Gooey Dark Chocolate Buckwheat Brownies

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Health Benefits:

I need a sweet treat almost everyday, but that doesn’t mean I always have to compromise on nutrition to get it. There are days when treats should be measured only in the amount of joy you are getting from them and there are days when we can learn how to have treats be both delicious and slightly more balanced.

This recipe is an example of that: these brownies are rich, fudgy and decadent but they’re also vegan, gluten-free and loaded with ingredients that actually support your health.

If you’ve been following along, you know I love a good “kitchen swap”, meaning substituting a go-to ingredient with one that has more nutritional density.

Buckwheat Flour: By using buckwheat flour instead of refined white flour, we’re choosing a whole grain (it’s technically a pseudocereal but that’s fine print), that is naturally gluten-free and wonderful for heart health.

Chia Seeds: And where in most traditional brownie recipes, you’d find several eggs acting as the binder; in this plant-based version, we are using chia seeds. I love this swap for two reasons:

• Chia Seeds as a Binder: When chia seeds meet liquid, they form a gel-like consistency that mimics the structural role of an egg, keeping these brownies gooey and held together.

• Fiber & Fat: Chia seeds are an excellent source of fiber and omega-3 fatty acids. By adding them, we are giving these brownies a little glow-up of goodness with ingredients that helps reduce inflammation and support gut health.

Dark Chocolate: I use a high-quality 85% dark chocolate bar here and for good reason. As you increase the cacao percentage in chocolate you also increase the benefits you get from it such as:

• Fiber, iron & magnesium

• Polyphenols that can help increase your mood and lower blood pressure

• Less added sugar than milk or less dark chocolate

If your taste buds aren’t at 85% yet, start with 70% and work your way up. Eventually I bet you’ll actually prefer the higher percentages!

Another great thing about this recipe? It takes about 10 minutes to throw all the ingredients in a bowl and toss in the oven. As you build out your plant-forward kitchen, you’ll likely naturally have most of these ingredients in the pantry meaning they are the perfect last-minute dessert, party dish, afternoon treat or answer to that chocolate craving!

Notes:

This batter is very thick and very sticky, keep mixing until just combined, it will come together I promise!

You need to use tahini that is pourable, if it’s the end of the jar it will be too dry.

I’m providing the ingredients in both weight and volume. With baking, measuring by weight is frequently more accurate so if you have a scale, I’d suggest using it. But if not, they won’t suffer from just using measuring cups and spoons!

Equipment:

• 1 Mixing Bowl

• 1 9×9 inch baking dish

• 1 Knife

• 1 Cutting Board

• 1 Scale

• Measuring cups & spoons

Ingredients (Makes 16 bars):

• 190 g oat milk (3/4 cup)

• 130 g tahini (1/2 cup)

• 40 g chia seeds (1/4 cup)

• 2 tsp vanilla extract

• 145 g buckwheat flour (1 cup)

• 40 g cocoa powder (1/2 cup)

• 115 g sugar (1/2 cup)

• ½ tsp salt

• 1 tsp espresso powder

• 85 g 85% dark chocolate bar

• 85 g vegan dark chocolate chips (1/2 cup)

• 1 dash sea salt

Instructions:

• Preheat the oven to 350ºF

• Line a 9×9 inch baking dish with parchment paper.

• In a large mixing bowl, combine the oat milk, tahini chia seeds and vanilla extract and whisk till combined.

• Add the buckwheat flour, cocoa powder, sugar, salt and espresso powder.

• Mix with a spatula until it forms a thick and sticky batter. It will be very thick and sticky.

• Chop the dark chocolate bar into small piece and fold in the batter.

• Pour the batter into the baking dish and use the spatula to spread out the mixture evenly.

• Top with the dark chocolate chips and a sprinkle of sea salt.

• Bake for 25 minutes or until the center is just set and slightly gooey.

• Remove from the oven and let the brownies cool in the pan. Then cut into pieces and store in a container in the fridge (if they make it that far)!

Nutrition Info (per Serving): Calories: 193 Fat: 10g Carbohydrates: 25g Fiber 4g Protein: 5g