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This whole-grain Buckwheat Chia Bread is a hearty loaf that is naturally vegan and gluten-free! It starts with a base of buckwheat and chia seeds and doesn’t need any time to rise. Say hello to your new favourite bread!
Buckwheat is great to use in recipes like Buckwheat Flour Pancakes and Buckwheat Flour Waffles, but did you know you can also use it to make bread?
This recipe for whole-grain buckwheat & chia bread is seriously almost unbelievable. You basically mix buckwheat groats together with chia seeds and a handful of other ingredients, bake it up and you have a healthy gluten-free vegan bread.
This Buckwheat Chia Bread also requires no yeast, no kneading and no rest time.
What is Buckwheat?
Buckwheat is a variety of pseudocereals, which are eaten like grains but aren’t actually a grain. (Other “grains” in this category are quinoa and amaranth.)
Though buckwheat has “wheat” in its name, it’s actually not wheat at all. Buckwheat groats are the seeds of a flowering plant and are 100% gluten-free. The groats are often ground into flour and can be used as a substitute for wheat flour in recipes.
What does buckwheat taste like?
Buckwheat has a nutty and slightly bitter flavor that is similar to wheat. Toasting buckwheat groats helps to bring out the delicious nutty flavor in the buckwheat
Is buckwheat bread good for you?
You bet it is! It’s gluten-free, whole-grain, packed with fiber and protein and is rich in a variety of minerals. This bread makes for a healthy breakfast or lunch and can be topped with anything you like.
Is Buckwheat gluten free? Is it better for you than wheat?
Buckwheat is actually a pseudo-grain, which is a type of grain that doesn’t grow on grasses. Contrary to its name, buckwheat actually doesn’t contain any wheat in it.
Buckwheat also contains 4 times as much fibre as whole-wheat, making it a healthy and filling option to use in bread. If you have any gluten sensitivity, buckwheat bread is a great healthy option for you.
Is Buckwheat Bread also vegan?
Yes! This Buckwheat Chia Bread is 100% vegan-friendly. There are no eggs or dairy products in this recipe making it a great option to enjoy on a vegan diet.
What are the health benefits of chia seeds?
Chia seeds might be tiny but they are PACKED with nutrients! A standard serving size of chia seeds (two tablespoons) has 4.7 grams of protein, 9.8 grams of fibre and is also packed with calcium, iron, zinc and magnesium. Chia seeds are also loaded with Omegas-3’s which can help lower blood pressure and cholesterol. Check out my Ultimate Guide to Chia Seeds for more details on Chia Seed nutrition.
How to make Buckwheat Bread with Chia Seeds
Start my making the chia gel by mixing chia seeds and water together and letting the mixture sit for 20 minutes. You’ll see the mixture thicken up into a gel.
Next add all of the bread ingredients to a food processor and blend it all together for 1-2 minutes.
Line an 8×4 inch loaf pan with parchment paper and spread the bread dough evenly into the pan. Bake for an hour and 10 minutes.
Let the bread cool completely on the countertop before removing from the pan and slicing.
Buckwheat Chia Seed Bread Variations & Substitutions
- Readers have reported success using buckwheat flour in place of buckwheat groats. If you want to substitute buckwheat flour, use about 1 cup + 2 tbsp of flour.
- You can substitute the buckwheat groats for oats in this recipe too.
- Use any type of nuts or seeds you like in place (or in addition) of the sunflower seeds
- For a sugar-free version, leave out the maple syrup.
- For a fat-free version, substitute olive oil with apple sauce.
Tips for making the perfect Buckwheat Chia Bread
- Don’t forget the soak the buckwheat groats. this will help soften them up. Soak them for 1-2 hours before baking and give them a rinse after soaking. The groats might be a bit slimy, this is normal.
- Whisk the chia seeds and water mixture together well before letting it sit to gel, otherwise, you’ll end up with clumps of chia seeds.
- Depending on your oven, you may need to bake the bread slightly longer or shorter. To test the bread, stick a toothpick in it. If the toothpick comes out clean, the bread is cooked.
Buckwheat Bread FAQ
- I only have buckwheat flour, can I use that?
Yes! Buckwheat flour will work in this recipe. You will need to add slightly less flour than groats, about 1 cup + 2 tbsp. - Why didn’t my bread rise?
