Buckwheat Banana Bread

Buckwheat banana bread is made with whole grain buckwheat flour, and it tastes just as delicious as the traditional version! This recipe is naturally gluten-free & dairy-free, and it comes together quickly in one bowl. 

Why You’ll Love It

It’s delicious. Buckwheat flour can sometimes taste more bitter than white flour, so this recipe calls for less flour than you might expect. When you pair it with plenty of ripe bananas, coconut sugar, and a touch of cinnamon,  it tastes like a slice of banana bread that you’d buy from a coffee shop. 

It’s gluten-free. Despite its name, buckwheat isn’t related to wheat. It’s actually a pseudocereal, which means it’s a seed that is eaten like a grain, but doesn’t grow on grasses the way grains do. This grain-like seed bakes very similarly to wheat flour, making it easier to bake with compared to other gluten-free flours. 

You can make the flour at home. If buckwheat flour isn’t easy to find at the store, you can make your own by grinding raw buckwheat groats in a dry blender. It will become finely ground in just seconds! 

It’s easy to customize. This gluten-free banana bread is relatively flexible, so you can add any extras you love. Try adding in walnuts or sliced almonds for extra crunch, or some dark chocolate chips to make it more of a dessert. 

Ingredients You’ll Need

What’s in buckwheat banana bread? 

• Buckwheat flour
• Ripe bananas
• Coconut sugar (or other granulated sugar)
• Olive oil
• Eggs
• Baking powder
• Cinnamon
• Salt

All you need is one large bowl and a few minutes to stir the ingredients together before this loaf bakes to perfection in the oven. If you’d like to add in nuts, or a splash of vanilla extract, you can do that, too. 

Note: Buckwheat flour can vary from brand to brand, depending on if it is ground with the hull or not. If the flour looks gray or light blue in color, it will taste more bitter, so try to look for one that is lighter in color, as shown in the photo above. (I used Anthony’s buckwheat flour when testing this recipe.)

How to Make Buckwheat Banana Bread

1. Mash the bananas. 

You’ll need roughly 4 large bananas for this recipe, and make sure they have lots of brown spots on their skin for the best flavor. I find it’s easiest to mash bananas with a fork on a plate, but you can also use an electric hand mixer to break them down quickly in a bowl. 

You should get about 1 3/4 cup of mashed banana from 4 large bananas. If you get slightly more or less, that should be okay, too. 

If you are working with smaller bananas, you may want to use an extra one to reach at least 1 1/2 cups of mashed banana for this recipe. (You can find the measurement in grams in the recipe below, if you like to be extra precise.)

2. Mix well. 

Transfer the mashed banana to a bowl and add in the wet ingredients, like olive oil and eggs. Mix well.

Then, add in the dry ingredients, like the buckwheat flour, coconut sugar, baking powder, cinnamon and salt. Use a spatula or electric mixer to mix until the batter looks smooth, and no lumps remain. 

3. Bake. 

Prepare a 9-by-5-inch loaf pan by spraying it lightly with oil, then press a piece of parchment paper into the bottom of the pan. The oil will hold the parchment in place, so it won’t move while you pour the batter into the loaf tin. 

Bake at 350ºF for 50 minutes, or until the loaf rises and cracks in the center. 

4. Enjoy!

Remove the banana bread from the oven, and let it cool in the pan for at least 30 minutes. Then use the parchment paper to lift the bread out of the pan, and let it cool completely on a wire rack.

When the bread is cool, it is ready to slice and serve. 

Storage Tips: Leftover banana bread can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days. Or you can freeze it for up to 3 months. I recommend slicing and freezing it with parchment paper in between each slice so you can thaw it easily later.

Common Questions & Substitutions

Which buckwheat flour works best? Store-bought buckwheat flour can vary drastically in taste and color. Some brands will have a blue-gray hue, and a more bitter taste, while others are more lightly colored with a mild flavor. I tested this recipe with Anthony’s organic buckwheat flour, which is on the lighter side. You can also make your own buckwheat flour by grinding buckwheat groats in a blender or coffee grinder.

Can I replace the oil? Instead of olive oil, you can use melted coconut oil or butter. Keep in mind that these two options become solid when chilled, so the bread won’t feel as moist when it cools. (That is why most bread recipes call for vegetable oil instead of butter.) For an oil-free option, you can most likely swap the oil for applesauce or extra banana, but it might affect the texture slightly.

Can I use maple syrup as the sweetener? I’ve tested this recipe with a 1/2 cup of maple syrup instead of the granulated sugar, and the texture is a little more solid and gummy. If you don’t mind a different texture, feel free to experiment with it! You can also use any other granulated sugar you have on hand, but if you use white or brown sugar, I’d reduce the amount you use to only 3/4 cup, since they are sweeter than coconut sugar.

Can I use baking soda? You can usually replace baking powder with baking soda by using only half the amount, plus adding a teaspoon of vinegar or lemon juice. So, you could use 1 teaspoon of baking soda in this recipe plus 1 teaspoon of vinegar with similar results. Baking powder is double-acting, so you’ll get a bread that rises better when you use it.

Can I bake this recipe as muffins? Sure! Muffins usually require only 22 to 25 minutes of baking, so they will cook faster this way compared to a loaf pan.

More Buckwheat Recipes

Looking for more ways to use buckwheat? Try these!

Buckwheat Pancakes. These pancakes are baked instead of pan-fried, so you can bake the whole batch at once! They use banana instead of eggs, so they are vegan friendly and make an easy meal prep idea that you can reheat in the toaster. 

Buckwheat Chocolate Chip Cookies. These cookies are naturally gluten-free, dairy-free, and egg-free for those with special dietary needs. 

If you try this healthy buckwheat banana bread recipe, please leave a comment and star rating below letting me know how you like it!