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    Home » Recipes » Muffins

    Easy Buckwheat Muffins Recipe: Gluten-Free & Dairy-Free

    Published: Mar 2, 2021 · Modified: Mar 3, 2024 by Christine · This post may contain affiliate links · Leave a Comment

    Jump to Recipe
    hand holding a muffin

    Healthy, hearty and super simple - These buckwheat muffins need to be in your recipe book! They are incredibly tasty and a delicious way to get a healthy dose of flax seeds into your diet.

    muffins served in a basket

    Mid-day snack attacks don't stand a chance when you have these hearty muffins within reach! Honest to goodness, they are the best buckwheat muffins you'll ever make and eat - they're tender with a slightly nutty flavor, filled with sweet apples and have the perfect glaze topping to take them over the top.

    And since the recipe only needs a spoon or whisk to stir (no mixer required!) it's an easy way to get a yummy snack on the table quickly.

    Jump to:
    • Buckwheat Flour Muffins at a Glance
    • Ingredients & Substitutions
    • Step-by-Step to Buckwheat Muffins
    • Add-ins & Options
    • Storage Tips
    • Pro Tips
    • FAQs
    • More Buckwheat Recipes
    • Recipe

    Buckwheat Flour Muffins at a Glance

    If buckwheat flour is a new flour to you, head over to this guide to gluten-free flours to read a little more about it. But anything made with buckwheat flour makes for a wholesome baked good. Besides that, this easy recipe is also:

    • Easy to mix with just a sturdy or wooden spoon or whisk
    • Convenient - instead of typical convenience food, you can have homemade muffins!
    • Allergy friendly - the recipe is free from gluten, dairy, nuts (omit the pecans), and soy
    • Less sugar than most muffin recipes

    Ingredients & Substitutions

    • Flax Seed: The flaxseed is ground for this recipe. Whole flax seed may be used, but it leaves larger seeds visible in the baked muffins.
    • Buckwheat Flour: The light buckwheat flour is the star of the recipe. There is dark buckwheat flour, but I recommend the light version here. I would not recommend substituting the buckwheat as it would change the entire recipe. Check out these recipes using other gluten-free flours, like these almond flour blueberry muffins or these oat flour apple muffins.
    • Baking Powder: The baking powder is a leavening agent, needed for adding lift and volume to the muffins. Make sure your baking powder is gluten free.
    • Salt: The salt brings out the flavor of the spices.
    • Cinnamon: The cinnamon adds spice to the muffins. There is not substitute for the cinnamon.
    • Nutmeg: The nutmeg adds a wonderful spice to the muffins.
    • Egg: Use a whole egg in this recipe. To make vegan buckwheat muffins, an alternative to the egg would be a flax egg or chia egg.
    • Almond Milk: Feel free to use any non-dairy milk in this recipe. Coconut milk, oat milk or cashew milk would work fine.
    • Vanilla Extract: Use pure vanilla extract.
    • Vegetable Oil: Oil is needed as a fat for the muffins. Melted coconut oil, olive oil, canola oil, or sunflower oil could be substituted for the vegetable oil.
    • Brown Sugar: The light brown sugar lends a caramelized flavor to the muffins. Coconut sugar could be substituted for the brown sugar for a refined sugar free muffin. Liquid sweeteners like maple syrup or honey, could also be used as the amount is not enough to disrupt the dry to liquid ingredient ratio.
    • Granulated Sugar: The white sugar balances out the softness of the brown sugar.
    • Apple: Use peeled and diced apples for best results. See the Add-ins section for other ideas.
    • Pecans: Chop the pecans so they mix easily into batter. You may substitute chopped walnuts as well.

    Exact measurements and instructions for making this buckwheat muffin recipe are in the recipe card below.

    Step-by-Step to Buckwheat Muffins

    dry ingredients in a bowl

    STEP ONE: Use a large mixing bowl and add the flax seeds, buckwheat flour, baking powder, salt, cinnamon and nutmeg. Mix everything together with a spoon.

    wet ingredients in a bowl

    STEP TWO: In a medium bowl, add the wet ingredients - egg, milk, vanilla, sugars, and oil. Stir together.

    Note that you could do this recipe in a food processor, just process once or twice once the apples and nuts ae added.

    batter mixed in a glass bowl

    STEP THREE: All at once, add the liquid ingredients to the large bowl with the dry ingredients. Stir until everything is completely mixed.

    batter with adding nuts and apples

    STEP FOUR: Stir in the chopped apples and nuts.

    muffins baked in a muffin tin

    STEP FIVE: After the batter rest time, portion the batter into ten muffin cups. Bake the muffins in a prepared muffin tin at 350F for 17 minutes.

    baked muffin on a wire rack

    STEP SIX: Allow the baked muffins to cool in the muffin pan for 5 minutes, then remove from the pan to cool completely on a wire rack.

    Add-ins & Options

    The powdered sugar glaze on these muffins is completely optional but it does make them look beautiful if you're serving them to guests. If they're just being devoured as quickly as you can make them, I'd just skip the glaze.

    frosting ingredients in a bowl

    STEP ONE: Mix together 1 Tablespoon of very soft butter with 1 cup of powdered sugar. You'll basically mash the butter with a fork until it's fully combined. Then add 1-2 Tablespoons of milk until it's a drizzle consistency.

    muffins on a wire rack drizzled with glaze

    STEP TWO: Drizzle the cooled muffins with the glaze. Tip: Keep the muffins on a cooling rack or on parchment for mess-free drizzling.

    Other add-in ideas include:

    • Replace the apple with a cup of chocolate chips
    • Replace the apple with blueberries for buckwheat blueberry muffins
    • Replace the apple with mashed banana for banana buckwheat muffins
    • Omit the nuts or replace them with walnuts or almonds.

