These Teff Waffles (or Teff Pancakes) with Caramelized Bananas make for a great whole-grain breakfast and the flavor is super fun--almost chocolatey! They're gluten-free and can even be made vegan too!
Have you heard about Teff before?
I've got a really great treat for all today--teff waffles, a recipe for gluten-free waffles that are just delectable.
Typically we have simpler foods like this Berry Mousse or Healthy Chocolate Pudding for breakfast, but these gluten-free waffles are a real treat that we love for special occasions.
A long time before we went completely gluten-free, I started playing around with gluten-free flours and found teff.
Teff has some amazing health benefits that I will touch on later in the post, but first let me tell you about these waffles.
This recipe is my modification of one from Lorna Sass' wonderful cookbook, Whole Grains Every Day, Every Way. There's more about Lorna in my post on Pressure Cooking and I'm sure that I will be adding more about her in the not too distant future.
This recipe for teff waffles is absolutely fabulous.
They have an almost chocolatey flavor that really is deeply satisfying.
The only trouble with these waffles is that if you are egg-free (like we are--due to my oldest's life-threatening allergy), they can be a bit hard (or near impossible) to wrestle off of the waffle iron. I have to work on this recipe again to see if I can get a high-performing egg-free version, so we'll see.
If you don't feel like wrestling, you can just make these into pancakes. They still taste great and are a lot quicker!
Benefits of Teff
Teff is a very high protein grain. Most people don't have much experience with it, but we have really enjoyed it in our household.
Besides being high in protein, teff also is high in:
fiber
manganese
calcium
iron
Because of the protein and fiber content, the effect of teff on blood sugar after eating is reduced.
Teff has also been said to:
- help with circulation
- reduce PMS symptoms
- promote healthy weight levels
- boost the immune system
- support bone health
So besides being super tasty (we seriously think that these waffles taste like chocolate!), they are so good for you!
Teff Waffles or Teff Pancakes
And if you're like me, making waffles is a bit of a chore. Now, that's not as much the case when you're talking about gluten-free waffles, but grain-free waffles?
YIKES!
Yeah, that's happened to me more times than I would like to count. Making vegan grain-free waffles isn't easy, especially when you're trying to do low-carb too.
Anyhow, if you're like me and you're pressed for time in the kitchen, even though these teff waffles are something extra special, they still taste fabulous as pancakes.
Easy peasy teff pancakes. No fuss. No "pancake fail". Promise :).
These would be a great option for a special breakfast. Or make several batches and freeze them for easy meals and snacks later! We use pancakes as bread for making Homemade Nut or Seed Butter sandwiches for healthy and inexpensive meals on the run.
I hope that you love these as much as we do!
Recipe Notes
- Baking Powder Alternative: If you would like to make your own baking powder to avoid corn and aluminum, see my Homemade Corn and Aluminum-Free Baking Powder.
- Sweetener Options: Any healthy granulated or liquid sweetener will work instead of xylitol. You may need to change the amount if using a liquid sweetener, so see How to Substitute Sweeteners.
- Egg Alternatives: You can use an equivalent egg substitute like my Powdered Egg Replacer instead of eggs.
- Dairy-free Option: For a dairy-free option, you can substitute the buttermilk with 1 Tbsp organic lemon juice or vinegar plus additional milk substitute to equal the amount of liquid needed.
- Molasses Alternative: You can use additional candida-friendly sweetener instead of molasses if desired. However, the molasses adds to the depth of the recipe.
More Healthy Pancake and Waffle Recipes
Whole Grain Buckwheat Blender Waffles
Eggnog Pancakes
Buckwheat Pancakes / Galettes
I so hope you love these.
Hearty "chocolatey" (sort of) healthy goodness that will make your family happy. And you too :)!
Teff Waffles or Pancakes with Caramelized Bananas
Ingredients
Teff Waffles
- 1 1/2 cups teff flour
- 2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1 tablespoon low-carb sweetener
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
- 2 eggs (See Recipe Notes above for alternatives)
- 1 1/4 - 1 1/2 cups buttermilk
- 6 tablespoons coconut oil (melted; or other healthy fat)
- 1 teaspoon molasses (optional)
Caramelized Bananas
- 3 large bananas
- 3 tablespoons coconut oil
- 3 tablespoons low-carb sweetener
Instructions
Teff Waffles
- Mix the ingredients of teff through cinnamon in large bowl.
- Combine the remaining ingredients in a separate bowl.
- Add the wet ingredients to the dries. Start with the 1¼ cups of the buttermilk and add the additional ¼ cup if the mixture is too thick.
- Drop onto pre-heated skillet or waffle iron prepared according to manufacturer's instructions.
- Follow waffle iron instructions regarding when to open to remove the waffles.
- Serve with Caramelized Bananas if desired.
Caramelized Bananas
- Split 3 large bananas in half lengthwise.
- Heat 3 tablespoons coconut oil in a pan and add the sweetener.
- Cook for 2-3 minutes over medium-high heat.
