Buckwheat Double Chocolate Cookies
This gluten-free double chocolate cookie recipe is made with buckwheat flour! These amazing cookies taste like brownies. So delicious.
Updated by Kathryne Taylor on August 29, 2024
Hello from the other side. I survived cookbook edits round two, which is the most intense round because a copy editor went through and pointed out my every inconsistency. Oh, my perfectionistic heart! The book and I are better for it, though, and part of me loved arguing over the use of among vs. between.
I can’t wait to get caught up with you guys and caught up on sleep, too. Today, I’m sharing an incredible cookie recipe from Alanna Taylor-Tobin of Bojon Gourmet, and the author of the new gluten-free cookbook Alternative Baker. Alanna has cheered me on through my cookbook-making process and helped test several of my recipes (thank you, Alanna!).
I’m in awe of her work in this new cookbook. Alanna is a trained pastry chef who has mastered gluten-free flours and created over 100 absolutely stunning dessert recipes (each with a photo) in her new cookbook. If you love baking pies and are curious about nutritious and delicious gluten-free flours like buckwheat, chestnut, teff and mesquite, this book is for you.
These cookies called my name from the cookie chapter because they use buckwheat flour, which I love and have in my pantry, and chocolate. Loads of chocolate. (I had also admired these cookies on another friend named Alana’s blog, Fix Feast Flair. Check them out there, too!)
The buckwheat lends this sort of mysterious nutty flavor to the background, and it’s pretty magical. Her version in the book includes bergamot (or orange zest), which sounded lovely, but I’ve had a rough week and found myself craving some pure chocolate comfort food. So I skipped the zest this time, but I’ll try her orange version next time.
I busted out my stand mixer for these babies (although I think you could use a hand mixer if you are patient enough to stand there for a while) and found tapioca flour with all the other Bob’s Red Mill products at my nearest grocery store (although, I think you can use arrowroot starch or cornstarch instead). If you buy buckwheat flour to make these beauties, she has nine other buckwheat recipes in her book, and I have buckwheat pancakes, waffles and crêpes for you, too. Have a great weekend!
Buckwheat Double Chocolate Cookies
This gluten-free double chocolate cookie recipe is made with buckwheat flour, which lends a delicious nutty flavor. These cookies totally taste like brownies. Note that you will need a stand mixer or electric hand mixer for this recipe! Recipe yields 30 small cookies (mine were a little bigger than they were supposed to be so I ended up with about 24).
Ingredients
- 6 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 12 ounces bittersweet chocolate (60–70% cacao mass)*, chopped (about 2 ¼ cups), plus several chunks for the tops of the cookies
- ½ cup buckwheat flour
- 2 tablespoons tapioca flour**
- ¾ teaspoon baking powder
- 2 large eggs, at room temperature***
- ½ cup plus 2 tablespoons cane sugar
- ½ teaspoon fine sea salt
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- Flaky salt such as Maldon, for the tops
Instructions
- Position racks in the upper and lower thirds of the oven and preheat to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Line 2 rimless cookie sheets with parchment paper.
- Place the butter in a small, heavy-bottomed saucepan set over the lowest possible heat. Add 8 ounces of the chocolate (not all of it!) and melt together, stirring frequently to prevent the chocolate from scorching. Continue cooking until the mixture is pleasantly warm, but not super hot, to the touch. Remove from the heat and keep warm. Sift the buckwheat flour, tapioca flour and baking powder into a small bowl and set aside.
- Meanwhile, place the eggs, sugar and salt in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment and whip on medium-high speed until the mixture is very light and fluffy, 5 minutes (or use a mixing bowl and hand mixer). Turn the mixer to low and stir in the vanilla until just combined, then the warm chocolate butter mixture. Add the flour mixture and beat on low speed until combined. Remove the bowl from the mixer and use a flexible silicone spatula to fold in the remaining 4 ounces chopped chocolate.
