25 Sorghum Recipes an RD Loves (+ How to Cook It)
Discover 25 easy sorghum recipes, from grain bowls and salads to baked goods, plus a dietitian’s guide to cooking, nutrition, and where to buy this gluten-free ancient grain.
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If you’re looking to add more whole grains to your diet, sorghum needs to be at the top of your list! I first discovered it years ago when I transitioned to a gluten-free diet, and it’s been a pantry staple ever since.
As a dietitian, I love recommending it to clients because it’s genuinely versatile. Whole-grain sorghum has a satisfying, chewy texture that holds up beautifully in grain bowls and salads, while sorghum flour is hands down the closest thing to wheat flour I’ve found for gluten-free baking. And with both forms, you’re getting a delicious, easy way to eat more plants!
Quick Answer: What Can You Make with Sorghum?
Sorghum is a versatile gluten-free grain that works in both savory and sweet dishes. Here are the best ways to use it:
- Grain bowls — Use cooked whole sorghum as a base with roasted vegetables, beans, and tahini or vinaigrette
- Salads — Toss with fresh herbs, feta, olives, and cucumber for a Mediterranean-style grain salad
- Soups & stews — Add whole sorghum in place of barley for a hearty, chewy texture
- Sorghum flour baked goods — Muffins, banana bread, brownies, and pizza crust all work beautifully
- Breakfast porridge — Simmer with coconut milk and cinnamon for a nourishing hot cereal
- Stuffed peppers — Mix cooked sorghum with black beans, corn, and spices as a filling
How to cook sorghum: Combine 1 cup of sorghum with 3 cups of water, bring to a boil, reduce to a simmer, and cook 45–55 minutes until chewy. Drain well and use as desired. Makes about 4 cups cooked.
What is sorghum?
If you haven’t tried sorghum yet, you’re in for a real treat! It’s a gluten-free grain with a delicious nutty flavor and a lovely chewy texture. And while it may be a new ingredient to many of you in the United States, it’s worth stocking in your pantry along with my other favorite ancient grains!
Nutrition: Is sorghum good for you?
Sorghum is rich in plant-based protein, gut-healthy fiber, vitamins, and iron. It provides 12% of the recommended daily value for iron. In addition, its lower glycemic index makes sorghum a good choice for blood sugar control, and some sorghum varieties are also rich in antioxidants.
Gluten-free sorghum is a tasty grain for anyone with celiac disease or gluten sensitivity who needs to follow a gluten-free diet. But, even if you don’t need to exclude gluten from your diet, if you’re looking for a new grain to add to your rotation, give sorghum a shot!
If you’re following the MIND, Mediterranean, or DASH diet for Alzheimer’s prevention, blood pressure support, or optimal wellness, sorghum is a delicious grain to add to your diet!
Sorghum Nutrition at a Glance
Per 1/4 cup dry sorghum or ~ 1 cup cooked sorghum. Source: USDA
| Nutrient | Amount |
| Calories | 170 |
| Protein | 5 grams |
| Carbohydrates | 33 grams |
| Fiber | 4 grams |
| Fat | 2 grams |
Is sorghum low FODMAP?
If you’re following a low-FODMAP diet for IBS, you may be curious whether sorghum is low-FODMAP. Per the Monash app, as of 2/15/25, sorghum flour has been tested and is low-FODMAP.
Whole-grain sorghum hasn’t been tested, but it should also be low in FODMAPs. On the other hand, sorghum syrup is low in FODMAPs at two teaspoons or less but high in larger amounts.
Cool Sorghum Facts
Sorghum is a highly drought-tolerant, sustainable grain used for animal feed and ethanol production. Fortunately, it is now entering the mainstream consumer market, so we can enjoy more of this healthy and delicious whole grain!
Fun fact! Whole grain sorghum can be popped just like popcorn! Heat a dry pan over medium-high heat, add a single layer of dry sorghum kernels, cover, and shake frequently until they pop (about 1–2 minutes). Watch closely as they pop fast! Season with sea salt, cinnamon sugar, or your favorite spice blend.
Although I haven’t tried it yet, tennis GOAT Novak Djokovic created COB, a line of popped sorghum snacks, with his business partner Jess. If you’ve tried it, LMK how it tastes!
How to Cook Sorghum
You should be aware that sorghum takes longer to cook than other grains, so plan enough time for cooking. Below are two methods to choose from.
Stovetop Method (cooking time is ~50 minutes)
Put water and kosher salt in a medium or large pot and bring to a boil. Add 1 cup of sorghum (1 cup of uncooked sorghum makes 4 cups cooked) and turn the heat to low to cook at a steady simmer.
Cover the pot and cook, occasionally stirring, for about 50 minutes or until the sorghum has a nice chewy bite. Drain the excess liquid thoroughly; you don’t want the cooked sorghum grains to be watery.
