Buckwheat Breakfast Bars (Gluten-Free and Vegan)

Buckwheat bars with pumpkin seeds and dried cranberries pressed into the tops.

Buckwheat Breakfast Bars (Gluten-Free and Vegan)

Prep Time 15

Cook Time 32

Total Time 47

Servings:10 bars

Author: Lori Rasmussen, My Quiet Kitchen

With buckwheat flour and the crisp, whole groats, these baked buckwheat bars are easy to make and great for breakfast and snacks. Seeds and dried fruit add even more texture, while vanilla, maple, and cinnamon make them sweet and irresistible! These bars are vegan, gluten-free, oil-free, and tree nut-free.

Ingredients
US Customary | Metric

Dry Ingredients:

1 cup buckwheat groats - divided
½ cup gluten-free all purpose flour - I used King Arthur Measure-for-Measure
½ cup raw pumpkin seeds - plus more for sprinkling on top
½ cup raw sunflower seeds
2 Tablespoons chia seeds
1½ teaspoons cinnamon
1 teaspoon baking powder
¾ teaspoon fine sea salt

Wet Ingredients & Optional Dried Fruit:

⅓ cup light brown sugar - can sub coconut or date sugar
⅓ cup pure maple syrup
⅓ cup unsweetened non-dairy milk - such as oat, soy or coconut
1½ teaspoons vanilla extract
3 Tablespoons tahini - or Sunbutter
⅓ cup small/chopped dried fruit such as cranberries, cherries, apricots - chop anything larger than a raisin

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 350°F (176°C), and line an 8x8-inch square metal baking pan with parchment paper.
Put ½ cup buckwheat groats in a blender. Start on low speed and quickly increase to high, blending for about 8 seconds or until the groats are the texture of flour. Alternatively, if you already have buckwheat flour, use 85 grams or ½ cup plus 1 Tbsp.
Pour the buckwheat flour into a large mixing bowl. Add the remaining ½ cup buckwheat groats and all other dry ingredients. Whisk to combine.
Excluding the dried fruit, in a separate small bowl whisk together the wet ingredients. Pour wet into dry, and stir to form a batter.
Fold in the dried fruit, and transfer the batter to the prepared pan. If desired, roughly chop a palmful of pumpkin seeds and dried fruit, and sprinkle across the top for color.
Bake for 30-34 minutes or until the center is set. You can test this by lightly pressing with a finger. Unlike baked goods that contain gluten, it won't bounce back, but it should be lightly firm and set. A toothpick inserted in the center should come out clean.
Allow to cool in the pan for 10 minutes, then lift out by the parchment paper and place on a cooling rack. Cool completely before slicing into bars.

Notes

Note that the bars are somewhat fragile because they are gluten-free and made without eggs or a saturated fat like coconut oil. If you don't need GF, using regular all purpose flour will give them more structure.

If you swap the brown sugar for a drier sweetener like coconut sugar, the batter will be slightly thicker.

Store the bars in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days or freeze for up to 2 months. If you need to stack them inside the container, use a layer of parchment paper to prevent sticking.

Nutrition