Happy New Year Joyous reader!
Walker (my hubs) and I were reminiscing about our weekend bike rides in the summer because it's been really bone-chilling cold here in TO. Instead of a bike ride, I went to the gym and did 30 minutes on the elliptical -- doing my best! It was certainly not as lovely as a bike ride on the waterfront but movement is essential for joyous health on a daily basis.
When I got back home, I made this fluffy and cardamom-infused buckwheat banana bread. I call this healthy comfort food!
Buckwheat and I are finally friends...
It took me a few tries and I also experimented for book two by making buckwheat banana pancakes a number of times (which I've nailed, woohoo!). This banana bread turned out fantastic because I've figured out the formula!
What is buckwheat and what are the health benefits?
Despite the name, buckwheat is totally gluten-free. Buckwheat kernels are a triangular shape before they are ground into flour. Buckwheat contains a significant amount of fiber, and studies have shown that it helps slow down the rate of glucose absorption after a meal which help to balance your blood sugar. Buckwheat is also a good source of protein and calcium.
Buckwheat can be purchased at any health food store. You can buy "light" or "dark" buckwheat.
Here's the recipe...
Desserts
Buckwheat Banana Bread
Print
Dry Ingredients
- 1 cup buckwheat flour (you can use dark or light, I used dark)
- ½ tsp vanilla powder or 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 tsp ground cardamom or cinnamon
- 1 tsp baking soda
- ½ tsp baking powder
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- Wet ingredients
- 2 eggs, whisked
- 2 1/2 tbsp coconut oil, melted
- 3 ripe bananas, mashed
- 3 tbsp water
- Optional: 2-3 tbsp real maple syrup. I don't usually add this because the bananas are sweet enough.
- Also optional: 1/2 cup mini chocolate chips (Enjoy life is a brand that's nut and dairy-free) and 1/4 cup chopped walnuts
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350F.
- In a large bowl, combine the dry ingredients. In a separate bowl combine the wet ingredients. Add the wet to the dry ingredients and stir until combined. Pour into a greased loaf pan.
- Baked for 25 to 30 minutes. I now have a convection oven which cooks things a little faster. You know it's done when you stick a fork or knife into the center and it comes out clean.
Looking at this banana bread you'd think it was dense, but it's super light and very fluffy!! Or maybe a better description is "bouncy". YES! You may notice that many recipes for either breads or pancakes that have buckwheat flour often add other flours as well because it has a notable "buckwheat" flavour. I personally LOVE the flavour of buckwheat flour.
I enjoyed it with some sunflower seed butter, as per the photo above.
I added one of my fave Indian spices cardamom to this recipe because it's the sassy cousin of cinnamon. Besides, cinnamon gets enough time in the spotlight and cardamom too has incredible health benefits. That being said, if you're new to this sassy cousin then give it a sniff. If it doesn't suit your fancy then just swap it with cinnamon.
The nutritional health benefits of cardamom are as follows:
- Good source of minerals including: iron, potassium, calcium, magnesium
- That amazing smell cardamom has is due to the many volatile oils which are incredibly anti-inflammatory
- There are many more health benefits to cardamom such as improving digestion, acting as a diuretic, improving halitosis and more. But to be honest, for these benefits you are better off just drinking cardamom tea because the amount per slice is relatively low. That being said, it lends a warming flavour.
I can't wait for you to try this recipe and let me know what you think! I have another idea for this recipe so I'm looking forward to your feedback.
Have a joyous day!
Joy
I grew up on buckwheat pancakes and have recently been trying to find new recipes for what to do with buckwheat flour- this is perfect! I happened to have overripe bananas, and organic sprouted buckwheat flour when I read this. My recipe turned out perfectly - we will say what the kiddos say after school!
ReplyYay! That's awesome. Glad to hear it :)
Hi, I made the buckwheat banana bread and loved it ! I was wondering how long it keeps for in the fridge and can you freeze it? thank you, Karen
Where did you find organic sprouted buckwheat?
I just made this and my entire house now smells like the wonderful scent of cardamom. It is absolutely delicious thank you so much for sharing!!! I made it using an egg replacement of flax seeds instead and it worked equally well. Highly recommend making this!
ReplyPerfect! Thanks for letting me know it worked out without eggs!
Hi Jessica. Could you please let me know how much flax seeds you used for the egg replacement. Thank you.
I just want to say thank you for this amazing recipe!! I've been looking for a banana loaf since going gf and I'm so happy to have tried this amazing recipe!!! It's so yummy!!!
ReplyYAY! Glad you love it Ashley! It's so fluffy and yummy. Enjoy!
