You need to know how to make the BEST creamy lentils in the Instant Pot pressure cooker! This recipe will become a staple in your kitchen.
I’ve had my Instant Pot pressure cooker since November (I snagged it on a Cyber Monday sale online) and have had fun experimenting with it. While I love that it can quickly cook meat from frozen, these lentils are by far my favorite thing that’s come out of it.
These lentils are creamy, but dairy-free, and absolutely bursting with the best Italian flavors. Tim commented that they tasted like pizza. Pizza flavor in a healthy form? I’ll take it! 
If you don’t like coconut milk, don’t worry, you don’t taste it one bit here. Not even a hint. It lends its creamy texture, but the flavor is masked by the seasonings and tomato sauce and paste. I have tried this with both the lite and regular canned coconut milk, and both work equally well.
Make sure to use brown or green lentils for this recipe as red lentils cook too quickly and will turn to mush. Check out this Guide to Lentils for more information about the different kind of lentils and when it’s best to use each variety.
One of the best parts about this recipe is that it is a five minute prep recipe. Dump the ingredients in the Instant Pot, and let it work its magic.
You’ll notice that the recipe says the lentils cook in 20 minutes, but I listed the cook time as 30 minutes. I did this to account for the time it takes for the pressure cooker to heat. I’ve gotten frustrated following recipes that don’t account for that time and then dinner isn’t ready when I thought it was going to be.
Finally, I haven’t tried this without an Instant Pot, but I’m sure you can make this on the stovetop if you don’t have a pressure cooker. Bring the mixture to a boil and then reduce to a simmer and simmer until the lentils are cooked and liquid is reduced, about 35-45 minutes.
These Creamy Lentils in the Instant Pot are great alone as a side dish or with some grilled or roasted vegetables as a main course vegan bowl. I’ve also added leftovers to some greens and it’s great that way, as well. So much you can do with these! I hope you love them as much as we do.
Make sure to check out my collection of healthy Instant Pot recipes!
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How to Make the BEST Creamy Lentils in the Instant Pot
- Total Time: 35 minutes
- Yield: 6-8 1x
Description
These creamy (but dairy-free) lentils are bursting with Italian flavors!
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 cup brown or green lentils
- 1 (15 ounce) can tomato sauce
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- 1 (15 ounce) can coconut milk (lite or regular both work)
- 1/4–1/2 cup water*
- 1 teaspoon dried basil
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1/4 teaspoon garlic salt
Instructions
- Dump all of the ingredients in the pressure cooker and stir to combine.
- Cook on high pressure for 20 minutes.
- Do a quick release of the steam.
- Stir and serve. Enjoy!
Notes
*Since many people have commented that 1/4 cup water leaves them with scorched lentils, I’ve edited the ingredients. I still have not had a problem with 1/4 of a cup of water and when I try it with more water, my husband thinks the lentils are too mushy. But with so many reviewers saying that they like it with more water, I’ve included a range in the ingredients. Please comment with what works for you.
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Cook Time: 30 minutes
Nutrition
- Calories: 248
- Sugar: 3
- Sodium: 293
- Fat: 11
- Carbohydrates: 28
- Fiber: 4
- Protein: 10
If you make this recipe, I would LOVE to see it! Snap a pic and tag me on Instagram @happyhealthymama.
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Can this be made using a 3 quart Instant Pot?
I haven’t tried it in that size so I’m not sure.
My instant pot kept telling me it was burning so I would stir it and try again, until I got smart and realized I had a button for “beans and chili”. I had no problem after that.
Turned out amazing!! Thankyou.. just wondering can this be frozen?
★★★★★
Great question! I’m sorry, though, I haven’t tried it.
I have frozen it and it thawed great! I just added some more coconut milk and cooked it in a saucepan.. super good.
Love this recipe! I originally made it for my 15 month old since lentils are so high in iron, but my husband and I love it also! Toddler and adult approved 🙂
★★★★★
As someone who absolutely loves lentils and uses my IP 1-3 times a day, I was so excited to try this recipe when I saw it recommended in a FB vegan group I follow. Unfortunately, I found this very bland as written. I ended up adding quite a bit more oregano, basil, garlic powder, salt, and some Italian seasoning before it was ready to serve my family. I do appreciate the simplicity of the recipe and I could see this working for some people who tend to like simple food, but if you’re used to very flavorful dishes, I would be prepared to modify this quite a bit for your tastes.
★★★
Wow interesting. I find this very flavorful! But like you said, everyone has different tastes. I’m glad you appreciated the simplicity of this dish. Thank you for your feedback.
I’m confused, were not supposed to stir the recipe?
I just made the creamy lentils but used red lentils. I added additional 2 ounces of water to compensate for the coconut milk and it burned… Any suggestions?
★★★
This recipe is not for red lentils as they have a different cooking time. I cannot say why it burned. I’ve made this numerous times and it’s never burned for me. So sorry this happened to you! Definitely use standard brown lentils next time.
This is by far one of my family’s favorite recipes!! I’ve made it numerous times, without variation in my 8 qt instantpot. It’s “burned” a time or two, but after a good stir and trying to cook it again, it still turned out grea; however, it usually comes out perfect without any issues!!
The flavors in this recipe are absolutely amazing and I wasnyed to thank you for sharing such a wonderful recipe that my entire family loves!!
I just made this per the recipe and it turned out great, not burned. One thing I noticed when shopping – all of my canned coconut milk options were 13 ounces, but the recipe calls for a 15 ounce can. I purchased a half gallon carton instead and poured out the 15 ounces. I wonder if those that had burned results were because they just grabbed a can of coconut milk without noticing the ounces…
Soaked green lentils from Trader Joe’s for about 8 hours as usual, then went with the recipe + half cup of water and they came out amazing – a little more watery than I thought but I’ll cut back next time to 1/4c. My 2 year old was asking for more! Thank you! We were trying to find a way to get more folate into his diet and this is perfect.
★★★★★
made this the first time and it burned, so followed the comments about not stirring and it was perfect. Put the water in first. Mix all the other ingredients well in a bowl. dump on top of the water then turned on the IP…don’t stir. I also used red lentils which i adjusted the time to 10 min. I have a 3Q and halved the receipt and it was GREAT!!! i could eat this at each meal! Never had lentils before but wow are they amazing! thank you!!!!
★★★★★
Appreciate the feedback!
I loved this recipe and it came out exactly as indicated. One thing I did notice is that the recipe calls for 15oz of coconut milk and my grocery only carries cans of 12 or 13 oz. So I just added water to make up to 15 oz and then added the 1/4 cup of water. So good. Making again tonight.
★★★★★
This recipe is so easy and tastes AMAZING!!! I’ve already made a second batch and frozen in individual servings for later. I initially added 1/2 of chicken broth but got the “burn” notice, just added another 1/2 cup and my lentils came out super thick and creamy! One of my favorite instant pot recipes ever, great job!
★★★★★
Thanks, Miranda!