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    Salted Plains » Recipes » Vegan

    Teff Almond Butter Cookies (Gluten-free, Vegan)

    Published: Feb 20, 2023 by Tessa · This post may contain affiliate links · 54 Comments

    Jump to Recipe

    These easy Teff Almond Butter Cookies are nutritionally packed and have an addictive almond flavor. Gluten-free, vegan, and refined sugar-free. 

    Teff cookies spread out on a white piece of parchment paper.

    Teff is a humble tiny grain that is a nutritional powerhouse. This whole-grain exotic flour pairs well with nuts, bittersweet chocolate, cocoa powder, fruits, and seeds.

    Like these fudgy teff brownies or teff oatmeal cookies, dark chocolate makes a good match.

    But you'll find in this recipe, almonds and teff make for delicious and delightful treats!

    Jump to:
    • Why you'll love this recipe
    • Ingredients and substitutions
    • Step-by-step instructions
    • Tips
    • FAQs
    • 📖 Recipe

    Why you'll love this recipe

    • Nutritionally packed cookie
    • Easy recipe
    • Simple ingredients
    • These cookies will melt in your mouth!

    Ingredients and substitutions

    Here are a few quick notes about the ingredients in this recipe. You can see a complete ingredient list and instructions in the recipe card below.

    Ingredients to make teff cookies in bowls of different sizes.

    Teff flour - With a wonderfully nutty taste, teff is a tiny gluten-free grain that is very finely ground gluten-free flour rich in essential amino acids, minerals, vitamins, fiber, and a low-glycemic index.

    You can find the flour in health food stores, many grocery stores, and online. I like using Bob's Red Mill brand.

    Almond butter - This acts as our binder and fat as well as flavor. If you use salted almond butter, you might want to adjust the salt in the recipe.

    (If you love almond butter, you need to try granola butter!)

    Maple syrup - Gives these cookies just the right amount of sweetness.

    Vanilla extract - Helps round out the sweetness and all-around flavor!

    Almond extract - One of the star ingredients! A little bit goes a long way to making these gluten-free cookies irresistible.

    Step-by-step instructions

    Before you start: Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper or a Silpat.

    Teff flour in a glass bowl.
    Teff cookie batter in a glass bowl.

    Step 1: In a large bowl, combine the dry ingredients; teff flour, salt, and cinnamon.

    Then add the wet ingredients; almond butter, maple syrup, coconut oil (ensure it is no longer hot), and almond and vanilla extracts.

    Stir with a rubber spatula until well combined. Allow dough to rest for 5 minutes.

    Step 2: Use a tablespoon or #40 cookie scoop, then roll the cookie dough into small balls and place on the baking sheet.

    With a fork, flatten balls about halfway down into a cookie shape. Sprinkle cookies with sea salt.

    Cookie dough balls on a baking sheet.
    Cookie dough balls flattened with a fork on a baking sheet.

    Step 3: Bake for 10-11 minutes. Remove from the baking tray and allow to cool on a wire rack.

    Step 4: Store in an airtight container.

    Tips

    • It is important to let the dough rest for about 5 minutes before rolling it into balls. This will allow for the flour to absorb some of the mixtures.
    • A little sprinkle of sea salt on top right before baking is highly recommended!
    • Storing the teff cookies at room temperature will create softer cookies over time, storing them in the refrigerator will give them a little more of a bite.
    Teff almond butter cookies on a rustic plate.

    FAQs

    What is teff made of?

    Teff is considered an ancient grain. The teff grain comes from the lovegrass plant (Eragrostis tef) native to Africa.

    Does teff flour taste good?

    Teff has a wonderful nutty, earthy flavor and is great when used in combination with other gluten-free flours. It pairs well with nuts (hazelnuts and almonds!), seeds, chocolate, and sweeteners like maple syrup and coconut sugar.

    It is used in making traditional injera but is excellent in cookies, muffins, bread, crackers, and porridge.

    • Freshly baked monster cookies on top of a piece of crinkled white parchment paper.
      Healthier Gluten-Free Monster Cookies
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      Olive Oil Chocolate Chip Cookies
    • Chocolate cookies with sesame seeds on a plate.
      Chocolate Tahini Cookies (Gluten-Free, Vegan)
    • Thumbprint cookies on a wire cooling rack.
      Vegan S'mores Cookies

    ​​Love this recipe? Please consider leaving a 5-star 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟rating on the recipe card below and let me know what you think in the comments!

