The next time you go on a hike, make some of this lembas bread from Lord of the Rings.
After all, “one small bite is enough to fill the stomach of a grown man!”
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Okay, maybe that's a stretch. Without the magic of the Elves, this stuff won't fill you up for a long day on your feet.
But who cares? It's super fun and a must-make for my fellow Middle-Earthers.
Sweet, crisp, and long-lasting, Elven lembas bread is the kind of thing you should make for road trips and camping adventures.
It won't last for months, but it will last for a while and should fill you up when it's time for elevenses.
Of course, you can also make Lembas bread from Lord of the Rings and serve it for afternoon tea at home.
I can’t wait to share this recipe with you, so let’s get started!
Elven Lembas Bread Recipe from The Lord of The Rings
It’s been ages since the release of the Lord of The Rings films.
But since the prequel series came out, I've been reliving the good old days and binging the movies.
And in doing so, I decided to finally recreate the Elven bread used to fuel the Fellowship.
While it’s a completely fictional recipe, I used the book's descriptions and how it looked on screen to make something I think is pretty similar.
It should be golden on the outside, cream-colored in the middle, and shaped into thin, crispy cakes.
And unlike other crispbreads, it should taste sweet and pleasant.
Though I'm biased, I think I nailed it.
So, if you want to go on a culinary journey to Middle Earth, there’s only one thing to do: make lembas bread!
What Is Lembas Bread?
Lembas bread is a fictional Elven cake invented by J. R. R. Tolkien in his Lord of the Rings books.
The name roughly translates to “journey bread,” and according to the books, it was created by a valar (a god) named Yavanna.
Per the books, “one small bite will fill the stomach of a grown man.”
It's described in the novels as “very thin cakes, made of meal,” which many people assume to be corn (maize).
According to Tolkien, lembas bread contains honey, and the “Fruit of the Mallorn tree” described as a “round nut with a silver shale.”
Meanwhile, the description of its longevity has led many to assume lembas is similar to “hard tack,” a simple mix of flour and water.
Tack was a ridiculously tough, dry, bland bread from Newfoundland designed to last long months at sea.
That’s why Frodo and Sam’s looked very dry and crumbly in the films.
Needless to say, creating something hard and hearty yet tasty was a struggle. But I got there in the end!
Lembas Bread Ingredients
While this recipe is otherworldly, you don’t need hard-to-find ingredients to make it. In fact, I’m pretty you have all of these on hand:
- All-Purpose Flour – the base of any bread in both earths – regular or middle.
- Baking Powder – the leavening agent that’ll make the bread rise.
- Salt – a bit of saltiness to enhance the bread’s flavor.
- Butter – for richness and also moisture.
- Brown Sugar – to sweeten the bread.
- Cinnamon – to add a bit of warmth.
- Honey – another sweetener.
- Heavy Whipping Cream – it helps moisten the bread.
- Vanilla Extract – flavor enhancer.
How to Wrap Lembas Bread
If you’re really going for the full LOTR experience, wrapping lembas bread in leaves is a must.
Here are some leaves you can use:
- Collard greens
- Banana leaves
Tip: When using fresh leaves, be sure that you do so within the same day.
- Silk floral leaves (from crafts and floral shops)
- Craft foam (DIY)
Tip: when using artificial leaves, wrap the lembas bread in plastic wrap first as a safety measure.
Either way, use twine to secure the wrappings.
More Hobbit-Approved Treats You'll Love
Keebler Bars
Fruitcake Cookies
Nanaimo Bars
Homemade Toffee Recipe
Lembas Bread From Lord of the Rings
The next time you go hiking, make this lembas bread from Lord of the Rings. After all, “one small bite is enough to fill the stomach of a grown man!”
8
servings5
minutes12
minutesIngredients
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
1/2 cup butter, room temperature
1/3 cup brown sugar
2/3 cup heavy whipping cream
2 tablespoons honey
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon almond extract
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit (220°C) and line a cookie sheet with parchment paper.
- Sift the flour, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, and nutmeg in a large bowl.
- Add the butter and sugar and carefully beat with an electric mixer at low-medium speed until crumbly.
- Pour the cream, honey, vanilla, and almond extract into the bowl and mix with a fork until a thick dough is formed.
- Roll the dough on a lightly floured surface to about 1/2 inch thick. Cut it into 3-inch squares and place the portions on the cookie sheet.
- Carve two shallow diagonal lines from one corner to another with a knife to form an “X”.
- Bake for 12 minutes until the bread is set and golden. Let the bread cool completely before serving. Enjoy!
Notes
- Store leftovers in an airtight container for 5-7 days.
- Feel free to adjust the amount of spices or add chopped nuts or dried fruits for extra flavor.
29 Comments
Thanks for posting the recipe for lembas.just baked a elf food. I am ready for my journey!!!
This is seriously the best version of Lembas bread out there! I did end up doubling the heavy cream as a personal preference for dough consistency. It ended up being the perfect combination of a shortbread and bread combo, just crumbly and dry enough to be a shortbread but soft enough to have some moisture even several days after baking. The flavors are on point as well! I found wrapping in tinfoil and then saran wrap straight out of the oven was the best way to keep it the same moisture level. I bet this would freeze super well too!
I loved it. It was a little feeling surprisingly. I tried drizzling different types of toppings.Thanks for the recipe
Tastes greate, just how I thought elvish food would taste.