This was fantastic! Haven't even gotten through the first loaf and already thinking about making another one:) You're right - it was so fluffy. I'm tiring of GF/vegan recipes that turn out like bricks. Thanks so much!
ReplyMy pleasure! Glad you love it. I was thinking of turning it into a chocolate chip mint buckwheat b-bread next!
This looks really yummy! I tried to make bread the other day with buckwheat and it didn't work out at all! I'll definitely have to give your recipe a try! Buckwheat is too good for you to give up on :)
ReplyMade this banana bread yesterday and I am in love! So good. I added some chopped walnuts and it was a great compliment. Thanks for the recipe Joy!
ReplyHi Nikki, Sounds delicious! Thanks for sharing your recipe success! Kate - Joyous Health Team
Simply delicious! Very fluffy, flavourful and so comforting. I added the optional ingredients - maple syrup and chocolate chips - and the result was incredible. I will do this again and again :-) Thank you for sharing, all of your recipes are amazing.
ReplyHi Francesca, So glad the recipe was a success! Thanks for sharing your joyous modifications to it! Kate - Joyous Health Team
Just made this banana bread today! So delicious. I am slowing getting into baking here and there.... This recipe was so easy to make and turned out fantastic! Feels so wholesome eating it too :). I followed closely, except just added about 1/2 tsp of the cardamom. Thx!
ReplyThank you! This was great and I ate it all week as a snack – toasted it tasted great too!
ReplyI made this recipe and it was divine! My only comment was that I needed way more than 25-30 minutes of baking time. I was closer to 55 mins.
ReplyOh wow! Yes, that's significantly longer. What was the size of your pan? I'm wondering if loaf pan was considerably smaller than what I used then that might make sense. I also have a convection oven -- I will update the post because that probably makes a difference.
Joy - what size of loaf pan do you use for this recipe?
Not a standard size loaf pan but the standard size is what I always use now which is 8 ½ x 4 ½ x 2 ½. If you're using a standard size you may need to bake for a little longer.
Lovely banana bread! This recipe turned out perfect for me, thank you! XX
ReplyAwesome! Glad to hear it. Quite a few people have told me they made them into muffins too. :)
Can you make it without the cardamom? Don't have that in my house but have everything else! Thanks!
ReplyHi Jessica, Sure. It'll taste a bit different, but the recipe should still work. Kate - Joyous Health Team
you can always make the cardamom yourself with 1/2 nutmeg 1/2 cinnamon
Hey, this is great thanks! I actually made a vegan version of it, without the eggs....still solid and tasty! :)
ReplyGlad to hear the vegan version works! Kate - Joyous Health Team
This is yummy but took ages to cook in my oven. Nearly an hour and a bit too done around the edges. I'll use a cake tin next time. I think my loaf tin was probably the wrong shape.
ReplyI made this tonight and is it ever light and fluffy. It's perfect! I am sure if I made this for my boyfriend he would never know it was gluten free and healthy! I've been loving buckwheat flour lately in all sorts of recipes.
ReplyThis banana bread is incredible! I just made it last weekend during an afternoon, and by evening it was all gone. Quick, easy, and so yummy - needless to say, this recipe will be added to my list of favourites!
ReplyYay! So glad to hear you enjoyed it! Might be a good idea to double the recipe next time ;) Thanks for sharing. Heather- Joyous Health Team
Hello! I just made this recipe this weekend after looking for a buckwheat banana bread recipe and the texture came out amazing! It was soft and moist, but not in a dense cake way, but in a lighter sweet bread way. I prefer my recipes to be less sweet so I opted out of the maple syrup and added a tablespoon of water for moisture instead. My one modification would be to add slightly less cardamom, because it was just *a little* overpowering for me, but that may be because I decided not to add any other sweeteners. For me, 3/4 of a teaspoon may be enough, but that's just my preference. I just wanted to comment on how much I loved how this turned out otherwise!
ReplyHi Stephanie, thanks for sharing your version and insights! We will have to give it a whirl next time. Have you tried the Earl Gey Banana bread yet? It is sugar free :) http://www.joyoushealth.com/blog/2016/03/24/earl-grey-banana-bread/ Heather- Joyous Health Team
I made this recipe today and made 16 small muffins instead of a loaf. Baked for 12 minutes on convection oven. They were very tasty. Next time I will add cinnamon and nutmeg also. Thanks for the wonderful recipe. It has opened up endless possibilities with buckwheat flour.
ReplyThat's awesome! Thanks for sharing and happy baking :) Heather- Joyous Health team
Hello I was wandering if I can use Spelt flour? thanks
ReplyI'm sure that would work just fine. You might have to play around with the quantity a bit, but I say go for it! Heather- Joyous Health Team
Hi Joy, I made the banana bread today and it's simply great. My husband was reluctant at first when he found out the recipe called for 100% buckwheat flour .... He loved it and went for seconds! I added some walnuts and raisins to it. And you're right, no sugar or sweetener needed, tastes great with almond butter and a drizzle of honey. Thanks for sharing the recipe!