    Storage Tips

    These muffins can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for up to two days. Any longer than that and you'll need to freeze them for longer storage. Defrost muffins in a toaster oven or in the microwave for 1 minute.

    Pro Tips

    Rest Time

    I get a lot of questions about the 'rest time' for gluten free batter. But basically after the batter is fully mixed, this 30 minute period of time gives the batter time to absorb the ingredients (liquid hydrates the flours) which will result in lighter textured and higher rising baked goods.

    Room Temperature Ingredients

    Bring all the ingredients to room temperature so everything mixes together completely. Cold ingredients don't mix well, so warm up that cold egg and almond milk.

    Tip: If you want to quickly warm milk or water, simply microwave for about 30 seconds. Instructions for warming a cold egg can be found here.

    Weigh Ingredients

    Be sure to weigh the flour and flax seeds for the most accurate measurements using a kitchen scale such as this one. One cup of buckwheat flour may not be the same weight as what's used in the recipe - which can really alter the results!

    FAQs

    How do I store these muffins?

    The best way to store them is in a well sealed, plastic container. They'll last for up to 2 days on the countertop or you can easily freeze them if you need them to last longer. They freeze really well!

    Can I add things like blueberries, chocolate chips or shredded carrots instead of apples?

    Blueberry buckwheat muffins would be delicious! A cup of any of these would be delicious. Just add them after the batter is fully mixed, basically when you'd add the apples, add the ingredient you want to substitute with.

    What else can I do with buckwheat flour?

    Lots! Make some buckwheat bread, or buckwheat banana bread or even buckwheat pancakes.

    Can I make these vegan?

    Good news - these can easily be made vegan. They're already dairy free, so with just a swap of the egg with a chia egg, they can be vegan too. Follow the link for how to make an egg substitute.

    More Buckwheat Recipes

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    Did you make and love this recipe? Give it your review and star rating rating below! And make sure to follow me on Instagram, Pinterest and Facebook too!

    Recipe

    muffins in a basket

    Buckwheat Muffins: Gluten Free & Dairy Free

    Healthy, hearty and super simple - These buckwheat muffins need to be in your recipe book! They are incredibly tasty and a delicious way to get a healthy dose of flax seeds into your diet.
    4.50 from 2 votes
    Print Pin Rate
    Course: Appetizer, Breakfast, Snack
    Cuisine: American
    Diet: Gluten Free, Low Lactose
    Prep Time: 15 minutes minutes
    Cook Time: 17 minutes minutes
    Rest time: 30 minutes minutes
    Total Time: 1 hour hour 2 minutes minutes
    Servings: 10 muffins
    Calories: 232kcal
    Author: Christine

    Ingredients

    For muffins:

    • 24 grams flax seed about ¼ cup
    • 115 grams buckwheat flour about ¾ cup
    • 1 teaspoon baking powder
    • ¼ teaspoon salt
    • 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
    • ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
    • 1 large egg
    • ½ cup almond milk
    • 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
    • ¼ cup vegetable oil
    • 30 grams brown sugar about 2 Tablespoons
    • 30 grams granulated sugar about 2 Tablespoons
    • 1 cup apple peeled and chopped
    • ½ cup chopped pecans optional

    For glaze:

    • 1 Tablespoon vegan butter very soft
    • 125 grams powdered sugar about 1 cup
    • 1 Tablespoon almond milk might need an extra Tablespoon

    Instructions

    For muffins:

    • In a large bowl, add the flax seed, buckwheat flour, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Mix until completely combined.
    • In a medium bowl, add the egg, almond milk, vanilla extract, vegetable oil, brown sugar, and granulated sugar. Mix until well blended.
    • Add the egg mixture to the flour mixture all at once. Stir until combined.
    • Fold the chopped apples and nuts into the batter.
    • Set batter aside to rest for 30 minutes.
    • Preheat oven to 350 F. Spray a 12 cup muffin tin with cooking spray.
    • Portion muffin batter into 10 cups of the muffin tin.
    • Bake for 15-17 minutes or until a toothpick tests done. Cool on a wire rack.

    For glaze:

    • In a small bowl, add softened butter and 1 cup powdered sugar. Mix together with a fork until fully incorporated.
    • Add milk and stir. Add an additional Tablespoon milk until it reaches drizzle consistency.
    • Drizzle over cooled muffins and serve.

    Notes

    • Make sure all ingredients are at room temperature.
    • Weigh the flour for the best results.
    • Muffins can be served with or without glaze.
     

    Nutrition

    Calories: 232kcal | Carbohydrates: 29g | Protein: 3g | Fat: 12g | Saturated Fat: 6g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 19mg | Sodium: 96mg | Potassium: 183mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 19g | Vitamin A: 70IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 59mg | Iron: 1mg
    Tried this Recipe? Tag me Today!Mention @zest_for_baking or tag #zestforbaking!

    Original pictures:

    side shot of stack of muffins
    hand holding up the inside of a muffin

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    4.50 from 2 votes (2 ratings without comment)

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    Christine Brady.

    Hi, I'm Christine, a gluten free baker and baking problem-solver. I love baking breads and sharing best practices so that everyone can bake tasty treats too. Zest For Baking (est. 2013) is where you'll find gluten free (and dairy free) recipes, tips for substituting ingredients, and help navigating the world of gluten free baking.

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    Since 2013, Christine has been helping readers with gluten free baking challenges and substitution issues, all while creating delicious gluten free baking recipes that no one would guess are actually gluten free. Her Zest For Baking recipes have been featured on Beyond Celiac, The Daily Meal, Bloglovin' and Dr. Axe, to name a few. When she's not hanging out on Facebook or sharing pictures on Instagram or pinning on Pinterest, you can find her in her kitchen, creating more ZestForBaking.com recipes!

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