Will one bite fill the stomach of a grown man?
made it for my lotr marathon and people loved it! Wrapped them in spring greens :). I should note that the recipe yielded 8 pieces of lembas rather than 12 though, following the 0.5 inch-thick, 3 inch-wide dimensions given by the recipe!
Hi Vicky!
So happy you enjoyed the recipe.
Sorry about that typo in the servings. We modified the recipe and forgot to change the serving size.
I’ve fixed it now!
I just made this for the first time, I subbed Red Mill gluten free flower and almond milk since we have some lactose and gluten intolerance in the house. Cut down into 13 2” x2” squares they break into quarter size bites. Dipped a piece in honey and this is fantastic, may have to add some roasted cashews and almonds for the next batch.
Wonderful delite! Very delicate and a perfect addition to a cuppa tea. Dip in whipped cream to make it feel royal!!❤️
I modified your recipe to make it dairy free, and it turned out wonderfully!
D.F. substitutions:
Butter = 1/2 oil + 1/2 shortening
Heavy cream = coconut cream (the thick cream from canned coconut milk)
The fact that the oven died sometime since baking df cinnamon rolls and setting it to preheat for this recipe is another story! I had to bake it in smaller batches in the toaster oven…just what I had to…when the teen requested Elven Bread several times in the past week I had to make it happen, lol
Thanks so much for sharing your dairy-free version with us, MJ!
in the ingredient section, it lists baking powder and baking soda, but in the directions, the baking soda is left out. I’m assuming I sift both in?
thanks
Hi Patricia!
Thanks for catching that!
Yes, you add it with the flour 🙂
So delicious! I didn’t have any almond extract, but they still turned out fantastic. I will definitely make these again. I served them with a cream tea, and they are incredible with some clotted cream.
So I made a batch Tuesday morning. Skipping breakfast, I ate 4 ounces at 10:00 AM and wasn’t hungry until around 2:00 PM. Wednesday I ate about 4 ounces with peanut butter and wasn’t hungry until around 3:00. I was drinking water but these are pretty filling. Really, and they taste good, too.
Thank you for the research. 🙂
Thank you for sharing the recipe. Made it today, it was yum! But I’m always bad at using cup measurements, it usually turns out either too dry or too wet (I tried google convert too) 😅.
My lembas bread turned out to be slightly wet when shaping. Once baked the texture is similar to shortbread. Loved the taste though, not quite like bread, but in between of a scone & biscuit? Is it supposed to taste like this hehe 🤔
Hoping if someone were to make it again, would u kindly help to measure and share it here please. Would love to make it again for our movie marathon with the kids. Thank you. 💕
What a great find! I play Dungeons and Dragons, and my character is a halfling with a shade of kender. He was just able to pilfer some lembas from a bunch of very snooty elves. Instant snack idea for next week! I will have to use maple syrup instead of honey. One of my group is allergic. But otherwise I’m making just as written.
I love literally everything about this comment, Barbara! I just started in on my upteenth million re-reading of Dragons of Autumn Twilight, and your mention of a kender has me wanting to close the laptop and get back to reading about Tasslehoff Burrfoot and the rest of the crew. Happy gaming!
I made these for my LotR marathon on my 30th birthday and wrapped them in collard greens – it was fantastic. Now, I have a book club that just read LotR and I’m making them again, but I’m new to gluten free eating and I’m having to relearn everything about bread and baking. I’m not willing to completely cut it out, so I’m finding ways to make things gluten free. Do you know if these can be made the same way subbing gluten free flour? Thanks for any help!
Hi Rachel!
Wow, your LOTR parties sound like fun.
Is your book club just fantasy? I’d love some recs either way 🙂
I think you could make this recipe the same way with a 1:1 all-purpose flour blend.
Just be sure it has Xanthan Gum in the blend and it should work well.
Let me know how it turns out!
This looks great! I can’t wait to try the recipe. I’ve tried a few different Lembas Bread recipes, using my daughter as my tasting guide ( she’s a big LOTR fan as well) so I’ll definitely keep you posted 😊
My son and I watch the LotR movies (extended versions) every third Christmas. For the other two, we rotate between the Hobbit movies and Harry Potter. 🙂
These are good but I’m running into the issue where the taste is flat and heavy. I tied adding lire cinnamon and sugar and a touch more salt to boost the flavor but it still just costs heavy on the tounge with very little taste. I feel like I’m missing something, thoygh I followed the recipe, up to the flavor adjustments at the end. Am I missing something?
Hi Kit!
They’re not supposed to be super sweet and are supposed to be a bit heavy as they’re meant to be very filling.
You could try swapping using half brown and half white sugar to amp up the sweetness.
Another option is to beat the butter and sugar until really pale and fluffy, so it’s nice and airy. Then mix that into the dough. It should lighten the texture.
For the flavor, you could try adding citrus zest, chocolate chips, dried fruit, or even sweet glaze
Hope this helps 🙂
So good! Made if for a Lord of the Rings movie marathon with some friends. Wondering if you need to refrigerate the bread due to the heavy cream?
Hi Lauren! Aren’t these great?! What a fun way to celebrate the trilogy. Since you’re baking them, you don’t need to keep them in the fridge. Just store them (when cold) in an airtight container. They should be fine for 5-7 days. That’s enough time for Frodo to meet Aragorn and get stabbed by the Witch King!
So creative! Love the idea. I tried it, and it was definitely the perfect side for your afternoon tea- whether it’s in the misty mountains or in the comfort of your own hobbit hole!
<3 Everything about your comment made me smile!
Thank you! We are GF but the grown sons and their wives and daughters are not, so we will try these out when some come to visit next month.