Banana Almond Teff Porridge
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Published Mar 20, 2014, Updated Jan 30, 2024
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Similar to hot oatmeal or cream of wheat, this creamy, cozy teff porridge is a filling breakfast option and high in protein. Vegan and gluten-free.
Quinoa was the “it grain” of 2013 and I have a funny feeling that teff will soon have its year to shine. Maybe 2014 will be the year! It’s the world’s smallest grain, and it’s been been growing in popularity for good reason — it’s high in protein (a 1/4 cup has 7 grams) and packed with fiber, vitamin C, iron, calcium and phosphorus. It’s also gluten-free and high in resistant starch, a type of dietary fiber that can help manage blood sugar, weight and colon health.
While teff is usually associated with Ethiopian cuisine because it’s flour is used to make injera, the fermented spongy bread used as a serving plate at all Ethiopian restaurants, it’s now popping up in a variety of recipes.
When I bought my first package of teff, I thought I was buying teff flour — which makes sense because the grain is sooo tiny. I didn’t realize it wasn’t flour until I went to make pancakes one morning with the “flour” and it wasn’t mixing into the liquid the way flour would. Oops! I’m not one to waste food so I went ahead and made the pancakes. Although they did turn out a little crunchy, we still liked and ate the full batch — the crunch was actually a nice addition.
Once I realized I didn’t have teff flour on my hands, I started brainstorming other breakfast ideas and tried my hand at making a batch of teff hot cereal similar to the way I make my oatmeal.
It turned out to be downright delicious. The flavor of the teff is nutty and the consistency is similar to polenta or cream of wheat. The bananas melt into the porridge giving it a hint of sweetness and the coconut oil and unsweetened vanilla almond milk make it extra creamy.
I love oatmeal and usually nothing can compare, but this teff porridge was so unique and I really liked the consistency and flavor.
I made this large batch, had a bowl for breakfast one morning and put the leftovers in a container for later in the week. The leftover porridge solidifies in the fridge (similar to polenta) so the next morning I just scooped out a serving and added a little almond milk to reheat. Worked like a charm!
I also made another recipe with the leftover porridge that I’m really excited about and will be sharing soon! Until then, I hope you enjoy this porridge as much as I do.
Banana Almond Teff Porridge
Ingredients
- 1 cup whole grain teff
- 1 1/2 cups water
- 1 1/2 cups Almond Breeze unsweetened vanilla almond milk
- 1 Tablespoon extra-virgin, unrefined coconut oil
- 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1 banana, sliced (save a few slices for topping)
- 1/4 teaspoon sea salt
- 1/4 cup crushed or sliced almonds
- maple syrup, optional for drizzling on top
Instructions
- Bring a heavy saucepan to medium heat. Add teff, water, almond milk, coconut oil, cinnamon, banana slices and sea salt to the pan. Stir well to combine.
- Bring the mixture to a boil. Once boiling, turn the heat to medium-low, cover and cook at a simmer for 15-20 minutes. Make sure you give the mixture a stir from time to time to prevent the teff from sticking. If the mixture gets too thick, you can add more water or almond milk but I didn’t need any extra.
- Once the teff has cooked and the texture is to your liking, portion into bowls. Top each bowl with a sprinkle of almonds, extra banana slices and a drizzle of maple syrup, if desired.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
The only thing I would add would be to melt the coconut oil first, or sub almond oil, and “toast” the teff for a couple minutes in there, when you get a nutty aroma out of the pot, then add everything else, bring to a boil, etc.
Great suggestion. I’ll have to try that next time.
Brittany, I just love your recipe!!! I saw it this afternoon and couldn’t wait to try it. Since I had all the ingredients, decided to make it for my supper tonight. I had made it as porridge before and liked it OK, but yours is so, so much better, like a gourmet version. I live in Colorado, at 7000 altitude, so had to cook it the last 10 minutes with lid off. Will probably use less liquid the next time. Thank you for such a wonderful treat! Looking forward to more of your recipes in the future.
Yay!! I’m so happy that you enjoyed this recipe, Frances. Thanks for coming back to comment and let me know. 🙂
Hi Brittany, do you think I could use Steel Cut Oats in place of the Teff and it would still turn out okay? I look forward to trying teff at some point, but just happen to have the oats on hand. Thanks!
I’m not 100% sure because I haven’t tried it but let me know how it turns out if you do end up trying it!
So I just made this for breakfast!!! What an awesome gluten-free alternative to cream of wheat which is an all time favorite around here!!! I am so excited! *I also tried it with coconut milk giving it an interesting flare!*
Oh yay! I’m so glad you came back to comment and let me know how it turned out. I bet it was delicious with the coconut milk too.
I am wondering…when do you add the banana? The ingredient list makes it sound like some goes in while cooking and some on top, but i don’t see that in the directions.
Thanks 🙂
Oops. Looks like I forgot to include that you add most of the banana slices into the teff while cooking and save some for topping each bowl. Just updated it — thanks for noticing that!
Thanks, Brittany — that’s what I suspected. Can’t wait to try this in my Instant Pot pressure cooker!!
Yay! Let me know how it turns out.
Just wanted to lyk that this porridge turned out great cook in my Instant Pot pressure cooker! I used a 3:1 liquid to grain ratio and cooked it for 5 minutes!! Thanks for this great recipe 🙂
It’s awesome that you can cook it up in 5 minutes with your pressure cooker! So glad it turned out.
I love how you said it is like cream of wheat!!! I have been looking for something like cream of wheat at health food stores but ran out of luck! The great nutty flavor is something that really must make this dish! A keeper recipe!
This looks great! I’ve never tried teff before. I think I need to pick up a bag and give it a go!
Sounds like a good alternative to oatmeal. Will have to check it out!
Great recipe, my little 1 year old loves it as his gluten and dairy intolerance!
This looks so delicious! I’ve used teff flour quite a bit (especially in my GF pancake mix), but never tried the actual grain. I am a huge breakfast oatmeal/quinoa/buckwheat fan. I’ll have to try this recipe soon!
I need to start experimenting with the flour — I’ve only used the grain thus far! I’ll check out your pancake recipe.
I’ve never used teff before, but now I’m interested. This porridge looks delicious, a nice change from the usual oatmeal!