Jamaican Lentil Patties (Gluten-Free, Vegan)

Jamaican lentil patties (gluten-free, vegan) would be considered Jamaican fast food. I used lentils instead of ground meat and placed them in a gluten-free and vegan crust. The taste is right on and very flavorful.  I added curry powder to the crust for that signature golden color.

Note updated Nov. 15, 2017: I have worked hard on this recipe. Initially,  I wanted to use only ingredients that can be found worldwide, but this is the best version so far with a gluten-free crust that comes together; just last night, I had a close friend who is also Jamaican try it, and she was blown away by the results and wanted the recipe. I used Earth Balance Vegan Buttery Spread, which gave the dough a buttery flavor.

By all means, use your favorite crust with this recipe, the filling is the best vegan filling you will ever find!!! I have also seen amazing photos and reviews of this recipe using regular all-purpose flour in Facebook Groups and on Pinterest.

Don’t expect this gluten-free crust to be super flaky like traditional all-purpose flour crust, gluten-free dough lacks gluten, the elasticity that makes dough stretchy. So scientifically speaking, it is impossible to be as flaky.

Check out more about the history of Jamaican patties here

How To Make Jamaican Patties With Lentils

I have been meaning to do a step-by-step recipe on how I make my vegan and gluten-free version of my Jamaican Lentil Patties. Working with gluten-free dough is pretty tricky because you are working with a dough that has less elasticity than regular wheat flour dough.

Making gluten-free dough is not the same as using regular flour, but it can be pretty close! I don’t add xanthan gum to my dough but you can add 1 teaspoon to the recipe.

I rolled the dough in a circle in between parchment papers, then I added the seasoned lentils Fold the dough in half over the lentil filling with the parchment paper.

It is so much easier to work with the dough when it is placed between sheets of parchment paper and rolled using a rolling pin. Remove the top sheet, add the filling and fold the bottom sheet over, as shown above, Seal edges and crimp with a fork, as shown below.

I love to use ground flaxseeds as an egg substitute and oat flour as gluten-free flour. You can substitute with brown rice flour, sorghum flour, or millet flour. I also added tapioca starch and potato starch as binder. Obviously, these patties are not the same as traditional beef patties but they are the best and most flavorful you will find that are gluten-free and vegan.

Note

I know I’m repeating myself, if you aren’t on a gluten-free diet, just substitute the crust with your favorite crust, puff pastry or even pie crust. If you don’t have potato starch, you can blend the liquid in the recipe with potato. The filling is so flavorful it is truly worth it.

If you are on a gluten-free and vegan diet, I know you can relate to me because there are so many of your favorite recipes that you have to give up due to agonizing reactions to gluten. So I’m excited to experiment with recipes that you can still enjoy. For people who have reactions to even gluten-free oats, use a combination of brown rice flour, sorghum flour, tapioca starch, and potato starch as a substitute.

Updated: February 2019: I have since experimented and found this crust in my Jamaican Callaloo Patties to be flakier and more like traditional Jamaican patty crust, however, it has a higher fat content, so it is not for anyone who is on any dietary restrictions.

I have lots of fun “vegan-izing” traditional Jamaican dishes, you can check out some of my favorites:

1. Jamaican Stewed Peas With Dumplings
2. Jamaican Spicy Potato Curry
3. Jamaican Lentil Patties
4. Jamaican Pumpkin Soup (Pureed)
5. Jamaican Banana Fritters
6. Jamaican Sweet Potato Pudding
7. Jamaican Gungo Peas Soup
8. Jamaican Vegan Rundown Recipe
9. Jamaican Cornmeal Porridge Bowl
10. Vegan Ackee

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Jamaican Lentil Patties (Gluten-Free, Vegan)

These flavorful Jamaican Lentil Patties is a gluten-free and vegan version of the very popular Jamaican beef patty. Savory lentils cooked with aromatic herbs and spices in a buttery pastry.

4.99 from 51 votes

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Course: Appetizer

Cuisine: Jamaican

Keyword: gluten free lentil patties, Jamaican lentil patties, vegan lentil patties

Prep Time: 45 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 1 hour hour 1 minute minute

Servings: 8 servings

Calories: 309kcal

Equipment

• 1 Baking Sheet
• Parchment Paper
• Rolling Pin
• mixing bowl

Ingredients

For The Filling

• 1 tablespoon coconut oil
• 1/2 cup onion finely chopped
• 2 cloves garlic minced
• 1 spring onion
• 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
• 1/4 teaspoon turmeric
• 1/4 teaspoon cumin
• 1/4 teaspoon ground paprika
• Pinch allspice
• 1/2 cup brown lentils
• 2 cups vegetable broth or water
• 1 tablespoon Bragg liquid aminos Tamari sauce, or coconut aminos
• 1/4 teaspoon Cayenne pepper optional
• Salt to taste

For The Crust

• 2 cups oat flour
• 1/4 cup tapioca flour
• 1/4 cup potato starch
• 1 tablespoon ground flax seeds
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 2 teaspoons curry powder
• 1/2 cup almond milk
• 1/2 cup Vegan Butter (I used Earth Balance)

Instructions

To Prepare The Filling

• Heat oil in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat. Add onion, spring onion, and garlic and saute stirring constantly until onion is soft. About 3 minutes.
• Add thyme, turmeric, paprika, cumin, allspice, lentil and stir to coat.
• Add water or broth and bring to boil. Cover saucepan and reduce heat to simmer for 30 minutes until most of the liquid has evaporated and lentils are tender.
• Stir in liquid aminos, cayenne pepper and salt to taste. Remove from heat and allow to cool while preparing the crust.
• Preheat oven 400°F. Line baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside.

To Prepare The Crust

• Preheat oven 400°F. Line baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside.
• In a large bowl, combine oat flour. flax seed meal, tapioca starch, potato starch, baking powder, sea salt, and curry powder
• Stir in vegan butter until the dough resembles crumbs. Stir in almond milk and use hand to form a dough ball.
• Further divide ball into 8 smaller balls. Roll out each ball in between 2 parchment paper sheets using a rolling pin, about a 4-inch circle.
• Remove top layer sheet, add 1 tablespoon of lentil filling on one half of circle, making sure to leave edges clear. Fold over the other half, by folding parchment paper and seal crimping edges with a fork.
• Transfer to baking sheet. Repeat with remaining dough. Bake for 20-25 minutes or until golden brown.

Nutrition

Calories: 309kcal | Carbohydrates: 37g | Protein: 8g | Fat: 14g | Saturated Fat: 4g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 4g | Monounsaturated Fat: 5g | Trans Fat: 0.1g | Sodium: 556mg | Potassium: 323mg | Fiber: 7g | Sugar: 2g | Vitamin A: 749IU | Vitamin C: 2mg | Calcium: 86mg | Iron: 3mg