Despite its name, buckwheat isn’t related to wheat. It’s a pseudocereal, meaning 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 than other gluten-free flour. Buckwheat flour can sometimes taste more bitter than white flour, so this recipe calls for less flour than expected. When you pair it with plenty of ripe bananas, coconut sugar, and a touch of cinnamon, it tastes like a slice of banana bread you’d buy from a coffee shop.
Ingredients You’ll Need
Buckwheat flour can vary from brand to brand, depending on whether it is ground with the hull or not. If the flour looks gray or light blue, it will taste more bitter, so try to look for one that is lighter in color, as shown in the ingredient photo. I used Anthony’s buckwheat flour (affiliate link) when testing this recipe. If you’d like to add in nuts, or a splash of vanilla extract, you can do that, too.
How to Make Buckwheat Banana Bread
- Mash the bananas. For this recipe, you’ll need roughly 4 large bananas, 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 cups 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.)
- Mix well. Transfer the mashed banana to a bowl and add the wet ingredients, like olive oil and eggs. Mix well. Then, add the dry ingredients, like buckwheat flour, coconut sugar, baking powder, cinnamon, and salt. Stir with a spatula or whisk until the batter looks smooth and no lumps remain.
- 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. If you’d like to add a topping, now is the time to sprinkle on a few chocolate chips or chopped pecans. You can also fold in any other chopped nuts if you’d like texture throughout the loaf. Bake at 350ºF for 50 minutes or until the loaf rises and cracks in the center. A toothpick should come out clean when inserted into the center of the cooked quick bread. 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.
Looking for more buckwheat recipes? Try Buckwheat Pancakes or Buckwheat Chocolate Chip Cookies for more ideas. (They are vegan-friendly, too!) If you try this healthy buckwheat banana bread recipe, please leave a comment and star rating below letting me know how you like it!
