I’m a traitor…a traitor to my oats!

I use buckwheat all the time in my baked goods by grinding up raw buckwheat groats to make flour…but I’d never even thought to soak the oats and use them whole…crazy!

The idea first came from this post over at Oh She Glows, and it just seemed such an obvious thing to try, a great little breakfast experiment and also great for those of you who are oat sensitive.

All it takes is a little advance planning as the groats need to be soaked (overnight preferably) to soften up. Then it’s free reign with your imagination to jazz up the bowl however you wish. My ‘recipe’ below (if you can even call it that) gives you the basic principle and then you can top it up with any of my ideas below, plus many more of your own….feel free to leave ideas in the comments!

I enjoy this buckwheat bowl as a change from my oats. The buckwheat has a unique texture and quite a firm bite which is why I find it is best mixed with creamy ingredients such as banana, some soaked chia, maybe throw some soaked oats in too if you like! I also think the buckwheat itself looks really pretty…like mini pyramid jewels!

Pretty pictures….lovely layered up ‘buckwheat parfaits’ as I carefully crafted on the first day I made a batch…followed by a bowl of

mixed up ‘smoosh’ on day two…not so pretty but just as yummy! Make a big batch of buckwheat left soaking in the fridge and it will keep you going for a few days.

Decoration ideas:

Granola…chocolate is always best!

Cashew custard cream

Vegan yoghurt

Chia jam (coming in a future post)

Soaked chia seeds mixed through to add extra texture

Healthy chocolate mousse or chia pudding

Crumbled smoosh bars

Crumbled cookie such as these chocolate shortbread crumbles

Lots of fruit…of all different kinds, either sliced for the top of pureed/mashed to mix through.

Nut butters

Drizzle toppings (if going for a sweet option) maple syrup or agave nectar

Recipe: Buckwheat breakfast bowl

Ingredients:

1/3 cup raw buckwheat groats (soaked in water overnight)

Approx. ¾ cup ‘milk’ (I used soy)more if you want a thinner consistency

1 ripe banana- well mashed (this gives a creamy texture)

½ tsp vanilla extract

Method:

Place the buckwheat groats in a bowl and cover with water. Stir. Place in the fridge overnight.

In the morning drain and rinse the buckwheat well and add to the remaining ingredients and mix through well. Add a little extra milk to reach desired consistency.

Get ready to go crazy with your mix-ins and toppings…..serve right away!

Voila, a super simple breakfast/snack/dessert or anytime meal!

For tips and info on recipe measurement conversions, ingredients, substitutions and the methods behind how I do things.... check out my 'baking tips' tab at the top of the page.