This Buckwheat Banana Bread is moist, tender, and lightly sweet with warm cinnamon, ripe banana, and the naturally nutty flavor of buckwheat. Made with 100% buckwheat flour, ground flaxseed, and tahini, it's naturally gluten-free, vegan, and made without oil.
Unlike traditional banana bread, this recipe uses just 2 tablespoons of maple syrup for the entire recipe. Very ripe bananas provide most of the sweetness while keeping the bread moist.
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Jump to:
- 🔍 Quick Look: Buckwheat Banana Bread
- 👩🏽⚕️ Dietitian's Note
- 👩🏼🌾 Ingredients
- 🍌 Substitutions
- 📝 How to Make Buckwheat Banana Bread
- ✔️ Storage & Expert Tips
- 🙋🏽♀️ Recipe FAQs
- 🍌 More Banana Recipes
- 🍰 More Healthy Desserts
- 👩🏽🍳 Made this recipe?
- ⚖️ Convert the Recipe to Metric (g & mL)
- Buckwheat Banana Bread Recipe
- 🛍️ Shop Recipe Cookware and Ingredients
- 💬 Comments
🔍 Quick Look: Buckwheat Banana Bread
- ⏱️ Prep Time: 10 minutes
- 🎛️ Cook Time: 30 minutes
- 👥 Servings: Makes 4 servings
- 📊 Calories: ~365 kcal
- 💪🏼 Nutrition: 10 grams of protein and 9 grams of fiber
- 👩🏽🍳 Flavor Profile: Nutty, warmly spiced, and banana-forward with a lightly sweet finish. Buckwheat has a deeper, earthier flavor than wheat or oat flour, which pairs especially well with ripe bananas, cinnamon, vanilla, and creamy tahini.
- ⭐ Difficulty: Easy. Mix the flax egg, combine the wet and dry ingredients, fold everything together, and bake. The most important tip is not to overmix the batter.
👩🏽⚕️ Dietitian's Note
Buckwheat is technically a seed rather than a grain, and it's naturally gluten-free. It's also a nutrient-dense flour that provides protein, fiber, iron, magnesium, and other minerals.
This recipe combines buckwheat with ground flaxseed and tahini, adding additional fiber, healthy fats, and plant-based protein.
One serving provides approximately 10 grams of protein, 9 grams of fiber, and 3 mg of iron.
I also like that ripe bananas do most of the sweetening here. The entire recipe uses only 2 tablespoons of maple syrup, so the flavor is lightly sweet rather than dessert-like.
Why You'll Love This Recipe:
This Buckwheat Banana Bread is delicious and easy to make. Plus, it's:
- Moist and tender with a hearty, satisfying texture
- Warm, with a nutty flavor from buckwheat, tahini, cinnamon, and banana
- Made with 100% buckwheat flour
- Naturally gluten-free and vegan
- Made without oil
- Naturally sweetened with ripe bananas and a small amount of maple syrup
- Provides 10 grams of protein and 9 grams of fiber per serving
- Easy to make with simple pantry ingredients
👩🏼🌾 Ingredients
Below, I share ingredient notes from both a nutrition expert's and trained chef's perspective.
- Buckwheat flour - Gives the bread its hearty texture and distinctive nutty flavor. Because buckwheat is a seed rather than wheat, it is naturally gluten-free.
- Very ripe bananas - Use bananas with plenty of brown spots. They provide natural sweetness, moisture, and banana flavor.
- Ground flaxseed - Mixed with water to form flax eggs that help bind the loaf. Flaxseed also adds fiber and plant-based omega-3 fats.
- Tahini - Adds richness and a subtle toasted sesame flavor without needing oil.
- Maple syrup - Just 2 tablespoons enhance the natural sweetness of the ripe bananas without making the loaf overly sweet.
- Cinnamon - Adds warmth and complements both banana and buckwheat.
- Vanilla extract - Rounds out the earthy buckwheat and brings out the sweetness of the bananas.
- Lemon juice - Adds brightness while providing acidity to react with the baking soda and help the bread rise.
- Nondairy milk - Adds just enough moisture to create the right batter consistency. I prefer unsweetened soy milk for its creamy texture and higher protein content.
- Baking powder + baking soda - Give this 100% buckwheat loaf lift and a lighter texture.
