banana bread buckwheat bakes

It’s been awhile.  Wouldn’t you say?  If you’re new around here you may be unfamiliar with the breakfast buckwheat bake.  This is something I came up with about 2 years ago when I was in search of a breakfast that would fill me up for more than 2 hours.

I have a ferocious appetite.  The buckwheat bake conquered that morning hunger like no other.  Seeing your enthusiasm towards this breakfast creation and realizing how much I loved to eat them, I was pumping out new flavor creations left + right.  Some of these baked in the oven, some cooked in the microwave, all were gluten-free and some were vegan. 

So, after a long hiatus, buckwheat bakes are back!  Well, at least for this post.

My plan was to create apple cinnamon buckwheat bakes for you today.  However, after 5 trials it just wasn’t working.  The apple flavor was undetectable amidst the hearty, buckwheat flour.  Oh well, I tried.  Really hard!

banana bread buckwheat bake // edible perspective

While I have a handful of bakes involving banana, my goal with this was simplification and perfection for 3 versions. 

oven baked with egg // oven baked vegan // microwave with egg

I left out the chia seeds and raw buckwheat groats and used a simple mixture of buckwheat flour + almond meal.  Simple as that!

banana bread buckwheat bake // edible perspective

I’m still doing a little testing with the microwave version above, but I have 2 oven bakes that are sure to bring you right back where we left off in buckwheat bake land.

banana bread buckwheat bake // edible perspective

Please be advised this is not a muffin.  It is definitely not a cupcake.  It is a dense, filling breakfast that is not sweetened with anything except banana.  Sure, sometimes I like to pour maple syrup over my breakfast, but it’s not an everyday thing.  For me, peanut butter or maple cinnamon almond butter is the perfect topping.   

But you can eat this however you like.

Maybe sliced open and stuffed with peanut butter + jelly?  Never a bad idea.

banana bread buckwheat bake // edible perspective

Below is the vegan version before baking.  It has a slightly softer texture but holds together perfectly from the inclusion of ground flax and is left with no gumminess at all.

banana bread buckwheat bake // edible perspective

I realize you don’t always have 30 minutes to wait for breakfast in the morning.  But, here me out.  You can throw this together in about 3 minutes.  Send it into your oven and go about your normal morning routine.  30 minutes later breakfast is ready and waiting. 

Or, you can make a larger batch on a Sunday and keep them wrapped in the fridge to quickly grab + eat all week long.  Just reheat, add a topping, and go!

If you are in need of microwave versions there are over a dozen on my recipe page along with a slew of the oven baked variety.  And, if you can’t do buckwheat [don’t like it, allergic, etc.] I also have a few oat based versions you may enjoy.

If you’re looking for fluffy muffins, check yesterday’s post.

banana bread buckwheat bake // edible perspective

Print this!

Banana Bread Buckwheat Bake

gluten-free, dairy-free // serves 1

• 5 tablespoons raw buckwheat flour
• 1 1/2 tablespoons almond meal
• 1 1/2 tablespoons chopped walnuts
• 3/4 – 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 medium banana
• 1 large egg
• 3 tablespoons milk
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

1. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F and thoroughly grease a 4-5-inch diameter oven-safe baking dish or line with parchment paper.  Or, line 3 muffin tins with liners.
2. In a bowl, mash the banana until egg-like then whisk in the egg, milk, and vanilla.
3. Add all dry ingredients into the wet bowl, then whisk until just combined.
4. Pour into your baking dish and bake for about 30-35 minutes until the center is golden brown and set, and a toothpick comes out clean.  Let cool 5 minutes then slide a knife around the edge to release.
5. Top with your favorite nut-butter and/or a drizzle of maple syrup or honey.

Banana Bread Buckwheat Bake

gluten-free, vegan // serves 1

• 5 tablespoons raw buckwheat flour
• 1 tablespoon almond meal
• 1 tablespoon ground flax meal
• 1 1/2 tablespoons chopped walnuts
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 medium banana
• 3 tablespoons milk
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

1. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F and thoroughly grease a 4-5-inch diameter oven-safe baking dish or line with parchment paper. Or, line 3 muffin tins with liners.
2. In a bowl, mash the banana until egg-like then whisk in the milk, and vanilla.
3. Add all dry ingredients into the wet bowl, then whisk until just combined.  Mixture will be thick.
4. Pour into your baking dish and bake for about 34-38 minutes until the center is golden brown and set, and a toothpick comes out clean.  Let cool 5 minutes then slide a knife around the edge to release.
5. Top with your favorite nut-butter and/or a drizzle of maple syrup.

notes/subs:  For altitude around 5,000-feet, bake at 365-375 degrees F.  For a sweeter bake, I recommend drizzling 1-2 teaspoons of maple syrup or honey overtop before eating.  I like a lot of cinnamon and actually use about 1 1/2 teaspoons.  Adjust to your preference.  Raw buckwheat flour can easily be ground to a fine flour in a blender, magic bullet, or coffee grinder.  Be sure to use raw groats, which are a light yellow/green color.  If using 3 muffins tins baking time will decrease.

banana bread buckwheat bake // edible perspective

Kind of a lot of info for a Friday, huh?  Let’s sum things up.

