Almond Buckwheat Cookies

Dairy-free, wheat-free chocolate-chip biscuits with a crunchy buckwheat crumb and soft, chewy centre.

 

Prep: 15 mins | Freeze: 1 hour | Serves: 20 

We’ve always had an affinity for almonds and buckwheat. Maybe it’s the scrumptious nutty flavours or the gratifying crunch of the resulting crumb. Whatever the appeal, we know one thing for sure—these two ingredients combine to create a cracker of a cookie. 

But what is buckwheat anyway? Well, despite what its name suggests, buckwheat has no relation to wheat. Instead, it belongs to the same family as quinoa and amaranth, a group of gluten-free seeds known as pseudocereals. Much like almond meal, it has a favourable amino acid profile and a low glycaemic index for long-lasting energy.

Both of these flour-substitutes are good sources of starch resistant fibre, which helps feed our beneficial gut bacteria and improve digestive health. Plus, they’re abundant in trace minerals, including manganese, copper and magnesium. Of course, this doesn’t change the fact that cookies should remain a “sometimes” food. However, these buckwheat bikkies are a healthy alternative that you’ll be happy to make time and time again.

Tip: If you don’t have time to chill your cookie dough, add a teaspoon of apple cider vinegar to activate the baking soda. The acidity will help your dough rise within 10 minutes, resulting in plump, moist cookies.

Ingredients

  • 1 cup (125g) buckwheat flour 
  • 3/4 cup (90g) almond meal
  • 1/2 cup (125ml) Almo Crème
  • 1/2 cup (125ml) coconut oil, melted 
  • 1/2cup (75g) brown sugar
  • 1/3 cup (80ml) maple syrup
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • 1/2 tsp bicarbonate of soda
  • 1/2 tsp gluten-free baking powder
  • 1 cup (190g) vegan chocolate chips or cacao nibs
  • 3/4 cup (60g) pecan, coarsely chopped
  • Pinch sea salt

Method

  1. Stir together the brown sugar, maple syrup, vanilla, coconut oil and Almo Crème in a large mixing bowl. 
  2. In a separate bowl, whisk together buckwheat flour, baking powder, baking soda, and sea salt. Add dry ingredients to wet ingredients and stir well to combine. 
  3. Fold through chocolate chips and pecans. Cover the bowl with a plastic or wax cover and set in the fridge for 3 hours. Chilling the dough allows the fats to solidify, which prevents the dough from spreading during the baking process. The result is a plumper, more flavoursome cookie. 
  4. Preheat the oven to 180°C and line a large baking sheet with parchment paper. Remove dough from the fridge. Scoop out 12 balls and place them evenly apart on the baking sheet. Flatten ever so slightly.
  5. Bake cookies for 10-12 minutes, or until the edges are firm. Let cool for 10 minutes before serving and store in an airtight container 3-4 days.