    📖 Recipe

    Teff cookies spread out on a white piece of parchment paper.

    Teff Almond Butter Cookies (Gluten-free, Vegan)

    These easy Teff Almond Butter Cookies are nutritionally packed and have an addictive almond flavor. Gluten-free, vegan, and refined sugar-free. 
    4.50 from 22 votes
    Print Pin Rate Save Saved!
    Course: Dessert, Snack
    Cuisine: American
    Diet: Gluten Free, Vegan, Vegetarian
    Prep Time: 15 minutes minutes
    Cook Time: 10 minutes minutes
    Total Time: 25 minutes minutes
    Servings: 36 cookies
    Calories: 116kcal
    Author: Tessa

    Ingredients

    • 1 ½ cups (245g) teff flour
    • ½ teaspoon salt
    • ¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon
    • 1 cup unsalted almond butter
    • ½ cup maple syrup
    • ½ cup coconut oil, melted and cooled
    • ¼ teaspoon pure almond extract
    • 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
    • Sea salt for sprinkling

    Instructions

    • Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
    • In a large bowl, combine the teff flour, salt, and cinnamon. Then add the almond butter, maple syrup, coconut oil (make sure it has cooled), and almond and vanilla extracts. Stir with a rubber spatula until well combined. Allow dough to rest for 5 minutes.
    • Use a tablespoon or #40 cookie scoop, then roll cookie dough into small balls with your hands and place on prepared baking sheet. With a fork, flatten balls about halfway down into a cookie shape. Sprinkle cookies with sea salt.
    • Bake for 10-11 minutes. Remove from baking tray and allow to cool on baking sheet on a wire rack.

    Notes

    To store: Stored at room temperature will create softer cookies over time, storing them in the refrigerator will give them a little more of a bite. Store cookies in an airtight container for 5-6 days.
    It is important to let the dough rest for about 5 minutes before rolling into balls. This will allow for the flour to absorb some of the mixture.
    A little sprinkle of sea salt on top right before baking is highly recommended!
    Adapted from Maskal Teff.

    Nutrition

    Serving: 1cookie | Calories: 116kcal | Carbohydrates: 11g | Protein: 3g | Fat: 7g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 2g | Sodium: 35mg | Potassium: 62mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 3g | Vitamin A: 0.1IU | Vitamin C: 0.001mg | Calcium: 45mg | Iron: 1mg
    Tried this Recipe? Tag me Today!Mention @SaltedPlains or tag #saltedplains!

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    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Nicole

      June 30, 2023 at 7:56 am

      I found my 'dough' very wet/sticky/oily-looking after following the recipe (with the exception of subbing peanut butter and omitting the almond extract) and I was sure the cookies would end up spreading out like crazy while baking like other commenters mentioned. Also, I recently made a teff oatmeal raisin cookie recipe from elsewhere that also used coconut oil and I had the same thing happen. So this time I pre-empted things by adding in several big spoonfuls of extra teff flour (likely around 1/4 cup) and the dough was much stiffer yet totally workable and roll-able, and I'm happy to report that the cookies didn't spread out and held their shape. If I were to make these again (I'd love to try the tahini variation) I would likely just add less coconut oil. I was curious about these cookies not having any leavening agent (baking soda or powder) but they still turned out fine.

      For my second tray, instead of fork imprints and salted tops I made raspberry jam thumbprint cookies and they're very cute. I haven't tried either batch yet as they're cooling but they smell lovely.

      Reply
      • Tessa

        July 02, 2023 at 1:19 pm

        Hi Nicole! Thank you for sharing - the raspberry jam tops sound absolutely delicious. I am going to have to try that!

        Reply
    2. Jennifer

      April 22, 2022 at 10:46 pm

      5 stars
      This recipe is delicious! First time baking with Teff flour. I used half almond flour and half tahini. My whole family, including toddler loves it! Will definitely make again.

      Reply
      • Tessa

        May 09, 2022 at 9:29 am

        That is awesome! Thank you, Jennifer!

        Reply
    3. Rachel

      January 26, 2019 at 8:22 am

      Really amazing cookies!!! :)

      Reply
      • Tessa

        January 29, 2019 at 6:28 pm

        Thank you, Rachel!!