- If the batter is very runny, let it cool for a few minutes until it firms to the consistency of a thick brownie batter. Use a #40 spring-loaded ice cream scoop or 2 spoons to drop heaping tablespoons of batter onto the prepared baking sheets, spacing them at least 2 inches apart. Top each cookie with a few chunks of chocolate and a few flecks of flaky salt.
- Bake the cookies until puffed and cracked and the edges are set, 8–12 minutes, rotating the pans front to back and top to bottom halfway through baking. Let cool on the pans. Enjoy warm or at room temperature. The cookies are best the day of baking but will keep, airtight at room temperature, for up to 3 days.
Notes
Recipe from Alternative Baker by Alanna Taylor-Tobin of Bojon Gourmet.
*Chocolate note: I used Trader Joe’s enormous Belgian dark chocolate bar to make these (54% cacao mass).
**Potential tapioca starch substitutions: I think arrowroot starch or cornstarch might work just as well, but haven’t tried, so please let a comment if you do!
***How to warm eggs to room temperature quickly: If you forget to pull these out of the fridge before you’re ready to bake cookies (cough, me), just put your eggs in a bowl and pour hot water over them. If you do this when you start preparing the ingredients, the eggs should reach room temperature by the time you need them.
Bergamot/orange variation: Add 1 ½ teaspoons packed finely grated zest from 1 medium bermagot or orange to the chocolate and butter mixture as it melts.
Nutrition
The information shown is an estimate provided by an online nutrition calculator. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice. See our full nutrition disclosure here.
Congratulations for getting through the cookbook process, I can’t even imagine how gruelling it must be, but I am SO excited for your book!! Do you think it would be possible to sub flax eggs here?
Thank you so much, Kate! I cannot wait for you to see it. I’m really not sure flax eggs would work here, wish I could say for sure!
Just wondering if I can make these with a standard hand mixer? My ex stole my stand up, lol!
Yikes! Yep, that should work, it just might be a little tedious to stand there while you whip the eggs!
Oh do these cookies look amazing, I am craving a chocolate cookie like this right now. Good luck with your cookbook!
Thank you very much, Cheri!
im loving this buckwheat cookies..i recently made a batch from Dorie Greenspans book and it was wonderful. i love love love buckwheat.
Thank you, Dixya! I love buckwheat, too. This recipe was a good reminder to use it more often!
What’s the purpose of the tapioca flour? Since I eat gluten, I don’t have this hanging around though I do have buckwheat flour. Any substitutions or can I just omit completely?
I second Kat’s question. The last time I searched for tapioca flour I came home empty-handed and frustrated. With all the new gluten-free products I could scarcely believe they didn’t have that one.
Hey Kat, I asked my GF friend, Tessa (saltedplains.com) and she said it makes the cookies more light and lofty. She said you could probably use arrowroot starch or cornstarch instead, if you have either of those.
What a delicious-looking recipe! But my favorite part is, “and part of me loved arguing over the use of among vs. between.” Way to fight the good fight! For grammar! :)
Thank you, Bill! I love a good grammar debate. :)
These look delicious! Have never tried buckwheat flour in cookies but these gorgeous photos have definitely persuaded me to! Thanks!
Thanks, Rhian! Hope you get a chance to make these soon!
Unsure why you need a stand mixer for these. I don’t own one!
Now that I’m thinking about it, a hand mixer should work well, too. I just wouldn’t love standing there and holding it for 5 minutes to whip eggs.
Hi Kate, love making your recipes all the time, but I’m just wondering have you try making them without eggs and if so what would be the best replacement.
Thanks
kjs
Thank you, Karen! I’m worried that these cookies won’t do well with an egg replacement. Substituting eggs in gluten-free baked goods can be really tricky. So these just might not work for you, I’m sorry!
You work so hard! Go girl! Don’t forget to get some rest. I haven’t made this recipe yet but I will. I really enjoy your site, your recipes, and what you write about. Just know that I (we!) appreciate what you do on your blog. It’s got to be overwhelming at times. The cookbook will be amazing :) Full of love.
Thank you tremendously, Mary. I do work really hard! Glad to report that I got a full 8+ hours of sleep last night. :) I hope you have a wonderful weekend!
