Chewy Buckwheat Chocolate Chunk Cookies with Sea Salt
Want a gooey, chewy chocolate chip cookie recipe with real depth of flavor? These super-thin, flavorful buckwheat chocolate chunk cookies sprinkled with flaky sea salt are rich and nutty with an unexpected robustness. This recipe makes about 20 large, thin, crispy, chewy buckwheat cookies loaded with chunks of white and dark chocolate. If you don’t have buckwheat flour, you can substitute whole wheat. It doesn’t have the same assertiveness, but they’ll still be delish!
Table of Contents
- 1 What inspired this buckwheat chocolate chunk cookie recipe
- 2 Now back to the buckwheat cookies…
- 3 Ingredients:
- 4 How to make buckwheat chocolate chip cookies:
- 5 Tips for making buckwheat chocolate chunk cookies
- 6 Swaps and substitutions
- 7 Why you’ll love them
- 8 FAQ’s
- 9 Chewy Buckwheat Chocolate Chunk Cookies with Sea Salt
- 10 More Cookies for Kids’ Cancer Love:
Each February, I participate in a Valentine’s event to fight pediatric cancer and I’m so happy to be participating again this year with this crispy chewy buckwheat chocolate chip cookie recipe. Not only are these cookies THE BOMB — the cause is so worthwhile.
Here’s how it works:
I make a donation to benefit this worthy cause (??done), then make a batch of cookies and share the recipe with you in the sincere hope that you’ll join me in pledging what you can to help cure childhood cancer.
Some of my past cookie recipes include Lemon Poppyseed Sandwich Cookies, Hazelnut Shortbread Linzer Cookies, Key Lime Cookies, and Coconut Almond Crispies.
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The sad truth
Cancer is the #1 cause of death of children by disease in the U.S. There are 40,000 U.S. children actively battling cancer right now. The National Cancer Institute’s budget for childhood cancer is less than 4%. It’s such a small number and that’s why I got involved.
And with the ongoing pandemic, children are still being diagnosed with cancer. It’s imperative that we raise awareness and continue to raise funds to fund the ongoing pediatric cancer research!
Our goal is to raise at least $3000. Because these three companies: OXO, Mediavine amd Dixie Crystals have each pledged to match our donations raised through this campaign up to $3000! That means when we raise $1, it turns into $4!
Please join me in helping this worthy cause and donate here today.
Who can resist gooey chocolate chip cookies? No one I know.
And in my humble opinion, one chewy chocolate chip cookie recipe is never enough.
I’ve already shared some of my favorites, like these ginormous Cherry Chocolate Chip Cookies, Coconut Almond Chocolate Chippers, Salted Tahini Chocolate Chip Cookies, Bailey’s Irish Cream Cookies and Mocha Pecan Chunk Cookies. Trust me, you’re definitely going to want to try these salted buckwheat chocolate chunk cookies.
I found this recipe in a 2020 issue of Bon Appetit magazine and made a few adaptations to it. They’re a cross between chewy chocolate chip cookies and hearty, bold buckwheat cookies and they’re my new obsession.
Buckwheat adds a robust nuttiness to the thin, chewy rounds. They’re finished with a sprinkle of flaky sea salt for a sweet/salty contrast that’s irresistible.
Ingredients:
- Butter – I use unsalted butter so I can control how salty the cookies are.
- All Purpose Flour – I recommend King Arthur’s Unbleached All Purpose Flour.
- Buckwheat Flour – an earthy, robustly flavored flour – gives these cookies depth and unique aroma and flavor.
- Baking Powder – a leavener; be sure to check the expiration date as Baking Powder only stays active for about 6 months.
- Baking Soda – another leavening agent.
- Kosher Salt – I recommend Diamond Crystal Kosher salt as it’s less salty by volume than Morton’s. If you use Morton’s, you may need to cut the amount by one quarter.
- Light Brown Sugar – for a softer, moister and more golden cookie.
- Granulated Sugar – for a sweet, clean flavor.
- Eggs – help baked goods to be tender.
- Vanilla – I use Penzey’s Double Strength Vanilla Extract.
- Bar of White Chocolate – to make chocolate chunks.
- Bar of Dark Chocolate – to cut into chocolate chunks.
- Flaky Sea Salt – to sprinkle atop the baked buckwheat chocolate chip cookies.
About buckwheat
Buckwheat is a pseudo-cereal that’s naturally gluten free. The flavor of buckwheat is earthy, bold and robust and is traditionally used to make French buckwheat crepes, Japanese soba noodles and Russian blini.
Typically, buckwheat flour is blended with other wheat flours in baking, otherwise the texture can be gritty and the flavor too bold. I used buckwheat blended with almond flour for these Apple Walnut Buckwheat Muffins.
