Gluten-Free Buckwheat Waffles
This simple, 100 percent buckwheat flour recipe yields light and crisp waffles that are nice and fluffy on the inside! Extra waffles freeze well for later.
Updated by Kathryne Taylor on September 5, 2024
I have high standards when it comes to waffles. They must be:
- crisp on the outside,
- fluffy on the inside,
- light but made with whole grains, so they stick with me for longer than a couple of hours.
These 100 percent buckwheat waffles meet all of those qualifications and then some.
They possess buckwheat’s rich, nutty flavor, which makes them more unique than my go-to oat waffles.
Plus, I can share them with my gluten-free friends since they’re made with buckwheat flour. You can also make them dairy-free with two simple adjustments (see the recipe notes). I think you’ll love them.
These waffles freeze well for future breakfasts. Pop them in the toaster until warmed through.
Don’t have a waffle maker? Try some buckwheat pancakes or crepes instead!
More Gluten-Free Breakfast Recipes
Here are a few gluten-free favorites from my breakfast recipes:
- Almond Flour Pancakes
- Easy Gluten Free Oat Waffles
- Gluten-Free Banana Oat Waffles
- Gluten-Free Banana Muffins (Made with Almond Flour)
- 3-Ingredient Banana Pancakes (choose the oat or buckwheat flour option)
Please let me know how your waffles turn out in the comments! I love hearing from you.
Gluten-Free Buckwheat Waffles
This simple, 100 percent buckwheat flour recipe yields light and crisp waffles that are nice and fluffy on the inside! This recipe yields waffles for two to three people, so multiply the recipe as needed.
Ingredients
- 1 cup buckwheat flour
- 1 tablespoon sugar (I used coconut sugar)
- 1 ¼ teaspoons baking powder
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon cinnamon
- 1 ¼ cups buttermilk, shaken (see notes to learn how to make your own with any kind of milk)
- ¼ cup (4 tablespoons) melted butter or coconut oil
- 1 large egg
- Topping suggestions: maple syrup, almond butter and/or fresh banana slices
Instructions
- Preheat your waffle iron. If desired, preheat oven to 200 degrees Fahrenheit to keep waffles warm until you’re ready to serve.
- In a medium-sized mixing bowl, whisk together the buckwheat flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, salt and cinnamon.
- In a liquid measuring cup or another bowl, whisk together the buttermilk, melted butter and egg. Pour the wet mixture into the dry mixture and stir them together until there are only a few small lumps remaining. Give it a few more stirs if you see any liquid that hasn’t fully incorporated. Commenter Monisha says her waffles turn out lighter and more crispy if she lets the batter rest for 5 to 10 minutes, so you might want to give that a try.
- Pour batter onto the hot waffle iron plates, close the waffle iron and cook until the waffles are barely letting off steam and they are lightly crisp to the touch (this might take longer than your waffle iron suggests). Carefully lift waffle out of the waffle iron and serve immediately or place in the oven to keep warm. Avoid stacking the waffles or they will lose their crispness. Repeat with remaining batter as necessary. Serve with maple syrup, almond butter and/or sliced banana on top.
Notes
Recipe adapted from my buckwheat pancakes.
How to make your own buttermilk: Measure 1 tablespoon + ¾ teaspoon vinegar into a 2-cup capacity liquid measuring cup. Pour in any variety of milk until you reach the 1 and ¼ cups line (regular cow’s milk, almond, soy, oat, rice, low-fat coconut milk should all work). Let the “buttermilk” rest for 5 minutes before using.
Make it dairy free: Make your own buttermilk with non-dairy milk and use coconut oil instead of butter.
Storage suggestions: These waffles freeze very well in sealed, freezer-safe bags. Just pop them in the toaster to warm them up.
Nutrition
The information shown is an estimate provided by an online nutrition calculator. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice. See our full nutrition disclosure here.
Delicious recipe! The cinnamon tempers the strong taste of the buckwheat. I omitted the sugar and they were still great. Thank you sharing this one!
You’re welcome, Kevin!
