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
- 1 cup raw buckwheat or sprouted quinoa
- 1/4 cup raisins
- 1/4 cup dried banana chips
- 2 Tbsp raw cacao powder
- 3-4 Tbsp maple syrup
- 1/2 tsp ground Ceylon cinnamon
- 1/8 tsp Himalayan pink salt
Preparation:
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- Once the mixture is crisp and crunchy, I simply broke it up into small pieces and placed them in a bowl
- Dish yourself up a bowl, add a little nut milk.
The Institute of Culinary Ingredients™
- To learn more about maple syrup by clicking (here).
- What is raw cacao powder?
- Why do I specify Ceylon cinnamon? Click (here) to learn why.
- What is Himalayan pink salt and does it really matter? Click (here) to read more about it.
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.
Step 2 ~ Add nut milk.
Step 3 ~ 10 minutes in… this bite still had good crunch into it.
Step 4 ~ 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!
Step 5 ~ 30 minutes into the test and the last bite was a little soft but not soggy.
This concludes today’s test. It’s a success!
© AmieSue.com
Tags: Dairy Free, Gluten Free, Nut Free, Refined Sugar Free, Soy Free, Vegan
i wonder if i could make raw quinoa cacao pop treats with these…
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
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.
Wonderful Catherine, did they sell well?
This was delicious Amie-Sue. I added shredded organic coconut to this recipe. I did not dehydrate it but rather served it cold.
That sounds scrumptious Amia. :) Thank you for sharing. Have a great evening, amie sue
Could I successfully make this in an oven at 170*? I don’t have a dehydrator yet!
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
Do I need to dehydrate the sprouted quinoa before mixing with other ingredients and dehydrate as recipe calls?
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
Is the buckwheat hulled or not hulled? I need to buy some and not sure which to purchase. Thanks.
Hello Sabrinat,
Please read this quick posting that I wrote up on buckwheat, https://nouveauraw.com/soaking-nuts-seeds-and-grains/how-to-sprout-and-use-buckwheat-groats/. I use this brand for my buckwheat and have been very happy with it. https://nouveauraw.com/recommended-ingredients/oats-grains/bobs-red-mill-organic-whole-grain-buckwheat-groats-raw-16-ounce-packages-pack-of-4/
Blessings, amie sue
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.
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