- Combine the AP flour, buckwheat flour, baking powder, baking soda and kosher salt in a bowl and whisk together.
- In another bowl, whisk the two types of sugar with melted butter.
- Add the whole egg and mix until well combined, before adding the additional egg yolks one at a time, stirring until the batter is very creamy. Stir in the vanilla.
- Gently stir the dry ingredients into the wet and add the white and dark chocolate chunks.
- Chill the dough for two hours.
- Scoop the dough into uniform balls and place onto a parchment lined cookie sheet. (Don’t crowd the pan – only 5 cookies per and space them out well).
- Press additional shards of chocolate into the balls of buckwheat cookie dough and bake for about 8-10 minutes, turning the pan 180° halfway through baking. (If you’re using two sheet pans – position the oven racks in top and bottom thirds of the oven, swap the sheet pans halfway through baking and rotate them 180°.)
The dough needs to rest in the refrigerator to give it a chance to firm up. These buckwheat chocolate chunk cookies will spread when baking in the oven, so chilling the dough first will slow that process.
- The cookie dough needs to chill in order to firm up. Don’t skip this step as the cookies spread easily when baking.
- Use a cookie scoop to measure even amounts of dough, so that the cookies are uniform in size and bake at the same time. Mine cookie scoop holds about 1 1/2 tablespoons of dough.
- Space cookie dough balls at least 3 to 4 inches apart on the baking sheet (about 5 per sheet). As I mentioned, they will spread while baking and if you crowd the pan, you’ll end up with one large cookie.
- For chewier cookies, pull the sheet pan from the oven at 8 minutes. For crisper treats, cook the full 10 minutes.
- Use good quality chocolate bars like Lindt, Scharffen Berger or Ghirardelli.
- I recommend using a semisweet or bittersweet bar of dark chocolate — I used 70% cocoa.
- Look for a good quality sea salt (like Maldon) that has large flakes that crunch between your teeth. Sea salt isn’t as salty as iodized salt and the flakes add visual appeal as well as wonderful texture and just the right saltiness.
Swaps and substitutions
- Use chocolate chips, M&Ms or Reese’s Pieces in place of (or in addition to) the chocolate chunks.
- Add 1/2 cup of chopped, toasted walnuts, almonds, pecans or pistachios instead of (or in addition to) the chocolate.
- Stir in 1/2 cup of flaked coconut and 1/2 cup of toasted almonds with 1 bar of dark chocolate (chopped into chunks) for an Almond Joy effect.
- Use raisins and dark chocolate for a Raisinet style cookie.
Why you’ll love them
Aside from the fact that I’ve made these delectable buckwheat chocolate chunk cookies for a good cause… you’ll love that rustic old-fashioned look, and the aroma as they bake. The crispy edges and chewy interior are a sheer joy.
My tasters loved the contrast between the gooey, melty bittersweet chocolate with sweeter white chocolate and flakes of crunchy sea salt.
These buckwheat cookies are a complete sensory experience.
FAQ’s
Use a measuring spoon to measure two equal tablespoons of dough and roll them into one ball for each cookie.
Keep them in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days. (They won’t last that long).
The only reason I wouldn’t freeze them (or refrigerate them) is the chocolate, which can take on a hazy look when chilled. If you don’t mind that, you can freeze the cookies.
Join me & donate to Cookies for Kids’ Cancer today!
More chocolatey cookie recipes you’ll love:
- Chocolate Mint Cookies
- Chocolate Almond Florentines
- Dark Chocolate Pecan Brookies
- Chocolate Dipped Pecan Shortbread
- Chewy Peanut Butter Cookies
- Cheesecake Brownies
- Chocolate Mint Meringue Kisses
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Chewy Buckwheat Chocolate Chunk Cookies with Sea Salt
SPECIAL EQUIPMENT:
- 1 1½ to 2 tablespoon cookie scoop
- sheet pans
- parchment paper
INGREDIENTS:
- ½ cup unsalted butter
- 1 cup all purpose flour
- ½ cup buckwheat flour
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- 1¼ teaspoons Diamond Crystal Kosher salt If you only have Morton’s, use 3/4 teaspoon
- ⅔ cup light brown sugar packed
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- 1 large egg
- 2 large egg yolks
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 3 ounces good quality white chocolate chopped into small chunks
- 3 ounces good quality dark chocolate preferably 60-70% cocoa, chopped into small chunks
- flaky sea salt for sprinkling (I used Maldon)
DIRECTIONS:
- Heat the butter in a small saucepan over very low heat, just until it’s almost completely melted. Remove from heat and swirl the pan until the residual butter melts completely. Set aside.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the AP flour, buckwheat flour, baking powder, baking soda and kosher salt. Set aside.