This is the BEST quick, healthy and DELICIOUS waffle recipe! I am a NYC nanny and only feed my kids healthy food. These waffles are a top favorite. I use teff flour as a substitute when we are out of buckwheat, which has a older flavor, but the kids love both ways. Last time I made a blueberry lemon syrup, sweetened with just a little maple syrup (a modification of the Epicurious blueberry chia jam recipe), and it’s a real hit, but traditionally the kids just gobble these up plain! Thank you for this recipe!
Milder flavor, not older!
I’m glad you love it!
Made these this morning!! We are adapting to a less gluten filled life and these were delicious! My one year old gobbled them up with peanut butter smeared on them.
Thank you for sharing, Angie!
This buckwheat waffle is amazing. I ran out of buckwheat flour and used some cassava flour, added blueberries and topped them with fresh strawberries. They were as good as, if not better than my old standard raised waffle. Thank you so much for sharing these kind of recipes it makes cooking paleo so much better
Thank you for sharing, Linda!
We absolutely loved this recipe!! I omitted the sugar and added a splash of almond extract. Also substituted the buttermilk with full fat coconut buttermilk!! They were so fluffy and crispy!! Our new go to waffle recipe. THANK YOU!
Delicious waffles! With such a simple recipe I didn’t expect that they would be so good. Crispy outside, fully cooked inside and so yummy! Coconut oil and cinnamon make buckwheat flour taste better.
I just made these and we really enjoyed them. I originally googled vegan buckwheat waffles and found a recipe of fan of yours that linked back to the original and ended up making a hybrid of the two! (I’m not vegan just looking for dairy free and sometimes get better results using vegan as a search term.) I used unsweetened vanilla almond milk per the vegan recipe but used your tip for making “buttermilk”. The vegan version used 0-2 T coconut oil vs. the 1/4 c butter and I sort of split the difference and used 1 T veg oil. I used one egg and added 1/2 t vanilla extract because I can’t help fiddling. Even with the extra vanilla they still had a nice buckwheat flavor although I’d probably use either vanilla nut milk or extract and not both in the future. We topped the waffles with fresh marionberries and a drizzle of syrup, so good! Thank you!
Thank you for sharing, Karen! I’m happy you liked it.
Excellent recipe! My first ever buckwheat waffles. I was blown by the lightness and crispness of the waffles. I did modify a bit by separating the egg and beating the egg white till stiff.
The problem was my waffle maker. After the 1st couple of perfect waffles, the batter started sticking to the iron, and had to become become pancakes – good, but can’t beat waffles. Thanks, Kate.
I’m glad you like them! If they start sticking, you can always try spraying your iron if they start to stick. Thanks for your review!
Best waffles ever
I’m happy you loved them, A!
Thank you, thank you! After buying many frozen healthy waffles at the grocery stores and being disappointed, I found just what I wanted on your blog, which was already bookmarked on my iPad. These waffles are really light and crispy. Perfect on our first try…no tweaking the recipe at all! Love that they are freezable. Easy enough that my retired husband, a beginner cook and waffle lover, decided he will make them for us from now on. Very happy!
Amazing and absolutely delish! I try upping the protein content with egg whites. LOVE.
Thank you for sharing, Azrina!
I had some aquafaba handy so I whipped it up and used that instead of eggs. Kept everything else the same and they turned out beautifully. I feel like buckwheat is the perfect syrup sponge! Thanks!
Delicious! Thank you for a flavourful ( love the cinnamon) waffles. They are crispy on the outside and soft inside. Great recipe.
What kind of vinegar should be used to make a buttermilk? Can it be apple cider vinegar?
Delicious! A hit with the kids. Made with honey. Great for a winter’s day.
Thank you for your review!
“Hello Kate,
I love making different flavored waffles for the family especially to my kid’s snack, and they love it, one thing I’ve learned today is the use of buckwheat in your recipe, it’s my first time to hear about this. I did some research and found a few sites that help me to educate about buckwheat, here’s what I meant perhaps it may help the readers to learn about the benefits of buckwheat, thanks”
Absolutely delicious! Crispy, flavorful and so easy to make. I let the batter sit for 5 minutes and then cooked for 4 minutes in a Cuisinart waffle maker. This recipe will become a favorite on mornings when we have time to relax and enjoy breakfast. Thanks so much for posting.
