1-Bowl Banana Buckwheat Muffins (Vegan + GF)

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Two banana buckwheat muffins on a paper liner with the first one partially eaten to show the fluffy crumb texture

The goal: portable, delicious, and a bit nutritious! And so banana buckwheat muffins were born! These nutty, wholesome muffins are vegan, gluten-free, naturally sweetened, and easy to make with just 1 bowl and 10 ingredients required. 

They’re great for after-school snacks, on-the-go breakfasts, and more! Grab your mixing bowl, let’s make muffins!

Potato starch, almond flour, buckwheat flour, water, cocout sugar, walnuts, vanilla, salt, baking soda, banana, and flaxseed meal

These 1-bowl buckwheat muffins begin with the wet ingredients: a flax egg, mashed banana, coconut sugar, a little oil, and vanilla.

Buckwheat can have a strong flavor on its own (and a dense texture), so it’s not always our go-to gluten-free flour. But when paired with another strong flavor like banana? This low glycemic, gluten-free nutrient powerhouse seed is going in our muffins!

Using a fork to mash a banana in a bowl with flax egg

Then it’s on to the dry ingredients: gluten-free flours, salt, and baking soda. To balance the denser texture of the buckwheat flour, we include almond flour and potato starch. The result? A wholesome, not-too-heavy muffin with a perfect crumb texture!

Using a spoon to add muffin batter to a lined muffin tin

The final step before baking: deciding whether these will be banana muffins or banana nut muffins. Adding walnuts gets our vote! But if you’re not a fan, no one will be mad if you leave them out. And they definitely won’t be mad if you go rogue and throw in some chocolate chips.

Stack of vegan gluten-free banana buckwheat muffins

We hope you LOVE these banana buckwheat muffins! They’re:

Nutty
Wholesome
Perfectly banana-y
A little sweet
Easy to make
& SO delicious!

These sturdy muffins are perfect for on-the-go breakfasts, brunch gatherings, after-school snacks, and so much more! Our Cinnamon Vanilla Dandelion Tea Latte and Easy Masala Chai would be delicious pairings.

More Wholesome Muffin Recipes

If you try this recipe, let us know! Leave a comment, rate it, and don’t forget to tag a photo @minimalistbaker on Instagram. Cheers, friends!

Two vegan gluten-free banana buckwheat muffins on a plate

1-Bowl Banana Buckwheat Muffins (Vegan + GF)

EASY, wholesome banana buckwheat muffins made in 1 bowl with just 10 ingredients! Vegan, gluten-free, naturally sweetened, and perfect as a quick snack or on-the-go breakfast!
Author Minimalist Baker
Print
Close up shot of a stack of two vegan and gluten-free banana buckwheat muffins
4.93 from 14 votes
Prep Time 25 minutes
Cook Time 35 minutes
Total Time 1 hour
Servings 10 (Muffins)
Course Breakfast, Snack
Cuisine Gluten-Free, Vegan
Freezer Friendly 1 month
Does it keep? 3-4 Days

Ingredients

  • 1 Tbsp flaxseed meal (to make flax egg)
  • 2 ½ Tbsp water (to make flax egg)
  • 2 medium ripe bananas
  • 1/2 cup coconut sugar*
  • 2 Tbsp avocado oil or melted coconut oil (or other neutral oil)
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • 1/3 cup buckwheat flour (homemade or store-bought)
  • 1/4 cup potato starch (NOT potato flour)
  • 1/4 cup almond flour* (we like Wellbee’s)
  • 3/4 tsp baking soda
  • 1/4 tsp sea salt
  • 1/2 cup chopped walnuts (optional)

Instructions

  • Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F (176 C) and line a standard-size muffin pan with paper liners. Set aside.
  • To a medium mixing bowl, add flaxseed meal and water. Stir to combine and let gel for 5 minutes.
  • Add the bananas to the flax mixture and mash well with a fork until only little chunks of banana remain. We prefer them to be pretty smooth! Next add coconut sugar, oil, and vanilla extract. Whisk well to combine. Add buckwheat flour, potato starch, almond flour, baking soda, and sea salt. Whisk until no flour streaks remain. If using walnuts, fold them into the batter at this point.
  • Divide the batter evenly between 10 muffin liners (or 12 if including walnuts // adjust if altering batch size) and bake for 35-40 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out with only a few crumbs.
  • Once cooked, let the muffins cool for 10 minutes in the muffin pan before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely before enjoying. Leftovers can be stored lightly covered at room temperature for up to 3-4 days or frozen for 1 month!

