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.
Just had this for breakfast and it was so delicious!! I’m so excited to have another option for a healthy breakfast besides steel cut oats. Thanks so much for posting this recipe. :-))))
Hi Maria! Thank you so much for trying the teff porridge. I’m glad you liked it. 🙂
Loved this! My 16 month old also really enjoyed it–what a great way to get more iron in her diet!
Thanks Alicia! So glad that your babe enjoyed it too!
I’ve been making this on and off for a month or two and I love it – I’ve also swapped amaranth for the teff every other batch and it also works great. I just made a batch with amaranth but instead of banana I used whole pitted dates and then mashed them up at the very end. Good stuff – give it a try…
Amazing! Such a nice change from oats. I loved the flavor that cooking in Thebes banana added! I topped mine with honey, too, and it added the perfect touch of sweetness!
I have been this porridge for years and enjoys it a lots. I used to make this on my stove, over time I starting to my crockpot which is better. I do used cup almond milk and water, also I use 3/4 cup Tiff plus 1/4 cup quinoa to my recipe that my changes.
Its always happy waking up to the smell of cinnamon inside my place. I just have a bowl with kiwifruit and a few dried mulberries.
Thank for this recipe, I still enjoy still.
This is such a cozy dream on cold weekend mornings! If you are getting sick of the same oatmeal every morning, try this out! The cooked bananas create the most amazing flavor and aroma. Yummm
Hi! This looks amazing. I was wondering if you tested out overnight oats but with teff instead of oats?
I haven’t! But I love the idea. I’ll look into it. 🙂
I bought teff a few years ago out of curiosity, but didn’t use it until seeing this recipe! Used Unsweetened Vanilla almond-banana blend milk, everything else as directed. Did not use maple syrup, but the sliced almonds add a nice texture/flavor! We enjoyed this meal! Thank you!
I’m so glad you found a recipe to use your teff with! Thanks for trying it and for coming back to leave a comment + star rating. I really appreciate it. <3
In my excitement to make this, I just jumped to the recipe without reading your post. So I did the opposite and used teff flour instead of whole grain teff and didn’t realize the mistake until it was almost cooked. It had such a smooth texture. It really tasted good even with oat milk plus vanilla flavoring from Trader Joe’s instead of vanilla almond milk. It reminded me of the Chinese black sesame dessert. And it got even better when I topped it with peanut butter. Thanks for a yummy breakfast!
Yay! I’m so glad you enjoyed this recipe, Kimery! Thanks for the review. I really appreciate it!
I made a Chocolate porridge similar to Chocolate MaltOMeal. For a single serving I put 1/4c Teff and 3/4 c water in a small sauce pan. Then add a pinch of salt, rounded tsp of Ghirardelli cocoa powder, and 1/2 tsp chocolate extract. Bring to a boil then simmer 10-12 minutes. Pour in a bowl with milk and sweetener of choice.