While I was at home for the weekend, we stopped at one of my favorite places from my childhood, the penny candy store, Baldinger’s. Big shocker, I actually did not purchase any candy during this visit (my childhood self is probably screaming; I was super sugar crazy, which is probably why I’m done with it now – I overdosed!), but I did purchase some locally made buckwheat flour! I’ve just recently realized that buckwheat is gluten free; the name is pretty misleading, having wheat in it. So of course, I was really excited to get experimenting with it!
I’ve only ever had buckwheat pancakes, and that was when I was probably about 6 or 7 years old. I remember that I really enjoyed them, and everybody was surprised, since they’re generally considered healthier for you. I’m looking forward to making some buckwheat pancakes soon, but I figured I’d start my buckwheat adventures with a classic: chocolate chip cookies.
I wasn’t entirely sure how these would turn out, since it’s been so long that I’ve had buckwheat of any kind, but oh my goodness, you guys! These are so, so good. The buckwheat flour adds a hint of nuttiness, and it makes these cookies nice and crisp on the outside, soft on the inside. I really enjoyed the texture of these. They make a pretty thick cookie, but they spread nicely still, so it was perfect in my book!
I used coconut sugar as the main sweetener for these, which added a lovely caramel flavor and helped with the crisp. I used coconut oil for the fat to keep it pretty healthy, and I love the subtle coconut flavor. You can always use refined coconut oil if you don’t like the flavor of coconut, or of course, you can always use butter.
These are pretty quick to make; I just recommend chilling the dough for at least 20 minutes before scooping, since buckwheat flour will cause more spread if the dough is at room temperature, since there’s no gluten to hold it together! You can always chill the dough overnight, too, for the flavors to develop. It’s not necessary, since they’re really fantastic already, but it’ll definitely take them over the top. 😉
Do you ever use buckwheat flour? What do you like to make with it?
- 1 1/4 cups buckwheat flour
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp baking soda
- 1/2 cup coconut oil (or butter)
- 1/2 cup coconut sugar (or brown sugar)
- 1/4 tsp liquid stevia (or 1/4 cup more sugar)
- 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 egg
- 1 cup dark chocolate chips
Preheat the oven to 350ºF, and line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
In a medium bowl, stir the flour, salt, and baking soda together. Set aside.
In the bowl of a stand mixer (or large bowl), cream the coconut oil and coconut sugar together, until light and fluffy. Stir in the liquid stevia, vanilla extract, and egg, mixing until well combined. Slowly mix in the flour mixture, stirring until just incorporated. Fold in the chocolate chips.
Cover the bowl with plastic wrap, and chill the dough in the fridge for about 20 minutes (or overnight), until the dough is firm. Once chilled, scoop dough onto the prepared baking sheets, using a small cookie scoop. Scoop 2 mounds of dough for each cookie, and press them together. Place them about 3 inches apart, with 6 cookies on each baking sheet.
Bake at 350ºF for 12-15 minutes, until golden around the edges. Allow to cool on the baking sheet for about 10 minutes before removing to a wire rack to cool. Store leftovers in an airtight container.
https://cookingalamel.com/2013/09/buckwheat-chocolate-chip-cookies-gluten-free.html