Delicious! I used cashew milk, demerara sugar and coconut oil, and followed the recipe except for beating and adding the egg whites separately. It made 6 round Belgian waffles, which were gobbled up with berries and maple syrup. The waffles were very dark, which did not detract from the flavour. A big win!
We absolutely loved this recipe!! I omitted the sugar and added a splash of almond extract. Also substituted the buttermilk with full fat coconut buttermilk!! They were so fluffy and crispy!! Our new go to waffle recipe. THANK YOU!
Followed the recipe. Used oat milk to make the buttermilk. The waffle tastes like vinegar and is very liquidy.
What vinegar did you use? And is 1 Tbsp+3/4 tsp correct?
Hi Alex, sorry to hear it! Oat milk plus vinegar should have worked fine, and yes the amounts provided are correct. Are you sure you added both the baking soda and baking powder? Baking soda reacts with the vinegar to produce bubbles, which makes the batter less liquidy.
Oat milk doesn’t curdle the same way as soy or almond do when you add vinegar! You need to use a different milk to make buttermilk
Hi, I’m looking for a recipe for a bread substitute for my dad, who can’t eat salt, yeast, baking powder or sugar. While I know how the recipe might turn out without salt and sugar, I’m not sure how it would fare without the baking powder. Maybe I can whip the egg white and add it later to the batter?
Hi Didina, that is a conundrum. I think your idea just might work! Please report back if you try. I’m afraid I can’t think of any other suggestions (well, maybe a flatbread like a homemade tortilla would work, since they are leavened more by the batter hitting a hot pan than anything else).
Very excited to try this recipe—thank you! I was wondering if you’ve tried it with reconstituted buttermilk or if you think that would work. Thanks for your awesome blog and recipes!
These were a hit with my family! Yummy and nutritious. Thanks so much!!
Have you tried make these thin ? ( for ice cream cone )
Hi Leona, I haven’t and I’m really not sure. It’s an interesting concept!
Hi! My waffles got stuck to the iron plate. Although they were delicious and crisp, the part where they got stuck has been bit of a bummer. I smeared the plates with some butter before pouring the batter. Can you please point out what could have gone wrong?
Hi Samita! I’m sorry to hear that. Have you had that issue with other waffle recipes? I’ve found that waffle irons vary in their non-stick capabilities. I’d suggest making sure that the iron is fully preheated before using, and perhaps use more butter or use a quality cooking spray liberally before using (unless your waffle iron’s manufacturer suggests otherwise).
I love this recipe. It’s become my family’s favorite for Sunday brunch. And extras for the week for lunch sandwiches. I use flax eggs or apple sauce to substitute for eggs and coconut oil in place of butter since my kids have food allergies. Thank you for the recipe. It’s delicious!
I am an elite Manhattan nanny who only cooks healthy food for the children. I have been making this for my three charges for the past two years with teff flour (after we ran out of buckwheat one day and I experimented), and it is such a hit that I always make at least a double batch now so the parents can have some and we can have enough for the freezer for weekends. Now it means I make a triple batch, since three growing children eat a lot! These are the best healthy waffles around, and my kids swear by them. Thank you for this winner of a recipe!
I’m glad they are a hit JK!
I’ve made this recipe countless times and I love it as written. However, I stumbled upon a variation recently I thought I’d share. I tripled the recipe and, discovering that I only had 2 eggs in the fridge, added in an entire can of pumpkin as well. Instead of cinnamon, I used Trader Joe’s Pumpkin Pie Spice blend. The result is incredibly moist waffles with the faintest of pumpkin taste. Perfect for autumn.
Thank you for sharing! I’m glad you found something you like.
Can this be successfully baked in a silicone waffle mold?
Hi Shannon! I don’t have too much experience with those and haven’t tried it myself. I would be curious to hear if you try it!
I actually did try it before I got your reply, it worked out great 400°f for 12 minutes or so.
I was prepping some easy breakfasts today but when my son got home from school and saw the waffles he decided he would have them for dinner instead! Thanks for the great 4 year old approved recipe!
Thank you for reporting back! Happy to hear it.
The buckwheat waffles were delicious – light and fluffy and very tasty. And just as the recipe said, they freeze very well and are wonderful out of the toaster.
