This Vegan Barbecue Lentil Loaf is oat-free, sturdy, hearty and not mushy. This loaf is bursting with barbecue flavor! The homemade BBQ sauce is baked into the loaf, on top of the loaf and used as a dipping sauce after it is baked. If you love barbecue sauce, then this loaf is for you!
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VEGAN BBQ LENTIL LOAF
I am SO excited about this Vegan Barbecue Lentil Loaf recipe! I have worked on it so much…trial after trial, to get it to my liking. Nailing the flavor was fairly easy, but texture wise, it took a few trials. I have tried several lentil loaf recipes online, even the ones that claimed to be the best. The problem I found with a few of them that I tried, was that they were on the bland side with very little flavor, but the main issue was texture.
If you have never heard of a lentil loaf, basically it is a vegetarian version of meatloaf and they are wildly popular in the vegan/vegetarian blogging world.
VEGAN LENTIL LOAF THAT DOESN’T FALL APART
Every single vegan lentil loaf I’ve tried or seen uses oats and they all were just so mushy. I love oats, but in the lentil loaf, it just was not working for me personally with the ones that I tried. Or, they don’t hold together and crumble into a mess. I want a combo of tender, but sturdy. I tried them with oats, with nuts, sunflower seeds, chickpeas, you name it.
So, it hit me….cornbread is very sturdy and chewy and hearty. Duh, I’ll add cornmeal instead of oats or flour. The day before, my mom and I had been talking about her making my Vegan Gluten-free Magic Skillet Cornbread to bring to our Christmas gathering and a light bulb went off to try adding coarse cornmeal!
OMG. It worked brilliantly. The cornmeal not only made the vegan barbecue lentil loaf hold it’s shape so much better, it gave it substantial heartiness and believe it or not, a meaty texture. It gets cooked very well within all the moist lentil-goodness, but gives it much more chew instead of oaty mushiness, haha!
THE PERFECT BBQ SAUCE FOR A LENTIL LOAF
I decided on barbecue sauce as being a star flavor. I absolutely LOVE barbecue sauce. I created my barbecue sauce specifically for this lentil loaf. It has lots of spices and molasses for depth of flavor. I used maple syrup for a natural sweetness instead of refined brown sugar that is typically in traditional barbecue sauces.
Guess what, it is so dang delicious, I nearly ate the whole vegan bbq lentil loaf myself! The flavor of barbecue sauce in the loaf, on top of the loaf and then as a dipping sauce, was a true slice of heaven!
HOW DO YOU MAKE A VEGAN LENTIL LOAF?
First, you will need to gather these 8 total ingredients (+ salt & water):
- Lentils
- Onion
- Garlic
- Cornmeal
- Bbq sauce (homemade recipe created specifically for this loaf)
- Flaxseed
- Chipotle pepper spice
- Corn
Next, prepare the homemade bbq sauce and set aside.
Cook the lentils until tender. While the lentils are cooking, cook the onions and garlic.
Mix the lentils with the cooked veggies, bbq sauce and remaining ingredients until a thick batter forms.
Spread in loaf pan, top with sauce and bake!
This vegan lentil loaf is the perfect meatless meal that is full of flavor. The perfect side dish to serve with it are my Vegan Fluffy Mashed Potatoes. The best mashed potatoes you’ve ever had, guaranteed.
OTHER VEGAN DINNER RECIPES TO TRY:
- Cheesy Mexican Tortilla Bake
- Vegan Cheesy Scalloped Potatoes
- Mexican Burrito Bowl
- Teriyaki Sweet Potato Avocado Bowl
- Cajun Cauliflower Bowl
- Easy Vegan Meatballs
- Vegan Chickpea Tomato Ragu
Vegan Barbecue Lentil Loaf
Ingredients
My homemade BBQ sauce below and the chipotle chile pepper are what make this loaf spicy. If you SUB either of those, the loaf will NOT be spicy and I cannot vouch for the flavor outcome!
FOR THE LENTILS
- 1 cup (193g) dry green lentils (do not use red lentils, too mushy)
- 1/2 teaspoon fine salt
FOR THE LOAF
- 1/2 heaping cup (80g) finely chopped white onion
- 1 packed tablespoon minced fresh garlic
- 1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt
- 1/4 cup water (this is ONLY for cooking the veggies in 1st)
- 1 cup (240g) barbecue sauce (below), separated (This is the ONLY BBQ sauce tested in the recipe and the strong flavor and texture work perfectly.)
