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All Posts, by Date » Lunch / Dinner » Lentil Spinach Pancakes

Lentil Spinach Pancakes

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These Lentil Pancakes are a great finger food for babies or kids. They are gluten, dairy, egg and nut-free so perfect for those with allergies

Child Dipping Lentil Pancake into Yoghurt Dip

WHAT’S TO LOVE ABOUT LENTIL PANCAKES 

  • Finger Food: There is something about finger foods that kids love! Perfect for baby-led weaning.   
  • Easy To Adapt: Try them with different spices or add some other veggies into the mix. 
  • Nutrition: Lentils are a good source of protein and beta-carotene and also folate, fibre and vitamin C.
  • Allergy-Friendly: Gluten, dairy, egg and nut-free.

HOW TO MAKE LENTIL PANCAKES

This is a simple recipe, that doesn’t take long to make, but you do have to allow time to soak the lentils to ensure you get an easy blending, creamy batter.

Lentils in Bowl Before and After Soaking Overnight

  1. Soak the lentils overnight.
  2. Drain the lentils.
  3. Puree lentils with a little water.
  4. Saute grated carrot, spinach and spices.
  5. Mix the pureed lentils with the sauteed vegetables and lemon juice.
  6. Fry tbsps of the mixture for approx 2 mins on each side. 

Lentil Pancake Process Steps

SERVING SUGGESTIONS

Lentil pancakes are best served with something to dip into. Why not try

STORAGE INSTRUCTIONS

Lentil pancakes are best served warm, straight after cooking. You can refrigerate and freeze them but the taste and texture is not as good. I often freeze them and my boys are happy to eat them cold or re-heated.  

  • Refrigerate: Store in an airtight container for up 1 day. 
  • Freeze: Store in an airtight container for up to 3 months. 
  • Reheat: You can gently heat in a pan, microwave or toast them. 

Lentil Pancakes on Kids Plate Served with Veggies and Yoghurt Dip

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

Can I use different lentils? No, this recipe has been developed using red split lentils, other lentils will not break down in the same way. 

Do I have to soak the lentils? Yes, this softens the lentils for blending into a batter. 

Do you need to cook the lentils before blending? No, you should not cook the lentils, doing this will change the texture. 

Child Eating a Lentil Pancake

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Child Dipping Lentil Pancake into Yoghurt Dip
4.43 from 45 votes

Lentil Spinach Pancakes

A great finger food made with red split lentils, spices and vegetables.
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Soaking Time: 12 hours
Cook Time: 10 minutes
Total Time: 12 hours 15 minutes
Serves:14
Hover over "serves" value to reveal recipe scaler
Print Recipe

Ingredients

  • 180g (1 cup) Red Split Lentils
  • 1/3 cup Water
  • 1 Garlic Clove, minced
  • 1 Carrot, grated
  • 1/4 tsp Ground Cumin
  • 1/2 tsp Smoked Paprika
  • 2 handfuls Baby Spinach (finely chopped into ribbons)
  • 2 tbsp Fresh Lemon Juice
  • 1/4 tsp Salt*
  • 1 tbsp Oil (for frying)

Instructions

  • Add the lentils to mixing bowl and cover with water. Allow to soak overnight.
  • Drain the lentils and add to a blender / food processor along with the water. Blend until you have a smooth batter. You may find you need more water, add as needed. (See process shots for batter image)
  • In a frying pan, heat 1/2 tbsp of the oil over a medium-high heat. Add the carrot, garlic, smoked paprika, cumin and spinach, reduce the heat to medium-low and cook until softened (around 4-5 mins).
  • In a large mixing bowl mix together the lentil batter along with the sauteed vegetables and the lemon juice.
  • Heat a non stick frying pan over a medium-high heat. When hot add a drizzle of oil (or alternatively use a spray oil). Add a tablespoon of the batter to the pan and use the back of your spoon to spread it out a little (to make them thinner) Repeat to fill the pan.
  • Cook for around 2 minutes on each side (this will vary depending on the pan, heat and how thin your pancake is). You want to look for bubbles forming and your pancakes should be able to be flipped easily. 
  • Remove pancakes from the pan and repeat with the remaining mixture. Serve

