Vegan Buckwheat Chocolate Slice

It's not often that a recipe legitimately blows my mind.

So when I first took a bite out of this chocolate buckwheat slice - after whipping it up in less than 10 minutes due to the lack of time I had to bake something - you should have seen my face.

In hindsight, it shouldn't have been so surprising, considering that I'm a huge lover of chocolate slice. It's almost always the treat I'll reach for in the bakery cabinet on cheat day. But with a base made from buckwheat? That was the part which made me sceptical.

I've always eaten buckwheat as an alternative for rice, so to think of it in the form of something sweet, sort of confused me. But despite my initial lack of faith, this recipe sure impressed!

The buckwheat pairs perfectly with the nut butter to create a soft yet crunchy base while the thin layer of dark chocolate adds some extra sweetness and richness. At only 140 calories per slice too, it's totally guilt free and will definitely satisfy that sweet tooth craving.

Buckwheat also has plenty of health benefits and is especially great for people who suffer from IBS. Valued as a prime gluten-free alternative and super food for allergy suffers, buckwheat groats are even credited for anti-inflammatory and anti-arthritic properties.

It is supercharged with health-boosting nutrients and phytochemicals, including B vitamins, magnesium, manganese, phosphorus, zinc, copper, potassium, and selenium.

So if none of that can convince you to try these out, I don't know what will!

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Ingredients

Base: 1/2 cup Buckwheat groats 2 tbs Pure maple syrup 1/4 cup Coconut oil 1/2 cup Nut butter (I used a mix of peanut and almond) Vanilla essence

Top: 1/2 cup Dairy-free dark chocolate 1 tbs Coconut oil

Directions

1. Put the buckwheat in a blender or food processor and blitz into a rough flour - not too smooth so that you still get a bit of crunch. 2. Mix the buckwheat with the remaining base ingredients in a medium bowl - it should resemble the consistency of cookie dough. 3. Mould the base evenly into a small slice tin. Put the base in the freezer while preparing the chocolate. 4. Melt the chocolate and coconut oil over medium heat. Once melted, pour over the cooled base and return entire slice to the freezer for at least an hour. 5. Once set, slice into bars and enjoy!