Video

Notes

*We haven’t tested this recipe with eggs, but it would likely work to replace the flaxseed meal + water with 1 egg if not vegan/egg-free. Let us know in the comments if you try it!
*If you tend to prefer less-sweet treats, you can use half the amount of coconut sugar with success. Make sure to let the muffins cool fully for best texture.
*Both homemade and store-bought buckwheat flour work well in this recipe. Store-bought will be a bit more dry and homemade a bit more moist.
*Almond flour keeps these muffins a little moist with a crumb-like texture. If you need to make them almond-free, cashew flour would be the next best option. If nut-free, you could try sunflower seed meal, but it may give your muffins a green-tinted color because of the way the seed meal reacts with baking soda.
*Nutrition information is a rough estimate calculated without optional ingredients.

Nutrition (1 of 10 servings)

Serving: 1 muffin Calories: 131 Carbohydrates: 22.6 g Protein: 1.5 g Fat: 4.6 g Saturated Fat: 0.5 g Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.9 g Monounsaturated Fat: 2.9 g Trans Fat: 0 g Cholesterol: 0 mg Sodium: 154 mg Potassium: 137 mg Fiber: 1.5 g Sugar: 12.8 g Vitamin A: 2 IU Vitamin C: 2 mg Calcium: 12 mg Iron: 0.3 mg

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  1. Lacey says

    Delicious! I doubled it for 12 big muffins, but used less coconut sugar because I ran out. I added my usual spices and used sliced almonds. And they are perfectly nutty, sweet and satisfying!

    • Avatar for Dana @ Minimalist BakerSupport @ Minimalist Baker says

      Amazing! Those additions sound extra delicious. Thank you for sharing, Lacey! xo

  2. Amanda says

    Just made these with pecans instead of walnuts, and they turned out good! I do wish I had read the comments beforehand, because I pulled them at 25 minutes and they are a bit overbaked. Made 10 muffins with the nuts.

  3. Dana says

    This was a delicious recipe, and a great way to incorporate buckwheat into something truly tasty. I did make a few modifications based on ingredients I had: I used egg instead of the flax mixture, and I used regular flour in lieu of the potato flour. I’m not sure if it was because of those modifications, but the baking time was much less than the recipe called for – about 18-20 mins. Also, the batter made less than the recipe states. I got about 7-8 muffins instead of the 10 stated (I didn’t add walnuts).

  4. Laura says

    Love this recipe. Have made it twice. The volume it makes depends not only on whether you add nuts, but also on the banana size. My first try made 12 muffins, the second 9. Both sets were delicious.

    • Avatar for Dana @ Minimalist BakerSupport @ Minimalist Baker says

      We’re so glad you enjoy it, Laura! Thanks so much for the lovely review and for sharing your experience. xo

  5. Królowa Hummus says

    These are SUPER delicious and easy to make. I used almond butter instead of coconut oil and only 1/2 the amount of coconut sugar. My muffins also only took 17 minutes to bake.

    • Avatar for Dana @ Minimalist BakerSupport @ Minimalist Baker says

      We’re so glad you enjoyed them! Thank you for the lovely review and for sharing your modifications! xo

    • Avatar for Dana @ Minimalist BakerSupport @ Minimalist Baker says

      Hi Crystal! We haven’t tried these without potato starch, but other readers have had success using tapioca starch!

  6. Elisabeth says

    Is there a weight or cup measure equivalent for the bananas? I usually freeze overripe bananas and break them into small pieces before freezing them, so I can’t tell how much is a full banana.

    • Avatar for Dana @ Minimalist BakerSupport @ Minimalist Baker says

      Hi Elisabeth, we didn’t weight them specifically when making this recipe, but 2 medium bananas are typically ~220 grams (after peeling). Hope that helps!

  7. Meg says

    I doubled the recipe to get a dozen r
    full-size muffins. No nuts on hand, but raisins and coconut flakes subbed in are very yummy. Used real eggs and these muffins turned out excellent!!

  8. Kate says

    Delicious! I made with half the sweetener and still found it plenty sweet (could reduce even more for my liking as the bananas provide enough sweet on their own.) I subbed aquafaba for the oil to make them oil-free, and added 1/3 cup raisins in addition to the 1/2 cup nuts (pecans instead of walnuts due to an allergy.) Sadly, it only made 8 regular sized muffins, so I will double the recipe next time. Baked for 25 mins per suggestion of another commenter, and it was perfect. Thoroughly enjoyed by all!

    I’d love to experiment with making this as an 8×8 cake, but have no idea what the bake time would be.

