Do not – I repeat – DO NOT make these gluten-free double chocolate buckwheat brownies if you like cakey brownies! Made with cocoa, dark chocolate, and buckwheat flour, these are unbelievably rich fudgy brownies. They are made with whole grain flour, however, I won’t call them healthy as there is still plenty of butter and chocolate.

Gooey Homemade Fudgy Brownies

Living in Nova Scotia means you will, at some point, attend a wedding or funeral with homemade food served buffet-style. Platters crammed with egg salad sandwiches rub elbows with lemon squares, Hello Dolly’s, and the ubiquitous dry cakey brownie.

Don’t get me wrong. I’m not complaining about free homemade food. Let’s just say, the first time I had a dense, gooey, fudgy brownie I think I heard the angels sing.

Sometimes You Just Need Chocolate

Since my mother, and my grandmother both died, three days apart last month, I can’t get enough chocolate in my system. And not just chocolate. Pizza, cheeseburgers, chips – anything salty, sweet, or fatty are fair game. 

I don’t let myself feel guilty about enjoying food and I’m not going to start now. Sometimes ooey, gooey, rich and chewy homemade brownies are all that stand between you and a mental breakdown. I say, “GO AHEAD AND EAT THAT BROWNIE DAMN IT”.

Chocolate Recipes Aren’t My Thing (But They Should Be)

The food blog of a food photographer should be jam packed with chocolate recipes, however, I’m sad to say it isn’t so! I have recipes for blueberry white chocolate scones, and white chocolate candy cane bark, but that’s pretty much it! Isn’t it weird?

I recently concluded that I, and my blog, need more chocolate, so this buckwheat brownie recipe was born. I baked three batches of brownies for the cause.

What’s The Best Chocolate For Baking Brownies?

I’m a milk chocolate fan, however, I tested this recipe with milk chocolate, semi-sweet chocolate, and dark chocolate to be sure. Each batch of brownies was similar in texture, with a rich, dense, chew, but dark chocolate yielded the best flavour, with the most depth. Choose a dark chocolate, at least 70% cocoa, when you make these brownies.

Making Brownies From Scratch

I’ve never made brownies from a box mix. I’m not telling you this to sound snobby. I’m telling you because I want you to know how fortunate and grateful I am to have had a mother who taught me to bake.

Except for maybe the buckwheat flour, you probably have everything you need to make these double chocolate buckwheat brownies in your kitchen right now. It doesn’t take any longer than a box mix so why not make brownies from scratch?

Baking With Buckwheat Flour

I’ve been experimenting with buckwheat flour, oat flour, and almond flour for the last year. I made a delicious buckwheat cheddar quiche crust, and a tasty berry crisp with almond flour topping. I make homemade oat flour pancakes every Sunday morning. We prefer the nutty flavour of buckwheat flour, and though we aren’t a gluten-free household, it’s nice to know we get a little nutrition boost from buckwheat flour recipes.

Substituting Buckwheat Flour For All-Purpose Flour

Buckwheat flour is made from grinding the seeds of the buckwheat plant, and it is not related to wheat. Because buckwheat flour is gluten-free, it doesn’t have the same lift and stretch as wheat flour, which contains gluten.

For 100% buckwheat flour recipes try sticking to cookies, crisps, or fresh noodles. If baking cakes, muffins, or breads you may need to mix the buckwheat flour with other flours and rising ingredients like baking soda or powder to get a proper lift.

Using A Double Boiler To Melt Chocolate And Butter

A double boiler is the best way to melt chocolate or butter (and even marshmallows for Rice Krispie squares). A double boiler takes longer to melt ingredients than placing them directly in a pot, however, because the heat is more gentle, the risk of scorching in a double boiler is practically non-existent. 

Butter can be cold or room temperature, it doesn’t matter. Cold butter takes longer is all. Chopping chocolate into small bits will reduce the time it takes to melt.

A double boiler consists of three components:

1. A Deep Pot – You need a pot that can hold an inch or two of boiling water and still have room for a heatproof vessel (like a large metal bowl) to sit on top without touching the water.
2. A Heatproof Vessel That Sits Snugly On Top Of The Pot Without Touching The Water – I use a basic 6-quart pot, with a large metal mixing bowl sitting on top. 
3. Water – Add an inch or two of water to the pot and bring it to a boil. Place your heatproof vessel on top of the pot, making sure it fits snugly, then add your butter or chocolate to the bowl to melt. The bottom of the bowl should not touch the water. The heat of the steam is what will melt your chocolate or butter.

More Great Chocolate Recipes:

Chocolate Espresso Bark With Dried Fruit

Blueberry White Chocolate Scones

Pumpkin Chocolate Marble Loaf With Maple Drizzle

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Did you make this recipe? I would love to see how you made out! Let me know on Instagram by tagging me @kellyneildotcom and hashtag it #kellyneildotcom so I can re-share it in my Instagram stories. You can also find me on Facebook, Twitter, and Pinterest.