Buckwheat and Amaranth Muffins

By Martha Rose Shulman

Updated February 27, 2024

  • Andrew Scrivani for The New York Times
Media 1 of 1
Total Time
30 minutes
Cook Time
25 minutes
Rating
4(193)
Comments
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The muffins available in most coffee shops and cafes are like oversize, unfrosted cupcakes: too sweet and too big. But muffins don’t have to be cloying — a bit of natural sweetener is all that’s required to make them taste like a treat. And they don’t have to be calorie-laden confections. This week, you’ll find it’s possible to make muffins with a number of nutritious ingredients, particularly whole grains. Muffins made with buckwheat or cornmeal offer great taste and nourishment — without the feeling that you’re chewing on rocks. Even if you don’t think of yourself as a baker, take a stab at this week’s recipes. They’re easy and come together quickly. Of all the muffins I make, these have the most distinctive flavor.

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Ingredients

Yield:12 muffins

  • ¾ cup whole-wheat flour

  • ¾ cup buckwheat flour

  • 2 teaspoons baking powder

  • 1 teaspoon baking soda

  • ½ teaspoon salt

  • ½ cup amaranth flour (you can make this by blending the amaranth in a spice mill; it does not have to be finely ground)

  • 2 eggs

  • ⅓ cup honey

  • 1 ½ cups buttermilk

  • ⅓ cup canola oil

  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

  • 1 cup blackberries tossed with 1 teaspoon all-purpose flour

Ingredient Substitution Guide
Nutritional analysis per serving

33 grams carbs; 28 milligrams cholesterol; 224 calories; 4 grams monosaturated fat; 2 grams polyunsaturated fat; 1 gram saturated fat; 8 grams fat; 2 grams fiber; 223 milligrams sodium; 6 grams protein; 10 grams sugar

Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.

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Preparation

  1. Step 1

    Preheat the oven to 375 degrees with the rack moved to the upper third of the oven. Oil or butter muffin tins. Sift together the whole-wheat and buckwheat flours, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Stir in the amaranth flour.

  2. Step 2

    In a separate bowl, beat together the eggs, honey, buttermilk, canola oil and vanilla extract. Using a whisk or a spatula, stir in the dry ingredients. Mix until well combined, but do not beat -- a few lumps are fine, but make sure there is no flour at the bottom of the bowl. Fold in the blackberries.

  3. Step 3

    Spoon into muffin cups, filling them to just below the top (about ⅘ full). Place in the oven, and bake 25 minutes until lightly browned and well risen.

Tip

  • Advance preparation: These muffins keep for a couple of days out of the refrigerator, for a few more days in the refrigerator, and for a few months in the freezer.

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Ratings

4 out of 5
193 user ratings
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Comments

Theresa

I substituted white flour for some of the wheat flour as I thought that might be too heavy, and they were perfect. Dates instead of berries, and low-fat buttermilk. These are not sweet, but savory.

Laura

I use strawberries instead of blackberries and sprinkled the tops with a little turbinado sugar. They were delicious, definitely sweet, but in an understated way, like a good bran muffin.

dlhicks

Cooked them mostly as described, though I used a combination of chopped blackberries, strawberries, making sure each muffin had at least 3-4 good pieces of fruit. Definitely did not take more than 20 minutes to cook...check them around 15 minutes, and don't overfill the muffin pan, mine raised quite well (7000 ft elevation?). Paper liners!! If you are looking for a sweet starbucks muffin these will disappoint If you want a healthy but delicious alternative that travels well... here you go.

krelcoy

This is my type of muffy. Not too sweet and pretty healthy. Had fun blending my buckwheat into flour in the blender. I had amaranth on hand and tried to blend that into a flour in the blender, but the tiny granules did not break down any further ... I added it to the recipe as is and it was fine. I had some date syrup and used that in lieu of honey.

Lucy

I made these with a gluten free flour blend instead of the whole wheat flour, and I added a few dark chocolate chips instead of the berries. I was worried that my blender didn’t do a good job turning the amaranth into flour, but the muffins were superb. Fluffy, moist, nutty, with gooey chocolate at the bottom. Not sweet, but still amazing.

nicky richmond

For me these need a bit of Demerara sprinkled on the top for crunch and sweetness.

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