In this Teff flour cookie recipe beautiful brown Teff flour is paired with cinnamon, cloves, almonds, ginger… and tamari? And mustard? These cookies looked too interesting NOT to try.
What is Teff?
Teff is small brown seed (referred to as a pseudo-grain) is the smallest whole grain in the world. It can range in color from ivory to red to dark brown, which is the most common. Despite its small size, teff is loaded with calcium, iron, protein and fiber.
Teff is also high in resistant starch, which is a recently discovered type of starch that can help with blood sugar balance and weight management. You can find whole grain Teff in the bulk section of well-stocked natural foods stores, or buy bags of the grain at your favorite brick & mortar or online store. Teff can also be made into a flour, which is used in this recipe and other gluten-free recipes.
How to Cook Teff
Teff is the staple grain of Ethiopia and used to make injera flatbread. Injera is made from fermented teff flour and served at most meals. But when cooked on the stovetop, teff has a slightly sticky texture that can be cooked into breakfast porridge, added to stews, or mixed with cornmeal for a multi-grain polenta.
Teff can be cooked solo into a porridge, or used in combination with other ancient grains like quinoa and amaranth; it can also be used in combination with polenta for a richer, heartier version of this creamy favorite. To try teff in whole form, substitute in the amaranth recipe linked above or in this kaniwa stew.
This gluten-free, dairy-free teff flour cookie is delicious and has a pleasant graininess to it; it’s also very molasses-y, so if that is not your favorite flavor, bake these and just give them away as a gift. I dusted my cookies with some coconut sugar just before baking to give it a hint more sweetness. The original recipe is from Terry Walters, clean chef extraordinaire. I originally found this recipe via Chow, and since it’s already online I think it’s probably okay for me to post it too.
Teff Flour Cookies with Ginger and Molasses (gluten-free + vegan)
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
1/2 teaspoon powdered mustard
1/2 cup almond butter
1/2 cup molasses
2 teaspoons tamari
- Preheat oven to 350°F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Combine all dry ingredients in large bowl. Whisk together all wet ingredients in another bowl.
- Pour wet ingredients over dry and blend until just combined—do not overmix.
- Line cookie sheet with parchment paper. Drop batter by heaping teaspoons onto cookie sheet and sprinkle with extra sugar is you like. Bake for 12 minutes and then move to a rack to cool.
Yield: about two dozen cookies
can you use the lighter teff flour in this recipe? I read they have the same nutritional profile, but the lighter version has a bit more of a neutral flavour…
hi Cis- I think the white teff would be great in this recipe, but it won’t have quite the same color! Let us know how it turns out!