Ferocious morning appetite?

Buckwheat bake.

Check the recipes above.

Happy weekend!

Ashley

pssst!Check out my feature over at Food52 today, where I talk about all things coconut butter!!  Still confused on what it is and how to make it?  This post will surely help!

1-ingredient coconut butter // edible perspective

Ever used coconut butter over ice cream?  INSTANT magic shell with ONE ingredient!

coconut butter magic shell // edible perspective

blueberry crumb muffins

Winter has finally hit Ft. Collins.

I know you’re probably thinking, but you post all of those photos snowboarding and snowshoeing in knee deep snow!  Very true.  However, we have much milder winters than where we play in the mounatians, which is about 2 hours West.  And this winter in particular has been unusually warm and dry.

It has been pretty fabulous to hop on my road bike 6 weekends in a row during the middle of “winter,” but I’m not looking forward to a higher probability of summer fires.

Anyway.  This snowy weather has been making me crave warm and cozy comfort foods all week long!

blueberry crumb muffins // edible perspective

Muffins definitely equal comfort in my mind, and I just realized I have zero blueberry muffin recipes. I have blueberry pecan cornbread and blueberry breakfast cakes but no muffins. This is absurd.  I adore blueberry muffins and they seem like such a go-to breakfast/snack/dessert that it’s about time I add them to the recipe lineup.

blueberry crumb muffins // edible perspective

My favorite gluten-free flours for quick breads and muffins are: buckwheat flour, oat flour, almond meal, and a little ground flax.

For whatever reason this combination has proved itself time + time again.  Far better than any whole wheat treat I ever made in years past.

blueberry crumb muffins // edible perspective

This combination results in a tender, dense but not heavy, perfectly moist muffin.

Studded with blueberries and lightly sweetened with honey and sucanat.

blueberry crumb muffins // edible perspective

And, ohhhh that crumb topping.

blueberry crumb muffins // edible perspective

The icing on the cake.

blueberry crumb muffins // edible perspective

blueberry crumb muffins // edible perspective

Print this!

Blueberry Crumb Muffins

gluten-free, dairy-free // yields 12-14 standard muffins

adapted from: banana bread

for the crumb topping: be sure to make this first

• 1/4 cup rolled oats
• 1/4 cup sucanat, or coconut sugar/brown sugar
• 3 tablespoons oat flour
• 3 tablespoons softened coconut oil
• 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
• pinch of salt

1. Place all ingredients in a bowl and mash together with a fork or your fingers until fully combined and crumbly.  Set aside.

for the muffins:

recipe slightly adapted 3/12/13

• 1 cup gluten-free oat flour
• 3/4 cup raw buckwheat flour
• 1/2 cup almond meal
• 3 tablespoons sucanat, or coconut sugar/brown sugar
• 2 1/2 tablespoons ground flax meal
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 2 large eggs
• 1/2 cup + 1 tablespoon unsweetened applesauce
• 6 tablespoons unsweetened almond milk
• 1/3 cup honey
• 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
• zest of 1 lemon or 1 orange, optional
• 1/4 cup unrefined coconut oil, melted and slightly cooled
• 1 1/4cup blueberries

1. Preheat your oven to 350* F and line a muffin tin with liners.
2. Add all dry ingredients to a large bowl and mix well.
3. Whisk the eggs in separate bowl and then whisk in the applesauce, milk, honey, and vanilla until fully combined and smooth.  Whisk in lemon or orange zest if using.
4. Vigorously whisk in the coconut oil and immediately pour the wet mixture into the dry, to avoid the coconut oil from ceasing.
5. Stir with a large spoon until just combined.  Do not over stir.
6. Fold in the blueberries with minimal stirring.
7. Promptly spoon the mixture into the muffin liners about 2/3 the way full.
8. Sprinkle the crumb topping on each muffin and bake for about 25-30 minutes until a toothpick comes out clean.  The tops will turn golden brown.
9. Let completely cool before peeling the liner off.  Muffins hold together fully once cooled.

notes/subs: For altitude around 5,000’ increase your oven to 370* and use 3/4 tsp baking powder.  Melted butter can be subbed for coconut oil.  Raw buckwheat flour can easily be ground to a fine flour in a blender, magic bullet, or coffee grinder.  Be sure to use raw groats, which are a light yellow/green color.  I do not advise using roasted buckwheat/kasha and do not recommend Arrowhead Mills buckwheat flour.  Frozen or fresh blueberries will work.

blueberry crumb muffins // edible perspective

If by some strange chance we can’t polish these off I have big dreams of turning them into a blueberry muffin bread pudding bake.  We shall see…

Ashley