Chocolate Buckwheat Porridge

Chocolate buckwheat porridge is a decadent gluten free vegan breakfast recipe that is ready in less than 15 minutes. Requiring just four simple ingredients, you'll quickly fall in love with this easy to make breakfast option.

Chocolate for breakfast.  Need I say more?  And if I do need to say more, then this recipe isn't for you.  Because, chocolate for breakfast!  YES!!

I don't have a huge sweet tooth, despite what you may believe from some of the other recipes on my blog (hello avocado key lime pie).  But I do have a huge dark chocolate tooth.  (Yes, that's a thing!) This is made obvious by my recipe posts for aquafaba chocolate mousse, cocoa date truffles and pumpkin dark chocolate chip cookies.  And now chocolate for breakfast?  Scandalous!  Have I gone too far?  Nope.  And here's why...

Cocoa powder is actually good for you!  Like really good.  It's considered a superfood by some standards.  Cocoa is high in magnesium, iron, and polyphenols which have powerful antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties.  So, a little chocolate for breakfast is not only ok, it is beneficial to your health!

Now, onto the buckwheat...

What are Buckwheat Groats?

Buckwheat, despite its name, is not related to wheat and is gluten free.  Buckwheat is highly nutritious and is called a pseudo cereal because it is actually a seed, not a grain.  While it is not considered a legit grain, it cooks like one and is often used in place of grains in recipes, such as this buckwheat porridge.  It can also be used in place of rice with stir fries and curries or as a salad ingredient.

Buckwheat groats come raw or toasted.  When toasted, buckwheat is best known as kasha and has a rich, nutty flavor.  Kasha cooks faster than raw buckwheat groats, but this is not to say that raw buckwheat takes a long time to cook.  Raw buckwheat only takes 10-12 minutes, so either way, you're in for a short cook time.

Do I Need to Soak Buckwheat Before Cooking?

It's up to you if you want to soak the buckwheat before cooking.  Soaking the buckwheat for even a few hours before cooking helps make it more digestible, but it isn't necessary.  Soaking the buckwheat also decreases the cooking time, so make sure to keep an eye on it.

To soak buckwheat, add it to a bowl with three times more water than buckwheat.  Allow to soak 2-8 hours, then drain and rinse thoroughly.  The buckwheat will be a little slimy after it soaks, so just make sure to rinse it well to remove.

Is Buckwheat Healthy for You?

Buckwheat is highly nutritious and, per cooked cup, contains approximately:

• Calories: 150
• Protein: 6 grams
• Fat: 1 gram
• Fiber: 4 grams
• Magnesium: 21% RDV (recommended daily value)
• Iron: 7% RDV

How to Make Chocolate Buckwheat Porridge

Chocolate buckwheat porridge requires less than 15 minutes to make and can also be made ahead of time and reheated making it a perfect weekday breakfast .

Ingredients

• Buckwheat Groats - Make sure to buy raw buckwheat groats, and not kasha, which is toasted buckwheat. See body of text above for more info on buckwheat groats.
• Cocoa Powder - I prefer Dutch processed cocoa powder because it has a more intense chocolatey flavor, but either will work in this recipe.
• Maple Syrup - Since cocoa powder is unsweetened and intensely bitter, you need something to balance the flavor.  Adding a little maple syrup is the perfect solution.  I like to pour a little more over the top at the table too.
• Almond Milk - Use any non-dairy milk you please here.  This is used for thinning out the porridge once its cooked.  I minimize the amount of sugar in my diet, so I buy unsweetened almond milk, but its up to you what you use.
• Optional Toppings - I often top mine with bananas and pecans for a little crunch, but I've also added strawberries, raspberries, walnuts and peanuts.  Oh, and once I added dark chocolate chips, and that wasn't bad at all.

Method

Add the buckwheat groats to a medium sauce pan along with 3 cups water, cocoa powder and maple syrup.  Whisk to fully incorporate the cocoa powder.  Bring to a boil over high heat and then reduce to a simmer, stirring often.  If you've soaked your buckwheat groats prior to cooking, you'll only need to cook the porridge for about 5-7 minutes until it is soft enough to eat.  If you didn't presoak the groats, simmer for 10-12 minutes until soft and most of the liquid has been absorbed.  Divide between three bowls and serve at the table with milk, more maple syrup, and desired toppings.  That's it!  So simple, right?

Quick & Easy Vegan Breakfast Options

If you're looking for other easy gluten free vegan breakfast recipes, try:

• Easy Tofu Scramble
• Savory Spinach and Mushroom Muffins
• Gluten Free Oatmeal Blender Pancakes
• Oil Free Maple Granola

Chocolate Buckwheat Porridge

Chocolate buckwheat porridge is a decadent gluten free vegan breakfast recipe that is quick to make.  Ready in less than 15 minutes, and requiring just four simple ingredients, you’ll quickly fall in love with this easy to make breakfast option.

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Course: Breakfast

Cuisine: American

Cook Time: 10 minutes minutes

Total Time: 10 minutes minutes

Servings: 4 servings

Calories: 274kcal

Ingredients

• 1 ½ cups buckwheat groats* raw
• 3 cups water
• 3 tablespoons cocoa powder
• 3 tablespoons maple syrup, plus more for serving
• ¾ cup unsweetened almond milk, or any non-dairy milk
• Optional Toppings: banana, berries, nuts, chocolate chips, coconut, etc.

Instructions

• Add the buckwheat groats to a medium sauce pan along with 3 cups water, cocoa powder, and maple syrup.  Whisk to fully incorporate the cocoa powder. 
• Bring to a boil over high heat and then reduce to a simmer.  Simmer for 10-12 minutes, stirring often, until buckwheat is soft and most of the liquid has been absorbed.  (If you’ve soaked your buckwheat groats prior to cooking, you’ll only need to cook the porridge for about 5-7 minutes until it is soft enough to eat. See more info in the notes below.)
• Divide between three bowls and serve at the table with milk, more maple syrup, and desired toppings. 

Notes

*Soaking buckwheat: It's up to you if you want to soak the buckwheat.  Some say it makes it more digestible, but feel free to experiment and do what works for you.  I don't typically soak mine because I rarely have enough forethought.  To soak: add buckwheat to a bowl with three times more water than buckwheat.  Allow to soak 2-8 hours, then drain and rinse thoroughly.  The buckwheat will be a little slimy after it soaks, so just make sure to rinse it well to remove any sliminess.

Make Ahead: The buckwheat porridge can be made ahead of time and stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days.  To reheat put in a saucepan with some milk or water and heat through, stirring often.

Nutrition

Serving: 0.75cup | Calories: 274kcal | Carbohydrates: 58g | Protein: 9g | Fat: 3g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Sodium: 73mg | Potassium: 384mg | Fiber: 8g | Sugar: 9g | Calcium: 94mg | Iron: 2mg

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