Just tried these after a buckwheat pretzel dough failed (darn yeast). The dough had the same base, just needed more milk, egg and raising agents. Turned out great and next time I will try sweetening with molasses for added nutrients and they should taste like my gf brown bread recipe!
Thank you
Hi Kristen,
I know I’m late to this post, but I’m curious to know if you tried this with the molasses and what kind you used. Did it turn out??
Fingers crossed that you see this
Love these! My family made them for me for Mother’s day a while back and I just keep on making them. I use almond milk to make my own buttermilk and Earth Balance butter. I also increase the cinnamon. So yummy. I freeze the extra and heat them up in toaster oven.
Hello
Are you sure the calories for these are 606 per serving that seems awfully high? Other similar recipes have them about half that.
Thanks
Bryce
Hi Bryce, my nutrition information is an estimate. I do try my best to provide accurate as I can. More on my Nutrition Disclaimer.
Would a flax egg work in place of the egg? Or other vegansubs (applesauce, banana)? Thoughts on folding in dried fruit (trying to replicate the Nature’s Path wildberry buckwheat waffles). Thanks as always!
Hi, I haven’t tried this without eggs. Sorry to disappoint.
Hi there, just wanted to let you know that we’ve been making your waffles for at least a couple years, always only from this recipe! Thank you!! We are both trying to heal leaky gut so we always add a TBsp (or 2) of grass fed gelatin powder into the dry ingredients. One time I forgot to add any oil and the waffles were the crispest ever! But I like them more with some good fat on the regular basis (butter and maple FTW!).
Hooray! Thank you for sharing, Ola.
Super easy recipe and the waffles came out fluffy and crispy! Thanks Kate!
DELICIOUS! Made oat buttermilk and it was perfect. Added just a touch of vanilla. My son ate 3 and he is a very picky eater. Will make these often!
Amazing flavor, but theses were an epic fail as waffles for us. They stuck to the waffle iron no matter what. We loved the GF oat waffles here which have turned out perfectly every time, and wanted to give these a try, but they had to become pancakes instead. If there were a way to keep these from sticking to the waffle iron they’d be 5-star for the delicious flavor and texture!
I’m sorry to hear that. You can always try to spray your iron if you find they start to stick. I appreciate your review!
We had tried that, but they still stuck badly. We made sure the waffle iron was thoroughly preheated (passed ths sizzle test), tried leaving them in for longer, etc., and they still stuck. Then we made your delicious GF oat waffles and they turned out beautifully well. So, it’s definitely not the waffle iron, but something in the ingredients that are making the difference. We made fresh buckwheat flour from roasted groats, which might make a difference. Do you have this recipe worked out by weight instead of volume? The flavor is sooooo amazing, we would reallt love to figure out how to make them work as waffles! :)
Hi NH, that is strange. Flour can vary ever so slightly if not done by weight, yes. I wish I had a clear answer for you right now. I’m glad the other ones work so well!
Loved the recipe it was very tasty, but is the nutrition label correct 1133mg sodium, or a typo? That would be way too much sodium.
Hi Maria! Nutrition Disclaimer has more insight. I try to be as accurate as I can. You can always limit your salt if you like.
Best Buckwheat recipe for waffles I have found so far. I did let them sit five or 10 minutes as one person as sometimes recommended. They were lighter and less ingredients so easier quicker to make. I added nuts and chocolate chips to some of the waffles. I love these this will be my standard recipe.
BAHAHHAHAA! So apparently the 1x 2x3x isn’t per serving!! There were four of us this morning so I thought 3x would give me three servings of waffle which would be perfect as I had an egg dish going as well. Low and behold, there were enough waffles for the neighbors to join!
And in my defense, I never make pancakes or waffles, because they lacked nutrition. This is a game changer.
I have tried another recipe of yours and enjoyed it. I can now can have salt, so life is easier!!! We drive through KC a few times a month on our way to STL for medical reasons and always wave to you!
Oh no! Sorry for the confusion. But, I’m glad you enjoyed them and that you now have plenty. Thank you for your review, Sherri!
What a pleasant surprise!!☺
I had made buckwheat crepes…no sugar added and taste very strong..
I spied this recipe and thought I would give it a go, not disappointed at all!!
