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.
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)
I do the same thing..I will mention that I am going to post something soon and then months later …oops…the crisps look light and very simple to make…love those kind of recipes!
Bummer that you can’t make them in the oven, but thanks for the warning! I’ve never been to New York, but I have a laundry list of restaurants I want to try. I used to think I’d like to go on a Broadway show tour, but now I’m thinking that I want to go on a restaurant tour. LOL
I have never tried buckwheat before. You have inspired me to branch out and give it a try!
I cannot wait to try these! I know what I am having for breakfast on Saturday! :) Have you had their striped cinnamon squares? Those are my favorite… I have been thinking over for months how they do it. If you have ideas – I would really appreciate it.
Hey Jessica, No I haven’t tried them , but now I’m really curious!
They are so delicious… plus I love the stripes – just really pretty. These are the ingredients: raw and organic almond flour, organic maple powder, organic maple syrup, raw and organic coconut oil, organic vanilla extract, Himalayan salt, organic cinnamon, organic nutmeg
And here is a link to the cookies: http://www.oneluckyduck.com/store/product-details.php?id=508&cat=2
I’m very lucky I live in NYC. I love going to all those delicious and healthy restaurants!
My favorite is the Mallomar Bar at One Lucky Duck! My favorite treat (lucky it’s around $8 so it remains a treat) haha
Please let me know next time you are in NYC! I’m sure all my fellow NYC bloggers would agree but we would LOVE to meet you in person : )
xo
I don’t know what that is, but it sounds like it needs to be in my tummy stat. haha
I would love to get together with you and have a meet up with others. I wanted to last time, but since we were only there 3 days time was tight. Hopefully I will get to go back soon!
My favorite this trip was Cafe Blossom on Carmine in SoHo. Amazingly delicious and consistent. We kept going back. Love it.
Mmmm vanilla and cinnamon are a match made in heaven!! Now all I need is a dehydrator and I’ll be all set! I can’t wait to go to NYC some day. One Lucky Duck will be on my list of places to see for sure!
Those look so incredibly good! I’ve never thought to try to make my own crackers but all your cracker posts have inspired me to give it a try in the near future!
Mmmm I am definitely going to try and make these! I love buckwheat groats and use them as a topping almost everyday but I have never baked with them before!
Oooh, these look yummy! I can’t wait to give these a try. I’ve got your NYC posts marked for a future trip! :)
Raw chocolate macaroons? Oh, my! That place sounds delish and so do the Buckwheat Crispies!
You know, this is crazy because I’ve really been wanting to try the vanilla crispies from OLD ever since I heard about it and visited their website and I thought, how on earth could I try to make those at home? They sound so good and like a fun breakfast cereal but since I’ve never tried the originals I wouldn’t know if I was close or not. So the bottom line is, THANK YOU (!!!) for taking on the challenge so I don’t have to!! :) big grin here
I hope you enjoy them Alex! Like I said, they are a bit different (for example I didnt use maple powder), but I think they are yummy anyways.
Oooh la la! I can’t wait to try these!
Yum! These sound so delish & healthy (like all of your food). I’m definitely going to have to try this. I’m assuming you can get buckwheat groats at Whole Foods?
I buy the groats from Upayaa Naturals online and also in the bulk section at Whole Foods (just discovered it there last week actually!)
I love this idea – I would have never thought to just soak them in water. The base would be good with so many different spices, too!
I love One Lucky Duck, but everytime I go there I end up spending way too much, everything is so expensive, I try to avoid being in that neighbourhood! Glad that you have posted this recipe, its definitely a good thing for my wallet!! :)
I’m all over these!! You know I love the buckwheat. Maybe I’ll give them a go in the oven…could be a disaster!
These sound so fabulous! Love this idea!
This makes me wonder if my fiance and I should register for a dehydrator. Hmmm….
I LOVE them!!! I have bought a couple of their raw “cook”books and have never been disappointed. Its amazing that these are so easy make! THANK THANK THANK YOU :)
oh those look terrific! i love one lucky duck! i can’t wait to try these…i’ve got all the ingredients right now! thanks for sharing!
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!
Though I’m sure your vegan bakery review are lovely, what I’d really love to check out are the bakeries themselves! :) I’ve never been to a vegan bakery or to NYC. (I know… so deprived. haha)
These look so cool! I’m so curious about the dehydrator thing. You may have already talked about this in a previous post, but where did you get yours? I don’t know much about them or what it entails. I’m sure there’s so much you can do with them. I’ll have to look more into it! Thanks Angela!
Yum! I always love little snacky type foods like this. On the list to make this weekend!
I cannot wait to try this. I’m dying to go to One Lucky Duck, but even though I grew up in NY, I haven’t been there in ages! I’ll have to save your suggestions for a much needed trip. :)
Yummy looking crisps that are certainly calling my name. I’m in for the June salad challenge.
I’m happy you are in for the challenge! Hard to believe June 1st is tomorrow.
That’s a bummer they don’t work out in the oven! I think this may be a sign that I need to get a dehydrator. The universe wants me to have one, obviously. ;)
Funny, I was just talking about how I wanted to get a dehydrator right before reading this. Good incentive
do you ever do anything with rhubarb? I’ve got tons of it and no recipies!!
No I havent yet Im afraid. I would try googling rhubarb recipes for ideas? I will have to give it a shot someday. :)
Wow! I just moved from NYC one week ago exactly and before I left I made a final visit to One Lucky Duck. First of all, Pure Food and Wine, their finer dining establishment is amazing! I mean mushrooms that feel and taste like scallops? Breathtaking. Anyway, I actually purchased the chocolate crispies and the cinnamon sugar cookies, but with the craziness of moving I’ve yet to try either. Nuts, I know.
I’ll let you know what I think and congrats on recreating such an interesting product. Wish I had a dehydrator!
Whoa, boy… these sound seriously addictive! I’ve never been to One Lucky Duck (that will have to be remedied!) but these sound like a great replication. :D