- Flip and cook on other side for 2 minutes.
- Serve on top of waffles or pancakes. Yum!
Nutrition
Nutritional information is provided as a courtesy and is merely an approximation. Optional ingredients are not included and when there is an alternative, the primary ingredient is typically used. We cannot guarantee the accuracy of the nutritional information given for any recipe on this site. Erythritol carbs are not included in carb counts since they have been shown not to impact blood sugar. Net carbs are the total carbs minus fiber.
Have you ever heard of or tried teff?
Do you have a recipe for injera?
Not yet but I have thought about it. Do you need it to be gluten-free?
No I don’t. I have the teff flour but the recipes I’ve found seem a little intimidating.
I'll see what I can come up with. I'm so busy but hiring some help so I can do more things like more recipes and such. This recipe might appeal in the meantime: https://wholenewmom.com/gluten-free-wraps-buckwheat-galettes-buckwheat-pancakes-vegan/. It's a bit similar. Let me know what you think!
BEST gf recipe EVER. I even used coconut milk instead of buttermilk for a dairy free option. Texture is perfect and the flambeed bananas really made it INDULGENT. Thank you THANK YOU
Wow - thank you!! What an amazing comment! You literally made my day!!!
Adrienne, I can't wait to try your recipe! I didn't know teff was so good for you. It sounds perfect for what we need. Thanks for this!
I so hope you like it and thank you!!
About how many waffles does a recipe serve?
Hi there. Sorry for the late reply. I just updated the recipe. I think it should be able to make 8. Hope you enjoy them!
MADE A VErsion of these this morning, delicious! Used 1 egg, one ripe pear, collagen and some coconut flour to thicken! Stevia sweeten! No banana!
So glad you liked them!
Hi Adrienne,
Not necessarily low carb, just sugar -free.
Thanks,
Debra
I like this blogger's recipes but I haven't tried this. https://dessertswithbenefits.com/healthy-homemade-maple-syrup/
If you want something w/o gums (I don't like them), you could use my fruit dip on them - a little different but yummy. https://wholenewmom.com/recipes/fruit-dip-recipe-dip-for-fruit-dips-sweet-dip/
Hi there,
I'm looking for some sort of sugar-free "syrup" recipe to go with these pancakes.... and ideas?
Thanks for all your work!
Are you looking for low carb?
Adrienne,
What do you use for a waffle iron? The only one that I found that was not non-stick was a cast iron. I was never able to get it seasoned right and our waffles will not come off of it. My daughters are encouraging me to just buy a non-stick, but I am resisting. I figured you would have researched this thoroughly.
Thanks!
I have an UNO non stick. I have issues with it but it works pretty well. It's this one, but mine is square. That's an affiliate.
We love teff too, and I also use mashed banana in my pancakes: it a binder when you are not using eggs, and it adds natural sweetness without adding additional sweeteners! the idea of caramelize bananas in coconut oil makes me drool!
https://tessadomesticdiva.blogspot.com/2011/08/teff-millet-pancakes.html
Thanks Tessa! I just need a photo now :-). I haven't had teff in the house for about 2 years....gotta get on it! :-).
Just an update: They turned out great! I blogged about today and posted what changes I made to the recipe. Thanks for your help. 🙂
Yea! Thanks for taking the time to share and thank you for the mention in your post! Now I have to go and order more teff - we haven't had these in awhile!
My grandma used to mash banana in the pancake mix when I was a little girl and I started doing it when I began making pancakes for my children. I guess it probably adds to the nutrition to the mix but I do it more as a tradition in memory of my grandma.
Hmmm..I would probably cut another liquid but if you are used to doing it then you might be OK with how it turns out. Sweet memory!
I'm new to the world of gluten-free and bought my first bag of teff flour tonight. I'm going to try and make teff pancakes in the morning for my kids but I wondered if I can add a mashed banana to the mix like I would regular pancake mix? Maybe I'll just start out with just a cup of buttermilk to see how much moisture the mashed banana adds to the mix and see how the dough looks? I'm assuming it'll look comparable to a regular pancake mix? Thanks for letting me bombard you with questions. 🙂
I've never tried anything like that - but if you typically do that, go ahead! Are you using it to reduce fat or just add nutrition?
Do you think i could sub millet for teff? Its in the same family and their protein/fat/carb/fiber content is really close.
Hi Kathy,
I pretty much am willing to sub grains for each other, within reason, since I am not a "purist" about those sorts of things. That being said, you could for sure do it, but you won't get the same "chocolatey" flavor or depth since millet is much more mild. And while they may be close, teff is higher in protein and lower in glycemic index. I would, whenever you have the chance to get teff, go for it. You will love them!
I hope you like it as much as we do, Shelley. You can buy the teff in grain form as well and then grind it. It will keep much longer that way. We plan on doing a teff purchase soon so I'll be in touch about that as well.
This sounds amazing! Something to try when I'm off from work! Keep the great recipe's coming. Happy New Year.