While visiting NYC last year, I had the pleasure of checking out One Lucky Duck – a vegan café specializing in raw and organic food. After seeing One Lucky Duck on so many blogs over the years, I was like a kid in a candy store when I stepped inside. And I had no idea what to buy! Everything looked amazing from their raw macaroons to raw chocolate chip cookies, all handmade in small batches. To this day, I still regret not buying a bag of their raw chocolate chip cookies!
As you can see, there are all kinds of gourmet goodies one the walls, with fresh juice and snacks in the cooler.
After ogling their walls for an awkward amount of time, I finally decided on raw chocolate macaroons, raw chocolate, and buckwheat crispies. Oh and a shot of wheatgrass juice for good measure. A shot of wheatgrass means that you get to eat everything you buy…wink, wink.
I LOVED the macaroons. I didn’t care for the chocolate that much, but I’ve never been a big fan of many raw chocolate bars I’ve tried. I also loved the buckwheat crispies (below).
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In my recap post I wrote, “Maybe I can make these at home?”
Well, I hope you weren’t holding your breath! Seven months later I finally got around to it. :)
I filed the ingredients away in my mind and decided that the perfect way to break in my non-stick dehydrator mat was to take make buckwheat crispies. Nothing compares to the magic you feel when you eat One Lucky Duck goodies, but for an at-home version I was very pleased with the outcome.
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Vanilla Cinnamon Buckwheat Crispies
Yield
6 servings
Soak time
1-2 hours
Prep time
Cook time
0 minutes
Total time
Inspired by: One Lucky Duck
Ingredients
- 1 cup raw buckwheat groats (not kasha)
- 1/3 cup agave nectar (or maple syrup)
- 2 tsp pure vanilla extract
- 1/4 tsp fine grain sea salt
- 1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
Directions
- Place buckwheat groats in a bowl and cover with water. Soak for 1-2 hours. Drain and rinse.
- Place all ingredients into a food processor except for the salt. Process until mostly smooth. Add salt to taste and adjust sweetener if preferred.
- Spread out the entire mixture onto 1-2 dehydrator trays lined with non-stick dehydrator mats. Spread out very thin.
- Dehydrate for about 8 hours at 105F. When you are able to lift off the mixture, do so and break it up into a bunch of small pieces. Dehydrate for another 1-2 hours, or until crisp. Enjoy immediately and store the leftovers for 2-3 days in a container or baggie.
Nutrition Information
(click to expand)Nutritional info (per serving, serves 6): 169 cals, 1 gram fat, 37 grams carbs, 10 grams fibre, 5 grams sugar, 4 grams protein.
Now, to make these you do need a dehydrator and for that I’m sorry because I know it’s not a common kitchen appliance. With that being said, I really wanted to be able to tell you that you can make them in the oven, but I’m afraid that my oven attempt failed horribly. I baked it at a low heat around 250F and the mixture ended up burning and it was also very bendy instead of crispy. Sadly, I do not recommend trying this recipe in your oven, unless your oven is magical.
If you do have a dehydrator, you will love how easy this recipe is. All you do is soak raw buckwheat groats for a couple hours, rinse and drain the groats, and then throw them into a processor with agave, sea salt, cinnamon, and vanilla. Pour it onto a non-stick dehydrator mat and dehydrate!
After about 8 hours, I broke the mixture up (essentially, it was one huge crispie!) and then dehydrated for another hour or two until super crisp.
If you have the chance to visit One Lucky Duck, run, don’t walk. Their raw chocolate macaroons were some of the best I’ve tasted. Hopefully one day, I’ll be back for another visit.
If you’d like to check out my vegan restaurant & bakery reviews (and all the sightseeing) while visiting NYC, see these posts below:
– Where’s Waldo? (the clues- would you have guessed it?)
– NYC Part 1 (Central Park, our hotel, sightseeing)
– NYC Part 2 (Café Blossom, sightseeing)
– NYC Part 3 (Candle 79, Radio City Music Hall)
– NYC Part 4 (Le Pain Quotidien, Top of the Rock, WTC memorial, Blossom restaurant, Chelsea Market, Times Square/Naked Cowboy!)
– NYC Part 5 (shopping, Union Square Market, Angelica’s Café, celeb sighting, Babycakes, Atlas café)
– NYC Part 6 (undocumented…muahuah)
Great blog Angela!
Can you give me some info, or direct me to a post where you’ve mentioned what dehydrator you use? I’m interested in aquiring one and have absolutely NO IDEA where to begin for the info. Maybe you could help? Thank you! BIG FAN of your blog!
I have an Excalibur. I originally bought it for my bakery a couple years ago. To be honest, I don’t use it that much, but it is to have around for certain things like cheezy kale chips and whatnot.
