Teff Banana Bread (3 Ingredients, V, GF)

Learn how to make moist, delicious, healthy teff banana bread, with only 3 ingredients! It is vegan, oil-free & gluten-free.

Ready for a new, hearty, healthy–but still super-easy–banana bread variation? You’ve come to the right place. Introducing Teff Banana Bread, a newfangled loaf with ancient roots.

What is Teff (& Teff Flour)?

Teff is an ancient grain native to Ethiopia and Eritrea. It is the tiniest grain in the world (it resembles dark sand) and is very nutritious.

Naturally gluten-free, teff is a very nutritious grain that is very high in both dietary fiber and essential amino acids (protein’s building blocks). Compared with other grains, such as whole wheat flour, teff is high in calcium and iron.

Wholesome gluten-free baking is easy with teff flour. It produces light, springy baked goods with a subtly sweet undertones of hazelnut and cocoa (umm, yes, please). Teff flour can be used solo (for example, my 2 Ingredient Teff Naan), or in combination with other grains (check out this Teff & Oat Bread).

And teff flour happens to make a perfect banana bread–moist and full of flavor, without added oil or sweetener–with only 3 ingredients.

Recipe Benefits

• Only 3 ingredients (plus water and optional salt, embellish with all sorts of add-ins, as desired)
• Vegan (egg-free, dairy-free)
• Gluten-free
• No added sugar
• Oil-free (e.g., no olive oil, avocado oil, melted coconut oil, or butter)
• Easy to make
• Made in one bowl
• High fiber

Ingredients for Teff Banana Bread

The exact amounts of each ingredient are indicated in the recipe card at the end of the post. Toggle between US Customary (volume) and Metric (weights) for preferred measurement option.

The ingredients for the bread are minimal and easily acquired. Here is what you will need:

• Teff flour
• Mashed VERY RIPE banana (super-squishy, lots of brown spots)
• Baking powder (certified gluten-free as needed; see notes for using baking soda instead of baking powder).

You will also need a small amount of water (I used filtered tap water) and optional (but recommended) salt.

You can add any number of flavor enhancements to the basic recipe. I have options in the recipe notes. For example, add a teaspoon of vanilla and or ground cinnamon to the batter.

Banana Pro Tips

1. Use Very Ripe (Squishy) Bananas. It is very important to use very ripe (sweet, squishy) bananas in this recipe (the bananas should have lots of brown). Fresh bananas (peels are mostly yellow) are not liquid-y enough, nor sweet enough (those starches are converted to sugar as the bananas become super-ripe).
2. Freeze Bananas for Future Baking. I like to freeze my super-ripe bananas for future baking. When defrosting, do not drain the bananas. Measure the defrosted bananas WITH the defrosted liquid (do not drain).
3. Finely Mash or Puree Bananas. Mash the bananas super-fine. I use my immersion blender to blend the bananas entirely smooth.

Step by Step Directions

Note that the complete directions are also in the recipe card below.

Step One: Preheat Oven & Prepare Baking Pan

Preheat the oven to 350F (180C). Line a 9×5-inch loaf pan with parchment paper. If using a nonstick baking pan, no prepping is required. If you eat oil, you can spray the pan with nonstick cooking spray, or grease the pan with oil.

Step Two: Whisk the Wet Ingredients

In a large bowl, whisk the bananas, water, and optional vanilla extract until blended.

Step Three: Stir in the Dry Ingredients

Add the teff flour, baking powder and optional salt to the bowl. Stir until completely blended.

Step Four: Spread in Pan

Spoon and spread the batter into the prepared pan, smoothing the top.

Step Five: Bake the Bread

Bake the bread in the preheated oven for 42 to 45 minutes until risen, the surface appears dry, and a toothpick inserted near the center of the loaf comes out with only a few moist crumbs attached.

Step Five: Cool the Bread

Cool the bread in the loaf pan for 10 minutes before removing and cooling completely on a wire rack or other cooling rack. Once cool, transfer the bread to a cutting board.

Cool the bread completely before slicing it.

Storage

Store the cooled teff banana bread in an airtight container at cool room temperature for 2 days, the refrigerator for 1 week or the freezer for up to 6 months.

What is the Taste & Texture of the Bread?

This is a moist, yet firm, loaf with a deep banana flavor. The teff flour adds a nutty, wholesome flavor.

The generous amount of banana makes for a perfectly moist, lightly sweet loaf. A thick slice is, plain or with toppings, is a great choice for a mid-morning snack or sweet treat.

Variations

• Extracts or Zests: Add 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract or almond extract. Or add one to two teaspoons of finely grated orange zest.
• Spices: Add 1 to 2 teaspoons (total) of spices, such as cinnamon, cardamom, ginger, pumpkin pie spice, allspice, or a combination of spices.
• Dried Fruit: Add up to 2/3 cup of chopped dried fruit, such as raisins, dried cranberries, dried apricots, dried cherries, dried blueberries, or dried figs.
• Chocolate: Add up to 2/3 cup of your favorite dark chocolate chips or chocolate chunks, or add 1/4 cup cacao nibs.
• Nuts or Seeds: Add up to 2/3 cup chopped nuts or seeds (raw or toasted), such as walnuts, pecans, peanuts, pepitas, or sunflower seeds. Alternatively, sprinkle a few nuts or seeds on top before baking.

FAQ

• What can I use in place of the teff flour? For best results, I recommend sticking with teff flour. I have many other simple banana breads on this site, made with a variety of different flours (e.g., chickpea flour, oat flour, coconut flour, buckwheat flour, almond flour, and more). Type “banana bread” into the search function. The recipes are all vegan, gluten-free, and many oil-free, too.
• How can I boost the sweetness of the bread? Add anywhere from 1 to 4 tablespoons/ tbsp of your favorite sweetener to the batter, such as monkfruit, maple syrup, cane sugar or coconut sugar.
• What can I use in place of baking powder? One teaspoon of baking soda can be used in place of the baking powder.  
• Can I make this bread into muffins? Yes! Divide the batter between 12 cups in a standard size muffin tin (line the cups with silicone liners, or paper liners). Bake for 18 to 20 minutes until just done at the centers.

Happy Baking!

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