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Banana Buckwheat Muffin

March 2, 2016

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Banana Buckwheat Muffin
Let's talk about my new love, these banana buckwheat muffins! The farther away I've travelled from the west coast, the worse and worse the muffins begin to taste. And this has consistently really bummed me out. There, I said it. Phewf, that was oddly releasing. I always think optimistically about new cities and coffee shops, I've even been known to google search 'best muffins in so and so town', but these tactics are never to any avail. I'll walk in, press my little face to the glass, taking one look in the case of fluffy white cakes, and shutter away in disappointment.

I clearly remember the one time this summer in New York, when I was unorganized and therefore found myself out of the house and famished. I headed into a coffee shop before work and saw a blueberry muffin which appeared really promising. At mt internship I eagerly dug into the top (like the true Elaine I am), only to discover the weird taste of artificial cake and the icky feeling of pasty white flour and sensation of greasy fingertips. A sudden wave of disappointment hit me, and I'm pretty sure the rest of it laid untouched all day. 


I don't know why, but the hippy-dippy lifestyle of the Pacific coast offerers the prime conditions for nourishing and fulfilling muffins that are second to none. Unlike said oversized, gummy-centred, mini cakes often found in cafes and bakeries most other places, west coast muffins are heartier, less sweet, and often full of wholegrain goodness. And that's just the way I like them! While I know that 'hockey puck' bran muffins aren't for everyone, there is certainly something to be said for having a breakfast/ tea time snack that doesn't leave you feeling empty, or worse yet, just gross, after eating.

These banana buckwheat muffins are the perfect happy medium. By replacing the white flour with wholegrain, adding fibre with fruit, and reducing oils and sugars, I've come to a happy medium where west coast hippie muffins and east coast cakes can mingle and become one. Tossing in some dark chocolate chips helps to bring these buckwheat banana muffins from the realm of "healthy hippy" to that of cakey indulgence without sacrificing flavour, texture, or healthfulness. Aaaaand just putting this out there, my guy who is very particular to what he calls tasty, called these yummy more than once (we actually made three batches they were so good)!

Banana Buckwheat Muffin

Banana Buckwheat Muffin

SUBSTITUTIONS

Need your muffins to be nut-free?—try grinding sunflower seeds instead of the almonds 

Want fruit instead of choclate?—add frozen blueberries instead of chocolate chips

Looking for gluten free?—make sure you use certified gluten-free oats

Vegetarian—dairy can be used in place of oil and plant-based milk

Don't have arrowroot powder?—try using tapioca starch 

Banana Buckwheat Muffin

Banana Buckwheat Muffin

Banana Buckwheat Muffin

Banana Buckwheat Muffin

Continue to Content
Yield: 10

Banana Buckwheat Muffin

Banana Buckwheat Muffin

If you are wanting to make these with gluten, they work just as well if you replace the flours called for with spelt, which is what I did here. And this recipe halves perfectly too.

Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 25 minutes
Total Time 35 minutes

Ingredients

  • 1 cup Almond Flour (or 3/4 Cup Almonds)
  • 1 cup Rolled Oats
  • 2/3 cup Buckwheat Flour
  • 2 Tbsp Arrowroot Powder
  • 1/3 cup Coconut Sugar
  • 3/4 tsp Baking Powder
  • 1/2 tsp Baking Soda
  • 1/2 tsp Cinnamon
  • 1/4 tsp Ground Nutmeg
  • 1/2 tsp Sea Salt
  • 1 1/2 cups Mashed Banana
  • 1/3 cup Avocado or Coconut Oil
  • 1 tsp Lemon Juice or Apple Cider Vinegar
  • 1/4 cup Plant Milk
  • 1 tsp Vanilla
  • 3/4 - 1 cup Dark Chocolate Chips (depending on taste)