See the recipe card for quantities.
🍌 Substitutions
This recipe is versatile and easy to adapt. Below are some simple ingredient substitutions.
- Nondairy milk - Use soy, oat, almond, cashew, or your choice of milk. I prefer soy for its high protein content and creamy texture.
- Flaxseed meal - use golden flaxseed meal or regular ground flaxseed.
- Sweetener - Add vegan chocolate chips, extra maple syrup, or date paste to the batter if you prefer a sweeter banana bread.
📝 How to Make Buckwheat Banana Bread
The complete recipe with exact amounts is below. These additional tips will help you get the best results.
- Preheat the oven to 380ºF. Make the flax egg: In a small bowl, mix the flaxseed meal with water and refrigerate for at least 10 minutes.
- In a medium bowl, mix the dry ingredients. Combine the buckwheat flour, baking powder, baking soda, and cinnamon.
- In a small bowl, mix the tahini, water, and maple syrup until smooth. Transfer the bananas to a large bowl and mash until smooth.
- Add the lemon juice, flax eggs, tahini mixture, and vanilla to the mashed bananas. Add the mixed dry ingredients and fold to incorporate. Then add the milk.
- Fold to combine.
- Transfer the mixture to a 9-inch baking pan or similar pan. The batter should not be more than about 2 ½-inches high. Top with granola (optional).
- Bake Buckwheat Banana Bread for about 30 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean when inserted into the center of the loaf.
✔️ Storage & Expert Tips
Storage
Place the remaining Buckwheat Banana Bread in an airtight container and store it on the kitchen countertop for up to 3 days.
To freeze, let the bread cool completely, slice it, and freeze the individual slices in an airtight freezer-safe container. Place parchment between the slices so you can easily remove one at a time.
Expert Tips
Follow this recipe as written for the best result. I guarantee your Gluten-Free Buckwheat Banana Bread will be perfectly moist and delicious if follow these tips:
- Use very ripe bananas. The riper the bananas, the sweeter and more flavorful your bread will be.
- Do not overmix the batter. Fold the dry ingredients into the wet, and then fold in the milk.
- Don't make the batter too deep. Keep it to about 2½ inches deep so the center cooks through evenly.
- 30 minutes at 380ºF should be the perfect baking time.
- Let it cool before slicing. Gluten-free quick breads continue to set as they cool.
- For serving: Enjoy as is, or warm your slice in the microwave or oven.
- For a sweeter Buckwheat Banana Bread, mix a little maple syrup or agave with some warm water and drizzle over the warm banana bread. Or add vegan chocolate chips plus more maple syrup or date paste to the batter.
🙋🏽♀️ Recipe FAQs
Yes. Buckwheat is naturally gluten-free despite having "wheat" in its name. If you need the recipe to be strictly gluten-free, make sure all packaged ingredients you use are certified gluten-free as needed.
Yes, when the recipe is formulated specifically for it. This banana bread was developed using 100% buckwheat flour, so you do not need to combine it with wheat flour or a gluten-free flour blend.
Buckwheat has a deeper, nuttier, slightly earthy flavor compared with wheat flour. Ripe bananas, cinnamon, vanilla, tahini, and maple syrup balance that earthiness and give this loaf a warm, lightly sweet flavor.
Buckwheat and wheat flour have different nutritional profiles, so one isn't inherently "better" for everyone. Buckwheat is naturally gluten-free and provides fiber, plant-based protein, iron, magnesium, and several other micronutrients.
🍌 More Banana Recipes
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This Protein Banana Bread is a complete, healthy, and naturally sweetened breakfast.
My Banana Loaf with Yogurt is flour-free, naturally sweetened with bananas and dates, boosted with plant protein, and made extra tender with yogurt instead of oil.
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Buckwheat Banana Bread Recipe
Ingredients
For the flax egg:
- 2 tablespoons flaxseed meal
- 5 tablespoons water
For the tahini sweetener:
- 3 tablespoons tahini
- 5 tablespoons warm water
- 2 tablespoons maple syrup
For the banana bread:
- 1 ½ cups buckwheat flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon salt optional
- 3 large ripe bananas
- 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice (about ½ lemon)
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ⅓ cup nondairy milk
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Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 380ºF.
