Fluffy Teff Flour Pancakes (Gluten-Free and Vegan)

I have a new favourite ingredient and it is called teff flour. Never heard of it before? I hadn't either until I started experimenting with gluten-free baking. There are numerous gluten-free flours out there: oat, buckwheat, sorghum, almond, coconut, corn; the list goes on and on and on. Now, I can't really go into any specifics on why teff flour is so popular other than share my own highly subjective experience: it works great in pancakes. I've had issues in the past with gooey, not properly cooked, gluten-free pancakes and let me tell you, it ain't pretty. But to my great surprise, these ones turned out really light, airy and fluffy! Triple yay!

So from what I can understand, teff is an ancient grain that has been used in Eastern Africa for ages. Ethiopians and Eritreans use the flour to make their special, sourdough flatbread called Injeera. Like many other seeds and grains, teff has an excellent nutrient profile. It's high in calcium, iron, zinc and many other vital trace minerals and provides all of the 8 essential amino acids. Also, for some reason it makes for an awesome gluten-free flour substitute which is the main reason I use it. Because pancakes, you know.

You can find teff flour in health food stores, the gluten-free section in many conventional grocery stores and online. (Try this one, from Bob's Red Mill, for example. You can get up to $10 off your first herb.com order using my promo code "PWF503"). Hope this recipe works as well for you as it did for me!

Pancakes:

- 1/4 cup oat or buckwheat flour

- 1/4 cup white teff flour (same nutritional stats as the dark one, just two different colours!)

- 1/3 cup unsweetened applesauce

- 3 tbsp - 1/4 cup unsweetened almond milk

- 1/4 tsp baking soda

- 1/2 tsp baking powder

- Optional: 1 tbsp granulated sweetener of choice (I use a sugar alcohol called erythritol which I absolutely love!)

- 1 tsp apple cider vinegar

Toppings:

Anything you want really, here are a few suggestions:

- Fresh fruit and/or berries

- Drizzle of maple syrup

- Coconut chips and raw cacao nibs

How to:
1. Combine all the dry ingredients in a bowl and make sure that the baking powder and soda are evenly divided throughout the mix.
2. Add the applesauce and almond milk and stir well. Let sit for a few minutes to thicken.
3. Pre-heat a non-stick frying pan or a regular frying pan with a spoonful of coconut oil over medium to low heat.
4. Add the apple cider vinegar to the rest of the batter right before cooking.
5. Fry small spoonfuls of the batter for a couple of minutes on each side. Don't make them too big/thick, they might not cook through!
6. Serve with toppings of your choice!