Teff Buttermilk Pancakes

Give these nutrient-rich pancakes a try at your next brunch!

Teff Buttermilk Pancakes

Healthy, oil-free, gluten-free, vegan pancakes

Makes: 2 Servings

Prep time: 10 mins

Cook time: 20 mins

Ingredients:

• ¾ cups + 1 Tbsp freshly ground Teff
• 6 Tbsp rolled oats
• 1 Tbsp ground flaxseeds
• 2 tsp baking powder
• 3 Tbsp 100% pure maple syrup
• 1 cup non-dairy buttermilk OR liquid strained from fresh soy yogurt (see notes)
• 2 Tbsp water
• 2 tsp vanilla extract
• ½ tsp salt
• cinnamon to taste (optional)

Instructions:

1. Combine dry ingredients in a mixing bowl, stir to combine.
2. Add in the wet ingredients. Stir thoroughly to combine.
3. Heat a non-stick pan over medium-low heat.
4. Cook one pancake at a time with ⅓-½ cup of the batter (depending on how large you want your pancakes)
5. Flip after about 2-3 minutes, when a few bubbles begin to form (because these pancakes are more dense, they won’t create the normal amount of bubbles you would see when cooking pancakes. I usually see 3-5 bubbles).
6. Flip and cook for about another 2 minutes.
7. Continue this process until all the batter has been cooked.
8. Serve with a sprinkle of cinnamon, berries, chopped nuts, pure maple syrup, and whatever else you enjoy on pancakes.

This recipe was born by pure accident.  My husband and I made soy yogurt in our fancy new Instant Pot.  It ended up being pretty liquidy, so we strained it to get a thicker consistency.  We were left with about 2 cups of liquid that had been strained out, and, not wanting to waste it, I thought we should try to use it in place of buttermilk in a pancake recipe.  If you also make yogurt at home, this is a great way to use up that by-product. However, if you end up with fairly thick liquid (the consistency of batter), you may want to cut it with some non-dairy milk to help your pancakes rise.  If you don’t make your own yogurt, you can simply make buttermilk by combining 1 cup of non-dairy milk with 1 Tbsp of lemon juice. Leave the acid to curdle the milk for about 10 minutes, then add it to your pancake batter.

So why Teff for pancakes?  My dad started making Teff pancakes about a year ago when he found a ‘cowboy pancake mix’ (they are clearly marketing to John Wayne loving Dads and it works) that was half-teff, half-wheat flour.  Turns out that cowboy mix is pretty expensive but teff itself is cheap. So he cut out the middleman and just started buying teff flour.  Now vegan teff pancakes are his thing. If you want the best flavor from teff, it’s best to buy the whole seeds and grind them into a flour in a high-speed blender just before you use it.  It has a nutty, somewhat buttery flavor that is perfect for pancakes. It also happens to be high in protein and fiber, very mineral dense, and gluten-free (if cooking for someone who is avoiding gluten, make sure your oats are certified GF).

If you use Dr. Greger’s Daily Dozen checklist, you can check off the boxes for 1 serving of whole grains, flax, and berries and walnuts if you top your pancakes with them!  

I hope you enjoy these nutrient-rich pancakes as much as I do!

Happy cooking,

Courtney