Simple Chocolate Buckwheat Porridge

Start your day with a cosy bowl of chocolate buckwheat porridge! Ready in under 15 minutes, this vegan and gluten-free breakfast needs just 4 simple ingredients and tastes like eating dessert for breakfast. Perfect when topped with fruit, nuts and nut/seed butter.

Hello there. It's great to have you here. Today, let me introduce you to a breakfast that I can't get enough of. That's buckwheat porridge. Whether you want to switch up your usual oats or want more chocolate in your life, this is a great option for you!

While I do love my comforting savoury lunches and dinners, I am also a huge fan of breakfast. A good breakfast always starts my day on a positive note, especially when it involves chocolate! Peanut butter as topping? Even better.

Vegan chocolate buckwheat porridge

Now, let’s talk a little bit about this buckwheat porridge recipe. The inspiration came from the fact that I ate buckwheat all the time back in the day, but have hardly eaten it over the last few years.

So, that needed to change as soon as I spotted buckwheat groats at the store. I wanted to use them to make a breakfast recipe that’s nutritious, quick and yummy. Aka, perfect for students like myself! Since then, I've been trying lots of sweet buckwheat recipes, and also created a delicious savoury buckwheat bowl!

My favourite thing about this breakfast buckwheat porridge is just how unique it is. It’s chocolatey, it has a brilliant texture. The addition of maple syrup brings in a great subtle sweetness. While getting bored of conventional oats is hard, it does happen. So, using buckwheat is a great way to get out of a breakfast rut.

Why should you give this buckwheat porridge a go?

It’s:

• Chocolatey! And who doesn’t love chocolate for breakfast?
• Sweet and indulgent - the sort of meal that makes you feel like you’re eating chocolate cake first thing in the morning.
• Naturally gluten-free.
• Made from wholesome, minimally processed ingredients.
• Ready in under 15 minutes, if you don’t count the time it takes to soak the buckwheat.
• Great for meal prep! You can make this in the evening, store it in a jar and have breakfast waiting for you in the morning.
• Delicious with a variety of toppings.

I know that breakfasts can get repetitive very quickly, so I’d totally recommend making something like this buckwheat porridge to keep mornings interesting!

Ingredients you will need

• Buckwheat. You will find that there are two types of buckwheat available in the store. There are buckwheat groats, which is the raw version, and kasha, which is the roasted variety. I personally prefer the former, but there’s not that much of a difference between them except for flavour and cooking time.
• Cacao powder. This is for adding an amazing chocolatey flavour!
• Plant based milk of your choice.
• Maple syrup. You can also use coconut sugar, or a mashed banana.

How to make buckwheat porridge

You will find that there are two types of buckwheat available in the store. There are buckwheat groats, which is the raw version, and kasha, which is the roasted variety. I personally prefer the former, but there’s not that much of a difference between them except for flavour and cooking time.

If you are using buckwheat groats, start by soaking the buckwheat in twice the amount of water for at least 4-5 hours, preferably overnight. Drain and rinse it well before you start cooking. If using kasha, there is no need to soak.

Because the buckwheat would have absorbed the water, you don’t need that much liquid to cook these. A 1:1 ratio works well - for example, 1 cup plant based milk to 1 cup buckwheat - but I usually add a little extra because I don't want it to get too dry.

Add the buckwheat groats and plant milk to a saucepan together with cacao powder and the maple syrup. Avoid adding too much liquid at the start - if it gets too dry, simply pour in more milk or water as you cook the porridge. It should take around 10 minutes of simmering on a low-medium heat before it’s ready.

What toppings can I add?

The great thing about toppings for any sort of porridge is that you can have whatever you want. As you can see, I went for blueberries, strawberries, soy yoghurt, dark chocolate chips, coconut, peanut butter and pecans.

However, other delicious options for chocolate buckwheat porridge are any nuts and seeds of your choice, fresh or frozen fruit and berries, and nut/seed butters. Try out different options and see what you prefer!

Frequently-asked questions

Other vegan breakfast recipes you might love!

• If you're a fan of savoury breakfasts, why not try white bean skillet potatoes?
• Tofu 'egg' muffins are great for breakfast on the go!
• A protein smoothie bowl can be a great way to start the morning.
• If you love chocolate for breakfast, you will love my granola bars.

Let me know in the comments: have you ever tried buckwheat? If you give this buckwheat porridge a go, be sure to tag me on Instagram (@ohmyveggies) so I can see your creations, and leave your feedback in the comments below together with a star rating!