Light and crispy on outside, fluffy inside, even though only 1 tbsp of sugar, it made all the difference…I let it rest for 8 mins as well before putting on waffle maker. It made close to eight for me so I actually had two!! Forget the pancakes, my new go to recipe….THANKYOU!!
You’re welcome, Sandy! Thank you for your review.
These are super easy to make and turned out perfectly. Maple syrup on the cooked waffle really rounds them out. I used plain almondmilk to make buttermilk, doubled the cinnamon, and let the batter rest for 5 minutes. Perfect batter consistency and great texture once cooked. I’m exited to have 4 leftover to split between breakfast and the freezer. Thanks for the easy recipe. These went really well with your lemon blueberry bread recipe in the cookbook…makes a great breakfast for dinner!
Thank you for sharing, Shelley! I appreciate your review.
This is a great recipe if you’re on the SIRT diet, bc it uses buckwheat! I make a batch of these in my mini waffler & then use them for breakfast sammiches w/egg (in my mini griddler) or vegan chick’n patties. Really yum, healthy, & satisfying!
I made these with my 3 kids today for breakfast! They were gobbled up in a flash! We used whole raw milk with lemon juice for the buttermilk. I followed the recipe exactly and allowed 5 minutes for the batter to sit before cooking. I greased the waffle iron with a little butter each time.. voila! Perfection! We used sliced banana, maple syrup and peanut butter as toppings. Next time I will cook some bacon to go with. Gluten free at its best! Thanks for the recipe, it’s a definite keeper :)
Thank you for your review, Adelle! I’m delighted you enjoyed it.
AMAZING! I used only 1/2 tsp of Coconut Sugar. Used ACV with Oat Milk for the Buttermilk, and one Flax Egg. Worked perfectly! Thank You ; ) One request is a home made pre-mix version of something like this that just requires adding Milk and Oil for sleepy morning eyes, similar to a store bought one. Maybe add Flaxseed Meal into the Mix as well? Is the ACV absolutely necessary?
AMAZING! Used just a tad of Coconut Sugar. Used one Flax Egg to be Vegan and Oat Milk mixed with Apple Cider Vinegar for the Buttermilk. Worked like a charm. What a fabulous recipe. Thank You ; )))
These waffles were delicious! Gluten has been give me trouble and my doctor has encouraged me to start including other whole foods such as amaranth and buckwheat. I actually have to say I think I prefer these buckwheat waffles to regular waffles. They have more flavor to them and they really turned out nice and crispy on the outside. I did separate out the egg whites, beat them and then turned them back into the batter to make them even lighter – that’s how I’ve always made my regular waffles. I did use coconut oil and if I use it again, I’ll warm the milk so the coconut oil doesn’t solidify. I had mine with warmed frozen blueberries and a touch of real maple syrup. I didn’t add any sugar or cinnamon. I’ve saved this recipe and will be making them again. Thanks Kathryne!
I’m glad you loved these, Steve! I appreciate your review.
My son is Celiac and also cannot tolerate oats. I was looking for a healthier version of waffles that weren’t made with just a GF flour blend that was mostly rice or potato flour-based, and not oat flour (which it seems like a lot of GF waffles are). These are easy and delicious. I usually add a whole bunch of frozen blueberries and no other medications and they are still great. Thanks Kate!
I’m glad these work well for him, Alison! I appreciate your review.
Love them! Thank you for this recipe!
I’m making them now the second time, putting a little more batter in the waffle iron.
I might add frozen blueberries in the last batch.
You’re welcome, Jillene! I appreciate your review.
Hi! I made these for lunch today and the flavour was 10/10! My only comment is that the batter was really runny. I searched other’s comments and realized I missed the baking soda. So remade them (with all of the ingredients this time!) and they were just as runny. I let the batter sit as well hoping that would help. Any thoughts? The only sub i used was making buttermilk with almond milk and apple cider vinegar. Could it be that I ground my own buckwheat out of groats? Not sure if that is it. Do you have a weight for your buckwheat you could provide? Or a brand you recommend? Thanks much for your help!
Hi Stephanie, Thank you for your review. Buckwheat flour can react differently and can be more runny. I haven’t tried grinding my own so that may be where the difference is coming in.
Amazing waffles! Thanks so much for the recipe.
Thank you, Rita!