Instructions

  1. Begin by adding rolled oats to a blender and pureeing them until they turn into a coarse flour, then set aside.
  2. If using whole almonds, process them in the same way until they too are flour. If you are using almond flour instead, then just skip this step.
  3. Add the ground oats, 1 cup of almond flour, the buckwheat, arrowroot, sugar, baking powder, soda, salt, and spices in a bowl. Stir to combine.
  4. In a separate bowl combine the banana, oil, lemon juice, milk and vanilla, stirring well. Combine the wet ingredients to the dry and mix just until combined. Lastly, stir in the chocolate.
  5. Divide batter amongst 10 lined muffin cups and sprinkle the tops with a little bit of almond flour if desired. Bake in a 190 C (375 F) for about 25 minutes or until the tops spring back when lightly touched.
© Sophie MacKenzie

Banana Buckwheat Muffin

Banana Buckwheat Muffin

Banana Buckwheat Muffin

xox Sophie

Filed Under: Whole food Breakfast Tagged With: Banana, Buckwheat, chocolate, muffin, oats

Previous Post: « Harissa Fries with Cashew Mayo
Next Post: Rainbow Rolls with Creamy Miso »

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Mandy says

    August 16, 2016 at 12:12 am

    These look amazing
    Just discovered your blog
    Have lots of recipes to catch up on!

    Reply
    • sophamac@gmail.com says

      September 06, 2016 at 6:55 pm

      Oh, how lovely to hear, Mandy! I'm so pleased you like the site, welcome!! xox

      Reply
  2. Priya says

    November 08, 2016 at 2:59 am

    Hi Sophie, this recioe looks fab. Could I use oat flour or buckwheat flour instead if almond. What other sugar/sweetener coukd I use? (Maple syrup, honey, muscovado sugar etc?) Priya x

    Reply
    • sophamac@gmail.com says

      November 10, 2016 at 9:16 pm

      Hello Priya!!
      More oat flour would be a great sub. Muscovado sugar or any other less refined sugar would also be wonderful. As for maple syrup, just make sure you reduce the milk by a couple Tbsp. I hope you enjoy <3

      Reply
  3. Jess Gulbranson says

    January 12, 2017 at 4:04 pm

    These are so, so good! I love how they fill me up and how much sweetness all those bananas give! Thank you for sharing!!

    Reply
    • sophamac@gmail.com says

      January 13, 2017 at 9:56 pm

      I'm so happy you like the recipe, Jess! xox

      Reply
  4. Alex says

    March 14, 2017 at 2:34 pm

    These muffins look so wonderful and filling, perfect for a guilt-free snack or small meal. I bet these would be great slathered with mashed avocado on top!

    Reply
    • Sophie says

      March 14, 2017 at 5:27 pm

      Thanks, Alex! They do make a great little snack or breakfast. I'll have to try the mashed avo idea! I never even thought of that 🙂

      Reply
      • Rawan says

        August 21, 2019 at 5:31 pm

        These muffins look so beautiful. I can’t wait to try them but,I have a question. Can I replace the almond flour with whole wheat flour or oat flour.
        Thanks in advance 😊😊

        Reply
  5. Sara says

    March 16, 2017 at 6:59 pm

    First of all, LOVE your reference to Elaine - those tops are always the best! 🙂 But seriously, these muffins look sooo dreamy! I have yet to try buckwheat but have been wanting to for awhile. These look like a great place to start!

    Reply
    • Sophie says

      March 28, 2017 at 6:10 am

      I'm so happy to hear you're an Elaine too! Elaines unite 😉 ! As far as gluten free flour goes, buckwheat is in my top three, for sure. It's especially lovely when it's mixed with another flour to help add some lightness. I hope you give these a try. They are totally one of our homes favourites.

      Reply
  6. Dina says

    March 28, 2017 at 4:01 am

    I had been in search of a wheat free muffin for ages. This is hands down the best yet! In terms of texture, flavour, healthyness etc. Will make this many more times!

    Reply
    • Sophie says

      March 28, 2017 at 6:11 am

      Thank you so much, Dina! I'm thrilled to hear that these are just what you wanted <3

      Reply
  7. Isis says

    May 09, 2017 at 1:26 pm

    Hi, what is the purpose of arrow root powder? I'm not sure I can get my hands on it and am wondering how I might be able to substitute it.