        Reply
    4. Rachel

      January 21, 2019 at 3:06 pm

      5 stars
      Thank you so much! Sounds really interesting! Can i sub the almond butter with peanut butter?

      Reply
      • Tessa

        January 22, 2019 at 11:29 am

        Hi Rachel! I think natural peanut butter would sub in just fine! :)

        Reply
    5. Beth

      August 13, 2018 at 8:30 am

      I try introducing healthy options for my toddler... Due to the high protein content of teff, I wanted to intoduce it to his diet and one can't go wrong with cookies. I made a few alterations and it still turned out great, thanks for the wonderful recipe :))))
      My son has nut allergies, so instead of almond butter, I used tahini...
      Since making it vegan wasn't a concern for me, I used organic butter instead of coconut oil.
      Lastly, I didn't sprinkle salt on top as I added 1/2 cup of raisins.

      Reply
      • Tessa

        August 15, 2018 at 9:14 pm

        Tahini is such a great sub! I'm so glad it worked for you. Thanks so much for your kind note, Beth!!

        Reply
    6. Liz Smith

      August 14, 2016 at 10:38 am

      1 star
      So sad to report that I just made the Teff Almond Butter Cookies recipe (following to a "T") and it was a disaster. The cookies melted into each other and didn't adhere as a solid, turning into a mess of crumbs. I saved the mess of cooked crumbs and will probably try using it as pie or crumble crust. I think if I pressed it into the bottom of a dish it might stay put and be delicious.

      Reply
      • Tessa

        August 15, 2016 at 7:00 pm

        Hi Liz - I'm so sorry to hear that. I know that is frustrating and hate that that was your experience. My only guess as to why they didn't stay solid is that the almond butter may have had a higher oil content. I have found in making other recipes that nut butter oils can vary sometimes and alter the results. I like your idea of saving as a crust and agree it would be delicious as a crumble!

        Reply
        • Miriam

          July 02, 2018 at 12:58 am

          5 stars
          These cookies were delicious! It’s hard to find almond butter where I live so I substituted and used Tahina which worked well. Thanks for this recipe
          Miriam

        • Tessa

          July 04, 2018 at 9:58 am

          That's awesome! Thanks so much for your note. I will have to try them with tahini as well. If almond butter is hard to find, you can also throw a couple cups of almonds into a food processor and make your own almond butter. I love toasting my almonds and then processing them!

    7. Maddy

      May 02, 2016 at 2:10 pm

      5 stars
      Omg. Tessa. I just made these and I didn't think the batter would make it to the oven because I couldn't stop eating it by the spoonful straight out of the bowl. THESE ARE AMAZING. Where has this recipe been hiding?! Everyone needs to make these!!!! The flavors are incredible - so complex and comforting. I'm graduating college this week and am giving them to my favorite professor as an end-of-the-year thank you. I can't even. I could go on and on. Thank you!!

      Reply
      • Tessa

        May 02, 2016 at 8:21 pm

        Maddy! I am SO happy you liked them! You just made my day. Seriously. :) And what a compliment that you are giving them as a gift!

        Congrats on your graduation!!! What's next for you?

        Reply
      • Divya Marwaha

        July 02, 2023 at 3:51 pm

        Just made these,and they are absolutely yummy,specially right out of the oven!

        Reply
        • Tessa

          July 07, 2023 at 9:58 am

          Thanks so much, Divya!!

    8. Gillian

      April 29, 2016 at 6:15 pm

      5 stars
      These are so delicious! I didn't have hazelnuts so I made these, but your hazelnut teff cookies are next on my list.

      Reply
      • Tessa

        April 30, 2016 at 7:33 am

        Thank you! I am so happy you liked them!! I hope you like the hazelnut teff cookies just as much. The hazelnut + chocolate together is so good!

        Reply
    9. renee (will frolic for food)

      October 14, 2015 at 10:59 pm

      ah! i love these little gems! can't wait to try this recipe out. love the clean styling in these shots, too.

      Reply
      • Tessa

        October 15, 2015 at 2:42 pm

        Thanks, Renee!! I hope you like them - they are so freaking addictive!

