Although I have a cupboard (and freezer) full of gluten free flours and grains, it wasn’t until recently that I discovered Teff. It’s not that teff is a new flour, just new to me. I find it somewhat comical that all these new superfoods are in fact thousands of years old.

Teff is a tiny grain native to Ethiopia and brought to Idaho by Wayne Carlson, who started the Teff Company. According to his website, one pound of teff can produce up to one ton of grain in only twelve weeks! That’s a lot of grain folks.

Teff is extremely small, about the size of a poppy seed, so milling it at home is virtually impossible. In the United States, the Teff Company and Bob’s Redmill are the two companies I know of that sell teff, but there may be more.

So, why all this talk about teff? Well, it packs a lot of nutrition (high in fiber, calcium, protein and iron), has a great, almost nutty-molasses flavor (reminiscent of graham to me), and it makes wonderful pancakes and waffles. Oh, and it’s gluten free!

It does have one draw back, it’s a bit on the expensive side. But, when compared to pre-packaged gluten free mixes and cereals, I still think it’s a deal. And it has so much nutritional value, it’s really worth the extra couple of dollars.

These are my husband’s new favorite pancakes, based on a recipe from Gluten-Free Recipes for the Conscious Cook by Leslie Cerier. It is a great book if you are looking for healthy, gluten free recipes. And her recipes don’t require the use of any expensive gums, gotta love that.

Banana Teff Pancakes. Yep, these taste as good as they look.

Banana Pancakes with Teff Flour

We think these pancakes are so sweet and flavorful they don’t need syrup. Fresh fruit is the perfect topping.

  • 2 TB flaxseed meal
  • 4 eggs
  • 2 ripe bananas
  • 1 cup apple juice or milk
  • 1 TB vanilla extract
  • 1 TB honey or maple syrup (the real stuff)
  • 1 tsp ground cinnamon
  • 2 cups teff flour
  • 2 tsp baking powder
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • oil or butter for frying, optional
  1. Mash bananas in a large bowl; add flaxseed meal, eggs, juice, vanilla, honey and cinnamon and blend until smooth.
  2. Add flour, baking powder, and salt and stir until well combined.
  3. Heat a non-stick griddle or skillet over medium heat, adding oil or butter if desired. When pan is hot, pour about 1/4 cup per pancake. Cook for about 1 1/2 minutes or until tops are bubbly and edges appear dry. Flip the pancakes over and continue to cook for an additional minute or until browned. Serve warm with syrup of fruit.