    Reply
    • Sophie says

      May 10, 2017 at 1:00 am

      Hello Isis! The arrow root powder helps to bind the gluten free mix. You could easily use a Tbsp. of corn starch with similar results. In all honesty, you could probably get away with not using it at all, and maybe add a touch more flour, but I have not tested it. Best of luck, Sophie <3

      Reply
      • Jaimie says

        March 01, 2019 at 5:04 pm

        Is that one tbsp cornstarch to the 2 tbsp of arrowroot?

        Reply
  8. Shay says

    August 15, 2017 at 6:58 pm

    Hi Sophie,
    I tried the buckwheat flour for the bread recipe and you are right it's really dense and heavy. It looks like a flat chocolate brownie. Lol! I wish it was right now! I will use groats as you recommended for bread. I will now gives this muffin recipe a go. Looks so delicious!! Do you need baking powder if you just have baking soda? Thanks xx

    Reply
    • Sophie says

      August 17, 2017 at 4:55 pm

      Oh, no! So sorry to hear of the baking disaster. That happens to the best of us, trust me. I like to add a little bit of both raising agents in the recipe since banana's tend to make things heavy and dense, so this gives it some nice volume.

      Reply
  9. Juliana says

    September 06, 2017 at 4:17 pm

    SCRUMPTIOUS!!! Thank you for the wonderful recipe and the beautiful photographs. I'll be making these again and again. Five stars!

    Reply
    • Sophie says

      September 08, 2017 at 4:26 am

      Ah, truly the best comment ever! So happy you love the recipe, Juliana <3 xox

      Reply
  10. Elma says

    September 28, 2017 at 1:30 pm

    Recipe sounds good! I would love to try it tomorrow, but I wonder how many bananas have you used in the recipe?
    Tnx

    Reply
    • Sophie says

      September 28, 2017 at 4:44 pm

      Hey Elma! I think three large or 4 small should yield 1 1/2 cups. I hope you enjoy <3

      Reply
  11. Voykana says

    February 23, 2018 at 10:04 am

    Hi Sophie,
    I was looking for something to treat a friend on a gluten-free diet when I found your blog and the recipe. She loved it! Also it turned out to be a hit with my husband who hardly ever glances at anything sweet that does not have a heavy chocolate+butter+eggs filling in it. And it has certainly become one of my favourites. It has this amazing mellow texture and fullness of taste. What I want to say, your recipe works like magic. 🙂 Thank you so much for sharing!
    PS I use 1tsp kudzu instead of arrowroot because I can't find it.

    Reply
    • Sophie says

      August 11, 2018 at 7:10 pm

      Oh this makes me so happy! Thank you so much, Voykana <3

      Reply
  12. Tia says

    March 20, 2018 at 10:00 pm

    HI! This recipe looks AMAZINGG, just came across your blog and everything looks so good! Is there a different type of flour I could use to replace the almond flour (because of allergies)??

    Reply
    • Sophie says

      August 11, 2018 at 7:09 pm

      Sorry sorry Tina! I just say this! I always sub ground sunflower seeds when recipes call for almond flour. I have a feeling it could work here but it might not be pretty.

      Reply
  13. Lucy says

    May 23, 2018 at 1:27 am

    Wow, these muffins are to die for!!! Thanks for the great recipe, Sophie xoxo

    Reply
    • Sophie says

      August 11, 2018 at 7:10 pm

      thank you, Lucy!!!! 🙂

      Reply
  14. Sheilina Burt says

    June 14, 2018 at 8:45 pm

    I just made these for the second time., this time with dried berries instead of the chocolate chips. Still delicious. My toddler and husband enjoyed them as well! I think I may use it as a base recipe and experiment with some other flavors and add-ins.

    Thanks so much for the recipe!