These look perfect for celebrating your cookbook edits being over, and pretty ideal for the beginning of fall. I’ll have to go borrow a stand mixer (or see if my hand mixer is up to the task) because these cookies look fantastic.
Good luck with your cookbook! I can’t even imagine what an intense process that would be, how exciting though! I have never tried tapioca flour and buckwheat flour together for making cookies so look forward to giving these a try, they look pretty tasty!
Thank you, Hope! It’s been a tough ride, but I can’t wait to share my cookbook with everyone. I hope you love the cookies!
Could Minute Instant Tapioca used instead of the flour? I have everything else. No gluten issues.
Tentative stars!
Hi Allison, you mean instead of the buckwheat flour? I’m not sure. I’d probably try a more regular flour (say, whole wheat) in place of the buckwheat.
OMW, I am so looking forward to baking these ! Excited :-) I am sure Cookie would love a little taste of one :-) Have a beautiful day. x
Thank you, Lynne! I hope you love them.
Kate! Thank you so much for sharing my book and cookie recipes here. I’ve been reading your blog for so many years, this is a total dream come true. So deeply appreciative! And girl, you seriously deserve ALL the chocolate comfort food after finishing that book and the edits. The recipes I tested were out of this world, and I know the rest of them will be as well (and the photos, too!) I can’t wait to hold it in my hands. Please come to San Francisco for your book tour! <3
Thank you, sweet Alanna! I’m happy to share. I am really so impressed by your book. Let’s meet up someday, somehow!
We made these today, and they are sooooo good! They have a nice chocolate “skin” just like brownies. We did sub cornstarch (1 Tbsp) for the tapioca flour. Delicious, thanks for sharing!
Thank you, Heidi! Glad to hear that cornstarch worked for you.
Hi Kate. I just found your website and recipes and am ready to start trying some out. My Kate (14yrs old) has had a migraine headache for almost a year and we are trying dietary changes and it is lowering the pain :-). My sweet girl still craves chocolate…what girl doesn’t…so I want to try this but she also has to be sugar free. The only sweeteners that do not cause a headache spike are honey, maple syrup or stevia. Do you think any of these would work as substitutes? Thanks so much!
Hi, have you tried xylitol? It’s a 1:1 sub for sugar, in granular form, just like sugar in taste and texture. It’s made from hardwoods like birch. It’s fantastic and doesn’t have that burn or slight aftertaste you get with stevia. My grocery store carries it and so does a bulk food store. If you haven’t already, you might want to see if your daughter can tolerate it.
Hi Adrienne, I’m so sorry to hear about your daughter’s migraine. My mom suffers from chronic migraines and they are terrible. I am afraid these cookies probably aren’t going to work, since they are mostly made of chocolate, which already has sugar in it. I don’t have any cookies that fit the bill, but maybe something like this from Oh She Glows would work? I hope she feels better soon!
Thank you for your suggestions and help!
Can’t wait for your cookbook! I just shared several of your recipes with my family since they loved them at a recent dinner party. I’ll have to try these cookies soon too. Thanks, Kate!
Thank you so much for sharing my recipes, Courtney! That means a lot. :) Hope you love the cookies!
Oh come ON! I just made a half batch of these cookies and they are ridiculously amazing!! Not too sweet, light, chocolately…absolutely heavenly. As a matter of fact, I’m almost positive I heard a chorus of angles singing when I took my first bite. I don’t have a stand mixer, but my hand mixer worked just fine. Thanks Kate!!
Woohoo! Thanks, Rose! Glad to hear the hand mixer worked; I’ll update the post accordingly.
I made the cookies with cornstarch…and they turned out! Just wanted to let you know!
Also, CONGRATS on the cookbook!!
Awesome, thank you for letting me know! I appreciate your support. :)
Hooray for round two.. OMGee those copy editors know how to pick every bit apart! I can only imagine when writing a cookbook what it’s like to receive those edits (grinds teeth). Hooray (!!) – it’s behind you! These cookies?? I’ve got buckwheat in the pantry. These will be happening! Alana’s book is just gorgeous. I’ve been thumbing through the pages trying to decide what to make first… that Banana Tart with Salted Caramel is calling my name.
