What can I substitute for teff flour?

Running low on teff flour? Here are the best verified substitutes, including how to adjust your measurements.

teff flour — ingredient substitution guide — Photo by Klaus Nielsen on Pexels

About teff flour

Teff flour is a finely milled, gluten-free flour ground from teff, an ancient Ethiopian grain. It has a mild, slightly earthy, nutty and mildly sweet flavour, with a dark colour that lends a rich hue to baked goods. It is a nutritional powerhouse, high in iron, calcium, and resistant starch, and is the foundational ingredient in Ethiopian injera flatbread.

Best substitute

buckwheat flour

Buckwheat flour is the closest flavour match to teff flour — both are earthy, nutty, and slightly bitter, and both are naturally gluten-free. It performs similarly in pancakes, flatbreads, and dense baked goods, making it the most reliable like-for-like swap.

Use 1 cup for every 1 cup of teff flour

pancakesflatbreadsmuffinsbakinginjera

Alternative

sorghum flour

Sorghum flour is a mild, slightly sweet gluten-free flour with a comparable protein content to teff. It produces tender, moist baked goods and works well as a direct substitute, though it lacks teff's distinctive earthy depth and darker colour.

Use 1 cup for every 1 cup of teff flour

bakingmuffinscookiesquick breadsinjeradark-coloured bakes

Alternative

What is teff flour called in other countries?

Country	Name
Australia	teff flour
ET	t'ef flour
United Kingdom	teff flour
United States	teff flour

Common names for teff flour

tef flourinjera flourlovegrass flourEragrostis tef flour

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Brown rice flour is a widely available gluten-free flour that can replace teff in most recipes. It has a milder, more neutral flavour and a slightly gritty texture, so blending it with a starch such as tapioca flour improves the final texture significantly.

Use 1 cup for every 1 cup of teff flour; consider blending with 2 tbsp tapioca flour for better texture

bakingpancakesquick breadsinjeraflavour-forward recipes

Alternative

millet flour

Millet flour is a light, mildly sweet gluten-free flour made from another ancient grain, giving it a comparable nutritional profile to teff. It works well in flatbreads and baked goods, though its flavour is milder and it will produce a paler, lighter result.

Use 1 cup for every 1 cup of teff flour

flatbreadspancakesmuffinsbakinginjeradark-coloured bakes

Alternative

whole wheat flour

Whole wheat flour can substitute for teff flour in recipes where gluten-free is not required. It shares a similarly hearty, nutty, slightly earthy flavour and works well in breads, muffins, and pancakes, though it contains gluten and will produce a denser, chewier result.

Use ¾ cup for every 1 cup of teff flour and adjust liquid as needed, as whole wheat flour absorbs more moisture

breadsmuffinspancakesbakinggluten-free recipesinjera

What can I substitute for teff flour?

buckwheat flour

sorghum flour

What is teff flour called in other countries?

Common names for teff flour

Related ingredients

brown rice flour

millet flour

whole wheat flour