    Reply
    • Sophie says

      August 11, 2018 at 7:08 pm

      Oh yay! I love hearing this, Sheilina! Happy experimenting 🙂

      Reply
  15. Andrea Shome says

    June 25, 2018 at 9:28 pm

    Made these this weekend and they were fabulous!! Definitely a keeper recipe! Followed it to a T 🙂

    Reply
    • Sophie says

      August 11, 2018 at 7:05 pm

      Thanks Andrea! So happy you like them <3

      Reply
  16. Michell Fleisher says

    July 06, 2018 at 1:14 am

    I love this recipe! The muffins are hearty and flavorful. Thank you!

    Reply
    • Sophie says

      August 11, 2018 at 7:06 pm

      Yay, thanks Michelle! <3

      Reply
  17. Anna says

    July 31, 2018 at 6:14 pm

    Hi Sophie,
    These are so tasty! I cut back on the coconut sugar to 1/4 cup, subbed lots of fresh blueberries instead of chocolate & did a few shakes of cardamom instead of nutmeg. Thank you for this amazing recipe, it is a new favorite for sure!

    Reply
    • Sophie says

      August 11, 2018 at 7:07 pm

      Oh my gosh, yes! Love the blueberry addition. I've been meaning to thy that for months now. Thats so great they work with less sugar!

      Reply
  18. Stephanie Steffen says

    October 28, 2018 at 2:46 am

    These were amazing! I added less sugar and they were still yummy! I also added walnuts and rasberrys and chia and they were Awesome! Thank you for this recipe!

    Reply
    • Sophie says

      January 08, 2020 at 10:20 am

      love those ads-ins! So happy you like them

      Reply
  19. Anna says

    December 19, 2018 at 6:11 pm

    These are my favorite gf vegan muffin ever!!! So so good! Thank you so much. Been trying for 2yrs to make a good gf vegan muffin and you have succeeded. Not chewy or gummy just soft and delish! I didnt have arrowroot or almond though so I subbed the almond flour with half coconut flour and half gf flour that had arrowroot and it worked perfect still. Going to buy ingredients and try your recipe next. Thanks again so so much. Oh and my kids liked it too!

    Reply
  20. Sam says

    January 20, 2019 at 6:20 pm

    Hi Sophie,
    Gonna give these a try !!!
    What could I use instead of the Plant Milk ??
    Thanks so much :))
    Sam

    Reply
    • Sophie says

      January 08, 2020 at 10:18 am

      you can use regular milk if that is what you eat. Enjoy!

      Reply
  21. Kim says

    January 25, 2019 at 3:45 am

    I am gluten free and thought that’s oats were nit allowed?

    Reply
    • Sophie says

      January 08, 2020 at 10:20 am

      You can get gluten-free oats. The problem with most oats is that they are made in the same facilities as glutenous grains (and have cross-contamination), but you can buy some they aren't. I think Bobs Red Mills has some 🙂

      Reply
  22. Molly says

    February 17, 2019 at 11:36 pm

    These are fabulous!! I used brown sugar instead of coconut sugar and olive oil. I could see lots of combos. Next time I may try to sub in some cornmeal as I love the taste.

    Reply
  23. Brooke says

    February 25, 2019 at 7:42 pm

    Hi Sophie! I'm looking forward to trying this recipe! There's a coffee shop in town that has the best buckwheat/chocolate chip muffins and I've been searching for a similar recipe!! I'm wondering what would happen without the bananas? And what if I just used dairy milk? Those are the only ingredients I'm lacking. Not an advanced enough baker to know if those things will make a difference. Thanks!

    Reply
  24. rowena says

    March 25, 2019 at 12:04 am

    Hi Sophie - could the oats be swapped out for more buckwheat flour, do you think? We're trying to cut down on grain intake, hence the eating of more buckwheat!