- Make the flax egg: In a small bowl, mix the flaxseed meal with water and refrigerate for at least 10 minutes.
- Make the tahini sweetener: In a small bowl, mix the tahini, water, and maple syrup until smooth.
- In a medium bowl, mix the dry ingredients. Combine the buckwheat flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt (if using).
- Mix wet ingredients: Transfer the bananas to a large bowl and mash until smooth. Add the lemon juice, flax eggs, tahini mixture, and vanilla. Add the mixed dry ingredients and fold to incorporate. Add the milk and fold to combine. Do not overmix.
- Transfer the mixture to a 9-inch baking pan or similar pan. The batter should not be more than about 2 ½-inches high. Top with granola (optional).
- Bake for about 30 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean when inserted into the center of the loaf.
- Transfer to a cooling rack for at least 10 minutes before slicing.
Notes
-
- Do not overmix the batter. Fold the dry ingredients into the wet, and then fold in the milk.
-
- For serving: Enjoy as is, or warm your slice in the microwave or oven.
-
- To make it sweeter, mix a little maple syrup or agave with some warm water and drizzle over the warm banana bread. Or add vegan chocolate chips, extra maple syrup, or date paste to the batter.
-
- Storage: Place the remaining Buckwheat Banana Bread in an airtight container and store it on the kitchen countertop for up to 3 days.
Nutrition
This information is provided as a courtesy and is only an estimate. Nutritional values may vary depending on factors such as product types and brands used.
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Ravneet says
It came out so light and delicious! Everyone love it. The best and easiest recipe for banana bread I have tried. Thank you, Nisha!
Nisha Melvani, RDN says
So happy to hear it turned out well. Thank you.
mrs sap says
can you use almond four in place of buckwheat flour?
Nisha Melvani, RDN says
I have not tested it but it should work.
Mary says
Thank you for this recipe. A great alternative to my buckwheat pancakes.
Now, has anyone tried freezing this bread? I’m going to give it a go anyway but just thought I’d ask🤗
Nisha Melvani, RDN says
I have not but I'm curious how it turns out. Keep us posted!
Yuki says
This looks wonderful. If I wanted to actually use the real egg, how many eggs do I use for x1 recipe? Thanks.
Nisha Melvani, RDN says
2 small eggs should work.
Sarah says
Will never be baking in a high tin again! Love that it's an even bake and in half the time. Good recipe.
Nisha Melvani, RDN says
Thank you! So glad you enjoyed it.
Rebecca Robin says
What would be a good substitute for cinnamon in this and similar recipes? I like the flavor but am allergic to this spice.
Nisha Melvani, RDN says
You can use a pinch of allspice (the dried, unripened berry of the pimento tree), or nutmeg and cloves. Cloves are packed with antioxidants.
Martin Maurais says
I had my doubts, but they were unfounded. This is very nice - moist, tender, flavorful, beautiful. I cheated, though; i used two eggs instead of the flax "egg".
Nisha Melvani, RDN says
Yayyyy I'm so glad you took a risk and enjoyed it!
Judy says
This seems more like banana cake rather than bread because of the pan. Is it possible to put it in a bread pan? If so, how long would I bake it?
Nisha Melvani, RDN says
Yes you can do this but it is easier to test for doneness in the pan I suggested as buckwheat tends to be very soft. I will take a bit longer to fully bake so keep checking every 5 minutes after the recommended baking time in this recipe.
Jessica says
This bread was surprisingly delicious! I had to go gluten free over a year ago and refined sugar free 4 months ago. I've been on the hunt for easy, satisfying treats and this has quickly become a favorite. I don't think it needs any extra sweetner, but I'll try some granola or chopped nuts on top next time. Thank you for sharing such a healthy and tasty recipe!
Nisha Melvani, RDN says
I'm so glad you enjoyed it! My new ebook on healthy breakfasts and snacks will be perfect for you!
https://cooking-for-peanuts.ck.page/products/clean-healthy-eats-breakfast
Jenny says
Quick question- My sister is allergic to citrus and I wanted to make it for her.
Can I leave out the lemon or substitute something?
I made this for our family. We all loved it.
I have loved everything I have tried of yours.
Truly love your site and videos.