This buckwheat bread won’t rise as much as a typical bread made with yeast. It is a denser bread. That being said it should still rise a little. Make sure to use fresh baking powder. Stale baking powder can affect how much the bread will rise. You can also add in 1/2 tsp baking soda. - My bread turned out a bit wet inside, what can I do?
This bread will naturally be a little moist inside, but if you prefer a drier bread it’s best to slice it up and toast it before serving.
How to store Gluten Free Buckwheat Bread
Store this Buckwheat Chia Bread in the fridge for up to a week. Toast slices for eating for the best taste.
This bread also freezes well. Slice up the bread before freezing.
Ways to eat Buckwheat Chia Bread
Buckwheat Chia Bread can be enjoyed in so many different ways. You can use it as bread for a healthy sandwich or enjoy it toasted with a variety of toppings. Here are some topping options:
- Sliced or smashed avocado
- Almond butter and sea salt
- Peanut butter and sliced banana
- Hummus
- Chopped tomatoes and herbs
- Cream cheese (regular or vegan)
More bread recipes to try:
If you tried this buckwheat & chia bread or any other recipe on the blog let me know how you liked it by leaving a comment/rating below! Be sure to follow along on Pinterest, Instagram and Facebook for even more deliciousness!
Chia Seed Buckwheat Bread
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 1 hour and 15 minutes
- Total Time: 1.5 hours
- Yield: 10-12 slices
- Category: Breakfast
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
- Diet: Gluten Free
Description
This Buckwheat Chia bread is easy to make, no-knead, yeast-free and delicious! Enjoy it toasted with your favourite toppings like almond butter or avocado. Adapted from the healthy chef.
Ingredients
- 1/4 cup chia seeds
- 1 cup water
- 1 and 3/4 cup buckwheat groats, soaked in water for 2 hours, then drain & rinsed.
- 2 tbsp flax seeds
- 1/4 cup sunflower seeds
- 1/4 cup olive oil
- 1 tbsp maple syrup
- 2 tsp baking powder
- 1/2 tsp salt
Instructions
- Whisk the chia seeds and water together in a bowl. Set aside and let “gel” for 20 minutes.
- Preheat the oven to 325 F and line an 8×4 loaf pan with parchment paper.
- Place the chia seeds, buckwheat groats, flax seeds, sunflower seeds, olive oil, maple syrup, baking powder and salt together in a food processor.
- Blend for 1-2 minutes until everything is well combined.
- Spoon the batter evenly into your loaf pan.
- Bake for 1 hour and 15 minutes, until the bread is firm to the touch.
- Remove from the oven and let cool for 15 minutes, before removing the bread from the pan and allowing to cool completely on a wire rack.
Notes
Don’t forget the soak the buckwheat groats. this will help soften them up. Soak them for 1-2 hours before baking and give them a rinse after soaking. The groats might be a bit slimy, this is normal.
Whisk the chia seeds and water mixture together well before letting it sit to gel, otherwise, you’ll end up with clumps of chia seeds.
Depending on your oven, you may need to bake the bread slightly longer or shorter. To test the bread, stick a toothpick in it. If the toothpick comes out clean, the bread is cooked.
This bread is meant to be denser than a regular wheat loaf of bread.
Store this bread in the fridge. Toast before eating for the best taste.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 slice
- Calories: 95
- Sugar: 0.6g
- Fat: 4g
- Saturated Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 13g
- Fiber: 3g
- Protein: 2g
Yay!!! I can have bread again! Substituted the buckwheat groats with oat flour & coconut flour. Took Lucy G’s advice and a few spoons of yogurt (coconut milk based) and added a 1/4 c of pumpkin seeds too and a bit more water, it was getting thick!. It came out so moist and dense! Great recipe!!!
Happy you liked the recipe Shay! Great to know it works too with oat and coconut flour!
Wow! This is the recipe I’ve been looking for! Made it according to the recipe and wanted to share some tweaks I’ll make for the next loaf (groats soaking as we speak!). Jess, I know you’ve tested extensively, so your thoughts would be most welcome!
1. It was dense in the center, more akin to baked oatmeal, so I’d like to add baking soda+lemon or yogurt for more lift. This could also contribute added salt which mine needed.
