Zucchini Banana Buckwheat Muffins (No Sugar, Gluten Free)

Name: Zucchini Banana Buckwheat Muffins
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 17 min
Total time: 27 min
Ingredients: 125g zucchini (abut 1 cup 1/2" slices); 250g banana (about 2 cups 1/2" slices); 2 large eggs; 2 tsp vanilla extract; 1 cup buckwheat flour (150g) spooned & leveled; 3 Tbsp tapioca starch (21g)*; 1 tsp baking powder; 1/2 tsp baking soda; 1/4 tsp salt; 1/3 cup dark chocolate chips (optional)

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These zucchini banana buckwheat muffins are soft and fluffy with a lovely banana flavor. They're great as a side to breakfast or packed in lunches, as these muffins are nut free and only sweetened with bananas (no added sugar). In addition, these buckwheat muffins are gluten free, dairy free and paleo friendly.

Buckwheat flour can be tricky to work with, as it has a strong flavor and often produces dry baked goods, but these zucchini banana buckwheat muffins are amazing!

They are soft and fluffy with a nutty banana flavor. We love mixing in some chopped chocolate chips, but you can absolutely go without!

This banana buckwheat muffin recipe is gluten free, dairy free and refined sugar free. In fact, these muffins are only sweetened with bananas, making them a great option for breakfast or a healthy snack.

Why You'll Love these Buckwheat Muffins

gluten free - made without wheat flour and perfect for those adhering to a gluten free diet.
dairy free - no butter or milk in this recipe
nut free - perfect for school lunches and anyone with nut allergies
paleo friendly - made with simple, minimally processed ingredients
easy to make - just blend batter in a food processor or high powered blender, pour into a lined muffin tin and bake!

Bite of a muffin to show the inside texture.

Ingredients

Here's a list of the ingredients you need to make these healthy buckwheat muffins:

zucchini - 1 medium sized zucchini, cut into ½ inch slices
ripe bananas - yellow with many brown/black speckles
eggs - an egg substitute has not been tested, but if you try one then let me know the results in the comment section below.
vanilla extract - for flavor.
buckwheat flour - I love Anthony's organic buckwheat flour
tapioca starch - for texture purposes. You may swap the tapioca for coconut flour. With coconut flour, you'll get more dense muffins, while using tapioca will make the muffins lighter and more airy.
baking powder - for fluffy muffins
baking soda - for fluffy muffins
salt - to enhance the flavors
dark chocolate chips - optional

Ingredients needed to make banana buckwheat muffins.

How To Make Buckwheat Muffins in a Food Processor

These zucchini banana buckwheat muffins can be made in a food processor or high powered blender. The reason for blending the ingredients is to get a silky smooth batter and hide the zucchini (as my kids prefer).

Here are the steps:

First, preheat your oven to 350 degrees F. Line a muffin tin with paper or silicone muffin liners and set aside.

Blend zucchini and banana.

Add in remaining ingredients (except chocolate chips) and blend until smooth.

Batter for zucchini banana buckwheat muffins.

Pulse in chocolate chips.

Scoop batter into lined muffin tin, filling each slot nearly to the top. You can add extra chopped chocolate on top if you want.

Bake at 350 degrees for 17-19 minutes. (I like them slightly underbaked, so just 17 minutes.)
After baking, remove them from the oven and let them cool a few minutes in the muffin tin before transferring them to a wire cooling rack.

Tip: For best results, I recommend measuring all muffin ingredients by weight (when given). This will result in the most accurate measurements, ensuring success. I like to use a small kitchen scale for all of my baking.

Freshly baked buckwheat muffins in baking pan.

Storage

These buckwheat muffins should be kept in a sealed, airtight container. You can store them at room temperature for a couple days, or in the fridge for up to one week. They can also be frozen and then reheated in the microwave.

FAQ

Is buckwheat flour paleo?

While some people don't consider buckwheat to be paleo, I do since it's gluten free and grain free. It's a seed that is collected from a flowering plant, closely related to rhubarb.

Some people with severe digestive issues cannot tolerate buckwheat, whereas some have no problems with it. So, listen to your body and do what's best for you 🙂

What is buckwheat flour?

The name “buckwheat” actually comes from a Dutch word that means beech wheat. This is in reference to the fruit of the buckwheat that resembles a small beech nut.

Buckwheat is not related to wheat. But instead, it's a fruit that is closely related to rhubarb. The fruit is dried and ground into a flour.

This hearty flour has an earthy, nutty taste and ranges from reddish-pink in color to dark brown. Buckwheat is quite nutrient dense as far as baking flours go. It contains fairly high amounts of manganese, copper, magnesium, dietary fiber and phosphorus. In addition, the protein in buckwheat is a high quality protein, containing all eight essential amino acids, including lysine.

What can I use in place of the tapioca starch?

You can replace the 3 tablespoons of tapioca starch with 2 tablespoons of coconut flour. This will slightly change the texture of the muffins, but not have much of an effect on the flavor.

Are these muffins sweet?

Since these muffins are only sweetened with bananas they are not overly sweet. You can add a couple tablespoons of maple syrup, honey or coconut sugar if you wish.