Ooooh, I want a slice of that banana tart! I am not nearly the baker that you and Alana are. I am so glad to be done with cookbook edits. Those were rough!
I just love your site and recipes! So inspiring.
Thank you, Laura! :)
This looks SO GOOD, i am gluten free and love cookies! can’t wait to try!
Didn’t turn out like I expected, but may be because I approximated some of the measurements. Mine are dry, but the taste is awesome !
I’m sorry they weren’t quite perfect! Can’t say mine were dry at all, but I’m glad you’re enjoying them.
These cookies were rich, dark, chewy, with crackly tops. It was like eating brownies. So gooooood. Thank you for sharing the recipe and this is going to be my go to chocolate cookies.
These cookies were luscious!! Everyone was surprised to hear they were gluten free. With the heaped Tablespoons, it made 17 yummy huge cookies. Next time will make a little smaller. I used 12 ounces of ghiradelli 60% chips and TJ’s 72% for the chunks on top. Nuked the butter & chocolate at 70% power for 2 minutes. Also used Sago flour in place of tapioca. Baked the two trays on the middle rack for 12 minutes(turning 1/2 way through). Definitely a keeper loved by old and young alike. Thank you Kate!
Could I substitute coconut sugar for the cane sugar?
I made these in about 15 minutes flat and have to say, they are perfect for my chocolate cravings! Used half organic raw sugar and half coconut sugar. Does anyone know if they freeze well?
These look great! Can’t wait to make them. Do you think maple syrup could be substituted for the sugar?
Hi Dina! No, I’m sorry, I don’t think so. With cookies, it’s really difficult to get the same texture with natural sweeteners, and this batter is already so wet due to the chocolate that I’m not sure you could add more moisture without detracting elsewhere.
Hi Kate!
I have newly discovered your awesome recipes, thank you! Made these delish cookies yesterday, but used coconut sugar and only 1tblsp all up as I find the biscuits sweet enough with just the dark choc. Turned out lovely and fudgey (not as pretty as yours though!)
Oh My Chocolaty Goodness!! These are amazing, rich, dark, and delicious!!! Saw the recipe this afternoon at grocery store and made them when I got home!
Yep, these are a chocolate lover’s dream! So happy you loved them, Tonya.
I used potato startch instead of tapioca and ir worked very nicely.
Hi Kate! I loved these cookies, the flavour is amazing! For some reason though, the eggs I used (at room temp) didn’t become pale, definitely nowhere close to the picture in your post, but the cookies are brownie-like and super fudgy. They didn’t spread and become crackly like yours though, and I’m wondering if that had anything to do with the eggs. Any thoughts on what may have gone wrong? Thanks so much :)
I love these cookies. I don’t have tapioca starch, so I used arrowroot powder for one batch and cornstarch for another batch. The arrowroot batch was a much, much thinner batter…almost like a soup. The cornstarch batter batch came out thicket and easier to bake. I find that I have to bake them for about 17 minutes. At less than that, it’s still runny batter. At 17 min they are still soft. I do make them big, though. I use a 1/4 cup measuring cup to scoop the batter.
I’m glad your substitutions worked out, Claudia!
Hi! These look soooo delicious. Do you think I could substitute stevia or xylitol to sweeten them though?
I don’t see why not, Onaca, but I haven’t tried it myself.
I made these yesterday. OMG they are delicious. Hubby is going crazy for them. Couldn’t find tapioca so I used arrowroot. Love these and love the new cookbook!
Susan Hayes
Atlanta, GA
I’m glad the arrowroot worked out so well, Susan!
I used arrowroot flour instead of tapioca flour, and coconut sugar instead of cane sugar, and it worked great. I ended up with a thick batter and a fluffy cookie. These are incredible!
Just got your cookbook as a birthday gift and love it! Happy to learn that you are from Kansas City, my hometown :).