Thanks for the info about the Excalibur Angela! I’m googling and wondering why you selected that model in particular. I am in search of “best dehydrators” reviews.
Also, there are things written about the non-stick sheets used in the dehydrator. Do you use the Excalibur brand “Paraflexx” ones, or do you use a different non-stick sheet?
Thanks so much for all of your help! Greatly appreciated!
That looks like my kind of place! I wonder if sprouting the buckwheat before processing them would alter the flavor too much? I’m reading through a copy of the Uncook book by Juliano right now and everything he makes is sprouted.
I will definitely be using this guide next time I’m in NYC – thank you so much for sharing!
I don’t have non-stck sheets for my dehydrator, can I use parchment? These sound de-lish:)
I don’t know if this would work, but when I had a gas oven I used to dehydrate all kinds of stuff in it with it OFF. The pilot light keeps it just a little warm. For most things I’d prop open the door with a wooden spoon or silicone potholder for air circulation. Perhaps someone could try that if they have the right appliance?
I’ve never had buckwheat yet, but this seems like a great way to try it! Cinnamon is my favorite spice.
Odd maybe lol but.. Do you mean the choc chip cookies that are in the shape of a heart and I believe have orange zest in them? haa if so.. I went a few months ago and bought some of those and the blueberry cookies and they are in my freezer :)
You are more than welcome to have a taste :)
Buckwheat crisps, YUMMY! Can’t wait to try these! A perfect healthy and sweet snack! Also, love the park picture girl, absolutely beautiful!!
These look amazing! Would really love to get a dehydrator someday!
I have never had the O.L.D. version but have always heard great things about them. Your recipe may be worth dusting off my dehydrator for…I use it as a bookshelf for some cookbooks lately :) Whoops!
Looks yummy as always. Did you find anywhere that carries the Buckwheat groats yet or are you still working on your stash you had already?
Whole Foods has them in their bulk section…got some last week!
Going there tomorrow :)
Just found out that I’ll be in NY for work at the end of the summer and your restaurant recaps are sure to be a handy guide. I can’t wait to try One Lucky Duck!
Is it sad that the minutes you said “this recipe requires a dehydrator” – I called my mom and asked if she would ship me hers like ASAP?
My mouth is watering..with some almond butter..these would be DELISH!
I can’t get over the fact that your mom has a dehydrator! That is fun. :) What does she make?
Haha, who knows?! She dehydrates fruit, meat, you name it… she has got that thing humming along!! Who knew it would service me in buckwheat crispie making?
I just read Sarma’s book and really want to order some of her products online :) Those look delicious!
These look FABULOUS – but just to nag you some more, I think there was a restaurant you went to in NYC where you had something you said you were going to try to replicate when you got home. I don’t remember exactly what it was but I remember I reallllly wanted that recipe haha!
hahah didnt I say that about everything??? I get excited about these things. But yes, I think there are still a few things on my “to-make” list for sure!
These look delicious!
SO Delish! I love going places and having that- I want one of everything feeling!
me too…it’s fun :) Deciding is half the fun!
Just spent several days in NYC and stayed in SoHo. The amazing Cafe Blossom on Carmine St is my absolute favorite NYC Vegan restaurant. Did not love Candle 79, food was too heavy. Tried Blossom and a few others but we kept going back to Cafe Blossom. I even picked up meals to go from there to take to the hospital where a dear family friend has just given birth. She loved it!
I LOVED Cafe Blossom. I was so sad I only got to go there once! My other fav was Angelica’s Kitchen. I think they are tied for #1. Eric’s fav was Candle 79. That was prob my second fav…great for a fancy night out, but not as “everyday” as the others.
One Lucky Duck looks fantastic! It would be sensory overload for me. :)
I actually do have a dehydrator- it was a bridal shower gift, and it comes in handy quite often! I’m a little obsessed with making watermelon fruit leather right now.
Do you think you could sub the buckwheat groats for something else? Even oat groats? Or another grain? (sorry if someone already asked this above!)
hmm that is a great question!!! To be honest, Im not sure, but I think we should try it out sometime :)
I’ve been doing the same thing without the agave. Instead I make a batch of raw jam to go with it.
1 cup of berries
2-3 teaspoons of chia seeds
agave nectar or stevia to taste
Blend on low to medium speed in a Vitamix and let sit over night to thicken. Don’t over process. It’s best with the seeds still mostly intact.
For the berries, strawberries, rasberries, blackberries work well. Blueberries and cherries don’t seem to have much taste. Frozen berries work great.
I also use raw oat groats instead of the buckwheat groats sometimes. I think it tastes almost like tea biscuits when the oats are processed really well. Especially when adding a layer of cashew cream — yum!
— K
Oh my gosh, yummy! I’m so happy you recreated these!