This post may contain affiliate links. Please read my disclosure and privacy policy.
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)

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 9x5-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.
Nutrition Information
Serving Size
1 slice (1/12 of loaf)Amount Per Serving Calories 120Total Fat 2.8gSaturated Fat 0.2gTrans Fat 0gUnsaturated Fat 0gCholesterol 0mgSodium 140.3mgCarbohydrates 22.1gFiber 3.5gSugar 10gProtein 2.6g
Patti
Sunday 28th of November 2021
Did you change this recipe? I have it pinned on pinterest, and I'm pretty sure it used to have nuts and chocolate chips. Could you post the original again, if you changed it?
Jen
Tuesday 12th of October 2021
I love buckwheat and look forward to trying this. I wonder why it looks fairly light? The buckwheat flour I have is very dark and I’m sure the cake would look black.does your flour have a different flavor? Just curious.
Camilla
Wednesday 13th of October 2021
Hi Jen! You can buy light buckwheat flour sa well as the more traditional dark buckwheat flour. The latter is more robust in flavor--either variety will work here!
Leigh Jansen
Friday 2nd of July 2021
Made this! Soooo good!!!
Michelle
Sunday 25th of April 2021
Why did you not add the bananas & sugar to the fermented buckwheat groats bread recipe?
I've made blender buckwheat flour pancakes, with milk & a whole banana, but the recipe became unreliable - the batter took awhile to cook & stuck to the skillet. I started with flour milled from the groats, then I tried commercially ground, organic flour - nothing helped.
Camilla
Wednesday 28th of April 2021
That would probably be great, Michelle! I would love to know if you try it :)
Karen
Sunday 21st of February 2021
Hi Is there any way you can give the ingredients in grams please? Thanks Karen