Buckwheat is a pseudocereal that is a good source of protein, fiber and energy. What’s more, it does not contain gluten! Buckwheat flour is common in Asia, especially Japan, for making soba noodles. And, if you are going to make noodles or pasta and don’t have buckwheat flour on hand, here are some of the best substitutes for buckwheat flour that you can use.
Buckwheat is a wheat-free flour that is often used by people who cannot eat gluten. Its strong taste and pleasant texture make it one of the best flour for pancakes. Since it lacks gluten, it is commonly used in unleavened baked goods like crackers and pizza’s crust.
Other strongly flavored non-wheat flours, and even whole wheat flour, are a good substitute in recipes that use buckwheat flour.
Substitutes For Buckwheat Flour
Here, I mention some gluten-free substitutes for buckwheat flour. So, now, you can replace buckwheat flour with other alternatives in your favourite recipes. Navigate this article to find out the best gluten-free buckwheat flour substitutes.
1. Oat Flour
As a nutritious gluten-free flour, oat flour can replace buckwheat flour entirely in your recipes, both savory and sweet. In addition, it is very easy to make oat flour.
Simply, pour oats in your blender or food processor and blend them, until they convert into a fine powder. And, oat flour is ready to use in your food recipes.
Mix oat flour with potato or corn starch to ensure the best taste and lightness in your culinary preparations. Its taste is not very pronounced, and usually mild nutty to taste.
So, it is perfect for adding a binder to sauces or to guarantee the hold of your savory flans and your quiches.
Best Substitute For:
Oat flour replaces buckwheat flour in food recipes like pancakes, muffins, waffles, and regular bread. So, use oat flour instead of buckwheat flour freely without making a compromise on recipes taste.
2. Wheat Flour
You have the choice between soft wheat flour and durum wheat flour. Wheat flour is rich in nutrients, vitamins and minerals. In addition, it is also a good source of fibers. On the other hand, it also contains gluten.
Besides its well-known qualities for making bread and pastries, wheat flour is also very effective for making pasta. And, you can use wheat flour instead of buckwheat flour in the same proportions.
Generally, wheat flour has a mild nutty flavour with a fibrous texture. But, it doesn’t affect the overall taste of your final recipes. So, you can use it to make your food healthy and nutrients rich.
However, keep in mind that wheat flour is not gluten-free. So, if you want to use a gluten-free buckwheat flour substitute, then try other possible substitutes.
Best Substitute For:
Wheat flour is the best substitution for buckwheat flour in various food recipes such as cookies, muffins, pies, grahams, bread loaves, and many others.
3. Potato Flour
Potato flour is a gluten-free flour famous for its ability to add crispness to fried foods. Whether it is meat or fried vegetables, potato flour not only adds crispness but also flavor to them.
People mostly use it as a thickener in soups and stews. Unlike most other flours, potato flour adds flavor and body to soups. Moreover, Asian cuisines use potato flour in their traditional food recipes especially for the preparation of ramen noodles.
You can also use potato flour in place of buckwheat flour in most of the same recipes and in the same proportions. Additionally, the taste of potato flour is bland that is not much strong, so it is the best gluten-free substitute for buckwheat flour.
Best Substitute For:
You can use potato flour instead of buckwheat flour while baking bread loaves, cookies, sandwich bread, and other baking products. Moreover, you can also use potato flour to make sauces for your savory food dishes.
4. Chickpea Flour
Chickpea flour is made from raw chickpeas. It is widely used in the Middle East, India, France and Italy. Interestingly, this vegan-friendly and gluten-free flour is high in nutrients and low in calories. In addition, it also has a high protein content.
Chickpea flour is great for binding ingredients such as patties, donuts or meatballs. Because of its high protein content, it facilitates the binding tasks. No wonder that it is also effective for making pasta and noodles.
You can also use chickpea flour instead of buckwheat flour in the same proportions. And now, there’s no need to make a compromise on the final taste of your tasty creations.
Best Substitute For:
Chickpea flour is the best substitute for buckwheat flour in recipes like cookies, fudges, brownies, pies, bread loaves, and crackers. So, enjoy your favourite recipes according to your own taste preferences.
5. Rice Flour
Rice flour is another good alternative to buckwheat flour. Indeed, it is an ideal flour for making delicious desserts, such as rice cakes or mochi dough.