Nisha Melvani, RDN says
Hi! Yes! Use apple cider vinegar instead. Thank you for your kind comment.
Walter Lewis says
Hi can Buckwheat Banana Bread be made in an instant pot by using the 6 cup Bundt pan.I make Banana Bread Gluten Free by using Almond Flour in the IP
Nisha Melvani, RDN says
Hi. I have not tested this but I think it would work. I have that pan actually!
David longoria says
I made the recipe and it was delicious. I did not se maple syrup and just relied on the bananas for the sweetness. If I wanted I would have used monk fruit. But the recipe is excellent. Thank you for sharing.
Nisha Melvani, RDN says
I'm so glad you enjoyed it! Thank you.
Julie says
Delicious and a great way to use up old bananas. I used Rye flour instead which I found a bit stodgy, will try buckwheat next time. Love your recipes. Thank you for your inspiration. 👏❤️
Nisha Melvani, RDN says
I'm so glad you tried it. Yes, buckwheat has the perfect texture for this recipe.
Denise says
YUM! I followed recipe, but added 1/2 cup dark chocolate morsels. Will definitely make again.
Nisha Melvani, RDN says
Such a delicious addition. Thank you for commenting.
jacquie says
could i replace the bananas with pumpkin or applesauce? I don't use bananas but really want to use more buckwheat. Thanks.
Nisha Melvani, RDN says
Hi! I haven't tested it but I think about 1 1/2 cups of applesauce should work. Let me know!
Andreea Ioana Călin says
Hey! Thank you for your wonderful and nutritious receipes! I have a question, if I will mix the lemon juice with the baking soda, to make it react, will that make the banana bread fluffier?
Nisha Melvani, RDN says
They do get mixed when you add the dry to the wet. It ends up quite fluffy considering it's buckwheat. I liked the texture.
Andrea says
I added some vegan chocolate chips and it came out perfect. I put apricot jam on top when eating, really good flavor combination.
The texture of this banana bread reminds me of poppy seed containing Hungarian cakes. Really yummy alternative.
Nisha Melvani, RDN says
Thank you. I would love this with apricot jam. Great idea! Have a good week.
Rabab says
Just made this yesterday, and it was absolutely delicious and satisfying!!
It's the perfect sweetness for me, so I'm super happy with it.
Added cardamom powder and nutmeg along with the cinnamon 😀👍🏼!
Nisha Melvani, RDN says
Oooh love these additions! Thank you for your comment and enhancements!
Padma says
Your recipe was just in time. I had the ingredients and I was able to make it. It was delicious. I made it twice. First time I felt it could a be little bit sweeter so the second time around I added half cup of date paste and few vegan chocolate chips. It is a keeper. Thank you so much for the recipe. With all the allergies it's difficult to find recipes that actually work..👌
Nisha Melvani, RDN says
So glad you enjoyed it. Great ideas for making it sweeter. Thank you.
Cleardee says
Looks fab. Only got two small bananas so need to get some more to make this!
I’ve got buckwheat groats and wonder if I could put these in food processor to make flour?
Nisha Melvani, RDN says
It should work! Just get it fine like flour. You need more banana otherwise make half the recipe with what you have.
Susan says
I don't have buckwheat flower but I do have almond flour and oats to make oat flour. Can I swap for these? Thanks Nisha?
Nisha Melvani, RDN says
I haven't tested it with those but my guess is both would work. I'm more confident about the oat. Maybe mix the two!
Susan says
Thanks Nisha!
Malin says
I wounder if i can add some soy proteinpowder? Reduce the other flour?
Nisha Melvani, RDN says
You can try. I have only tested it as written and it works really well but you never know until you do it! I would try.
Kayleen says
Hi Nisha, the bread & the recipe look amazing! Question though, I'm allergic to tahini, could you recommend a replacement for that? Thanks in advance & may you have a blessed day!
Nisha Melvani, RDN says
Hi.Oil can be used instead. Use 1/3 cup and omit the water and tahini.
Malin says
Peanut butter?almond butter? Or cashew butter. I would try:)
Nisha Melvani, RDN says
It will be delicious with all three!
Bea says
Double checking is the baking temperature 380F? Thank you!
Nisha Melvani, RDN says
Yes!