        Reply
    10. rahel

      July 20, 2015 at 3:10 pm

      Excellent recipe!!! Super-healthy, super-tasty cookies! I was scouring the internet for a cookie recipe that wasn't 100% almond flour but when I came upon this one, I was nervous about 100% teff so tweaked it to be 1 cup teff, 1/4 cup almond flour and 1/4 cup glutinous rice flour. Then tweaked some more to suit allergies and ingredients on hand so 1/4 cup dairy butter instead of the coconut oil, 1/2 cup honey instead of the maple syrup, reduced to 1/2 cup almond butter. Turned out fantastic. I cannot thank you enough for providing a solid recipe to work with.

      Reply
      • Tessa

        July 21, 2015 at 10:36 pm

        Thank you, Rahel! I am so, so glad to hear it!

        Reply
    11. Jennifer

      June 01, 2015 at 9:06 pm

      Was I the only one who had these cookies spread way too much out? I know part of the problem is that I had to special order teff from a local store, and they only had teff not teff flour. I tried grinding it down, but I am sure some of it didn't grind all the way. But I am thinking if maybe it was too hot? The oil and almond butter was melted and liquidy (I poured out the almond butter to measure it) Do you think if I kept the dough cold it would of kept shape better?

      Reply
      • Tessa

        June 02, 2015 at 1:47 am

        Hi Jennifer - I'm so sorry to hear that the cookies spread! I have a couple guesses to what might help. I'm wondering if the teff grain you had to grind wasn't ground fine enough and therefore wasn't able to absorb the liquids as well. I use Bob's Red Mill teff flour which is finely ground and a lot of times I order it through Amazon since my local store doesn't always have it in stock. You may also want to let the melted coconut oil cool a bit more before adding it to the mix. It may help if you happen to be using a new jar of almond butter to stir it up completely and refrigerate it before using in the recipe as I think sometimes the oil content in nut butters can vary. I think your idea of chilling the dough could be great too. If you try again and find something that works well with your teff, I would love to know! Thanks, Jennifer!

        Reply
        • Jennifer

          June 03, 2015 at 1:35 pm

          I used a trader joe's raw almond butter, and that stuff is thin! I think that is a major problem. It was still pourable after storing the open jar in the fridge. It was also so hot when I made the cookies that the coconut oil was in liquid form. I am wondering if these conditions for the oil and nut butter would get better results with a solid sugar, like date sugar or coconut sugar? Regardless, the flat cookies were still pretty darn tasty. And gives me motivation to keep using teff!

        • Tessa

          June 03, 2015 at 11:00 pm

          Good to know! When I was experimenting with this recipe I actually tried using coconut sugar and the result were cookies that spread like crazy! I had another reader that subbed the maple syrup with granulated xylitol and hers spread as well. When she tried again and did part maple syrup, part agave, they came together much better. There is something about the the liquid sweetener and ratio to flour absorption that seems to work best. I wish I knew the science behind it! I'm so glad you found the cookies to be tasty. I think teff is such a cool grain/flour to work with and I am pumped to try it with more things as well. Thanks so much for getting back to me!

    12. Nela

      April 20, 2015 at 5:09 pm

      Pictures look delicious. I tried the recipe, but it was too liquid to form balls. Is there a trick? I ended up having used xylitol instead of maple syrup and adding more flour still.
      Thanks,

      Reply
      • Tessa

        April 21, 2015 at 1:35 am

        Hi Nela! Thanks so much for your comment. I haven't used xylitol with these before, but during one of my testing trials I made them with coconut sugar instead of maple syrup and the outcome was similar to your try with xylitol. I wish I knew the science behind this, but for some reason granulated sweeteners make for a thinner cookie dough. If you want to keep playing with these using xylitol, you might try mixing all the ingredients together and then slowly adding a little bit of the melted coconut oil at a time, until you get a consistency that will come together and form balls. If you find an adaptation with xylitol that seems to work best, I'd love to hear.

        Reply
        • Nela

          May 12, 2015 at 6:48 pm

          Hi Tessa,
          I'm actually having one of your cookies now - followed exact recipe just substituting some of the maple syrup with agave. The texture is much better, crumblier this time, and they even increased in size unlike 1st time when I used xylitol.
          Looks like it really depends on the brand of almond butter. E.g. MaraNatha almond butter works great while when I used 'Nuts to You' it got too liquid.
          Thanks again for great recipe
          Regards
          Nela

        • Tessa

          May 14, 2015 at 1:02 am

          Oh yay! I'm so glad you had better success this time and that agave worked as a good sub for the maple syrup. Thank you so much for letting me know! That's great to know about the two different almond butters as well. Thank you, Nela!