- 1/2 cup MEDIUM GRIND coarse cornmeal (It MUST be medium grind, not corn flour or regular fine cornmeal, otherwise it WILL BE DRY. I use this Bob's Red Mill. If you cannot find, order it off Amazon.)
- 3 tablespoons ground flaxseed
- 1/2 teaspoon chipotle chili spice (gives a hefty kick of heat, so ONLY use 1/4 tsp if sensitive)
- 1/2 cup corn
5 MINUTE BBQ SAUCE (This sauce is STRONG, so it stands out in the loaf. This sauce is what yields such flavor to the loaf, so I strongly advise against subbing. (Makes 1 1/2 cups, plenty for the loaf and for dipping!)
- 1/2 cup (120g) tomato paste, not sauce
- 1/2 cup (120g) water
- 1/4 teaspoon fine salt
- 1/2 tablespoon garlic powder
- 1 tablespoon + 1 teaspoon chili powder
- 1 tablespoon + 1 teaspoon yellow wet mustard
- 2 tablespoons (40g) pure maple syrup
- 2 tablespoons dark balsamic vinegar (do not sub with another vinegar)
- 2 tablespoons unsulphured regular molasses
- 2 teaspoons liquid smoke
NOTE
- Keep in mind, this is a LENTIL LOAF, it's not meat, so don't expect it to taste like traditional meatloaf. However, it is phenomenal and flavorful with an amazing texture as long as you follow the recipe. I used my homemade barbecue sauce recipe for this loaf. It's the only flavor that I can vouch for. The end result has a nice kick of heat and is incredibly flavorful.
Instructions
- This recipe takes a bit of time to prep and make. You are cooking lentils and you are cooking the loaf and there is prep time and waiting time in there as well, so give yourself 2 to 2 1/2 hours. Otherwise, I would suggest to save time, cook the lentils the day before you want to eat the loaf and mash them the next day as noted below. It will really knock off some time.
If you are making my homemade barbecue sauce, just simply add all of the ingredients to a small bowl and whisk really, really well until emulsified and thickened. Set aside or store in the fridge the night before making the loaf. This bbq sauce was created specifically for the loaf, so it's highly recommended.
- For the lentils, rinse them off and add them with 2 cups water and the 1/2 tsp salt to a pot and bring to a boil. Once boiling, cover, turn to simmer and cook for 35-40 minutes. The water should be all evaporated basically. Turn off the heat and return the lid and let it sit for just 10 minutes.
- While the lentils are cooking, cook the onions and garlic. Add the onion, garlic, 1/4 cup water and 1/4 teaspoon salt to a small frying pan. Bring to a boil and once boiling, immediately turn to simmer for about 5 minutes or until the water has completely evaporated. You don't want any remaining water so the loaf doesn't turn mushy. Turn off the heat.
- After the lentils have finished and sat for 10 minutes, puree about 1/2 of the mixture with a hand immersion blender. You do not want to puree all of it, or it will make the loaf mushy, got it? Just eyeball about half of it, leaving the other half full lentils. Add them to a large bowl.
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and line a 9x5 metal loaf pan with parchment paper hanging slightly over the sides for easy removal later. Make sure to spray the sides that the paper doesn't touch, so it doesn't stick.
- Add the cooked onion/garlic mixture to the lentils. Add only 3/4 cup of the barbecue sauce to the lentil mixture. Add the chipotle spice and another good pinch of salt and stir together well. Add the cornmeal and flaxseed and stir around for a good minute or so until it becomes really thick and sticky. Lastly, gently stir in the corn. Note: If you taste the batter, it doesn't taste overly spicy uncooked, but it will become a lot spicier as the chipotle spice bakes, so keep that in mind.
- Pour the batter in the loaf pan and spread out evenly. Let it sit for about 20 minutes before baking, so the cornmeal soaks up some liquid. Spread 1/4 cup of the barbecue sauce all over the top evenly. Bake for 55-60 minutes or until firm and a toothpick basically comes out clean. I baked mine for a full 60 minutes to ensure it was done. The ends got slightly charred just where the barbecue sauce was, but the inside was perfect. You can always trim a little of the sauce off it if gets a little done, but you definitely want to make sure the loaf is cooked through, so it's firm and not mushy. If yours turns out mushy, then you didn't let it cook long enough, because the result should be firm and have a nice bite to it.
