Healthy Buckwheat Brownies

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These fudgy buckwheat brownies are a delicious, allergy-friendly treat. No eggs or dairy are needed, and they're lower in added sugar than most brownie recipes.

These days you can find a brownie recipe made from just about anything, and I do mean anything.

Sweet potato, cauliflower, beans, pumpkin...I've even seen spinach in brownies!

I'm going to pass on most of those, which is amazing considering the health nut I am.

Though I already have recipes for Black Bean Brownies, brownies with a secret ingredient, low sugar brownies, and brownies that require no baking, I'm happy to post yet another recipe for one of my favorite desserts.

This one is made with buckwheat flour!

Choosing the right buckwheat flour

If you go looking for buckwheat flour, you'll generally find two different kinds: the dark variety, which is unhulled and almost blue in color, and the light, almost white kind.

Both are good for different reasons and act similarly in recipes, but the lighter type is much milder in taste.

Personally, I like to grind the flour myself from raw buckwheat groats, as it yields a fresher flour.

Ingredients and substitutions

Light buckwheat flour - This flour is pretty unique with how it absorbs moisture, so if you're looking to use a different flour, I'd search for a different recipe.

Baking powder AND baking soda - The combination creates a slight rise and acts against the cocoa's bitterness.

Sea salt, vanilla extract - Flavor

Applesauce - Adds a natural sweetness and makes the brownies moist and fudgy.

Oil - I like both coconut and grapeseed oils.

Maple syrup - A modest amount gives the brownies their sweetness. I also like to add in some stevia!

Warm milk - Slightly warm milk helps to create a smooth batter, as do room temperature ingredients. You can use whatever kind you like.

And chocolate chips or chopped chocolate for the top!

Recipe steps

Start with room temperature ingredients, particularly if you're using coconut oil! Coconut oil will clump when mixed with anything cold.

Stir together the dry ingredients, sifting the flour and cocoa, if necessary, to remove chunks.

Flour and cocoa powder in a large white bowl.

Flour, cocoa, and applesauce in a white bowl.

Then, just stir the remaining ingredients into the same bowl. Mix until smooth!

Pour the batter into a small, oiled baking dish.

Top with the chocolate and bake just until set. Brownies are better when they're a bit under baked and will continue to cook a bit in the hot dish.

Unbaked brownie batter in a small glass baking dish.

Over baked brownies will be dry!

FAQs

How do you grind your buckwheat groats to make flour?

I use a coffee grinder or my Nutribullet. I grind my buckwheat flour from these raw buckwheat groats. Don't use the pre-ground (dark) flour, as it has a different (stronger) taste.

Can I use a different flour?

This recipe was specifically created with buckwheat flour, so you would be better off searching the web for a recipe that uses your preferred flour.

Any substitute for applesauce?

One reader used two eggs, but I have not tried that.

If you have pear puree, that would work. The recipe relies a lot on the applesauce for sweetness and texture, so I don't recommend traditional substitutes, like pumpkin and/or yogurt.

I use applesauce A LOT in my recipes, so if you make them with any frequency, you might peek at my Instant Pot Applesauce recipe!

Recipe notes

This recipe makes a small batch of six good-sized brownies.

To bake the brownies, I use this 7 x 5 inch Pyrex dish.

If you have a chance to try this recipe, please leave a star rating and a comment below letting me know how you liked it!