Recipe Notes

  1. The amount of oil you need will depend on your pan. I find I can use very little when using a non-stick pan, a light spray is usually enough. 
  2. I do not normally add salt to my recipes but I do feel that the salt greatly enhances the recipe and helps to balance the flavours.  This is optional and for taste only. Leave out if cooking for a baby.
  3. These pancakes are best served with a dip or curry. See post for suggestions and recipe links. 
Nutritional Information is a ROUGH guide only, calculated using an online nutrition calculator. 
**This recipe was originally published on July 14th, 2016 the recipe has been updated (May 12th, 2020) due to some readers finding the pancakes too bitter. To combat this I have added to the recipe: a carrot (for sweetness), lemon juice and salt (do not add for under 1s). I also sauteed the carrot with the spices, rather than adding the spices raw to the mixture.
Nutrition Facts
Lentil Spinach Pancakes
Amount Per Serving
Calories 58 Calories from Fat 9
% Daily Value*
Fat 1g2%
Saturated Fat 1g5%
Sodium 49mg2%
Potassium 161mg5%
Carbohydrates 9g3%
Fiber 4g16%
Sugar 1g1%
Protein 4g8%
Vitamin A 1170IU23%
Vitamin C 3mg4%
Calcium 13mg1%
Iron 1mg6%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
Course:Snack / finger food
Cuisine:Asian Influenced
Keyword:Lentil Pancakes
Did you make this recipe?Mention @WPRecipeMaker or tag #wprecipemaker!

 

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Meet Amy

Amy Whiteford runs the blog Healthy Little Foodies. She is a mum to two, has a BSc (Hons) Food Science, PGDE Primary Education and a Certificate in Childhood Nutrition. She uses her experience and knowledge to create healthy and delicious recipes for kids. Explore the site for creative ideas, tips, and inspiration! Read more

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226 Comments

    • Amy says

      Hi Sameh, I’ve never had a problem with this recipe not sticking together. Let me try and figure out where the recipe went wrong for you. Did you soak the lentils? Did you drain the lentils before you blended them? Did you remember to add the water? How did your batter look in comparison to mine (See process shots)

      Reply

  3. Pamela says

    This is a complete revelation. I’m a great lentil fan but had no idea you could make them into batter!! I made these for ME as I’m always looking for carbohydrate substitutes and they worked like a dream. Added seasoning to the batter and added filling to only half the batter. I’m now off to make the next half with mushrooms and peppers and then freeze them. My husband doesn’t like to miss anything when he hears me cooking and also gives them a thumbs up. In fact he said they would work well alongside a curry with different spices, whereas I will happily eat them with a bowl of soup or serve to guests with drinks. I’m a Grandma too and I think my 12 year old grandson will love them too (as long as ketchup is on the side!). I shall be back for more of your toddler food, can’t thank you enough for this fabulous recipe.

    Reply

    • Amy says

      Thanks so much, Pamela. I love your filling suggestions! We love these for dipping into curries, soup is a fantastic idea too 🙂

      Reply

  4. TZ says

    5 stars
    I have been trying to incorporate more fibre into my baby’s diet and these are great. They were easy to make. My four year old helped me and she liked them too. We are almost done our first batch and ready to make more. I think I will try baking them to make it even easier.

    Reply

  5. Katherine says

    Love this recipe, but in the past I have soaked 1 cup of lentils to make pancakes in 2 cups of water. Just wondering why their is on 1/3 of a cup . Thank you

    Reply

    • Amy says

      Hi Katherine, I think the way I have written the recipe may be a little confusing. You want to cover the lentils with water and soak them overnight. You then drain the lentils and add them to the blender with 1/3 cup of water. Does that make sense?

      Reply

  6. Jill says

    Is there a way to make these sweet instead of savory? Like, instead of adding vegetables, add some kind of natural sweetener? Have you tried adding blueberries or bananas?

    Reply

    • Amy says

      Hi Jill, worth a try! I’d say it would need quite a bit of sweetness or fruit with strong flavours. It would be worth trying ripe banana and maybe a sweetener such as honey or maple syrup. However, without trying I can’t guarantee the results, sorry.

      Reply

  7. Meliss says

    What a fun idea! Could canned (drained) red lentils be used? Also, do you know the conversions to US measurements (Cups) by chance? Thank you!

    Reply

    • Amy says

      Hi Meliss, I have never seen canned red lentils before but I don’t think they will work. I’ve included cup measurements in the recipe card (just next to g measurements). 🙂

      Reply