    • Avatar for Dana @ Minimalist BakerSupport @ Minimalist Baker says

      Amazing! We’re so glad you enjoyed the result, Kate. Thank you for sharing! We’d recommend adding an extra ~10 minutes for an 8 x 8 cake, checking with a toothpick inserted into the center to tell when it’s done. We’d love to hear how it goes!

  9. Geri L Habstritt says

    These muffins were absolutely DELICIOUS!! I made them exactly as the recipe called except I used extremely ripe bananas like you would use for traditional banana bread. I only got 9 small muffins even with the walnuts. Next time I won’t use quite as ripe bananas. I lost much of the texture and lift because of this.

    • Avatar for Dana @ Minimalist BakerSupport @ Minimalist Baker says

      Thanks so much for sharing your experience, Geri! We’re so glad you still enjoyed the muffins! xo

    • Avatar for Dana @ Minimalist BakerSupport @ Minimalist Baker says

      Hi Corelia, we don’t have a more classic flavored version, but on page 256 in our cookbook, there’s a recipe for Peanut Butter Cup Puffed Rice Bars sweetened with maple syrup and dates. Hope that helps!

  10. Tammy says

    I (almost) have no words for these. Incredible. Delicious. Moist. Ah-mazing texture. I just don’t even know! I have a problem with (most) baked goods that are gf. The texture and/or moisture content just gets me. These. THESE. MY gosh. Not even the most discerning taste buds (mine!) will be able to tell these are gf.

    These were SO easy to make. One bowl, 12 amazing muffins (how could I not put the chopped walnuts in?!). The taste is everything you want in a snack or breakfast. Thanks for your hard work and superb recipes!

  11. Genet E Harris says

    I made this recipe by running buckwheat groats through the blender. These were the most tender, light, fluffy and airy muffins ever ! They did not look at all like the picture but they were delicious! They were almost risen too much with high domed tops and a little crumbly so I am thinking of reducing the leaveners next time. I’m not sure what I did differently but I will certainly do it again ! LoL !
    I also added different spices (ginger, nutmeg, cinnamon mix).

  12. Melissa says

    These muffins turned out great! I absolutely love buckwheat anything, & have much experience using buckwheat in many different recipes. I made a few modifications, as I try to avoid consuming too much sugar. I only used 1 Tbsp. pure organic maple syrup, instead of the recommended 1/2 c. coconut sugar, & they were plenty sweet enough due to the medium ripe bananas, so 1 Tbsp. maple syrup worked out perfectly! :) Also I used tapioca starch instead of potato starch, and the texture was absolutely perfect, using flax eggs & added 1/4 c almond flour. Didn’t use walnuts due to allergies. This recipe calls for 10-12 muffins, mine was only 7 muffins, and baking time of 25-30 minutes was enough, anything more than that they would’ve been too dark. I added this recipe to my favorites, & will definitely be making it again. Delicious recipe like always! Thank you, & looking forward to many more!

    • Avatar for Dana @ Minimalist BakerSupport @ Minimalist Baker says

      We’re so glad you enjoyed them, Melissa! Thanks so much for the lovely review and for sharing your modifications. xo

  13. Cheryl Renock says

    I want to make these however do not want to use coconut sugar. Can I substitute maple syrup unless you have something in mind. thanks.

    • Avatar for Dana @ Minimalist BakerSupport @ Minimalist Baker says

      Hi Cheryl, we haven’t tested this one with maple syrup, but it might work. Let us know if you try it!

  14. Ella Datskiy says

    I just made these and have no regrets. So yummy. I also used 1 regular egg instead of the flax egg and it still turned out good. Thank you!

  15. Lori says

    These muffins look wonderful! Would arrowroot powder or tapioca flour work in place of the potato starch? Thank you!

    • Avatar for Dana @ Minimalist BakerSupport @ Minimalist Baker says

      Hi Lori, another reader just tested with tapioca starch and reported it worked! We do think they will turn out a bit more dense and gummy though. Hope that helps!

  16. Ann says

    These sound delicious! I am trying to stay oil-free, do you think using peanut butter, almond butter, or apple sauce could work as a substitute in this recipe?

    • Avatar for Dana @ Minimalist BakerSupport @ Minimalist Baker says

      Hi Ann, We do think that could work! They might be a little more moist and tender. Let us know if you try it!

    • Avatar for Dana @ Minimalist BakerSupport @ Minimalist Baker says

      Hi Marine, it wouldn’t be as absorbent, but it could possibly work if you used more of it? Or maybe mixed it with a nut/seed meal (cashew, sunflower, etc.) for better texture. Let us know if you do some experimenting!