Slow Cooker Method (~ 4 hours)
I’ve discovered that slow-cooking a big batch of sorghum and then storing leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator or even the freezer is the best way to enjoy this delicious & nutritious ancient grain.
Method: Rinse 1 cup of sorghum in running water, then place it in a slow cooker with 3 cups of water. Cover and cook on high until the liquid has evaporated, approximately 4 hours.
Cool and store cooked sorghum in a covered bowl in the refrigerator for up to 4 days, or in the freezer for up to 3 months.
What foods pair well with sorghum?
While you’ll want to try some of the sorghum recipes I’m sharing with you today, here are a few savory and sweet ingredient pairings for cooking with sorghum at home. What different ways would you use sorghum?
- Olive oil, lemon juice, garlic, pine nuts, salt, black pepper
- Carrots, lentils, curry powder, ginger, lime
- (Sweet) Coconut milk, cinnamon, orange zest, raisins
Where to Buy Sorghum
Honestly, finding sorghum at the grocery store is hit-or-miss. I usually have better luck finding sorghum flour (vs whole grain sorghum) at my local (San Diego) Whole Foods or Jimbos. You can buy it online if you can’t find it at your grocery store. Here are my favorite brands:
- Sorghum Flour: Bob’s Red Mill and PuroRaw (both labeled gluten-free)
- Whole Grain Sorghum: Bob’s Red Mill (labeled gluten-free)
How to Store Sorghum
Whether you’re stocking whole grain sorghum or sorghum flour, proper storage makes a big difference in shelf life and freshness.
Whole grain sorghum: Store in an airtight container in a cool, dry pantry for up to 6 months, or in the freezer for up to 1 year.
Sorghum flour: Because the bran and germ are intact, sorghum flour can go rancid faster than refined flours. Store it in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 6 months, or freeze for up to 1 year. If it smells off when you open the bag, toss it and buy fresh.
Cooked sorghum: Refrigerate in an airtight container for up to 4 days, or freeze in a zip-top bag for up to 3 months. I love batch-cooking a big pot on the weekend so it’s ready to toss into grain bowls and salads all week!
25 Sorghum Recipes
These sorghum recipes are all gluten-free and almost all vegetarian or vegan. Choose from main dishes, sides, salads, breakfasts, and desserts.
Thanks to my dietitian and gluten-free food blogger friends for sharing their delicious sorghum recipes. I’ve also got a few favorites from The Spicy RD Blog. Enjoy!
Sorghum Recipes with Sorghum Flour
- Easy 3-Ingredient All-Purpose Gluten-Free Flour Blend
- One Bowl Chocolate Chip Pumpkin Bread (photo above)
- Gluten-Free Sorghum Brownies
- One Skillet Sorghum Buckwheat Banana Bread
- Sorghum Flour Dutch Baby
- Blood Orange Quick Bread
- Chocolate Brownies w/ a Secret Ingredient
- Perfect Cinnamon Rolls
- Perfect Pizza Crust
- Cinnamon Yogurt Banana Bread
- Pear & Pistachio Sorghum Porridge
Whole Grain Sorghum Recipes
- Greek Sorghum Bowl (above)
- Healthy Mediterranean Grain Bowl with Avocado Tzatziki
- Spicy Sweet Potato Sorghum Veggie Burgers
- Moroccan Chickpea Sorghum Bowl
- One Dish Baked Spinach Parmesan Sorghum Risotto
- Mediterranean Sorghum Salad
- Strawberry Vanilla Sorghum Parfait
- Savory Sorghum Burrito Bowls
- Stovetop Popped Sorghum
- Cranberry Ginger Sorghum Salad
- Warm Sorghum Salad with Kohlrabi, Apple & Fennel
- Sorghum Bowl with Black Beans, Amaranth, & Avocado
- Sweet Corn Sorghum Stuffed Peppers
- Chickpea Sprghum Salad
Want to take your health up to the next level, all while eating delicious food? Join my 30-40+ Plants per Week Challenge!
More Sorghum Love: Nutrition, Research, & Sorghum Recipes
- Wondergrain ~ Find sorghum recipes, products for purchase, and sorghum nutrition information.
- Oldways Whole Grains Council: Sorghum June Grain of the Month ~ Fun info on the history of growing sorghum, nutrition information, research studies, recipes, and more!
Have you tried sorghum before? Which of these sorghum recipes do you most want to try? What healthy food have you been crushing lately???
Did you enjoy this post?
Please leave your comments or questions and share this post with your friends and family. I truly appreciate your support!
I just made followed directions but find too clumpy and soft. Expected a more grain like texture?