Besides desserts, rice flour is also very useful for making rice noodles. You can use it instead of buckwheat flour in the same proportions.
Moreover, it doesn’t much affect the final taste of your recipes, as it has a mild taste. There are various kinds of rice flour such as sweet rice flour, white rice flour, or brown rice flour. And, you can use all these types in your food dishes in place of buckwheat flour.
Since rice flour is less sticky than wheat due to the lack of gluten, it cannot be replaced one-to-one with it. The rice flour’s lack of stickiness can easily be compensated for by adding a few eggs.
Best Substitute For:
Rice flour is the best substitution for buckwheat flour in recipes like crackers, cookies, muffins, loaves, and spongy cakes.
6. Quinoa
Quinoa, like buckwheat, is an ancient grain that is often made into flour. These flours can be substituted individually in buckwheat recipes.
The strong flavor of quinoa often works well in recipes that call for the equally strong taste of buckwheat. Quinoa is high in protein and will also boost nutrition in the dish.
In addition, it is gluten-free and low in carbohydrates, so it is perfect for people who watch their weight. And little more, it is an interesting source of amino acids!
The method of making quinoa flour is very quick and straightforward. Simply, pour quinoa seeds into a blender and grind them until it forms a fine powder. Now, your best buckwheat substitute is ready to use.
Best Substitute For:
You can use quinoa flour instead of buckwheat flour in cooking or baking recipes like pancakes, waffles, brownies, cookies, and snacks.
7. Teff Flour
Teff, also known as dwarf millet, is not only good for gluten-free baking but it also has a number of essential nutrients. No doubt, it is a healthy choice to replace buckwheat flour in your dishes. No doubt, teff flour is one of the best substitutes for buckwheat flour.
There are different varieties of teff flour available in the market. Usually, the taste of teff flour doesn’t much affect the overall taste of the dish. So, you can use it in your food recipes when there is an unavailability of buckwheat flour.
Best Substitute For:
Teff flour is the best buckwheat flour substitute in recipes such as maple or molasses cookies, muffins, cupcakes, and pancakes.
8. Millet Flour
Millet flour is one of the best gluten-free alternatives to buckwheat flour. Moreover, it is a nutritious and healthy ingredient in your routine recipes. It is a good source of vitamins, minerals, and essential amino acids, and fatty acids.
You can use it in sweet or savory baking and cooking dishes. Besides this, it replaces buckwheat flour fully as it has a mild nutty flavor that doesn’t affect the final taste of food.
It is readily available in the market, so use it in your diet as it is a great way to intake nutrients.
Best Substitute For:
Millet flour replaces buckwheat flour in baking products like cookies, sandwich bread, crackers, and stews.
9. Coconut Flour
In various food dishes, you can use coconut flour instead of buckwheat flour. It is also a gluten-free alternative to buckwheat flour. Usually, coconut flour is obtained by the grinding of dry coconut meat.
Coconut flour is a white, soft, and fine powder that also adds nutrition to your diet. It has a natural mild sweet taste, that’s why you can use it in baking products. In this way, its natural flavor adds a new twist to your regular treats.
Best Substitute For:
Coconut flour is the best substitution for buckwheat flour in baking items like sweet cookies, biscuits, bread loaves, muffins, and pies. So, add natural sweetness and flavor to your sweet creations with coconut flour.
10. Almond Flour
Similar to coconut flour, almond flour is also a gluten-free alternative to buckwheat flour. In addition, it also replaces buckwheat flour well in baking as coconut flour.
In order to obtain fresh almond flour, grind few almonds in the food processor until a fine powder forms. So, now, use it in your baking items to make them gluten-free and rich in flavor.
You also have an option to use it with any other flour such as coconut flour, oat flour, and millet flour. And, in this way, it not only adds nutrition but also a unique flavor to your sweet treats.
Best Substitute For:
Almond flour is the best alternative for buckwheat flour in baking such as pancakes, scones, biscuits, macarons, and loaves.
Final Words About Buckwheat Flour Substitutes
Buckwheat flour is popular in sweet as well as savory food dishes as it is gluten-free and also doesn’t affect the overall flavor of the dish.
But, you can also use various alternatives to buckwheat flour that are also gluten-free and add nutrients to your diet.
The best substitutes for buckwheat flour are oat flour, wheat flour, potato flour, quinoa, millet flour and many more. Besides this, you can also use other flours according to your taste preferences.