That is great! Always nice to hear from a KC native. Enjoy the cookbook :) It is full of great recipes.
Let me tell you, I’ve tried it and it’s SO GOOD! Thank you, dear Kate! Everyone thinks on a constant and groundless basis, that vegetarian diet is boring and tasteless. You prove them wrong with every single recipe. This one is a masterpiece! I did an experiment – my husband says he hates pumpkin/butternut squash and always declines even trying the dish that has any of those. So, yesterday he was out while I cooked and asked him to give it a taste, when we sat down to dine in the evening. First he loved it, then he learned the truth, haha! We laughed about it and he simply admitted for the dish to be delicious. I myself try to lower calories intake, so I’ve omitted the wine and had my portion without cheese, but my husband has it with his parmesan and it’s all love. I recommend this to everyone!
oh good lord, I’ve mixed up the page, this was meant for the oats risotto :D
You are sweet, Natalie! Thank you for your comment and your review. I am happy you won your husband over :)
So, tried making those yesterday with the following substitutions: coconut sugar, cornstarch (2 tbsp), home-made buckwheat flour (since none can be found in stores where I live). The batter turned out a bit too thick so I’m guessing it’s too much cornstarch and maybe the flour too (although it was finely grated and light). It’s very tasty, but the texture is not as it should be. Also, since the batter was thicker, the yield was half of the expected (I actually did 1 tbsp per cookie. I will try again with less cornstarch, I’m actually quite excited to try these again.
Thank you, Natalie for your comment. I love that you are making your own buckwheat flour! Cornstarch can make batter thicker quickly. Thanks for letting me know how that worked for you! If you can’t get your hands on tapioca flour(starch), possibly add a less cornstarch next time. Happy baking!
Dear Kate, I have a question to you – is it possible to replace melted chocolate with cocoa powder with the goal of minimizing the calories of the cookies. If yes, what would you recommend to use as a wet ingredient to support this replacement? Thanks in advance!
Hi Natalie, I’m sorry, I don’t think that will work well. The melted chocolate makes the bulk of the cookies so I would be hesitant to make substitutions. Sorry to disappoint!
Quick question on this recipe. If you wanted to substitute regular flour, about how much would you use?
p.s. I LOVE this recipe as is but in a pinch I do not always have the tapioca and buckwheat flour
Stephanie, sorry for the delayed response! I would *guess* that I’d use the same amount of regular flour, but I’m hesitant to suggest trying that since glutenous flour behaves so differently from gluten-free flour (buckwheat is gluten-free). Please let me know how it turns out if you try!
I didn’t have buckwheat or tapioca flours, and so I subbed whole wheat flour and corn starch. These cookies are so easy to make and so delicious! Soft and chewy – and so much chocolate! Yum.
Thank you!
Nutrition Information does not come up. I have a 3 yr. old Type 1 Diabetic and need this information. I’d love to try this recipe.
Thanks.
I’m sorry about that! There is an issue I am working on and working to have it fixed asap. It will be back up!
I love these cookies! Check Instagram to see what happens if you use a number 16 disher on accident.
I’m glad you like them, Roger!
Hi, Thanks for some great recipes! Especially the waffles! Now it’s time to try some cookies. What are your thoughts on substituting coconut oil for the butter to make the cookies dairy free? Thanks, Randi
Hi Randi, that would be a good substitute. I prefer butter here, but let me know how it works for you!
Hello,nice share.
Thanks!
These cookies are wonderful, They also may be tasty with walnut and or perhaps expresso coffee grounds. Followed the recipe as is and they turned out great! Yummy!
Great to hear, Anne! Thanks for the review.
I first made these cookies for a Christmas potluck at work, and everyone loved them so much, they disappeared in mere seconds! Now this is my go-to recipe when it comes to chocolate cookies, it’s an absolute crowd-pleaser :)
I use cornstarch and only bake them for 10 minutes, but they come out perfect every time.
Thanks for sharing, Reka!
amazing
Thank you!
goona try this amazing recipe on Sunday hope it all goes well. xoxo