Switch It Up: Delicious and Nutritious Teff Flour Alternatives for Any Dish
Teff flour is known to be one of the most popular healthy flours to use. However, matching its taste and health benefits might be challenging. Still, there are a few best substitutes for teff flour you must check.
Either because of high price or allergic reaction, teff flour can be a big NO for you. Well, that doesn’t mean you have to miss out on those fantastic dishes made of teff flour. Quinoa flour is known to be the best alternative to teff flour. Tapioca flour, rice flour, oat flour, and millet flour are some other great options.
In this article, you’ll know about eight healthy substitutes for teff flour. All of them are good in different ways. To know a bit more, read the complete writing here.
Things You Must Know About Teff Flour
For pasta, biscuits, bread, muffins, crackers, or cereal, teff flour can add a nutty and mild flavor to everything.
Teff flour originated in Ethiopia, Africa, and is considered the staple food of that region. Teff is derived from the seeds of a plant named “Eragrostis Tef.” However, this plant is available around the USA, Australia, and even India. Because of that, Teff flour is becoming popular day by day.
There are some amazing facts that make teff flour so popular. Teff is naturally gluten-free flour that helps people who seem to avoid gluten. Also, Tell flour consists of a very high nutrient profile. It is high in protein and fiber, making teff healthier than all-purpose flour.
Teff has an earthy, nutty, and slightly sweet taste. In Ethiopia, people use this flour in their everyday meals. Even for packaged food, a teff is a healthy option. However, as this flour is gluten-free, it will not be that chewy. So, for tough items, you better not use teff.
Nutrient Facts about Teff:
| Nutrient Factors (100gm) | Composition |
| Calories | 366 |
| Protein | 12.2 gm |
| Carbs | 70.7gm |
| Iron | 37% of DV |
| Calcium | 11% og Dv |
| Fat | 3.7gm |
Why Might You Want to Replace Teff Flour?
A few reasons might make you search for another substitute for Teff flour.
The first reason would be Unavailable. Although apart from Africa, Teff is produced now in several regions and is not found worldwide. And, for packaged teff flour, you might have to spend a few extra bucks. This flour might be unavailable and a bit out of your budget for the lack of worldwide production.
Allergies are something that might stop you from tasting incredible foods. If someone has grain allergies, they better not taste teff flour. Rather, they should go for alternative options.
Another thing is Teff has a quite robust flavor. People who want the same health benefits as teff flour but with a light taste would love to go for alternative options.
6 Best Substitutes For Teff Flour
Well, there might be some amazing-tasting and healthy flour. But for teff substitutes, you must consider those flour that will make a similar taste with every recipe of teff flour.
However, each substitute will not be the best overall. Some are good for sweet dishes, and others are considerable regarding health benefits.
Check here the seven amazing teff flour substitute and their qualities in detail:
1. Quinoa Flour
The first reason to consider quinoa flour as an amazing substitute for Teff is the “seed .”Quinoa and Teff come from similar seeds. The best thing is both flours are quite rich in health benefits.
It is gluten-free, just like teff flour. Also, you’ll get a lot of protein and fiber with this flour.
| Nutrient Factors (1 cup) | Composition |
| Calories | 412 |
| Carbs | 72 gm |
| Protein | 16 gm |
| Fat | 6.8 gm |
| Fiber | 7.8 gm |
Quinoa flour can be used in several ways. It is used both for cooking and baking. This flour is protein-based, which i’ll give excellent structure to the food.
The taste of quinoa flour may vary from person to person. Some find it a bit bitter, whereas others find it flat. That’s why you must add some coconut or chocolate chips to even down the taste of teff flour here.
You can make the flour at home with the quinoa seeds and a grinder. However, you can easily find packaged quinoa flour in your nearest grocery shop or even online.
2. Tapioca Flour
Tropical flour is also used in table floods around Africa, just like Teff flour. It is best suited for people who are on the paleo diet. Tropica flour is perfect for whoever is searching for flour with low calories, fat, and sugar.
| Nutrient factors (2 cup) | Composition |
| Calories | 358 |
| Carbs | 88.7 gm |
| Protein | 0.2 gm |
| Fat | 0.02 gm |
| Fiber | 0.9 gm |
It is popular as a gluten-free tropical flour. However, here you’ll get a chewy taste in food, unlike the teff flour. However, its thick texture can bring easy shapes while baking.
Some find raw tapioca a tasteless and odorless flour to use. So, it is easy if you want to alternate its taste by mixing other ingredients. However, don’t add anything to make the food less spongy or crispy.
Whether you want to make stews, puddings, soups, or sauces, tapioca flour can taste really good. It is traditionally used for making flatbread and gluten or grain-free bread. It is mostly used by mixing with other flours to make a better texture.
People with an allergic issue with teff flour will find tapioca a good alternative.
3. Sorghum Flour
Sorghum is another healthy and gluten-free flour that will be a fantastic alternative to teff flour.
Especially while making sweet dishes, sorghum flour makes a really great taste. It has a light and mild, and sweet taste that will make amazing desserts. However, people seem to use sorghum in all recipes with some alterations.
