All of these warm spring mornings have brought back my cravings for no-cook parfaits. Parfaits are one of my favourite summer foods because they are virtually effortless, don’t require a stove, and are different every time I make them.
Lately, I’ve been enjoying this breakfast quite a bit and it only dawned on me recently that maybe I should share it with you. Ok, well I knew I wanted to share it with you, but my real problem was stopping myself from inhaling it before I could snap some pictures! It was nothing short of a miracle that I restrained myself enough this morning to snap a few pics.
At night, I soak raw buckwheat groats in water separately from the chia seed, almond milk, and banana mixture. I did this because buckwheat groats get super slimy when soaked and I wanted to be able to rinse them very well before adding them to my breakfast. Soaking also makes it more digestible, but be sure to really chew the buckwheat. It’s easy to just swallow it down and then it doesn’t digest well, if you catch my drift.
After rinsing the buckwheat in the morning, I stirred it into my chia mixture. The soaked buckwheat remains crunchy and gives the overnight mixture a completely different texture than regular overnight oats. Mind you, it’s not crunchy in a break-your-tooth kinda way, but crunchy-soft if that makes any sense.
If you want, you can throw your toppings on and enjoy it in a bowl or you can layer it into a parfait like I did this morning. Whatever floats your boat!
In today’s parfait:
- overnight buckwheat mixture
- blueberries
- strawberries
- sliced banana
- crumbled up Rustic Banana Oat Cake (made it yesterday and thought it would be nice in here…it was!)
- cashew nut butter
- Strawberry nut cream
- Maple syrup drizzled on top
I tried hard to make my layers pretty for the camera. :)
Other things you can add into your own parfait:
- granola
- crumbled up muffins/loaves
- crumbled up granola bars
- nuts/seeds
- nut or seed butter
- apple/pumpkin butter
- dried fruit
- shredded coconut
- other fresh fruits
- smoothies
- banana soft serve
- carob powder
- mini dark chocolate chips
- homemade chocolate sauce
- chocolate avocado pudding
- protein powder
- etc
Featuring all new, protein-packed salads, hearty toppers, flavour boosters, and dressings you'll want to drink, my new cookbook will transform the way you think about salads. Oh, and be sure to flip to the back for a surprise dessert chapter!
Easy Overnight Buckwheat Parfait
Yield
1 serving
Prep time
Cook time
0 minutes
Total time
Similar to vegan overnight oats, but with a fun, crunchy texture. Roll out of bed and enjoy this no-cook parfait all summer long with barely any effort at all. Buckwheat and chia seeds are both high in protein and fibre and chia seeds contain all kinds of healthy omega fats. Add in some fruit and you have yourself a well-balanced breakfast.
Ingredients
- 1/4 cup raw buckwheat groats (I buy them at Upaya Naturals and Whole Foods bulk bin), soaked in water overnight
- 3/4 cup almond milk (I used 1 cup, but it was a bit too liquid-y)
- 2 tbsp chia seeds (no subs)
- 1 ripe large banana (mash half, chop other half)
- 1/4 tsp cinnamon and vanilla extract, optional
- rolled oats (optional)
Directions
- Add the buckwheat groats into a bowl and cover with water. Stir. Place in the fridge overnight, or for at least a few hours, uncovered is fine.
- In a separate bowl, whisk together the chia seeds, almond milk, banana, and optional cinnamon and vanilla. Whisk well until no chia clumps remain. Place in fridge overnight, uncovered is fine.
- In the morning, rinse the buckwheat with cold water in a strainer until no slimy bits remain. Add rinsed and strained buckwheat into the chia mixture and stir well. Top with your desired toppings or make a parfait. Just before serving, drizzle a small amount of pure maple syrup on top to bring it all together.
Feel free to make this into a breakfast, snack, or even jazz it up for dessert.
Then grab a spoon and dig in!
Ok, so maybe I couldn’t wait after all…
For other no-cook summer breakfast recipes, check out my Raw Buckwheat breakfast Porridge (a big batch made in the processor), easy vegan overnight oats, and VOO Parfaits.
Happy breakfast!
I’ve had oatmeal for breakfast every day for the past 4 weeks… so I think it’s way past time for a change! Thank goodness I can always count on you for some awesome breakfast recipes. ;)
Ooh, yummy. Oatmeal parfaits sound delicious, too. What a good idea!
That’s a perfect-looking dessert! I’ve never had buckwheat, does it have a strong aftertaste than oats?
Yummm!!!! This looks so perfect for the weekend, dessert for breakfast!
I love how versatile breakfast parfaits are. I never had buckwheat oats before, I’ll have to try it. Thank you fro a great recipe!
your food photography is awesome! that parfait looks so refreshing!
I made this last night for this morning. It was really good! I think it will become a regular summer breakfast! And I think the word to describe the texture of the soaked buckwheat is al dente.
I still have yet to try overnight oats, but I love this buckwheat idea. Your parfait looks so, so good. I cannot wait to try this – thanks for the recipe :)
I like this alternative to oats. I have never tried buckwheat but it has been on my to-do list!
i just bought buckwheat groats for the first time and put this together last night, expecting it to be hot out this morning. it was cold and dark though, but i wanted to try this so i just heated it up on the stove top and it was delicious! i love the texture. i topped it with a little granola, can’t wait to try it layered with yogurt and berries for a cool parfait. thanks for the recipe, i’ve been turned onto buckwheat groats :)
Angela-eating this right now for breakfast. It is ridiculously good!!!!!!
glad to hear that!
I just made this after buying raw buckwheat groats for the first time yesterday and it was so good! Thanks to a surprise breakfast date I ended up scarfing these down for lunch and I cannot think of a more filling or easier to prepare meal. Thanks so much for the recipe! I look forward to trying your groat porridge tomorrow!
I’m totally hooked on this recipe! Such a delicious and filling post-run breakfast. I’ve used oats as well as buckwheat and both are awesome. Thanks! :)
Hi Angela, I love your blog…Read it all the time! I have tried a few of your recipes, and there are a few I’m dying to make! Just made this parfait this morning and it was fab! Thank you for all your inspiration and delish recipes.
Hey Christine, Thanks for letting me know! So glad you enjoyed it & the other recipes so far. Take care!
Thank you so much for this recipe! I just found out I have a gluten/gliadin intolerance and need to find a new staple for breakfast, since I was eating oatmeal every morning. I was just wondering if a banana is necessary for this recipe – I don’t usually have very ripe bananas in the house, but I’d still like to try making this, just with agave or something else to sweeten it. What do you think? Thanks, Angela!
I just made this without the chia seeds and added pumpkin pie spice, extra cinnamon, and pomegranate seeds! It was amazing and so filling! Pomegranate and cinnamon or pumpkin pie spice go really well together, try it!
I actually didn’t think I would like this breakfast but I bought a huge bag of buckwheat the other day and was determined to use it. Oh My Gooooooodness, love, I am officially obsessed. Thank you for bringing this into my life.
I adore your blog!!! :) I’m
So happy I stumbled upon it!!!
Will the chia/groat/banana/etc mixture keep in the fridge for a few days? Made a little too much and want to have it throughout the week. Thanks!
Yes it will keep for a couple days :)
I am ‘so green’ at the vegan lifestyle, and your website came up for my search for suggestions for buckwheat groats. The raw porridge was a great treat, and my meat and potatoes husband really liked it as well. Just to say thank you for what you do.