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Buckwheat Chocolate Chip Cookies

Adapted from L'appart (Crown Publishing) The following recipe is a happy medium between offering up the hearty taste of buckwheat, with the soft, moist chocolate chip cookie that we all know - and love! This recipe in the book uses 1/2 cup buckwheat flour, which I've made with the whole-grain buckwheat flour available in the States and I, and my taste-testers, loved them, as well as the version with French buckwheat flour. If using refined buckwheat flour, which has a lighter color than whole-grain buckwheat flour (which is usually listed on the label), and is the kind used in France (and isn't labeled as whole-grain), you can use: 3/4 cup (110g) all-purpose flour 1/2 cup (75g) buckwheat flour [Update: A reader let me know what she made these cookies gluten-free by substituting almond flour for the 3/4 cup all-purpose flour and they worked out well for her.] If you use roasted buckwheat groats in the cookies, make sure they are roasted buckwheat groats, which are also known as kasha. You can find them online or in well-stocked supermarkets and in natural foods stores. They can also be found in some tea stores or in Japanese markets, since they're used for making tea. Note that I like to refrigerate the dough overnight, which helps the ingredients meld together and makes the cookies chewier, but you can bake them right away if you can't wait.
Servings 20 cookies
  • 1/2 cup (90g) packed light brown sugar
  • 1/3 cup (65g) granulated sugar
  • 8 tablespoons (4 ounces, 115g) salted or unsalted butter, melted and cooled to room temperature
  • 1 large egg, at room temperature
  • 1 large egg yolk
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
  • 1 cup (140g) all-purpose flour
  • 1/4 cup (35g) whole-grain buckwheat flour, (see headnote)
  • 1/2 teaspsoon baking powder, preferably aluminum-free
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1/2 teaspoon kosher or sea salt
  • 1 1/2 cups (230g) coarsely chopped semisweet or bittersweet chocolate
  • 3 tablespoons roasted buckwheat groats or cocoa nibs, (optional)
  • 3/4 cup (75g) walnuts, almonds, or pecans, toasted and coarsely chopped
  • flaky sea salt, such as fleur de sel or Maldon
  • In a large bowl, mix together the brown sugar, granulated sugar, and melted butter. Add the egg, egg yolk, and vanilla.
  • In a separate bowl, whisk together the all-purpose flour, buckwheat flour, baking powder, baking soda, and kosher or sea salt. Stir the dry ingredients into the butter-sugar mixture.
  • Mix in the chopped chocolate (including any small bits of chocolate left on the cutting board), toasted buckwheat groats or cocoa nibs, if using, and nuts. Cover the bowl and chill overnight.
  • Preheat the oven to 350ºF (180ºC). Line two baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mats. Use a spring-loaded cookie/ice cream scoop, or your hands, to form 1 1/2-inch (4cm) balls of dough and place them evenly spaced (about 2 1/2-inchs/6cm) apart on the baking sheet. Slightly flatten the tops and sprinkle lightly with flaky sea salt.
  • Bake the cookies until they just feel almost, but not quite, set in the center, and still soft, about 12 minutes, rotating the baking sheets in the oven midway through baking. Remove the cookies from the oven and tap the top of each cookie lightly with a spatula, just once, to compact them slightly. Let cool.

Notes

Storage: The cookies can be stored in an airtight container for up to 4 days. The dough can be frozen for up to two months.