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15 Best Buckwheat Flour Substitutes For Gluten-Free Baking

There are a number of flours that can work as buckwheat flour substitutes that still produce delicious results.

Are you looking for buckwheat flour alternatives? Need gluten-free, healthy baking ingredients? You’ve found them!

Buckwheat has recently gained popularity as a delicious gluten-free flour. Sometimes I have trouble finding it at supermarkets.

If you can’t eat buckwheat or can’t locate it, you have various other choices.

Read on for the finest buckwheat substitute flours. Happy baking!

Best Buckwheat Flour Substitutes For Gluten-Free Baking featured image | Girl Meets Food

What is buckwheat flour?

Buckwheat flour, manufactured from the seed hulls of the buckwheat plant, is a safe gluten-free option.

Gluten, a protein in wheat, barley, and rye, can inflame and damage the small intestine in celiac disease patients. If you need to avoid gluten, this type of flour is a perfect ingredient!

Buckwheat flour pancakes, waffles, muffins, and other baked goods have a nutty and relatively mild flavor.

Protein, fiber, magnesium, and potassium in buckwheat flour may assist cardiac, digestive, and blood sugar wellness.

Moreover, the antioxidants included in buckwheat flour may aid in providing protection against free radical damage.

Buckwheat groats are used in many delicious gluten-free recipes as well. Check out these buckwheat groats substitute options for more ideas!

15 best buckwheat flour substitutes

Various types of flour. | Girl Meets Food

Some delicious options that can substitute for the buckwheat flavor are:

  • Oat flour

Oat flour is a gluten-free, protein-rich alternative to buckwheat flour. Oat flour, prepared by grinding whole oats, tastes sweet and nutty like buckwheat flour.

What’s great about this flour is that you can whip some up in a blender right at home!

  • Almond flour

Gluten-free almond flour can substitute for buckwheat’s sweet and nutty flavor. High in protein and healthy fats, this flour makes delicate, crumbly cakes, biscuits, and other delicacies.

I tested this flour by using it for a buckwheat banana bread recipe. The bread had a distinct nutty and sweet flavor and tasted delicious!

  • Coconut flour

Coconut flour is a low-carb, gluten-free substitute for buckwheat flour. It’s high in fiber and protein and tastes somewhat sweet and nutty. Coconut flour makes rich, moist pancakes, muffins, and other baked items.

I absolutely love the mild sweetness of coconut flour. My favorite recipe is coconut flour brownies with cocoa – they’re super soft and fudgy!

If you love coconuts as much as I do, these tasty coconut water substitutes will be a wonderful discovery!

  • Brown rice flour

Brown rice flour can add a slightly nutty taste to baked goods, just like buckwheat. It’s also a great source of fiber and provides bone-healthy magnesium.

  • Quinoa flour

Quinoa flour is a gluten-free, protein-rich flour that gives a nutty taste to bread, pancakes, and other baked items. It also contains iron, which is necessary for healthy blood.

I loved making quinoa pancakes with almond milk and cinnamon. They made a wonderful substitute for buckwheat pancakes.

If you start making gluten-free pancakes, you should check out our suggestions of sides to eat with crepes for dinner!

  • Tapioca

Cassava root is finely ground into tapioca flour. Gluten-free and grain-free, it thickens dishes, especially Asian ones. Tapioca flour adds a mild taste and smooth texture to gluten-free baked items.

Tapioca flour makes baked items chewy and stretchy. This helps make gluten-free bread and pizza dough.

  • Chickpea flour 

Indian and Middle Eastern cuisines employ garbanzo bean flour (gram flour or besan), a gluten-free, high-protein flour. Ground chickpeas give it a nutty taste.

Chickpea flour thickens, binds, and coats savory and sweet foods. It makes great gluten-free crackers, flatbreads, and socca, a savory pancake.

  • Corn flour

Masa harina, or dried maize flour, is fine white or yellow flour. Mexican tortillas, tamales, and other meals employ this gluten-free flour.

Corn flour substituted for buckwheat flour gives baked items a sweet, nutty taste. It’s an excellent choice for gluten-free cornbread, muffins, and pancakes. 

I usually use 1:1 corn flour to replace buckwheat flour in cookies and bread recipes. It’s great for making light and airy desserts.

  • Kartoffelmehl

Dried potato flour is a fine white powder. It is a gluten-free, grain-free flour used as a thickener in Scandinavian and Eastern European dishes. Potato flour is mild-flavored and fluffy.

It can lighten baked items when substituted for buckwheat flour. It makes excellent gluten-free cakes, muffins, and bread.

  • Sorghum flour

Ground sorghum grains make gluten-free sorghum flour. It’s fluffy and somewhat sweet and nutty.

Sorghum flour can be used in bread, pancakes, and baked goods. It helps lighten baked items by replacing buckwheat flour.

  • Kamut flour

Ancient wheat kamut is nutty and full of protein, fiber and other nutrients. Kamut flour substitutes for buckwheat flour to provide baked items with a nutty taste and rich, chewy texture. It makes great bread and pizza crusts.

  • Spelt flour

Whole-grain spelt flour is high in fiber and minerals. Spelt flour replaces buckwheat flour in baked products, giving them a nutty taste and a firmer texture. It makes great bread and muffins.

  • Barley flour

Whole barley grains are ground into flour, which has a nutty, somewhat sweet flavour. Apart from making great bread and muffins, barley flour thickens soups and stews.

Unfortunately, for people with gluten intolerance, barley flour isn’t a good replacement for buckwheat flour.

You can also use buckwheat as a barley substitute!

  • Millet flour

Millet is a gluten-free grain that can be ground into flour. It tastes slightly sweet and nutty. This flour is high in protein, fiber, and minerals.

Millet flour makes baked items taste nutty and thick when substituted for buckwheat flour. It adds a mild, nutty flavor and helps make gluten-free dough.

I used millet flour to substitute for buckwheat sweet potato pancakes. The sweetness from millet combined with sweet potatoes created a mouthwatering breakfast recipe! A great alternative to corn flakes !

  • Amaranth flour

Amaranth flour makes baked items taste nutty and sweet when substituted for buckwheat flour. It makes great bread, muffins, pancakes, and other baked goods.

Check out more amaranth substitutes if you wish to vary your diet.

Buckwheat flour substitute FAQs

Buckwheat grain and buckwheat flour are in two white bowls. Some grains are scattered on a white surface next to the bowls and wooden spoon | Girl Meets Food
How many calories are in buckwheat flour?

One cup of whole-groat buckwheat flour contains 402 calories.

Can I use all-purpose flour as a substitute for buckwheat flour?

Yes, all-purpose flour can substitute for buckwheat flour but it has a lighter texture and isn’t gluten-free.

Is buckwheat flour a good source of protein?

Yes, buckwheat flour is a good source of protein. One cup provides around 15 grams of protein.

Can I make Japanese soba noodles with buckwheat flour?

Yes, you can make Japanese soba noodles with buckwheat flour.

What’s the best buckwheat alternative in salads?

Quinoa is one of the best alternatives to buckwheat in salads.

Can people with celiac disease eat buckwheat?

Yes, people with celiac disease can eat buckwheat. Buckwheat doesn’t contain gluten, and many items created with buckwheat are certified as gluten-free.

BOTTOM LINE: Buckwheat flour is hard to get, but there are good replacements, like oat, almond, coconut, brown rice, quinoa flours and more. To select the best buckwheat flour alternative for baking, try several flours.

Which buckwheat flour replacement do you like the most? Share your alternative flours in the comments!

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