Breakfast is my absolute favorite meal of the day. Usually, I opt for something savory like eggs or sausage, but every now and then I crave a baked good. There is something comforting about pouring that first (because there is usually more than one) cup of hot coffee in the morning and sitting down with a tasty muffin or pastry. I came up with these Maple Buckwheat muffins recently to satisfy a craving. I wanted something slightly sweet that would pair well with a coffee in the morning or a tea in the afternoon.
Starting soak of oats in milk and yogurt
Notice how the oats have plumped up after soaking in milk yogurt blend.
Although we don’t follow any specific diet in our home such as paleo or low-carb, we do tend to minimize the amount of wheat we eat. More for variety and flavor than anything else, I used a combination of buckwheat and oats for this recipe. The bonus is that makes these maple buckwheat muffins naturally gluten free as long as you use gluten-free oats.
Did you know that buckwheat is NOT a grain? It is actually a seed. That sneaky little word wheat is added in there to confuse you. Buckwheat is related to other foods such as sorrel and rhubarb. I love it because it has nuttiness and slight sweetness that adds a lot of flavor to baked goods.
Although buckwheat is great on its own, I really like the combination of the oats and buckwheat in this muffin. The oats add a nice chewiness and texture. I used regular oats and not quick oats for the maple buckwheat muffins. In order to make them a bit softer, I soaked them in the milk and yogurt before blending with other ingredients. The first time I made them, I soaked the oats for about 20 minutes while I got the other ingredients together. The next time, I soaked them for about 6 hours and I was much happier with the results. In a sense, the soaking helps tenderize the oats and can make them easier on our tummies to digest.
Please, though, don’t stress about this step. If you wake up in the morning and decide to throw this recipe together, don’t worry about this step. Your muffins may be chewier or denser from the raw oats, but they will still be good. Another way around the soaking is to use quick oats if you happen to have them in your pantry.
Even though I did not include nuts (severe nut allergy in our house) in these muffins, I think they would be a delicious addition. Pecans, hazelnuts, or walnuts would add more texture contrast as well as some heartiness to your morning muffin. Whether you are enjoying these muffins warmed with some butter or a berry jam, I hope you find them as comforting and addictive as our family.
If you do find yourself making batch if these muffins, I would love to hear how the turned out. Please leave a comment below and rate the recipe. Thanks!
Cheers!
Maple Buckwheat Muffins
Ingredients
- 1 egg
- 8 oz. whole milk
- 100 g (1/3c) Greek yogurt
- 1 ripe banana mashed
- 3 oz. (5 tbsp.) maple syrup
- 2 tbsp. blackstrap molasses
- 3.5 oz. butter softened to room temp
- 150 g (1 cup + 2 tbsp.) buckwheat flour
- 130 g (1 1/2c) oats
- 50 g (1/4c) brown sugar
- 3 tsp. baking powder
- 1 tsp. ground cinnamon
- 1 tsp. vanilla paste or extract
- ½ tsp. salt
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350F. Line muffin pan with paper muffin cups.
- Mix yogurt and milk together in bowl and stir in oats. Let soak while preparing other ingredients or overnight. The soaking helps soften the oats.
- In small bowl, combine, buckwheat, cinnamon, baking powder, and salt. Stir to combine and set aside.
- In large mixing bowl, use hand mixer to combine butter and brown sugar. Mix until creamy. Add in egg mixing until combined.
- Pour in milk and oat mixture along with maple syrup, molasses, and vanilla extract. Using a wooden spoon or spatula, stir until combined.
- Add mashed banana and fold (gently stir) into mixture
- Slowly add in buckwheat mixture stirring until just combined.
- Divide muffin batter between the 12 lined cups. Bake until golden brown and toothpick comes out clean. About 20-25 minutes.
These are a great morning breakfast treat. Not too sweet.
Where does the mashed banana go?
Hi Valerie, Thanks for the question as I somehow skipped adding the mashed banana step to the recipe. I have corrected my mistake. You will add the mashed banana to wet mixture before adding in the buckwheat mixture. Enjoy and stay safe and healthy!
Can I use dairy free milk instead of whole milk?
Hi Steph, I have used Full fat canned coconut milk as milk alternative and it worked well. Although I have not tried other dairy alternatives, I don’t see why they wouldn’t work. Please let me know what you use and how they turn out. Enjoy baking!