    13. Alanna

      April 04, 2015 at 3:50 am

      Omgggggg, give me ALL the cookies! These look freaking spectacular. I've just started baking with teff flour and I'm HOOKED - so malty and earthy. I just love these photos.

      Reply
      • Tessa

        April 07, 2015 at 4:23 pm

        Hahaha, thank you Alanna!! I am now a teff convert. I keep trying to decide what I want to make next with it!

        Reply
    14. Ingredient1

      April 02, 2015 at 6:03 pm

      5 stars
      Not sure if I've ever tasted a teff cookie - very innovative! Can't wait to try these :)

      Reply
      • Tessa

        April 03, 2015 at 1:35 am

        Thanks so much! I hope you enjoy them!

        Reply
    15. Anne

      March 29, 2015 at 5:21 pm

      This sounds amazing!!!

      Reply
      • Tessa

        March 31, 2015 at 8:05 pm

        Thank you, Anne! :)

        Reply
    16. Medha @ Whisk & Shout

      March 27, 2015 at 12:44 pm

      5 stars
      Lovely photos! These are adorable, pinning :)

      Reply
      • Tessa

        March 27, 2015 at 8:01 pm

        Thank you, Medha! Have a great weekend! :)

        Reply
    17. Shannon

      March 23, 2015 at 6:29 pm

      These are stunning and sound delicious! I love all of the creative teff recipes I've been seeing on blogs lately. It has such a great nutty flavor and the nutritional benefits are only a plus :D

      Reply
      • Tessa

        March 23, 2015 at 8:30 pm

        I agree, the nutritional benefits are such a bonus! Thanks so much, Shannon!

        Reply
    18. Laura

      March 23, 2015 at 3:45 pm

      Yummm!!! I've been using teff flour a lot lately in baking and it is certainly a win. Thanks for this inspiration for cookies as well!

      Reply
      • Tessa

        March 23, 2015 at 6:06 pm

        Thanks, Laura! So glad to hear you are a teff fan as well! :)

        Reply
    19. Thalia @ butter and brioche

      March 23, 2015 at 7:42 am

      5 stars
      What delicious cookies.. I love the almond butter flavour and all the sprinkle action going on.

      Reply
      • Tessa

        March 23, 2015 at 1:34 pm

        Thank you, Thalia! The almond butter makes for such easy cookie-making too. xo.

        Reply
    20. Kathryn

      March 18, 2015 at 9:25 am

      I'm so excited to have a use for my teff flour! These cookies sound wonderful, just the right balance of sweet and nutty and tender. Can't wait to try them!

      Reply
      • Tessa

        March 18, 2015 at 2:15 pm

        I can't wait to hear what you use your teff in. I'm determined to use it in a blend for bread next...I may be getting ahead of myself though. Ha.

        Reply
    21. Sarah @ SnixyKitchen

      March 18, 2015 at 5:29 am

      Teff flour is also one of those gluten-free flours I haven't experimented with much either. I love the simplicity of this recipe - as a cookie-holic, I'm definitely going to be making these. Also - your photos, as always, are so beautiful and comforting.

      Reply
      • Tessa

        March 18, 2015 at 2:12 pm

        Thank you, Sarah! I'm totally ready to try out some other recipes with teff now. But I do love how quickly these cookies come together! xo.

        Reply
    22. Gwen @ Delightful Adventures

      March 15, 2015 at 12:35 am

      Good for you for sticking with it and doing all the experimenting! I find this to be something that is necessary with gluten-free baking. I have only used teff flour once in a recipe, I think this recipe will be attempt number 2! Love that they have the crumbly texture of a shortbread. Beautiful pics as usual :)

      Reply
      • Tessa

        March 15, 2015 at 12:27 pm

        Thank you, Gwen! I had so many batches of these cookies laying around we started running out of room in our little kitchen! :)

        Reply
    23. Christina @ Bake with Christina

      March 14, 2015 at 3:42 pm

      Mmm what yummy looking cookies! I'm a huge fan of almond butter, and I would LOVE to use it in a cookie recipe, definitely have to give these a try!! Pinned :)

      Reply
      • Tessa

        March 14, 2015 at 11:02 pm

        These are so easy to throw together too. Thanks, Christina!

        Reply

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