ReplyHi Gil! You are so welcome. We're thrilled to hear you both enjoyed it! Thanks for sharing :) Heather- Joyous Health Team
hi i want to ask to mix the ingredients, can i do without the mixer ? or should using mixer?
ReplyHi Priscilla! You can use a bowl to mix the ingredients. No mixer required! Enjoy Heather- Joyous Health Team
Whoa, whoa, get out the way with that good ininomatfro.
ReplyDelicious, healthy recipe and so simple... thank you so much for sharing.
ReplyHey Dee! So glad to hear you enjoyed it :) Rachel - Joyous Health Team
What size is your loaf pan and was you 350 oven temp At convection ?
ReplyHey Jenn, I followed up with Joy on this and she can't remember the size of the pan but any pan/size will work, it just depends on how thick you want it :) Rachel - Joyous Health Team
Hi. I baked this today, didn't add sugar and added 1/2 cup of chocolate chips. I used a silicon loaf pan (not a large pan) to bake it. I baked it for 35 minutes in a convection oven. It is really good but we are sampling it before supper which we shouldn't really do but couldn't resist. I like the recipe not only for the buckwheat but that you don't need to add sugar. It is a keeper.
ReplyHey Louise, So glad to hear you enjoyed it and were able to enjoy it without the sugar too. We wouldn't be able to resist it either, especially if it was fresh out of the oven! :) Rachel - Joyous Health Team
I just came across this recipe today and shall certainly try it. I am from India and I make buckwheat crepes (Indian style dosa), pancakes (chillas) just using water and without milk of any kind and also flat breads. Since I am on a gluten free diet and was craving for something sweet, this would be ideal. I could not locate your recipe for buckwheat pancakes. May I please have it or could you direct me to it. Thank you. Love to hear from you. Cheers!
ReplyHey Lalita, There is a great recipe in Joy's book, Joyous Detox, for Buckwheat Pancakes with Warmed Blueberries on pg. 105 or you can find another recipe here: https://www.joyoushealth.com/5875-blog-berry-gluten-free-pancakes :) Rachel - Joyous Health Team
This recipe is wonderful, it has produced perfect results for me! I prayed real hard and made some changes because I’m vegan. So, I used flaxseed egg substitute instead of eggs, I used coconut cream instead of milk, I used coconut oil instead of butter, and I added 3/4 cup of chopped pecans. Cooked the cake in old faithful, my cast iron skillet and it turned out absolutely delicious, pretty, moist, light and fluffy. I couldn’t have asked for a better cake! Thank you very, very, very, much!
ReplySo happy to hear it was a hit Karah! :) Rachel - Joyous Health Team
What a recipe! I am always apprehensive of using buckwheat for baking (I find it a little hard work) but this is FANTASTIC. Delish, thank you thank you thank you
ReplyGlad you love it!
I make muffins with this recipe and I use the maple syrup too and chocolate chips. Do you know how many calories or grams of sugar they would be in a regular muffin?
ReplyYummy! Great idea! I have no idea. You'd have to check the packaging of chocolate chips and do the math.
Hello !! I have organic buckwheat flour natures emporium brand. Can I use this anytime a recipie asks for sprouted buckwheat ? Lots or recipes say to buy buckwheat and grind yourself ?! I know I won’t do that Tnx.
ReplyYes you should be able to. I pretty much never buy buckwheat groats and grind them myself.
Great. Then I can make this!! Yeah!!! Hope all is well with your family 😊
ReplyThank you, you as well!
Hi Joy , I have all the ingredients ready to go to finally make today I see issues with pan sizes etc.( cooking time ) any clue what size your pan was.? My loaf pan is 9 in long by 5 wide x2.75 in I don’t wanna screw this up 🤪. Tnx a bunch
ReplyAny loaf pan will work - most are a pretty standard size. Just check it at the time it should be done if it's not done you can bake for a little longer. If the pan is smaller, it will take longer to cook because the b-bread will be thicker. Hope that helps!
Hi Joy! ILOVE this recipe! Now I always have this banana bread in my freezer. Buckwheat is so nutrious and this recipe is a great way to incorporate it in my diet. I shared this with my friends and family and it's a big hit! Thank you!
ReplySo happy to hear that! If you loved this banana bread, be sure to try this one too!! It's one of my most popular recipes: https://www.joyoushealth.com/27442-blog-chocolate-chip-banana-bread