My relationship with chocolate has been one of the most significant liaisons in my life. And I am not even kidding! Chocolate was uplifting, comforting, familiar and always there for me. Let me start by saying I was never a huge chocolate aficionado per se, until I started hanging out with the little Bulgarian posse of girls I met during my first year of university. One in particular, was a serious, die-hard, in your face chocoholic. [You know exactly who you are!]
We were all impossibly young and perpetually homesick. Too shocked to realize what we had just done by leaving home at such a young age, on what seemed like an infinite plane ride. Every day we would call each other up, share a meal at the food court, and end the night with a trip to the general store where we would share a 2 for the price of 1 chocolate bar deal. Looking back; I can’t believe I ate a chocolate bar a day. No shame. None. But that simple routine brought us so much comfort.
It wasn’t long before the “Chocoholic Band of Sisters” discovered a certain, ahem…. mass -manufactured, rectangular freezer chocolate cake. And… we would eat half a cake, each. More like sit in front of the TV, fork in hand, watching Sex and the City- commiserating and dreaming (all while gorging on chocolate, of course).
I think it’s important for us to explore the emotional connections we ascribe to certain foods. We all have a meal that brings us back to a certain event or point in our lives that we cherish (or not). That’s why some meals pull so hard on us, mere nostalgia. Chocolate will forever remind me of that time in my life when I left everything and everyone I loved behind and met my new “family”.
So let’s talk good old gooey, naturally gluten free Buckwheat Brownies that are sticky, just the right amount of sweet and oozing in chocolate! I have more than a few brownie recipes on this site; but I realize they ALL use almond flour or almond meal. If you’re not familiar with Paleo or gluten-free baking, you must know almond flour is not cheap, by any means.
I got a few emails where you guys ask me to develop more affordable brownie recipes. Some of you have even asked me to make black bean or beet brownies. Let me start by saying: I love beans. I love brownies. The thought of the two of them together is something I can’t digest. Not to say I won’t try it one day. Same goes for beets… I need to (slowly) warm up to the idea of vegetables in my chocolate. You see; I am a purist. Chocolate must not be contaminated or muddled with.
Sooooo… This recipe is based off one of the very first recipes I wrote on the blog a year ago [Maple Almond Fudge Brownies] except for some major tweaks: I use buckwheat flour and I take a different approach to handling the 1 cup of chocolate chips the recipe calls for. Instead of melting them with the coconut oil or grass fed butter (as we always do), we will fold them into the batter. They will melt as the brownies bake and be the glue to make the fudgiest brownies, ever.
I tried this recipe twice; the second trial was shared and broadcasted with you all via snapchat. So in case you want to keep up with all the behind the scenes hoopla inside my bright yellow kitchen, you can find me there under “dishonhealthy”. I first tried it with coconut sugar, and enjoyed that more than with brown, raw cane sugar. Coconut sugar is lower in the glycemic index and is metabolized differently by your body. In layman’s terms: it’s much healthier for you. It doesn’t cause as massive a sugar rush and respective crash. Blood sugar levels need to remain stable to starve off hunger during the day.
And one last thing about these brownies: you can substitute regular, all-purpose flour into the mix, if you don’t have any gluten sensitivities. And whatever you do, don’t over bake them! Buckwheat doesn’t need more than 20 mins at 350F. They may seem a bit moist or under baked- but they just need to settle. Over baking will kill the moisture and the fudgy interior .Enjoy these amazing baked goodies! Because we sure did. Tell me what you think of this recipe and leave a comment. I would love and welcome your feedback.
Fudgy Buckwheat Brownies
Ingredients
- 1 cup buckwheat flour or all purpose-flour (for a super fudgy brownie, try 3/4 cup)
- 2/3 cup raw cacao or good quality cocoa powder
- pinch of sea salt
- 3/4 cup cold pressed melted coconut oil OR grass fed butter (use deodorized coconut oil for no flavor)
- 3 large eggs (always at room temperature)
- 1 tbsp pure vanilla extract ( I love Madagascar vanilla!)
- 1 plus 1/3 cup coconut sugar or raw cane sugar
- 1 cup of good quality chocolate chips or chopped chocolate. I love Ghirardelli 60% chocolate chips. For vegan options, there are dairy free chocolate chips available.
- 1/4 tsp of gluten free baking powder
- 1 tsp of espresso powder (optional! I don’t put it in if giving to my kids. But it naturally enhances the chocolate flavor & is amazing!)
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 350 F and line an 8 by 8 or 9 by 9 baking pan. I always line mine with parchment paper.
- In a very large bowl, mix the buckwheat flour, baking powder, cacao or cocoa powder & the pinch of sea salt. Give it a good whisk.
- In another bowl, mix the coconut sugar and coconut oil or butter. Integrate one egg at a time while you whisk/mix. Add the vanilla extract and give it a good, final whisk.
- Pour the wet ingredient mixture into the dry ingredient bowl and whisk very well.
- Fold in the 1 cup of chocolate chips or chunks, don’t overmix.
- Pour the batter into the pan and top with some extra chocolate chips. Bake for about 18-20 minutes for buckwheat flour, a bit longer for regular flour.When a toothpick comes out mostly clean from the center of the pan, they’re ready!
They look delicious!
Thanks so much! They’re so simple and delicious, and all the good things. 🙂
I’m so excited to try these! they look amaze.
