Well, I took a pass at gluten free baking on Sunday…

And it actually worked!

I tried to stay with something I knew, and adapted my buckwheat bake into a larger recipe. I made some changes along the way, that turned out successful. One was including coconut oil. mmmmm

I am a huge fan of coconut oil and was so excited when Kelapo offered to send me a sample.

If you’re not familiar with coconut oil, you should get to know it a little better. It’s possibly my favorite oil and can be used easily + deliciously in cooking or baking. One key to buying coconut oil, is always buying the unrefined, virgin coconut oil. Check out Kelapo’s site for an explanation of coconut oil benefits. Or, just give it a google.

Time to grind some buckwheat groats!! These are raw buckwheat groats. They are very light in color and almost have a green tint to them. They have a nutty, earthy smell and are very crunchy.

Here you have toasted buckwheat groats, or Kasha. I always talk about the difference between the two, because there is quite the difference. Toasted buckwheat groats, taste, well, toasted. Very toasted. To me, they taste burnt. I bought them awhile ago, mistakenly. I can tolerate them baked into granola, or a small amount on a yogurt parfait.

I do not advise using them for buckwheat bakes. :)

In this recipe, I combined buckwheat flour + oat flour. Oat flour adds a softer flavor with a bit of sweetness, as buckwheat flour is a bit on the earthy side.

I typically don’t add sweetener to my breakfast bakes, except sometimes for a drizzle on top. I also don’t add coconut oil. I was looking to make a more standard breakfast bread recipe with this, so I added both. There is a nice soft sweetness from the honey and the coconut oil leaves the bars fluffy + moist.

I really wanted to make a version with chocolate chips, but I was out. I was also out of bananas. And eggs.

I’m embarrassed!!

Not to fear, the flax eggs worked perfectly and this berry almond flavor came out great.

As soon as it emerged from the oven, I couldn’t help but take a break.

And then another.

I’m the queen of taking breaks. Just ask my mom. Everyone in my family used to tease me at dinner because I would always say, “can I just have a little break??” I’m never good at making a menu decision. Luckily, my mom never minded splitting 2 entrees. Unluckily, Chris is not a fan of splitting. Unluckily again, my mom lives 1000’s of miles away. Luckily, she’ll be here in two weeks!

The texture came out great. To me, it was like a whole wheat banana bread, minus the banana. ;) It wasn’t too dense and held together perfectly. The buckwheat groats and almonds provided a nice crunch and the berries were soft + sweet. If you have tried the individual buckwheat bakes, you will definitely like this!

This batch can be cut into 9 squares and eaten as a snack.

Slathered with almond butter of course.

Or, dig in + eat 2 squares for breakfast! [equal to about 1 buckwheat bake]

Great to serve for the whole family, or as 1 weeks breakfast just for you!

I also recommend topping with:

coconut butter
coconut cream
peanut butter
jelly
butter/Earth Balance
honey
maple syrup

Cherry Blueberry Almond Breakfast Bake [serves 4-9]

3/4c raw buckwheat flour [ground, in a blender, from raw buckwheat groats]
1/2c oat flour [ground from oat groats/steel cut oats/Scottish oats]
1/4c raw buckwheat groats
1/4c coconut oil, melted
1c unsweetened almond milk
1/3c honey [or maple syrup]
2 flax eggs [2T ground flax meal + 5T warm water]
1t baking powder
1/4c chia seeds
3/4c frozen cherries, thawed
1/2c frozen blueberries, thawed
1/2c chopped almonds
3/4t almond extract
1T vanilla extract

Preheat your oven to 350*
Line a 9x9 square pan with parchment paper.
Mix flax egg and set aside.
In a large bowl mix together buckwheat flour, oat flour, buckwheat groats, chia seeds, baking powder and almonds.
Heat almond milk, until luke warm, in the microwave or on the stove.
Whisk together heated almond milk, coconut oil, honey, almond extract and vanilla.
Mix in flax eggs until just combined.
Add wet to dry and gently stir until it starts to slightly thicken. [about 20-30sec]
Stir in thawed fruit until just combined.
Pour the batter in the pan and bake for 38-42min, or until a toothpick comes out clean. The edges will be browned and the top will be slightly cracked.