These rich chocolate buckwheat brownies, made with three creamy chocolate layers, naturally gluten free and easy to make in under 30 minutes. An easy chocolate energizing treat.
These easy buckwheat brownies are no bake and are naturally gluten free thanks to healthy buckwheat! They are made of three layers, with the base being crunchy chocolate buckwheat, the middle containing chocolate coconut butter and a dark chocolate top. Just like my no bake peanut butter brownies and my peanut butter swirl brownies from scratch, these are a terrific energizing snack!
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Why You'll Love This
Quick to make. These buckwheat brownies can be made quickly in a food processer and they are no bake but don't require a long chill, so they are ready minutes after you've mixed the ingredients.
Nutritional snack. Thanks to buckwheat, these brownies are high in nutrition. Buckwheat is not a grain, so it is naturally gluten free. It's actually part of the rhubarb family, making it closer to a vegetable. It is good for heart health, lowering blood pressure, easy on the gut, contains disease-fighting antioxidants, and is high in fiber.
Good for vegan & gluten free diets. This creamy chocolate brownie is the perfect no bake snack no matter if you eat plant based or not.
Ingredients
- buckwheat groats - a pseudo grain you can buy online or wherever you'd find rolled oats in the grocer. Or just use buckwheat flour or oat flour.
- walnuts - these add nutty protein, or use more buckwheat groats.
- cocoa powder
- maple syrup - a refined sugar free sweetener.
- coconut butter. Make it or buy it. The recipe to make it is below, just blend unsweetened shredded coconut, or follow my 'how to make coconut butter' blog post.
- peanut butter - optional, but adding it to the chocolate makes it creamy.
- chocolate - Use at least 60% chocolate chips or a chopped up bar.
See the recipe card at the bottom for full information on ingredients and quantities.
Substitutions
Buckwheat groats. You can use buckwheat flour instead. It is easier to find, most grocery stores carry it. Just use a bit less, ½ cup instead of ⅔ cup. You can also use oat flour or even rolled oats in place of groats.
Maple syrup. Any liquid sweetener that you prefer is fine. I have also used date paste, in the same amount.
Step by Step Instructions
For more detail, visit the complete and printable recipe at the bottom of this post, but here are general steps.
Step 1: Line a loaf pan with parchment paper so it over hangs each side. Rinse the buckwheat groats until the slimy coating is gone, about a minute.
Step 2: Make the chocolate base. Add the buckwheat groats to a food processor with other base ingredients and process into a malleable texture. Press into the parchment lined pan.
Step 3: Make the chocolate coconut middle layer. Make 1 cup coconut butter by blending 3 cups of fresh shredded coconut in a high speed blender or food processor. If using a blender, one with a small jar with a stirring lid works best such as Blendtec with its twister jar. Or melt a store-bought jar of coconut butter by sitting jar in a pot of boiled water, stirring until enough melts for you to measure off 1 cup.
Step 4: To the coconut butter, add cocoa and maple syrup. Blend and spread it on the base.
Step 5: Make the chocolate top. Melt the chocolate with the milk and peanut butter, and pour on the top.
Step 6: You can set the pan in the freezer for 5 minutes to allow the top chocolate to set. Then cut and enjoy!
Recipe Tips
1. You must use fresh and unsweetened shredded coconut to make coconut butter. And some brands are moister than others - Let's Do Organic works better than Whole Food's 365 brand.
TIP: If your shredded coconut crumbles in the blender instead of turns creamy, add a few tablespoons of melted hot coconut oil. I melt it by setting the entire jar in a pot of boiling water and spooning out what I need as soon as it melts. You can let it re-harden at room-temperature and it is fine because coconut oil has natural preservatives.
2. Rinse buckwheat groats well to remove the slimy coating before adding to the mixture. The coating is there to protect the plant from predators, but it has phytic acid and can negatively affect digestion, and it has bitter flavor so it's best to rinse it off. To rinse, add the groats to a strainer, and hold it under running water, while you use a hand to rustle the groats around until the slimy coating is gone.
Storage
Cut the bars, seal in a container, store in the refrigerator for about a week or up to three months in the freezer.