- It is crucial to let the loaf sit for at least 20 minutes to firm up. It will firm up a lot while cooling. If you try to cut it hot, it will fall apart. I let mine sit 30 minutes and it was still warm. Gently lift up the loaf with the parchment paper and very carefully transport it to a serving platter using spatulas. Carefully slice it. Spread extra barbecue sauce on top while still warm right before serving. Add chopped fresh parsley on top for garnish and presentation, if desired.
Recipe Notes
Nutrition per slice: 129.9 calories, 1.7 g fat, 5.7 g protein, 29.3 carbs, 7.3 g sugar
Just made this and wow!! The texture and taste are amazing even though I forgot to add the corn. And can we talk about this BBQ sauce??! I’ll definitely be making this instead of buying it!
Yippee! So thrilled to hear that Monique, so glad you loved the loaf and the bbq sauce!!
Just made this for the first time and it came out great! Did take a while to make, but so worth it, I laid the pieces on a bed of edamame noodles to give a protein filled meal. So pleased, thank you. James
Wonderful James, so glad to hear how much you enjoyed this loaf! Haha, yes this is probably the longest recipe to make on my blog, everything else is rather quick, but like you said, definitely worth it!
I have used this recipe to make vegetarian onion bombs when we go camping. It is really good!
Awesome Cindy!
Hi! I’ve been printing a few of your recipes today. This recipe’s Print Recipe button isn’t working.
Thanks!
Patty 🙂
Hi Patty, yeah I have no idea why this is the only recipe that don’t print, so sorry about that!
Hi Brandi,
Man this looks good. How much does one cup of dried lentils yield when cooked? Can I used brown lentils in a can if I’m pressed for time or would that make it taste not as good? If not canned can I use brown lentils instead of green? What’s the difference?
Thanks for all you do.
Hi Deborah! I’m honestly not sure how much it yields, I’ve never used canned here so I hate to say and then you use the wrong amount and it affect the end result. Google tells me about 3 cups worth. I typically just make the lentils the day before and it saves so much time. Green lentils take much longer to cook versus brown and tend to be more firm so I’m not sure how well brown would do here, sorry!
Hi Brandi.
Would like a clarification on the cornmeal. Recipe says MEDIUM GRIND coarse cornmeal by Bob’s Red Mill.
I found Medium Grind Cornmeal by Bob’s RM…but it does not state coarse. I called the company and they said
they offer both Medium Grind and Coarse but not as a single product.
Which one should I use? Thank you!
Hi Morgan, get the one that says medium grind 🙂 They may have changed the writing on their package but definitely medium grind. If you click the red highlighted link on the ingredients, it will actually take you to the exact brand pic 🙂
Can you substitute medium grind cornmeal in the magic skillet cornbread, so, I wouldn’t have to buy both medium and coarse?
The medium is coarse so it’s the same. I used the same Bobs red mill for each recipe 🙂
I was wondering if this could be prepped and frozen to use later on? I am so excited to try it and if it goes well I’d love to be able to have one stored in the freezer in the pan ready to go! Thoughts? Erica
Erica, I have never tried freezing this so I honestly can’t say, but if you do, it would definitely need to be Baked first, not just prepared. Wrap very tightly several times and then reheat low heat in the oven.
I love this recipe, but when I froze it, it went horribly. Do not try to freeze this. Same goes for the mashed potatoes recipe on this page.
So glad you love it! Yes, I wouldn’t recommend freezing anything with cornmeal as it just becomes so dry. And mashed potatoes never ever reheat well unfortunately.
The texture is spot on, not crumbly or mushy. In fact it’s the only loaf I’ve made that didn’t fall apart on me. Flavor of the sauce is delicious and pairs nicely with the texture of the loaf. 5 stars!
Such awesome feedback Carrie, thank you so much! I’m so glad you loved it!
This is a favorite recipe. I’ve got a loaf sitting, ready to go in the pre-heated oven right now.
So happy to hear that Linda, thank you for the lovely feedback!
I have ORGANIC Medium grind cornmeal (Bobs Red Mill) will this be ok to use?
Yes! 🙂
Think i could use a glass loaf pan?
Never tried glass, but I think so, hopefully the outsides don’t brown too quickly.
Thanks for reply. Ill reduce baking temp and watch. Happy Thanksgiving!
This recipe is not printable. I can’t even save it. Can you please fix. Thanks
I apologize Susan but this is the only recipe on my blog where, for some weird reason, the print button doesn’t work. It’s a fault with the recipe plugin and I have had them and my tech guy look into it and have not been able to get it fixed. I just look on my phone or iPad when following the recipes or you can copy and paste it into word document and print it that way. I wish they could fix it but since I didn’t create the recipe plugin, I have no way of fixing it.