- In a large bowl, combine the brown and white sugar. Add the melted butter and whisk together vigorously until the butter is completely absorbed in the sugar about 30 seconds.
- Add the egg and whisk to combine thoroughly. Whisk in the egg yolks and mix until the mixture is very creamy. Add the vanilla and stir to combine.
- Stir the flour mixture into the wet ingredients and stir with a rubber spatula until just combined (don’t over mix).
- Reserve a small handful of each of the chopped chocolate pieces and set aside.
- Add the remaining chocolate chunks to the cookie batter and gently mix into the dough. Cover with a towel or plastic wrap and refrigerate for two hours to chill.
- Arrange the oven racks to the top 2/3 and bottom 2/3 of the oven. Preheat the oven to 375°. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
- Use your cookie scoop to portion out equal servings of dough. Roll each scoop into a ball and set on the cookie sheet 3-4″ apart. Only put up to 5 balls of dough on each cookie sheet as they will spread quite a bit.
- You’ll want to transfer the cookie dough back to the refrigerator to chill in between batches.
- Press a few shards of chocolate into the tops of the cookie dough balls.
- Transfer the cookies to the oven with one baking sheet on the top and one on the bottom rack.
- Bake for 4-5 minutes, then swap the baking sheets moving the top sheet to the bottom and vice versa and turn the cookie sheets 180° for even cooking. Bake for an additional 4-5 minutes (8 minutes total for chewier cookies).
- Remove the buckwheat chocolate chunk cookies from the oven and lightly sprinkle with flaky sea salt. Let the cookies cool for 5 minutes on the sheet pan before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.
- Store in an airtight container for up to 3 days.
NUTRITION:
More Cookies for Kids’ Cancer Love:
I’m not the only one participating in this worthy event. Check out the other mouthwatering recipes from these philanthropic bloggers:
Heart Shaped Thumbprint Cookies from Julie of The Little Kitchen
Red Velvet Cheesecake Swirl Brownies from Melissa of Persnickety Plates
Little Debbie Strawberry Shortcake Rolls Ice Cream from Rose of Rose Bakes
Salted Dark Chocolate Pistachio Cookie Bars from Jessica of A Kitchen Addiction
Red Velvet Swirl Cheesecake Brownies from Julie of Back To My Southern Roots
Dark Chocolate Covered Strawberry Latte from Lisa of Taste Cook Sip
Chocolate Valentine’s Day Cake for Two from Faith of An Edible Mosaic
Chocolate Petit Fours from Carlee of Cooking With Carlee
Iced Sugar Cookies from Nina of Crazy for Cookies and More
Valentine’s Fudge from Raquel of Organized Island
Pink Gin Fizz from Caroline of Caroline’s Cooking
Cherry Chocolate Chip Cake from Stefanie of Stef’s Eats and Sweets
Flourless Chunky Peanut Butter Blossoms from Colleen of Faith, Hope, Love, & Luck Survive Despite a Whiskered Accomplice
Valentine’s Day Oatmeal M&M Cookies from Kelly of Kelly Lynn’s Sweets and Treats
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Small Batch Chocolate Cupcakes from Lisa of Blogghetti
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Chewy Buckwheat Chocolate Chunk Cookies with Sea Salt from Lisa of Garlic & zest
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Best Buckwheat cookie ever
Some how I didn’t think my first post went through so I did a new one. Now I have two!! Lol! I HAD to post one more….this is the easiest and best recipe ever. Hands down! I’m whipping up a batch now as a gift to a friend who is being baptised (full immersion) on Sunday. I took her a few from my first ever batch. She loved them so much she wouldn’t even allow her husband to eat one. Oh well, he’ll get one this time as I’m taking the full batch to them. BTW….they freeze perfectly…I experimented to see. Thank you again for this incredible recipe. The buckwheat is the key to something delicious we have never experienced before. Yum!!!
Fabulous! I’d never have thought of making buckwheat cookies. So glad I did. My hubby and I loved them. Used chips as I didn’t have bar chocolate but I did have the Maldon sea salt flakes. They looked just like your picture. I baked for 10 mins. Perfect! Thanks for this fantastic recipe!
These cookies are absolutely amazing!! Who’d have thought?? If your recipe hadn’t been suggested to me on Goggle, I’d have never thought to search buckwheat cookies. I followed your recipe to the letter (but I used chocolate chips dark and white because that’s what I had) and I baked them for 10 mins. I had Maldon flaked sea salt too. Voila! Perfect! My hubby and I both love them. Thanks for this fabulous recipe!
I’m just getting ready to start a fresh batch of these cookies. I made them over the weekend and they were gone in two days! That’s pretty fast considering there are only two of us….Great recipe, thank you!!
I love the flavor buckwheat gives to baked goods and these look amazingly good – can’t wait to try!
They look fabulous!