    Reply
    • Sophie says

      April 20, 2019 at 6:02 pm

      Hello Rowena, I don't see why not. Buckwheat could make them a little more dense and dry, so you might want to try 50/50 buckwheat and almond. Good luck 🙂

      Reply
  25. Alena says

    May 12, 2019 at 7:34 pm

    Hi! Do you have the nutrition info for these muffins? I'm tracking my calories and macronutrients for fitness purposes and would like to be able to log these muffins. Super yummy!

    Reply
  26. Elka says

    May 21, 2019 at 10:55 pm

    We really loved these muffins! Mine didn’t look like yours but they still tasted amazing. I made some changes: I used 1 cup of sliced raw almonds; for buckwheat I soaked 1/2c of raw buckwheat for an hour, washed and drained it and then blended with banana and other wet ingredients; instead of arrowroot powder I used tapioca flour because that’s what I had; I also used 1/4c of maple syrup instead of sugar and used only 2 Tbsp of home made nut milk. I also only added 1 big choc chip per muffin as it was mainly for kids although everyone loooved them and had them. Also I wanted to say you do not taste the buckwheat at all - probably due to cinnamon and spices (I also added ground ginger and cloves) delicious!!! Thanks for such an amazing recipe!!!

    Reply
  27. Britta says

    June 14, 2019 at 5:48 pm

    Absolutely love these muffins! Can't wait to share with my family!!! Thank you!

    Reply
  28. Jerianne says

    January 19, 2020 at 9:48 am

    Found these on a "what can I make with what I have on hand" Sunday morning. They are outstanding! My new favorite thing to do with over-ripe bananas.

    Reply
    • Sophie says

      January 19, 2020 at 10:02 am

      Oh yay, that makes me so happy to heat <3 Love that you had everything on hand!

      Reply
  29. Linda says

    January 27, 2020 at 12:54 pm

    Hello,
    I am just checking to make sure that this only calls for 1/2 c. banana. Most banana muffin recipe's seems to call for 1 cup or more. I was wondering if it's supposed to say 1and 1/2? Just wanted to make sure.
    I've got the dry ingredients all measured out, ready to bake tomorrow, so I am hoping you see this in time to reply.

    Thanks so much for your help.

    Reply
    • Sophie says

      January 27, 2020 at 6:51 pm

      Hi Linda! Good catch, I think some of the text was lost when I recently added a recipe card. It should be 1-1/2 cups of mashed bananas. Hope you enjoy 🙂

      Reply
      • Linda says

        January 28, 2020 at 7:35 am

        Oh, my gosh, thank you so much for replying so quickly!
        I really appreciate it.

        Reply
  30. Janelle says

    March 18, 2020 at 9:52 am

    I already have ground oat flour. I am wondering how much 1 cup of whole oats grinds down to? Thanks! Looking forward to trying your recipe!

    Reply
    • Sophie says

      March 18, 2020 at 1:30 pm

      I would say around 3/4 of a cup, but homemade oat flour is a little coarser, so maybe start with a little less and add as needed. Best of luck

      Reply
  31. Rose says

    March 31, 2020 at 8:30 am

    Hi, Could I use spelt flour instead of buckwheat flour?

    Reply
    • Sophie says

      March 31, 2020 at 9:25 am

      Hi Rose, I haven't tried but I'm sure a white spelt would work well.

      Reply
  32. Caroline says

    April 02, 2020 at 7:36 am

    Hello. Can I use more almond or buckwheat flour in place of the oat flour?

    Reply
    • Sophie says

      April 02, 2020 at 1:07 pm

      I haven't tried but I'm sure more almond would work better than more buckwheat. You could probably try another flour. I know someone asked about spelt, and I'm sure something like that or a g/f mix would work too 🙂

      Reply
      • Caroline says

        April 04, 2020 at 7:53 pm

        Okay thanks I will definitely be trying tomorrow. And I was also wondering if zucchini could be folded into the batter or would that cause too much moisture?

        Reply
        • Sophie says

          April 05, 2020 at 9:06 am

          Good question. It will totally add some moisture, hopefully not too much. If you do try it, be sure to squeeze out as much water from the greated zucchini as possible.