Thank you!! Let me know what you think, if you do try them!
oooh these look delicious! great pics xx
Thanks so much, Pehge. 🙂 They are super yummy, indeed if I say so myself.
Can I just use the egg yolks in this recipe? My son is intolerant to egg whites
Hi, Dima! I apologize for this late reply. We have been on extended holiday. I don’t recommend just using yolks because eggs whites are essential for brownies; they give brownies that fudgy consistency & lift. I would instead suggest you try a flax egg replacement and add 1/4 cup of unsweetened apple sauce of you feel the batter could use a little more moisture. Good luck! This recipe is delish.
Hello again! followed the exact same recipe, with the eggs, but turned out really dry! I didn’t have large eggs so just used 3 normal ones..could it be that? Or maybe the vanilla? I used real powdered vanilla, not the syrup.
Hi Dima!! Sorry for the late reply, I was on holiday. I always use 3 large eggs, at room temperature and it works wonderfully well. Did you use the unsweetened applesauce for moisture? The only thing that could possibly over dry them is if you prolong the cooking time. Buckwheat dries up pretty quickly. Do you remember how long you baked them for?
We have an egg allergy in the house, would i be able to replace 3 eggs with the flax seed sub or is that pushing my luck? buckwheat flour isn’t as cheap as AP so i don’t want to waste it lol!
Hi, Rebecca! I have never tried this particular recipe with the egg replacement; but I would do the flaxseed or chia eggs and add 1/4 cup of unsweetened apple sauce; which I find adds the binding moisture eggs would. Let me know how it turns out!☺️
These are delicious and I’ve only had two small squares! 🙂 I made a peanut butter swirl on the top which required some added time baking, I placed foil on the edges of the pan to cover the edges so that they didn’t burn and the center could continue cooking (extra moist due to pb swirled on top). Thanks for the recipe! I can’t wait to see if my non-gf boyfriend eats a big piece tonight. 😛
Am so happy to read you enjoyed them! Did the non-gf boyfriend approve, as well? My husband has not given up gluten, but he’ll eat these, any day. The peanut butter was an awesome add-on! Have a great weekend!
Hi! Is it 1 cup plus another 1/3 cup of the coconut sugar? Thanks 🙂
Hi, Emily! Yes, 1 cup PLUS 1/3 cup of coconut sugar. These are so yum! Enjoy!
Wow the batter turned out so thick that i couldnt use the handheld mixer 😂. I then added more coconut oil and a 4th egg because the batter was too dry. It was so thick that i had to dump it in one big chunk into the pan. Is the consistency supposed to be this thick? 🤔
I hope it wont turn into a brick 😂
Hi, Fabienne! Sorry the batter turned so thick. 😧 While it’s thicker than say for example, cake batter- you should be able to mix it even by hand without any problems. Buckwheat is a very “thirsty flour” but the measurement I provide works very well. Did they come out of the oven, yet? It’s funny because I was going to post about how this recipe is the most popular of 2016 for the blog. Let me know how they turned out.
Thanks for your reply! I think i might have been better off with 3/4th cup of buckwheat. Yes it turned out very rich (used 92% & 100% dark choc with a few spoons of peanut butter) 😁. I also think I should have taken it out at 18min instead of 20. But i just wasn’t sure 😂. I think less flour and 2min less in oven will make it moister.
Do you think this is also doable with coconut flour?
Fabiene, sorry for the late reply. Just seeing it now. Coconut Flour is a very, very different flour, the ratio required would be much smaller because it is the most absorbent flour I have ever worked with. Based on what I know about baking, I would do 1/2 Cup of coconut flour to 1/3 cup of coconut oil. I would also lower the cacao to 1/2 Cup to directly match the coconut flour ratio. I would also limit the eggs to 1-2. 😉
If you’re looking for more chocolatey treats and are familiar with almond flour, may I suggest my “Paleo Chocolate Cupcakes” or my “Double Chocolate Almond Flour Brownies” they’re delicious and a much easier flour to work with. Again, a “thicker than most” batter- but they’re a healthy alternative and a yummy treat. My number one tip with paleo desserts: do not overbake! Good luck!
I also had a thicker batter and it didn’t rise very well. Any advice would be appreciated
Hello – the Batter came out thick and it didn’t rise well.
Any advice would be appreciated
Hi Georgette! So sorry to read this. This is the most popular recipe on the blog, but you’re the second person this month who brings to my attention a thicker batter and I want to help. I do mention in the recipe that for fudgier brownies, try using 3/4 cups of buckwheat flour (a lesser amount of dry ingredients). Yes, the batter is supposed to be very thick, but you should be able to stick a wooden spoon in there and turn it somewhat around. If the batter is way too thick, that usually means too many dry ingredients, not enough liquid ones for moisture. I would also try adding 2-3 tbsp of almond milk. The brownies don’t rise that much, because they’re a brownie and not a cake or muffin-style dessert. If you’re also looking for a very chocolatey dessert or brownie, may I humbly suggest the “Paleo Chocolate Cupcakes” on the blog made with almond flour; a much easier flour to work with, also gluten free and super moist and perfect. There’s also some “Double Chocolate Almond Flour Brownies” on the blog, again a thick batter; but remember they will always be super moist as long as you don’t over bake them. Hope this helps! 🙂
Thanks for the advice and I’ll try the cupcakes! 🙂