a lot to me. Take care, Angela
My husband is your basic American carnivore, so when I mentioned I was making this recipe, he was a little hesitant (especially since he is not a lentil fan). The moment we both had our first bite, we were hooked! We especially really enjoyed the homemade BBQ sauce. Thanks!
My husband made this recipe last night and it was absolutely delicious. He forgot to add oats and breadcrumbs, but even so, it held together fine when he sliced and served it. Next time we’ll follow the recipe more closely. I love all your recipes, but this one is a real winner. The addition of raisins is inspired. Thank you!
I pretty much eat daily from your recipes. I trust your taste buds because they haven’t failed me yet! Trying the Chocolate Chia Pudding tomorrow morning and prepping a grocery list for this lentil loaf. I can’t wait to try it on my meatloaf-loving husband. Thanks for helping me in my journey to heath – one recipe at a time!
health* :)
Made it tonight for the first time. It was easy but long….I admit I took a short nap in the middle (and stopped a zillion times to tend to children). Also doubled the recipe to bring to a mourning friend. Four loaves are in the oven now and I’m so excited. The glaze was tasty and the mixture is yum….so I have high hopes. Is oat flour the same as oat bran? Couldnt find oat flour and crossing fingers for success!
I just wanted to let you know that I adore your blog, and I come to it pretty much every day to get inspiration for what to make. I am just dying to buy your cookbook when it comes out. Also, I made this LentilLoaf for my parents and hubby around the holidays, and they LOVED it. My mom even tried to make a spin off a Meat Loaf sandwich with the leftovers. Anyways I am always excited to find yet one more things that is easy to make, and delicious on your blog. Thanks for the inspiration!
Aw thank you Sierra, I appreciate it!
Great recipe. It came out like the pictures. I am almost 80% vegan and always searching for good recipes. My meat -loving hubby liked it too. i added Worcestershire sauce to the glaze and added a little of the glaze to the batter. It was a lot of work though. Did you try to make it with the pulp from juicing carrots celery and apples? anyone else?
This is AMAZING! The first time I made it I made the loaf- just like you said I ate the leftovers cold. I just made them in a muffin tin, half batch, probably a little heavy on the veggies and cooked them for 22 min. They came out perfect! And the topping, well I could put that on anything! Thank you!
Wanted to try this for a while and finally made it for diner. We both enjoyed it. It’s a bit of work but its worth it. Next time ill double the recipe and freeze half of it. Love the crunch of the nuts in it!
I made this tonight – going Vegan for one month, just for a new health challenge. Loved it!! Your recipes never fail me!