          Reply
  33. Olga says

    April 11, 2020 at 2:18 am

    HI Sophie, I love the sound og this recipe but I don't often make muffins and don't own a muffin pan. Do you think this will work in a loaf pan for a banana bread type thing? 🙂

    Reply
    • Sophie says

      April 11, 2020 at 8:30 am

      Hello Olga!
      I don't see why it wouldn't work. I would totally try it in a loaf pan, maybe baking for around 50-60 minutes before chcecking. Good luck 🙂

      Reply
      • Olga says

        April 11, 2020 at 6:23 pm

        Thanks Sophie, I'll report back when I try

        Reply
        • Olga says

          June 21, 2020 at 2:22 am

          Hi Sophie, I have made this recipe so many times since april, it's our favourite, thank you so much! I tried baking it in a loaf pan, it worked ok but the top was separating a little bit and it was hard to slice. I've since got a muffin pan just for this recipe.

          Reply
  34. Grace says

    April 12, 2020 at 5:29 pm

    These are amazing! So fluffy and deliciously balanced with the almond/buckwheat/oat flours.

    Reply
  35. Estefany says

    April 15, 2020 at 1:38 pm

    There are amazing !! My boyfriend and I are definitely making these regularly!!! How long would you say they last ? And do I just put them in the fridge or maybe a glass tupper ?

    Reply
  36. Estefany Carrillo says

    April 15, 2020 at 1:49 pm

    These are so delicious!! My boyfriend and I will be making these again!! This is my first time making muffins of this type, do you know how long they last or how to store for maximum freshness ?

    Reply
    • Sophie says

      April 15, 2020 at 3:03 pm

      so happy you liked them. They should keep for a few days in an airtight container on the counter 🙂

      Reply
  37. Pk says

    May 22, 2020 at 2:08 pm

    Best vegan baked good I have made thus far!! This recipe is a gem 🙌🏿

    Reply
    • Sophie says

      May 23, 2020 at 8:38 am

      Thank you so much! I'm delighted to hear you love them <3

      Reply
  38. Victoria says

    June 14, 2020 at 7:01 pm

    Hi there,
    Should I use dark (unhulled) or light (hulled) buckwheat flour?

    Reply
    • Sophie says

      June 15, 2020 at 7:22 am

      Hi Victoria, either will work! I like the nuttiness of the darker buckwheat here, but otherwise, there won’t be much of a difference. 🙂

      Reply
  39. Nroa says

    June 21, 2020 at 8:33 pm

    I love these muffins so much, I have it saved in my bookmarks and I use it all the time. I like to use some applesauce to make up for the lack of banana I have on hand sometimes. This is a recipe I will use for years to come. Thank you very much for the post.

    Reply
  40. Sydney says

    July 04, 2020 at 4:54 pm

    Great recipe! First time I'm on the blog so excited to see what else you've got cooking. These muffins are super fluffy and moist! I also only had one ripe banana so subbed the rest of the 1 1/2 cups with applesauce and it turned out great. Curious to what I can sub for the coconut oil, just for fun...almond butter, perhaps? These seems like a pretty forgiving recipe if you want to experiment, which I totally do! Thanks!

    Reply
  41. Kara says

    September 07, 2020 at 6:24 am

    These are literally my favorite muffins ever. I have one family member who is gluten intolerant. I tried a few recipes for GF muffins, and was so happy to find this recipe. My entire family LOVES these. Thank you for such a fabulous recipe!

    Reply
  42. Sunshine baker says

    February 20, 2021 at 8:48 am

    These were good. One of my kids ate 3 already! And my other kid didn’t like them at all, too much texture for him. I substituted canola oil, granulated sugar, lemon juice and 2% milk since I didn’t have some of the ingredients called for in the recipe. I also added 1/4 cup milk protein powder. I used 1/8 tsp nutmeg since I didn’t want it to be overpowering. I didn’t have any arrowroot powder, but I’ll try it next time. They took 16 min. to bake at 350F.

    Reply

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