Whole-Grain Recipes That Aren't a Snooze

Naturally nutty and sweet, nutrient-packed flours such as buckwheat, whole-wheat, oat, and spelt, bring hearty richness to yummy treats.

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Buckwheat Waffles with Fresh Ricotta and Citrus

Creamy ricotta, juicy blood oranges, Cara Cara oranges, clementines, and floral honey bring out buckwheat’s earthiness in airy, crisp waffles.

1 cup buckwheat flour
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 cup sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon coarse salt
1 1/2 cups whole milk
1/2 stick unsalted butter, melted and cooled
1 large egg
Vegetable-oil cooking spray
1 1/2 cups fresh ricotta
2 blood oranges, peel and pith removed, sliced or segmented
2 Cara Cara oranges, peel and pith removed, sliced or segmented
4 clementines, peel and pith removed, sliced or segmented
Honey, for serving

1. In a large bowl, whisk together flours, sugar, baking powder, and salt. In a medium bowl, whisk together milk, butter, and egg until combined. Stir milk mixture into flour mixture until just combined. Let batter stand, uncovered, 20 minutes.

2. Preheat a waffle iron and lightly coat with cooking spray. Cook waffles according to manufacturer’s instructions (for standard-size Belgian waffles, fill each cavity with about 1/2 cup batter) until golden brown and crisp (for Belgian waffles, about 8 minutes).

3. Top each waffle with ricotta and citrus fruits, and drizzle with honey; serve.

Whole-Wheat Brown-Sugar Sticky Buns

Buttery brown sugar glazes the sticky buns and pairs nicely with the hearty nuttiness of whole wheat.

Dough
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted and cooled, plus more for bowl
1 1/4 cups whole-wheat flour
3/4 cup all-purpose flour, plus more for surface
2 tablespoons toasted wheat germ
1 1/8 teaspoons active dry yeast (from 1/2 envelope)
1/2 teaspoon coarse salt
2 tablespoons packed light-brown sugar
1/2 cup warm water
1 large egg, beaten

Filling/Topping
1 stick unsalted butter, softened, plus more for pan
3/4 cup packed light-brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon coarse salt
1/2 cup pecans, toasted and chopped

1. Dough: Lightly brush a medium bowl with butter; set aside. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a dough attachment, combine flours, wheat germ, yeast, salt, brown sugar, water, egg, and butter. Mix on medium-low speed, scraping sides and bottom of bowl once, until dough is smooth and elastic, about 5 minutes. Transfer to bowl and cover tightly with plastic wrap. Let rise in a warm place until doubled in size, about 1 hour.

2. Filling/topping: Brush a 9-inch round cake pan with butter; set aside. In a medium bowl, stir together butter, brown sugar, cinnamon, and salt until smooth and fluffy. Spread half of mixture over bottom of pan; sprinkle with half of pecans.

3. Transfer dough to a lightly floured work surface. Gently roll into a 10-by-14-inch rectangle. With an offset spatula, spread remaining brown-sugar mixture on top, leaving a 1/4-inch border. Sprinkle with remaining pecans. Starting at a long edge, roll up dough like a jelly roll, then cut crosswise into 10 pieces. Place pieces in pan cut-side down, spaced evenly. Cover tightly with plastic wrap and let rise in a warm place until buns are just touching and almost doubled in size, about 1 hour.

4. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Bake buns until golden brown and topping is bubbling around sides of pan, about 25 minutes. Let cool in pan on a wire rack 15 minutes. With a serving plate centered over pan, hold plate and pan together and carefully flip over. Lift off pan and scrape out any remaining topping onto buns. Serve immediately.

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Hazelnut Carrot-Oat Cupcakes with Cream-Cheese Frosting

Toasted hazelnuts bring crunch to the frosted tops and moist centers of these mini carrot cakes, made extra tender with the addition of oat flour.

3/4 cup oat flour
3/4 cup all-purpose flour
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon coarse salt, plus more for frosting
7 tablespoons skinless hazelnuts, toasted, 1/4 cup finely chopped, 3 tablespoons coarsely chopped
1/3 cup vegetable oil
1/3 cup buttermilk
2 large eggs
1 cup granulated sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon finely grated orange zest
1 cup packed finely grated peeled carrots (from 3 medium carrots)
8 ounces cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup confectioners’ sugar

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a standard muffin tin with paper liners.

2. In a medium bowl, whisk together flours, baking soda, salt, and finely chopped hazelnuts. In another medium bowl, whisk together oil, buttermilk, eggs, granulated sugar, vanilla, orange zest, and carrots until combined. Fold oil mixture into flour mixture until just combined. Divide batter evenly among lined cups, filling each three-quarters full.

3. Bake cupcakes until golden and a toothpick inserted in centers comes out clean, about 23 minutes. Let cupcakes cool in pan 15 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack and let cool completely.

4. In a small bowl, stir together cream cheese and confectioners’ sugar until smooth; season with a pinch of salt. Frost cupcakes, then sprinkle with coarsely chopped hazelnuts.

Dark-Chocolate Spelt Brownies

Baked with all-spelt flour, these fudgy, crackly-top one-bowl brownies develop a chocolaty depth with hints of maple.

1 stick unsalted butter, cut into tablespoons, plus more for pan
6 ounces bittersweet chocolate, preferably 70 percent cacao, chopped (about 1 1/4 cups)
3/4 cup granulated sugar
3/4 cup packed light-brown sugar
3 large eggs, room temperature
1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1/2 teaspoon coarse salt
3/4 cup spelt flour

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Lightly brush an 8-inch square baking pan with butter. Line with parchment, leaving a slight overhang on 2 sides. Butter parchment.

2. Place butter and chocolate in a large heatproof bowl set over a saucepan of simmering water and melt, stirring, until smooth. Remove from heat and whisk in sugars. Whisk in eggs, 1 at a time, until combined. Whisk in cocoa and salt, then fold in flour until combined.

3. Pour batter into pan and bake until a toothpick inserted in center comes out with moist crumbs, about 35 minutes. Let cool completely in pan on a wire rack. Lift out brownies with parchment overhang. Cut into 16 squares.

Almond-Rye Heart Cookies

Rye flour keeps these almond heart cookies crunchy and lends a delicate sweetness, accented by a final flurry of confectioners’ sugar.

1/2 cup blanched whole almonds, toasted
1/2 cup light rye flour
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon coarse salt
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 stick unsalted butter, softened
1/2 cup confectioners’ sugar, plus more for dusting
1 large egg yolk
1/4 teaspoon almond extract

1. In a food processor, pulse almonds and flours until nuts are finely ground. Add salt and cinnamon; pulse to combine.

2. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat together butter and sugar on medium speed until smooth and fluffy. Add egg yolk and almond extract; beat until combined. Reduce speed to low; gradually beat in flour mixture until just combined.

3. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Roll tablespoon-size portions of dough into 1/4-inch-thick ropes, each about 7 inches long. Transfer to parchment-lined baking sheets and shape into hearts. Refrigerate until firm, about 10 minutes.

4. Bake, rotating sheets halfway through, until cookies are golden brown and crisp, about 17 minutes. Let cool completely on baking sheets on wire racks. Dust with confectioners’ sugar just before serving.

More from Martha Stewart:
Quick, One-Pot Meal Ideas To Feed the Whole Family
20 Classic Comfort Food Recipes from Martha Stewart
36 Dinners You Can Make in Just 15 Minutes!
42 Slow-Cooker Recipes Worth the Wait

Want something even more wholesome? This baked oatmeal is as good as it gets.