If I am being completely honest, and me being the most plant-based person I can be at this moment in my life, the sound of buckwheat is interestingly-healthy-but-also-unappealing. I’ve always been a little hesitant working with whole grain flours because it takes a lot of patience; texture is very different and it had no gluten structure which I was comfortable making recipes with, in many floured desserts and bread recipes. The first time I’ve experimented with a buckwheat flour dessert, it tasted like dirt. It was chalky, dry, and it literally looked like soil from the ground. I HATED it and I kind of held off from experimenting with it.
I laid off from it for a while, having an untouched, partially opened, bag of buckwheat flour inside my pantry. It still bothered me though. So I came across Sarah Jampel’s Basically Buckwheat Chocolate Chip Cookies and it sparked an interesting idea to create a double chocolate chip cookie out of similar ingredients but still very different.
I’ve had a double chocolate chip cookie recipe that I have decided not to publish on the blog and thought, “hey, this might work as a base!”
And that, my friends, is how these buckwheat chocolate chip brownie cookies were made. I initially called it buckwheat chocolate chip cookies but the results turned out very thick and fudgy (due to the acidity of the brown sugar and chocolate that chemically reacts to the baking powder and soda – food science talk, it’s fun) that it was more appropriate to call it a brownie cookie.
Although my initial plan was to make a full on gluten free cookie, I’m sorry to my GF audience – try again next time, the flour mixture of using all purpose and buckwheat made the taste more neutral and balanced out the dry and graininess.
It turns out, buckwheat is not so bad after all! It gives a certain nuttiness and richness to the cookies – almost like it was flavored with a really good nut milk (which, by the way, the cookies don’t have any form of plant milk ingredients). If that makes any sense. And I got my husband, who is the total food critic for all things pastries and desserts, to love it.
So if you are looking for ways to up your cookie game and impress your group friends – you might surprise yourself. Give this cookie recipe a go and as always, if you like this recipe please share your feedback in the comment section below and rate this recipe!
Buckwheat Chocolate Chip Brownie Cookies (vegan)
Equipment
- Mixing bowls
- cookie or ice cream scoops
- parchment paper
- baking trays
- sauce pan
- whisks / spatulas
Ingredients
- 1 cup (120g) unbleached all purpose flour
- ½ cup (60g) buckwheat flour
- 1 bar (3oz) 72% dark chocolate
- ½ cup (85g) semi-sweet dark chocolate chips dairy free for vegan
- ½ cup (50g) cocoa powder
- ¼ cup (60ml) espresso or strong black coffee
- ½ cup (118ml) melted coconut oil
- 2 large flax eggs (2 tbsp flax meals + 6 tbsp water)
- 1 cup (213g) dark brown sugar
- ¼ cup (50g) granulated sugar
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
- ½ tsp baking powder
- ½ tsp baking soda
- 1 tsp kosher salt
- flaky salt (for toppings)
Instructions
- Prepare flax "egg" by whisking flax meal (or ground flaxseeds) with water. Let it sit to thicken.
- In a preheated sauce pan, heat coconut oil to a low until it is fully melted. Turn off heat and allow it to cool for 2 minutes.
- Mix in sugars, black coffee, and vanilla. Whisk until fully combined. Stir in flax egg until smooth.
- In a large mixing bowl – add the flours, cocoa powder, salt, baking soda & powder. Stir until well combined.
- Pour in liquid ingredients to the dry little by little. Stir until it forms into a very soft dough.
- Fold roughly chopped dark chocolate and chocolate chips to the dough. Let it chill for 1 hour in the refrigerator.
- Preheat oven to 375°F.
- Line parchment paper on a baking sheet. Scoop each cookie dough (using a cookie scooper) and place on sheet. Space apart as they will spread. If you don't have a cookie scoop, use a tablespoon and form a cookie dough ball about 1-1.5" in diameter.
- Bake for 12-13 minutes. You will know if it's ready if edges are a darker brown. They may seem underdone but it will firm up once it's cooled down.
- Place on a cooling rack for about 15 minutes before indulging. Enjoy!