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Buckwheat Cacao Pops

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~ raw, vegan, gluten-free, nut-free ~

Do you ever miss sneaking in a bowl of your childhood favorite, sugared, cereal?! I know I do from time to time.  As I walk down the cereal aisle at the grocery, I often stop at various cereals that take me back in time. “Time Travel! Isle 2!”

I am not tempted to buy those high sugared cereals, but I won’t deny that they sound good!  Well, for those of you who want to revisit a childhood memory with me, make these Raw Buckwheat Cacao Pops, dish up a big bowl with your favorite nut milk, snuggle up on the couch and turn on the cartoon channel!

Ingredients:

Yields 3 cups

Preparation:

  1. Soak the buckwheat for 30+ minutes then, rinse, rinse, and rinse some more.  They create a gelatinous liquid that needs to be washed away.  Buckwheat expands when soaked so don’t be alarmed.
  2. In a mixing bowl, combine the buckwheat, raisins, banana chips, cacao powder, maple syrup, cinnamon, and salt, mix well.  Taste test and adjust if needed.
  3. Spread the mixture onto a teflex sheet and dehydrate at 145 degrees (F) for 1 hour, then reduce to 115 degrees (F)  for 4 – 8 hours.
    • Partway through the dry time, flip the non-sheet over onto the mesh sheet that comes with the dehydrator and peel back the non-stick sheet.
    • Dry times will always vary based on climate, humidity, and/or on how full the machine is.
  4. Once the mixture is crisp and crunchy, I simply broke it up into small pieces and placed them in a bowl
  5. Dish yourself up a bowl, add a little nut milk.

The Institute of Culinary Ingredients™

Culinary Explanations:

  • Why do I start the dehydrator at 145 degrees (F)?  Click (here) to learn the reason behind this.
  • When working with fresh ingredients, it is important to taste test as you build a recipe.  Learn why (here).
  • Don’t own a dehydrator? Learn how to use your oven (here). I do however truly believe that it is a worthwhile investment. Click (here) to learn what I use.

FDA (Food Determining Association) conducted a test at Nouveau Raw Kitchens, The Soggy Cereal Test. The subject: Crunchy Peanut Butter and Buckwheat Cereal Squares.   Object: to see how long this raw cereal could stand up to almond milk before getting soggy.   No animals were harmed in this test.   Results posted below.

 

Step 1 ~  Set timer for 10 minutes.

cute red timer

Step 2 ~ Add nut milk.

Adding nut milk onto Raw Buckwheat Cacao Pops

Step 3 ~  10 minutes in… this bite still had good crunch into it.

Raw Buckwheat Cacao Pops in nut milk for 10 minutes, this bite still had good crunch into it

Step 4 ~ 20 minutes into the test… pieces are breaking up but the buckwheat

remains crunchy.

20 minutes into the test. pieces are breaking up but the buckwheat remains crunchy

I know this is a test, but I am really enjoying this process!

30 minutes into the test and the last bite was a little soft but not soggy

Step 5 ~ 30 minutes into the test and the last bite was a little soft but not soggy.

Raw Buckwheat Cacao Pops test approved

 This concludes today’s test.  It’s a success!

16 thoughts on “Buckwheat Cacao Pops

  1. Myranda e. says:

    i wonder if i could make raw quinoa cacao pop treats with these…

    • amie-sue says:

      Grand idea Myranda. Be sure to sprout it first. If you try it, let me know. I would love to hear the end result. :) amie sue

  2. Catherine says:

    Delicious – thank you Amie-Sue! I used date past for the fam and sold some at the farmer’s market with Agave. I added extra cacao (cause I’m a chocolate fein) and agave because I knew SAD eaters would like it a bit sweeter.

  3. Amia says:

    This was delicious Amie-Sue. I added shredded organic coconut to this recipe. I did not dehydrate it but rather served it cold.

  4. lisa says:

    Could I successfully make this in an oven at 170*? I don’t have a dehydrator yet!

    • amie-sue says:

      I can’t say 100% how it would turn out Lisa… I never use the oven for my raw foods. You can try it, keep the door cracked and watch it like a hawk. :) It won’t remain raw most likely since you have no way to monitor the temp. Good luck! amie sue

  5. Pam says:

    Do I need to dehydrate the sprouted quinoa before mixing with other ingredients and dehydrate as recipe calls?

    • amie-sue says:

      Hi Pam, you could make it with the quinoa just sprouted and not yet dehydrated. I made it that way because it was what I had on hand, but you ought to be just fine. Have a great evening, amie sue

  6. sabrinat says:

    Is the buckwheat hulled or not hulled? I need to buy some and not sure which to purchase. Thanks.

  7. jeffoh says:

    hi, I wander this granola and all the others on your website are able to withstand warm temperature? I wanted to make these and send to my family who stay in another state, it takes around two to three days to arrive, I was thinking whether the sugar/cacao stick on the granola will melt before they arrive.

    • amie-sue says:

      Good day, Jeffoh,

      As long as they are well dehydrated, the granola will be just fine. I have shipped granola a lot to my dad who is a trucker and loves to take them on the road with him. I haven’t had any issues reported back. The only time I would question it is if you are adding chocolate chips to the granola… those could soften or melt. Otherwise, they should be fine and dandy. :) Thanks for the great question. blessings, amie sue

  8. Sandie says:

    I made these with quinoa Amie-sue and they are a delightful coco pop reminder. Super easy to make and I love getting more quinoa into my day in such a sneaky way.
    Have the recipe saved & tagged to make again soon in a much bigger batch.
    Thanks for this healthy alternative.

    • amie-sue says:

      So perfect! One of the many things I love about raw food prep is that it is so forgiving and you can really be free with your imagination. Thanks so much for sharing your experience. hugs. amie sue :)

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