These homemade gluten-free buckwheat waffles have a crisp exterior and fluffy interior. Made without any refined sugar, these healthy waffles are just lightly sweetened with a bit of maple syrup.

Gluten Free Buckwheat Waffles set on a gray plate with strawberries | Zestful Kitchen

Are you a waffle or pancake kind of person?

I consider myself an 80/20 girl. 80 percent of the time I’ll choose waffles over pancakes, but can be convinced if the pancakes are a little different, like these Sweet Corn Pancakes or if these Buckwheat Pancakes. I’m a lover of Zoe Nathan’s Brown Rice Quinoa Pancakes from her book, Huckleberry. 

But waffles, how can you not like waffles? I don’t think I’ve met a waffle I don’t like. Except for maybe the waffles served at a hotel continental breakfast, they just lack oomph, ya know?

With perfectly-designed divots for luxurious syrup, I believe waffles must have a crispy exterior (gotta cook them long enough) and a tender interior. These 30-minute Gluten-Free Buckwheat Waffles fit the bill, and more.

Made with buckwheat flour, oats, and flax seed, they’re not only quick to make, but gluten-free, and packed with whole grains, fiber, and protein. They take a little longer to cook, but patience is key for achieving that crisp exterior.

Gluten Free Buckwheat Waffles on a gray plate with milk and strawberries to the side | Zestful Kitchen

Can you make buckwheat waffles without eggs?

Although my recipe relies on eggs for structure, you could swap in a flax of chia egg for the whole egg and egg white. Just keep in mind the waffles won’t be as crisp.

Gluten Free Buckwheat Waffles | Zestful Kitchen

How do you serve buckwheat waffles?

I like to serve these Buckwheat Waffles with pure maple syrup (don’t even mess with that fake stuff), fresh strawberries, and a drizzle of tahini or almond butter. These waffles would also be great with this Blueberry Maple Syrup, strawberry jam, or a drizzle of sweetened yogurt.

Are buckwheat waffles healthy?

These buckwheat waffles are! These gluten-free waffles are made with whole-grain oat flour and buckwheat flour (which adds a healthy amount of fiber). They’re also free of refined sugar, using just 2 tablespoons of pure maple syrup for sweetness. Then buttermilk (which is naturally low-fat) creates a tender waffle while an egg and an egg white offer structure and protein.

Gluten Free Buckwheat Waffles on a gray plate with a stream of syrup pouring over them | Zestful Kitchen
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Gluten Free Buckwheat Waffles | Zestful Kitchen

Gluten-Free Buckwheat Waffles

  • Author: Lauren Grant of Zestful Kitchen
  • Prep Time: 10 mins
  • Cook Time: 20 mins
  • Total Time: 30 mins
  • Yield: 7 small square waffles 1x

Ingredients

Scale
  • ½ cup buckwheat flour
  • ½ cup oat flour (see recipe notes for how to make oat flour)
  • 1 tablespoon flax seed, ground
  • 1½ teaspoons baking powder
  • ½ teaspoon baking soda
  • ½ teaspoon cinnamon
  • ¼ teaspoon table salt
  • ¼ teaspoon cardamom (optional)
  • Pinch grated fresh nutmeg
  • 1¼ cups buttermilk
  • 1 egg
  • 1 egg white
  • 3 tablespoons coconut oil, melted
  • 2 tablespoon pure maple syrup
  • 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Toppings:

  • Fresh strawberries
  • Pure maple syrup
  • Tahini
  • Almond butter
  • Fruit preserves

Instructions

Heat a waffle iron to high, according to manufacturer’s instructions.

Whisk together buckwheat flour, oat flour, ground flaxseed, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, salt, cardamom (if using), and nutmeg in a large bowl.

In a separate bowl, whisk together buttermilk, egg, egg white, coconut oil, maple syrup, and vanilla; stir into flour mixture just until combined. Let sit 5 minutes.

Ladle about a third of a cup of batter onto each waffle section, close iron and cook until waffles are crispy. This will take about double the time of most waffle recipes, I found 10 minutes to be perfect. Start checking at about 6 minutes, as waffle irons vary.

Repeat with remaining batter. Serve with fresh strawberries and pure maple syrup, or desired toppings.


Notes

To make oat flour, process old-fashioned rolled oats in a food processor until a fine meal is formed. If needed, make sure the oats are certified gluten free.

The amount of oats you use yields the same amount of flour, so you’ll need ½ cup oats for this. I like to grind a few cups at a time and store the remaining for future use, it saves time down the road!

As you should with any flour, make sure to fluff the flour before spooning it into your measuring cup to avoid packing and over measuring.

These waffles keep in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3–4 days, or in the freezer for up to a couple of months. Pop them in the toaster as needed, they crisp up like a dream!

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Gluten Free Buckwheat Waffles | Zestful Kitchen

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About The Author

Lauren Grant is a professional culinary food scientist, food writer, recipe developer, and food photographer. Lauren is a previous magazine editor and test kitchen developer and has had work published in major national publications including Diabetic Living Magazine, Midwest Living Magazine, Cuisine at Home Magazine, EatingWell.com, AmericasTestKitchen.com, and more.

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Comments

  1. These look fantastic & I cannot wait to give them a try! Time to dust off the waffle iron!

  2. Yum! These waffles look awesome. I’m usually a pancake girl, mostly because they are so easy to whip together. But, if I’m out for breakfast or in the mood to cook, then I prefer waffles. Can’t wait to give these a try!

  3. Best of all, these waffles are gluten free, which means that I can share them with all of my friends!

    1. Hi Alyson!
      Yes, you can use milk instead of buying buttermilk. I would recommend making “homemade” buttermilk by adding 1 tablespoon white vinegar to 1 cup milk. Allow it to sit for 5–10 minutes until it looks slightly curdled (this is OK!). Then use as directed in recipe instructions. The addition of acid helps the pancakes rise while cooking, making them fluffy and not too dense. I hope that helps!

  4. Warning for non dairy alternatives: We substituted buttermilk for a non dairy alternative. There was wayyy too much baking powder. I’m assuming because the acid in the buttermilk reacts with the baking powder.

    1. This recipe was written and developed using buttermilk. I have not tested this with a non-dairy alternative and cannot recommend making that substitution as that altering an ingredient (especially an acid) will have an impact on the end result. The amount of baking powder is correct for the recipe as written. I would recommend using a non-dairy buttermilk (made by adding 1 tablespoon vinegar to 1 cup of nut milk—for this recipe I would use 1 cup + 2 tablespoons nondairy milk + 1 1/2 tablespoons vinegar). I cannot guarantee this will work as I have not tested it, but a nondairy buttermilk will likely work better than a nondairy milk.