This lentil loaf was a hit! Perfect texture and flavor, and delicious barbecue sauce. Will definitely make again.
So happy you loved this loaf Diane, thank you for the lovely feedback!
I have made this a few times and I have to say- it is the best meatloaf recipe on the planet. When I was a meat eater I loved my meatloaf, it is one of the few things that I miss. But, this recipe is insanely delicious and I think it’s better! It is certainly healthier. I love it!
I’m making this right now, but could NOT find medium corn meal. We eat eggs, so I’m curious if using 2 eggs in place of the flaxseed will help keep it moist. HELP! Anyone try this?
I’m desperate to not have to cook a steak for my husband!
Hi Molly, I linked to the cornmeal in the post. It is sold on Amazon or it is sold usually at several grocery stores, but I know some areas are different so that’s why I link to Amazon, since that saves the hassle of driving everywhere to look. Regular cornmeal is going to make it dry and change the texture. Other readers have used it and not had good results. As far as eggs, since I don’t use eggs I have no idea what it would do to the loaf! You’ll just have to experiment and see. It may work, I just don’t know.
Just popped it in the oven. I added finely chopped carrots and 3TBS unsweetened applesauce in hope’s to deter some of the drying due to regular cornmeal! Here’s to hoping the applesauce does the trick! I’ll check back in after dinner!!
Hi Molly, how did your applesauce addition work? Also, were the carrots replacing the corn? or in addition to the corn?
Made this last night, I must admit I used finer cornmeal than the medium coarse as listed (it was the only cornmeal I had) and it didn’t turn out mushy at all. Was very pleased with the texture and the taste was great. It really slices like a meatloaf, hoping to fool my family 😊
Thanks for another great recipe.
Hi Brandi….
I can’t wait to make this Lentil Loaf….can you tell me or show me a pic of what “unsulphured molasses” you use? And do you have a fav Chipotle chili powder? Thank you 🙂
Hi Susan! I use the Grandma’s brand, it is the most common brand at grocery stores and it will say unsulphured on the front. Here is a pic. No, no real favorite on the chipotle powder, although I do use the McCormick brand.
Here is the molasses. Just make sure you are not getting the one labeled “blackstrap” as the flavor is very different.
Will dry polenta work as the cornmeal in this recipe?
Hi Ruth, I honestly have no idea, as I’ve never tried it! It may, I just don’t know for sure.
“Makes you wanna slap your mama it’s so good”. Yes, that was the southern expression used as the meat eater went for his second helping last night. Followed by the comment “this BBQ sauce blows away any other I’ve eaten, this is way better than any BBQ restaurant Ive been to, this is soooo good”.
I made this for dinner last night and followed the directions without substitutions. Side dishes: mashed potatoes and gravy, peas, marinated mushrooms and applesauce. The loaf is very sturdy and oh so yummy. And let me tell you about the BBQ sauce…NO COOKING THE BBQ SAUCE!!!! Just mix it in a bowl, delightful! It’s whipped up in 2 minutes, I was blown away with the ease of the BBQ sauce, it is now my fav.
Hats off to you Brandi, this recipe is delish! From the bottom of my heart, thank you, thank you, thank you for sharing the no oil cooking,
Haha, this is so awesome to read!! What a fabulous review! I’m so tickled your meat eater friend loved this so much and loved the BBQ sauce the most he’s ever had?! WOW!
Wow, I made this the other day when I was doing my weekly meal prep. I didn’t really measure and I didn’t have the special corn meal, but I did cook it a long time. We had it tonight, I sliced it and fried the slices in a bit of oil and made AMAZING tacos! I cooked the slices up in the barbecue sauce and put the loaf on corn tortilla topped with red onion and tomato. I know it sounds weird, and it is weird, but so so good!
It sounds really delicious actually! So glad you loved the recipe Tamara!
Can you make this the day before serving and then reheat it?
Yes
OMG…OMG…OMG this is so good!!! I wanted a change from salads, fruits and raw vegetables. This loaf was so good, warm and comforting!!!! The only substitution I had to make was smoked paprika instead of chipotle chili spice. The consistency was just like meatloaf. I will definitely be making this again. Thank you for your persistence on finding just the right formula!!!! Thank you thank you!!!