FAQS
Buckwheat is naturally gluten-free, high in protein and fiber as folate, zinc and vitamin B6. One cup of groats has 24gms of protein, 5 gms of fiber and only 1 gm of fat. Studies show buckwheat groats are heart-healthy, balance blood sugar and show prebiotic and anti-inflammatory potential.
You can buy them online, just search buckwheat groats, or in some grocery stores. Look where you'd find rolled oats.
More Brownie Recipes
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📖 Recipe
Chocolate Buckwheat Brownies
Equipment
- Measuring cups & spoons
- food processor or blender
- parchment paper to line loaf pan and over hang
- spatula, knife
Ingredients
Buckwheat Base
- ⅔ cup buckwheat groats or ½ cup buckwheat flour
- ½ cup walnuts or more buckwheat
- 2 tablespoon cocoa powder
- ¼ cup maple syrup
- 6 tablespoon water
Chocolate coconut middle
- 1 cup coconut butter buy it, or make it by blending 3 cups of fresh shredded coconut
- ¼ cup maple syrup
- 3 tablespoon cocoa powder
Chocolate Top
- 1 cup chocolate chips
- 2 tablespoon milk
- 1 tablespoon peanut butter
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Instructions
Prep
- Line a loaf pan with parchment paper.
- Pour the buckwheat groats into a strainer and rinse until the slippery coating is gone.⅔ cup buckwheat groats
- Make coconut butter by blending 2 cups of fresh shredded coconut in a high speed blender, or buy a jar of coconut manna butter. If you are using store-bought, set the jar in a pot of just boiled water to melt it so you can measure it out.
Make Base
- Into a food processor add the ingredients, and process until you achieve a putty texture. Add more water if it's crumbly. Taste-test to be sure it is sweet enough. Add up to 2 more tablespoons of maple syrup if needed.⅔ cup buckwheat groats, ½ cup walnuts, 2 tablespoon cocoa powder, 6 tablespoon water, ¼ cup maple syrup
- Press into the pan. And refrigerate while you make the middle layer.
Make Middle
- In a 2-cup measuring cup, stir together the melted or soft coconut butter, maple syrup and cocoa powder until evenly distributed. If you double the recipe, put all ingredients into a food processor.1 cup coconut butter, ¼ cup maple syrup, 3 tablespoon cocoa powder
- Pour the mixture over the chilled base and return the pan to the refrigerator while you make the topping.
Make Frosting
- In a pyrex measuring cup, microwave the dark chocolate chips and peanut butter at 60-seconds and stir until melted. You can microwave another 15 seconds if needed.1 cup chocolate chips, 1 tablespoon peanut butter
- Into the melted chocolate chips, stir in the milk and pour over the hardened middle layer and refrigerate until the top is hard enough to cut.2 tablespoon milk
Storage
- Cut the bars, store in the refrigerator for about a week or up to three months in the freezer.
Jenny
I am making these tomorrow and have the groats soaking. I'm using cranberries instead of dates but I'm also not sure why the dates are required? Is it a taste element? And will cranberries work as well?
Dee Dine
Love that substitution! Dates or maple syrup are the binder, I'm sure cranberries will work well.
Izzy
Hi Dee,
These look lovely!! But I was wondering, how bitter the base bit is usuing walnuts and raw cocao powder (and with only 1 date)?
Thank you,
Izzy
Dee Dine
Hi Izzy, you can taste-test right after processing and add a bit of maple syrup at that point which is easier than soaking another date. But we don't find it bitter at all, and my teens love them this way. Thanks for stopping by! Dee xx
Bianca Zapatka
This looks so delicious! 😍
Would love to try it! Great recipe, Dee! ❤️
Lots of love,
Bianca
Dee Dine
Thank you Bianca, we can't stop making them over here. They are so easy, they have replaced our old favorite! Take care, Dee
Ela
Wow, they look ultra fudgy! I am sure they taste very chocolaty and delicious. 🙂 Love that they are vegan and gluten-free. Going to pin them now! 🙂
Dee Dine
That's terrific, glad you like them Ela!