Saturday, June 1, 2013

Mocha Buckwheat Crunch Recipe- Gluten Free, Vegan


When you get super picky kids devouring something made with non commonplace healthy ingredients, you know you've scored big time. And that's what happened with this mocha buckwheat crunch.
My nieces and nephews are quite picky and were coming over for the weekend, and I had no snacks or desserts to serve and wanted to make something, but had very little time before they'd arrive.
Having known about the possibility of using toasted buckwheat in place of nuts in recipes, because of my buckwheat crispies recipe, I decided to try making something with toasted buckwheat and chocolate chips (which I'd bought in bulk). One batch I made with the addition of peanut butter, the other with some coffee. And they were both huge hits, the mocha one even more than the peanut butter one, surprisingly.

I have made it many times since, when I have a little time but want something yummy and easy to make. Decimated in seconds every single time.

As for health... well, it depends on how healthy your chocolate chips are. Use healthier ones to make this healthier, or cheaper ones to keep the cost down.

Mocha Buckwheat Crunch Recipe- Gluten Free, Vegan

Ingredients:
2 cups green/untoasted buckwheat (or chopped nuts or seeds if you want to make this grain free, but it'll also make it more expensive)
2 cups chocolate chips or other chocolate, like chocolate bars (ideally non dairy, but dairy is also ok, it just won't be vegan)
1/2 cup coconut oil or palm oil
1.5- 2 teaspoons instant coffee granules (other ground coffee probably also would work, but no promises)

Instructions:
1. First make sure that your buckwheat is green/light brown, and is raw, not kasha which is darker brown and toasted. On a previous recipe I posted that involved green buckwheat, someone posted that the recipe came out horribly- because she used kasha instead of untoasted buckwheat. So before we even begin with the recipe, make sure you actually have the right kind.

2. Heat up a pan with no oil, and add buckwheat. Mix regularly, for a few minutes, until lightly toasted and just beginning to brown. Taste them- they should have a nice crunch but not be too hard, kind of like chopped peanuts.

3. Melt the chocolate in a double boiler or microwave. By double boiler, I mean a heat proof container inside a large pot containing water, with the chocolate inside the inner container.

4. Add the oil and instant coffee to the chocolate and mix until uniform.

5. Add the chocolate mixture to the buckwheat, mix well, and pour onto a lined cookie tray or 8x13 pan.

6. Chill in the fridge or freezer until completely solid.

7. Break up into little pieces and eat. Or store in the fridge/freezer for further use.

Are you a coffee fan? Are you a chocolate fan? Are you a fan of the two combined, aka mocha? Do you like crunchy chocolate? Does this look like a recipe you'd try?
What desserts do you make when you're short on time?

2 comments:

  1. I made your other buckwheat recipe and it was amazing so I'm looking forward to trying this one. It's a shame buckwheat is so expensive where I live...

    ReplyDelete
  2. I used carob with this recipe (since sugar-free, Fair Trade, kosher certified parve chocolate is wayyy expensive) and it turned out great!

    ReplyDelete

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