2. May add 1-2 Tbs of coconut flour for absorbing some moisture and contributing lightness
3. Have you ever played with uses for the starchy, viscous soaking liquid? Could it work like aquafaba?
Thanks for a WONDERFUL RECIPE! I’ve just toasted a few slices for a heavenly breakfast. 🙂 all good wishes
Hi Lucy, Glad you enjoyed the recipe! All your tests could definitely be interesting, haven’t tried those out myself yet!
I’d really like to try this recipe it looks great!
The thing is I don’t own a food processor but I do have a Vitamix.
Do you think it’ll work with the Vitamix instead?
Thanx!
It absolutely should, yes!
I really liked this bread! Will make again
Thanks Laurie! Glad you enjoyed 🙂
This bread is awesome, thank you for sharing the recipe.
Tried it today with buckwheat flour instead of the grouts (had run out). It is very dense. I followed recipe, just added the buckwheat flout to the blender. Should I have added additional water? Or left the flour out of the blender?
Thank you. Love your blog, too! Chia seeds rock!
Hi Claudine, the recipe calls for buckwheat groats so I’d recommend using groats instead of flour to get the right consistency!
Thanks, Jessica! Will do!
Hi, Jessica , I’m wondering about using a ferment of buckwheat instead of the flour or groats: raw groats soaked , rinsed, dried , toasted & ground. Then fermented. This can take several days. – A good holiday season
& a good new year
Hi Chana, I haven’t tested this bread out with fermented buckwheat so I can’t really say how that process would look
I used buckwheat flour, but a bit less than called for with groats. I also used pumpkin seeds bs sunflower. Was delicious! Textures was great! Amazing what chia seeds can do !
I’m so glad those swaps worked! Props to you for being creative with it, I love that you enjoyed it! 🙂
Hi Laurie, so happy that baking the bread with buckwheat flour was a success for you! I was wondering if you could share the measurement for the buckwheat flour and other adjustments with everyone who is also wondering? (: Thanks so much!
HI! I would be interested in knowing the measurements for buckwheat flour too! I want to test it myself :-). Thank you!
Hey, can you use wholegrain buckwheat flour instead of the buckwheat grains? if so, how many grams?
Thank you 🙂
A
Hi Ada, I haven’t tested this recipe out with buckwheat flour so I can’t say. it’s best to use buckwheat groats.
I finally tested it and used 1.5 cups flour, added more water (gas water to help the batter raise) and in general increased the baking powder measures because here in my country weather is not so warm this time of the year and the rising gets compromised because of that. I also added xantam gum, baking soda and apple cider to help on that. The bread was extra super delicious!! Hope this helps!
Thanks for the information Bru on how to use buckwheat flour to make this!
Wow! This was perfection. I’m following a whole grain oil free diet so I subbed the oil for applesauce. Turned out perfect. Thanks so much. Can’t wait to make avocado toast with it.
Thanks Rachel, happy you enjoyed the recipe 🙂
Made this for the third time today. Love it. Last batch I used garlic olive oil and it gave a nice flavor. Going to start experimenting with different nuts and seeds next time I think. Having this bread on hand has kept me from regular bread and toast which doesn’t sit well with my IBS, haven’t had any stomach issues with this. Thank you for such a great recipe!
Glad you enjoyed the recipe Molly!
Made today with buckwheat flour and apple sauce (didn’t put maple syrup & flax seed). Hhmmm, smell so good & tasty.
But I want to ask, is it the bread a bit wet or moist? Or I should put a bit longer in oven?
Thank you for the recipe ?
The apple sauce probably made it a bit more moist! Maybe decreasing the amount of that would help a bit 🙂 I’m glad you loved it!
Wow, just wow!!! This could not have been better. Many thanks.
Thanks for the reveiw Bruce! So happy you enjoyed the recipe 🙂
Any chance this might work with steel cut oats in stead of the buckwheat? I’m guessing you might have to soak the oats a bit longer or possibly try old fashioned rolled oats.
Just came across this recipe and am flying to try it
I don’t have quite a 1/4 cup of chia seeds could I replace the remainder with flax seeds or would I be better off waiting till I shop and using the 1/4 cup of just chia seeds ?
Thanks ?
I think you could try it with flax seeds, it would just be a smaller loaf. Chia seeds provide the volume and “glue” the loaf together because of their consistency – if you do try it, let me know how it works out, I would love to know myself!