The 6 Best Substitutes For Buckwheat Flour

What can I use instead of Buckwheat flour? The best gluten-free substitutes for buckwheat flour include quinoa flour, oat flour (check the package), sorghum flour, and brown rice flour. In addition, spelt flour and whole wheat flour contain gluten but remain equally effective alternatives to buckwheat flour.

Buckwheat is a pseudo-cereal related to the sorrel and rhubarb plant. The seeds are milled to make a gluten-free flour with an earthy, nutty, and bitter undertone. Buckwheat flour is mainly used in unleavened bread, pancakes, and noodles. While you won’t be able to mimic buckwheat flour’s exact taste, here are several high-fiber flour substitutes to help out when you’re in a pinch.

The Best Buckwheat Flour Substitutes

Oat Flour

Finely grinding oats make oat flour. You can find oat flour in the grocery store or make it at home by grinding oats in a blender or food processor.

Oat flour is gluten-free and has a mild flavor, making it an excellent buckwheat flour substitute.

Oat flour has a lighter texture compared to buckwheat flour. Use oat flour in muffin and cake recipes to add a soft, fluffy texture.

Substitute buckwheat flour with oat flour using a 1:1 ratio.

Although oats and oat flour are naturally gluten-free, they may be contaminated with gluten. So, check the package to ensure the flour is gluten-free if you’re on a strict gluten-free diet.

Whole Wheat Flour

Most of us have a bag of whole wheat flour sitting in the pantry. You can use this “all-rounder” flour to replace buckwheat flour if you aren’t phased by gluten.

Of course, you can also use white flour. Still, the whole wheat variety offers a more accurate color, flavor, and texture than buckwheat flour.

Whole wheat flour is perfect for replacing buckwheat flour in bread recipes. However, you can also use whole wheat flour to bake softer, fluffier pancakes, muffins, and cookies.

You can use a 1:1 ratio when substituting buckwheat flour with whole wheat flour. However, remember that whole wheat four is unsuitable for gluten-sensitive individuals.

Sorghum Flour

Sorghum flour boasts a similar earthy, nutty, and slightly bitter taste to buckwheat flour. In addition, sorghum flour is a gluten-free flour rich in fiber, protein, vitamins, and minerals.

Use sorghum flour to replace buckwheat flour in baked recipes, including bread, rolls, cookies, and muffins. However, sorghum flour can cause a too-crumbly texture if you use it alone.

Use a 1:1 ratio when substituting buckwheat flour with sorghum flour. It’s best to use sorghum flour as part of a flour blend or add a binder like eggs or xanthan gum to prevent a too-crumbly texture.

Quinoa Flour

Quinoa flour is made from ground quinoa grains. It is a rich protein and fiber source and boasts an earthy, nutty flavor. You can use quinoa flour to replace buckwheat flour.

You can use quinoa flour to substitute buckwheat flour in gluten-free baking like pancakes, bread, or cookies.

However, it absorbs more moisture than buckwheat flour, leaving your baked goods crispier than usual. So, combining quinoa flour with additional binders or another flour is best.

Substitute buckwheat flour with quinoa flour using a 1:1 ratio.

We recommend mixing quinoa flour with another flour or adding additional binders like eggs or xanthan gum to the recipe for the best results.

Spelt Flour

Spelt flour is milled from ancient wheat species with the grain’s outer layer intact.

Although spelt contains gluten, it is one the closest buckwheat substitutes taste-wise. Spelt has a similar earthy, nutty, and bitter note.

Use spelt flour in recipes like bread, cake, muffins, and pancakes.

You can use a 1:1 ratio when substituting buckwheat flour with spelt flour. However, remember that whole wheat four is unsuitable for gluten-sensitive individuals.

Brown Rice Flour

Brown rice flour is whole-grain brown rice ground into a fine powder with the outer bran and germ layer still intact.

Brown rice flour has a less-pronounced nutty taste than buckwheat flour. However, you can use it as a healthy, calorie-friendly substitute for buckwheat flour.

You can use brown rice flour to replace buckwheat flour in gluten-free baked goods like muffins, pancakes, and bread.

Use a 1:1 ratio when substituting buckwheat flour with brown rice flour. You can make homemade brown rice flour by finely grinding the rice in a food processor. 

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