Sorghum is rich in nutrient factors that will serve a lot of health benefits. It can provide healthy hair and skin. It is also good for heart disease, constipation, and blood pressure.
| Nutrient factors (100 gm) | Composition |
| Calories | 329 |
| Carbs | 72 gm |
| Protein | 11 gm |
| Fat | 3 gm |
| Fiber | 7 gm |
Sorghum flour has an amazing taste and texture, just like all-purpose wheat. However, some prefer mixing all-purpose wheat and sorghum before using.
It can bind moisture better to make the dough quick. So, Thai will ultimately bring better color and texture to any baking recipe. This is best suited to those cooking recipes requiring a crispy coating and crispy fried texture.
4. Rice Flour
Rice flour is a good alternative to teff flour for anyone with celiac disease. It is a gluten-free healthy substitute. You can use rice flour at home and even get them packaged. It is really easy to make at home. So, if teff flour is over your budget, try using rice flour.
Rice flour is made from ground rice. So, this might be a little dry for meat-based recipes and requires extra liquid to give a better bind. This is comparatively a better flour to absorb water. Thai can make baked food more delicious and juicy.
This flour is good for people with celiac disease, digestion issues, or allergies to gluten.
| Nutrient factors (1 cup) | Composition |
| Calories | 363 |
| Carbs | 76 gm |
| Protein | 7.2 gm |
| Fat | 2.8 gm |
| Fiber | 4.6 gm |
However, it has a similar mild and grainy flavor as teff flour. It can be used to make varieties of dishes. Also, you can use several spices to bring different flavors to it.
5. Oat Flour
Oat flour is another easy-to-make alternative to teff flour. It has a similar nutty and mild flavor to teff. However, this flour is specifically used for making oats. However, you can use this flour in other recipes as well. You just need to bring some alternation in the recipe.
Oat flour has several health benefits. However, the best thing about oat flour is, it can be digested really quickly. Also, it includes a very small amount of health risks. Whether you’ve gluten allergy, heart disease, cholesterol issues, or diabetes, oat flour can be a good substitute.
| Nutrient Factors (1 cup) | Composition |
| Calories | 553.5 |
| Carbs | 90g |
| Protein | 20.1 g |
| Fat | 12.5 g |
| Fiber | 8.9 g |
You can make oat flours at home and even get them in a packaged form easily. Also, it is a whole-grain flour that holds a fine powder texture. It gives a really good shape while baking and cooking.
6. Millet flour
Millet flour is another popular flour eaten around Africa. It can bring a peppery taste to your food. This is also suitable for making sweet dishes. People who want to avoid teff flour because of its strong taste might love millet flour. It has a taste similar to teff but will not overpower other recipe ingredients like teff.
Millet flour is a good option for anyone who wants to avoid gluten or has celiac disease. It is a good protein source that also helps fight digestion issues.
| Nutrient Factors (1 cup) | Composition |
| Calories | 382 |
| Carbs | 75 g |
| Protein | 11 g |
| Fat | 4.3 g |
| Fiber | 4 g |
Millet flour holds powdery and smooth consistency. Also, it has a good quality of absorbing water. This makes baking easier and food more flavourful. To give it a different taste, you can mix millet flour with some other flour.
Which One is the Best Substitute For Teff Flour?
Among all these alternatives, quinoa flour is the best option. Everything is easy with quinoa flour, from the taste and texture to availability.
The only thing that can be an issue is “price.” Quinoa flour is a bit expensive. But if you really want the best-suited substitute for teff, the price would be justified.
It comes in a pure powder form. So, you can easily make perfect dough with this flour. This flour can avoid uneven flavor and lumpiness. So, this would be excellent and easy to bake with.
Thai flour is also used in varieties of ways; You can use different spices and try different recipes with this flour.
Plus, its several health benefits will be another thing that can be a good reason to substitute teff flour.
Nutrition Difference: Teff Flour VS Quinoa Flour
Teff flour and Quinoa flour are both good for baking and cooking. However, they are quite different in nutritional value. Give it a quick check here to know a bit more:
| Nutrition factor (300 gm) | Teff Flour | Quinoa Flour |
| Protein | 3.87 gm | 4.4 gm |
| Carbs | 19.86 gm | 21.3 gm |
| Calcium | 15% of DV | 6% of DV |
| Fat | 0.65 gm | 1.92 gm |
| Water | 74.93 gm | 71.61 gm |
| Potassium | 10% of DV | 16% of DV |
Frequently Asked Questions
How is teff flour used?
Teff flour can be used for various dishes. It has a mixed taste with a nutty and sweet flavor. However, this flour will make incredible-tasting cakes, tarts, biscuits, waffles, fancy cupcakes, and pancakes. Also, various popular brands use this flour to manufacture high-quality bread.
Is teff a superfood?
Yes, teff is a superfood that can be really beneficial for fitness enthusiasts. It is rich in fiber, protein, and minerals. Regarding the taste, use, and health benefits, teff can be a better superfood than any other popular flour.
Wrap Up
There are a lot of popular brands selling teff flour. This tropical grain flour holds hundreds of health benefits. Still, some factors might stop you from using this flour. The good news is there are several good alternatives to make amazing tasteful recipes. Reading the entire article might describe each flour’s qualities in detail. Consider the recipe you’re trying before choosing any other flour.
