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)
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
Just wanted to say what a lovely photo the last one is of the couple sitting on the ledge kissing, I’m sure they would like it to.
Thank you, I thought it was a nice moment. :) So many romantic couples all around the park!
I LOVE One Lucky Duck! Never tried their buckwheaties but tried just about everything else. Buckwheat cereal rocks, your recipe looks so simple and delish. Will have to try! Thanks!
Hi Angela! I am curious how you found out about all the vegetarian/vegan restaurants in NYC. Was it just word of mouth? I find that traveling always puts a kink in my vegan pursuits. Thank you!
I use the site http://www.happycow.net/ its GREAT!
Thank you!
Too funny…whenever my boyfriend and I go out or order something that tastes like heaven, I always say, “We could MAKE this!”, and then try to remember all the ingredients :)
These sound wonderful…I cannot wait to try!
Oooh! These look yummy! Gonna have to put them on my list of things to make :)
Happy National Donut day!!
I looked yesterday and couldn’t find Buckwheat groats. Any idea if Oat Groats would work? I can order the Buckwheat from Amazon but I’d like to make these for my boys this weekend.
I have an old dehydrator and no nonstick sheets. Do you think if I got one of those cheap oven liners and cut it to size it would work? Can’t wait to try these. I guess it’s time to break down and buy a dehydrator!
Now just when I thought I had some time to make your “One bite cookie n fudge Cups…” you post this! I need to make both now! It is ok, it is a good thing. :) hehe.
Great recipe.
I still have not been to NY..wah! I am always trying to figure out a way to go. :)
Have a great day!
Well these just sounded too good not give them a try in the oven! I have a gas convection oven and I pre-heated to 300 degrees (so they won’t be raw). Then I spread the mixture out onto a large cookie sheet covered with parchment. I baked for 28 minutes, the edges were starting to brown, and took it out of the oven and peeled off the parchemnt. Next I broke off the pieces that were already crisp to keep out of the oven and broke up the rest and returned the pan to the oven for ~15 minutes (keeping an eye on it so they didn’t burn). I’ve already eaten a bunch of the browned pieces – delicious! They almost tast like a waffle cone – would be yummy with banana soft sever. I am so glad I gave this a try! Thanks, Angela, for sharing! :-)
My friend introduced me to this blog about a month ago and I couldn’t be more thrilled! I’ve recently started going to a naturopath and to help me heal I’ve temporarily needed to cut out gluten, dairy, eggs, and sugars (including honey, agave, etc.). Your recipes have saved me from many a bland meal! Every recipe I’ve made has been full of flavor and ingredients that make me feel great. Plus, most can easily be adapted if it calls for something I can have. :) I just wanted to say THANK YOU! Keep up the good, creative work.
Thank you Katy, that means so much to me! Goodluck with everything.