That is so wonderful to hear Gail, thank you so much for the awesome feedback!
Mm Mm! Made this today … Soo good! Well worth the prep. Definitely a make again! And … Plenty left for a leftover meal to look forward to! Thank you so much, Brandi! It was a hit with the family!
Yay, thrilled to hear that Lana, thank you! So good to hear from you, too!
SO awesome to hear this Lana!
Has anyone tried making this in an instant pot? This recipe sounds amazing and want to try but don’t want to ruin it by experimenting with it first go round in the pressure cooker.
Hi Shannon, this Lentil Loaf is baked in an oven, not a pressure cooker. I don’t think baking a lentil loaf in an instant pot would be a good idea. Baking it is best!
…..in Australia we dont cook much with cornmeal. what else could i use? and what is cornmeal similar to? I dont want to use breadcrumbs, quinoa flakes? I think I have every other grain in my pantry so surely another one would be an ok sub?
Hi Gina, I’m really not sure. As I’ve noted the importance to the texture specifically for this loaf, is the medium grind coarse cornmeal. You could try maybe millet?? I really can’t say for sure if it would yield the same results though since I’ve not tested it. You can always try and see, but it needs to be a very gritty grain that expands with moisture, but doesn’t become mushy. Quinoa is not gritty enough and breadcrumbs of course will be soggy.
In Australia cornmeal is known as polenta. Just buy the medium ground type not the fine. Making this tonight! The BBQ sauce is amazing and reminds me of real BBQ in the States which is so hard to find Downunder!
Thank you Romy! Such a compliment, so glad you love the bbq sauce!
Any chance of your recipes being more print friendly?
Hi Mike, yes, actually all of my recipes are print-friendly. There is a print button on each recipe card. Weirdly though, this recipe for the loaf is the only recipe where the print function does not work. All other recipes work fine. I’ve contacted the designer of the recipe card and they cannot figure out why it does not work. Sorry for any inconvenience. You could copy and paste the recipe into word and print it that way.
Wow! Made this last night and my entire house smelled delish! BEYOND impressed with how good this loaf is. The texture and flavors are incredible. This is my new favorite meal. I didn’t have molasses so I used Trader Joe’s Sriracha BBQ Sauce which worked perfectly. Thank you SO much for this recipe! 🙂
Woohoo, Danielle, so thrilled to hear how much you loved this recipe! Thank you for the review!
Hi Brandi! What brenda of liquid smoke do you use? Thanks!
Hi Pat! I like both the Colgin brand and the Fort Worth Stockyards brand!
Absolutely delicious!! Love the flavor and texture. We’ll be making this again and again. Thanks Vegan 8 🙂
Yay, so very happy to hear that KJ, thank you so much for making it!!
Could maple syrup work to substitute molasses?
Hi Tina! Syrup is much sweeter and much less thick than molasses, so it won’t give the same texture of bbq sauce. You could try just adding 1 tbsp syrup in place of the 2 tbsp of molasses instead. It will not have that same depth of flavor without the molasses though, just fyi. But should still be tasty.
My first attempt at a plant based meal (that isn’t through a meal delivery kit.) Our house has gradually become vegetarian and everyone LOVED this meal. My husband loves lots of sauce so I added Heinz Chili to give the bbq sauce more volume as I didn’t have extra tomato paste to double the homemade recipe. It was delicious, but next time will certainly made extra of the homemade. I can’t wait to prepare it again for when my parents visit. Seriously, so so good!
This is so wonderful to hear Kassia! Thank you for the amazing feedback!
Hi Brandi,
Would dry semolina or cream of wheat sub for cornmeal? We have corn allergies in the family and I so want to try this recipe.
Hi Esther, I honestly have no idea and can’t say since I’ve only ever made this with the cornmeal. You can always try it, I just can’t guarantee it will work!
Do we only use one cup of dry lentils?
Yes, use what’s listed on the recipe. They triple in size nearly when cooked.
I made this for the first time last night and it was a HUGE hit! Thanks for another delicious recipe!
Mesquite or hickory liquid smoke?
Hickory!
Hello,
It sounds delicious!
Was wondering if it freezes well?
Thanks
Vanessa
No, I wouldn’t advise freezing the loaf, because of the cornmeal, it will cause it to dry out and be crumbly.
Thank you for this recipe! I use my rice cooker to cook my lentils – in vegetable broth instead of water – and, add the onion and garlic right in with lentils, instead of cooking them separately over the stove top. It’s a wonderful timesaver!