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Vegan buckwheat banana bread may soon be your favorite of all banana breads! It is naturally gluten-free, egg-free, and dairy-free, as well as low in added sugar.
Vegan & Gluten Free Banana Bread Made with Buckwheat Flour
My whole grain flour obsession du jour is buckwheat. I’ve been using buckwheat flour in combination with wheat flour for years, but now I’m learning to savor it solo.
Sweet-tooth me, a cake-y banana bread seemed a great place to start. Hello, Vegan Buckwheat Banana Bread!
What is Buckwheat?
You may already have an affection for buckwheat, too without having thought about it much: think savory French crepes with melting Gruyere (the ultimate street food IMHO) or a big bowl of earthy Japanese soba noodles. But if baking with buckwheat is unfamiliar terrain, then it’s time to explore.
Buckwheat is actually one of the oldest crops in the world and is naturally gluten-free. Despite the misleading name, buckwheat has no relationship to wheat at all; it’s actually a fruit seed (related to rhubarb—who would have thunk?), not a grain.
Why Should I Bake with Buckwheat Flour?
When buckwheat is milled, buckwheat produces a flour that is light and fine-textured. It is a very absorbent—more so than wheat flour—and works wonders in baked goods. Think crisp cookies and tender as can be breads, cakes and muffins.
And the flavor! Buckwheat flour gives baked goods a rich, earthy flavor akin to nuts (walnuts and pecans come to mind in particular).
Is Buckwheat Flour Nutritious?
Buckwheat (whole, or milled into flour) is very nutritious indeed!
If you need further incentive to give buckwheat flour a try, with this bread or in another recipe, consider this: buckwheat, like quinoa, contains a full spectrum of essential amino acids, making it one of the few vegetable sources of complete protein that equals the protein of fish or meat in quality. Perhaps I should rename this “power banana bread?”
Which brings me to my banana bread.
Everyone who buys bananas ends up with some brown bananas, so it’s my position that one can never have too many recipes that use them up. I prefer simple recipes to deal with my banana bounty, and this bread fits the bill. It is mixed up in minutes and tastes like cake, despite being low in added sugar and all-round healthy.
Happy baking!
More Great GF & Vegan Buckwheat Recipes:
Buckwheat Almond Shortbread Cookies
Vegan Buckwheat Banana Bread (gluten-free)
- Prep Time: 10 mins
- Cook Time: 40 mins
- Total Time: 50 mins
- Yield: 12 slices 1x
- Diet: Vegan
Description
Vegan buckwheat banana bread may soon be your favorite of all banana breads! It is naturally gluten-free, egg-free, and dairy-free, as well as low in added sugar.
Ingredients
- 1 and 3/4 cups buckwheat flour
- 1/3 cup coconut sugar (or brown sugar)
- 2 and 1/4 teaspoons baking powder
- 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- 1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt
- 1/3 cup vegetable oil
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 and 3/4 cups mashed VERY ripe bananas
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F (175C). Lightly spray a 9×5-inch loaf with nonstick cooking spray (optional , but recommended: also line with parchment paper).
- In a large bowl, whisk together the buckwheat flour, coconut sugar, baking powder, cinnamon, and salt.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the oil, vanilla and bananas; add to flour mixture and stir with a wooden spoon until just blended.
- Spread batter evenly in prepared pan.
- Bake in the preheated oven for 50 to 55 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out with a few moist crumbs attached. Let cool 20 minutes in pan on a wire rack. Remove loaf and cool completely before slicing.
Notes
Storage: Store the cooled bread at room temperature in a cake keeper, or loosely wrapped in foil or plastic wrap, for up to 3 days. Alternatively, wrap the cooled bread in plastic wrap, then foil, completely enclosing bread, and freeze for up to 6 months. Let cake thaw at room temperature for 2 to 3 hours before serving.
- Category: Bread
- Method: Baking
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 slice (1/12 of loaf)
- Calories: 120
- Sugar: 10 g
- Sodium: 140.3 mg
- Fat: 2.8 g
- Saturated Fat: 0.2 g
- Carbohydrates: 22.1 g
- Fiber: 3.5 g
- Protein: 2.6 g
- Cholesterol: 0 mg
Keywords: buckwheat banana bread, vegan banana bread, vegan, buckwheat flour, gluten-free, healthy banana bread, egg-free, dairy-free
Do you think this would work with maple syrup instead of the sugar
Hi Lillia,
I think that will work just fine. Perhaps decrease the mashed banana to 1 and 2/3 cups 🙂
I made this cake for Easter and it is delicious. I would really like to know the Nutritional Facts for it as I am a Diabetic and it would really help me out. Can you please send them to me.
In appreciation,
Helen
Thank you Camilla this is just what I’ve been looking for! My little one year old is allergic to dairy and hasn’t been eating well lately; I need to fatten him up and was told buckwheat flour is a good place to start. Can’t wait to try this recipe – and a few others too!
sounds absolutely scrumptious, Joanne!
This cake is delightful even though I didn’t have the right ingredients. I can’t find buckwheat flour in town since my favourite toko shut down. So I used spelt flour instead because it has a similar consistency. Also, I used dried cranberries, it gives the bread nice zing!
>>>Raising hand…If you have buckwheat groats (the grain) you can grind buckwheat in a coffee grinder. You can get them at a good health food store. 🙂
P.S. I love you and your recipes and thank you for all your hard work.
Thank you so much for sharing the tip, Laura ❤️ And thanks a million for the generous compliments!
Love the look of this bread! I will definitely have to find time to make this.
I’ve made this bread twice now. Made a few mods on the second try, and it turned out even better! – cut the oil to 1/4c (coconut oil), and also cut the sugar to about 1/4 c. The texture was a little less oily, with a really nice texture! We love this bread!!
Jhenny,
Sounds fabulous! I am going to have to try with the stevia sub and the other additions. As for the red velvet: have you tried beet powder? You can get it on amazon. I have a bag sitting in my pantry (been meaning to test the red velvet with it–adds sweetness as well as deep red color). Fresh beets could also work, but might take some experimenting. As much as I love saffron, I think it would really alter the flavor (and wow, expensive :)).
Love that you stopped by–I’ll be back to posting this week! Camilla 🙂
Thank you for this post. It was exactly what I was looking to make this morning. LOVE your recipes. I’m excited to try your raw recipes. I’ve been dabbling with raw for 3 years. I like your “flexitarian” flare. I was so excited about the “velvetty cake” post I had to call my daughter over to the computer to see the blood red batter. I’m considering making it with raspberry and saffron to make red. What do you think?