Hi Bonnie! Thanks for sharing and sorry the texture didn’t work out for you. This is what usually works for me, but depending on the level of heat, 50 minutes may be a little too long. Perhaps try again, but cook for a shorter time. And, definitely drain the cooked sorghum very well, or it will be too watery and mushy.
Have you tried using arrowroot instead of tapioca and potato starch? I used that combo (sorghum and arrowroot) for some oven fried chicken and it was delicious. I was wondering about using it for bread. Any suggestions or recipies?
Hi Suzette! I have used arrowroot for a few things, but haven’t experimented with bread yet. It sounds delicious with the oven fried chicken 🙂 Gretchen, at Kumquat blog, uses arrowroot in a lot of her recipes-you may want to check out her website to see if she has any bread recipes w/ arrowroot. Here’s the link: https://kumquatblog.com/ If you experiment, I’d love to hear how it turns out!
Do you have a recipe for sorghum pancakes? PLEASE
Hi Daisy~Thanks so much for stopping by! I have a couple of recipes for pancakes on my blog w. sorghum flour in them; https://www.eastewart.com/recipes-and-nutrition/recipe-redux-cinnamon-orange-syrup-oatmeal-pancakes/ (Made w/ my 3-Ingredient Flour Blend: https://www.eastewart.com/easy-3-ingredient-all-purpose-gluten-free-flour-blend/ And,https://www.eastewart.com/recipes-and-nutrition/recipe-redux-gingerbread-pancakes-gingerbread-pancake-mix/ Hope this helps! Cheers!!
I have not tried sorghum yet. I like the parfait recipe and I wouldn’t mind trying that one out. Right now the healthy food I’m crushing on is spinach. There are some many ways to incorporate it into your food!
I want to try the Greek Sorghum Veggie Bowl! Looks like it would be a great dinner and then perfect for leftovers at lunch.
I haven’t tried sorghum yet….I would love to give it a try! My low fodmap diet is in need of some inspiration. My favorite food right now is a peanut butter banana combination broiled and topped with chia seeds.
Would love to win????
Im on a huge avacado kick. One a day. Also, salmon!
I’ve never cooked with sorghum before, but you sure are making me think about it! Love that chocolate chip pumpkin bread.
After reading your informative post, I’m totally crushing on sorghum too! I must admit I’ve never cooked it before but now I can’t wait to try! And that chocolate chip pumpkin bread looks amazing!
I have used this before because I have a very restricted diet and this is one of the few flours I can use and it’s great for baking! Can’t wait to make that pumpkin bread!
I have been virtually unable to eat for the past 4 months and was just given a list of foods I can eat and sorghum is the only grain so I’m going to have to learn fast. I’ve been wheat-free for 16 years.
I have not tried Sorghum before but I would love to try the one bowl chocolate chip pumpkin bread.
Honestly, I’ve never even heard of sorghum, but these recipes all sound AMAZING. I’d most love to try the Greek Sorghum Veggie Bowl. Thanks for the chance to win and for exposing me to an awesome new food to try!
I’ve never tried sorghum before but I love to bake with all types of stuff
i have never had sorghum but i would love to try it!
I haven’t tried sorghum. I actually had a recipe that used it and couldn’t find it locally so I gave up!
I *love* sorghum, especially when baking, and can’t wait to make either of the brownie recipes!
I always learn so much from your blog and blog posts. I have never had sorghum; I guess I thought it was a feed for livestock? After reading this post about the versatility and nutrtional benefits (plus the photos of those sorghum recipes) Iwould love to give it a try! Pinning this!
I use sorghum all the time. I’d like to try making a pizza crust with it.
I’ve never tried sorghum but I love the variety of uses! My latest health food addiction is probably blackstrap molasses. Perfect for a gooey bowl of oatmeal!
I need to get on the sorghum train. I haven’t tried it before, but when I do I now have plenty of recipes to try 🙂
I have not tried sorghum either. I really feel out of the loop.
Sorghum never looked so sexy. Move over quinoa! Can’t wait to dig into these recipes.
Thanks so much for including my cranberry ginger sorghum recipe! I am so excited to try some of these other recipes now that I know I like this ancient grain that until recently was new to me! Great roundup!
This looks great EA! I have never tried sorghum, but now I definitely want to! Your Greek Veggie Bowl for the Food Network blog has caught my eye, maybe because I’m obsessed with feta lately. But, I also can’t stop eating Honey Bunches of Oats with Chocolate right now! It’s gluten free too, and totally satisfies this sweet tooth I can’t kick lately!
What a cool giveaway! I need to buy some if I don’t win so I can try this wondergrain!
Sorghum has been on my list to try FOREVER – all these recipes definitely are giving me the motivation to do so now. I know I’ll be a fan because I love farro, barley, wheatberries, etc. and it seems like it has the same type of texture.
We have not tried sorghum yet, but it’s definitely on the to-experiment-with list — both for eating and for homebrewing!