Gluten-Free Buckwheat Coconut Waffles with Cocoa

Created by Laura Wright
5 from 3 votes

Buckwheat coconut waffles with cocoa are hearty, nutty, and delicious in addition to being gluten-free and vegan. The perfect healthy but indulgent weekend breakfast!

Overhead shot of buckwheat coconut waffles with coconut. Waffles are plated with a dollop of vegan yogurt and some passion fruit on top of a brown speckled plate.
Overhead shot of ingredients measured out into small bowls on a marble background.
Overhead shot of a cut open passion fruit on a small wooden cutting board.

We are having a buckwheat pancake/waffle moment in our house. Every time I begin to make us a sweet breakfast on the weekends, I’m reaching for the bag of buckwheat flour. It has this extremely wholesome and nutty flavour that just makes me feel all glow-y and cozy. Typically I’m mixing it up with other flours and flavours (and always lots of cinnamon–such a good flavour pairing) to get the most out of it.

It took me a long time to like this pseudo grain! I used to be quite sensitive to its strong flavour. I swear it felt like I was eating soap! We were in los Angeles a few years ago and having breakfast at one of our favourite spots when I enjoyed buckwheat pancakes for the first time. The restaurant was sold out of my first 3 selections for breakfast (this is the only time this has ever happened to me lol), so I ordered the buckwheat pancakes on a whim/out of a minor sense of frustration hehe. They came with some fruit, maple syrup, and I added a little side of sweet cashew cream.

Of course they were delicious and so satisfying. I haven’t turned my back on buckwheat since. With these buckwheat coconut waffles, we combine the buckwheat flour with almond meal, finely shredded coconut, ground flaxseed, and a bit of cocoa powder. Cinnamon, maple syrup, vanilla, and tangy non-dairy yogurt make them taste so good. This is such a wholesome waffle! I love the dense but still spongy texture. They have so much going on flavour-wise that they barely need maple syrup or toppings. But of course I had to go extra hard on the toppings for these photos. Couldn’t resist!

Hope you try these. They are such a feel-good breakfast treat. I based this recipe on the gluten-free banana waffles from my cookbook, which have a sweeter, more macaroon-like vibe. Either option would make a nice breakfast for your valentine/valentines/galentines.

Close of shot of waffle batter being stirred in a clear glass bowl.
A hand lifting a hot waffle out of a waffle iron with a fork. There is steam billowing out.
An overhead shot of cooked waffles on a royal blue baking sheet.
Overhead shot of buckwheat coconut waffles with coconut. Waffles are plated with a dollop of vegan yogurt and some passion fruit on top of a brown speckled plate.

Gluten-Free Buckwheat Coconut Waffles with Cocoa

Buckwheat coconut waffles with cocoa are hearty, nutty, and delicious in addition to being gluten-free and vegan. Perfect weekend breakfast!
5 from 3 votes
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 20 minutes
Total Time: 40 minutes
Servings 5

Ingredients

  • ½ cup buckwheat flour
  • ½ cup almond meal (or sunflower seed/hazelnut meal)
  • ¼ cup finely shredded unsweetened coconut
  • 2 tablespoons cocoa powder
  • 1 tablespoon ground flaxseed
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • ½ teaspoon arrowroot powder
  • ¼ teaspoon fine sea salt
  • ½ cup + 2 tablespoons non-dairy milk
  • ¼ cup non-dairy vanilla or plain yogurt, plus extra for serving (see note)
  • 1 tablespoon melted coconut oil, plus extra for cooking
  • 2 tablespoons maple syrup, plus extra for serving
  • ½ teaspoon vanilla extract

Equipment

Notes

  • The hottest or second hottest setting of your waffle iron is ideal for these.
  • My favourite vegan yogurt brands are: Lavva, Anita’s, and Culina.
  • These waffles will seem fragile and too moist on the edges when you open the waffle iron! A quick rest in a warm oven is all it takes to firm them up and get them to the perfect texture.
  • I loved eating these with extra non-dairy yogurt, maple syrup, and some tangy passion fruit. Heaven!
  • This is not a fluffy Waffle House-style waffle! It’s dense, hearty, and nutty. Just preparin’ ya ;)

Instructions

  • Preheat the oven to 170°F or set it to a “warm” setting. Place a baking sheet on the top rack.
  • Preheat a waffle iron to the highest or second highest setting.
  • In a medium bowl, whisk together the buckwheat flour, almond meal, coconut, cocoa powder, ground flaxseed, baking powder, cinnamon, arrowroot, and salt. Once combined, add in the non-dairy milk, non-dairy yogurt, coconut oil, maple syrup, and vanilla. Gently stir the mixture with a spatula until fully combined. The batter will be very thick!
  • Lightly grease the waffle iron with coconut oil. Drop a level ⅓ cup of the batter into the center of the waffle iron and press the lid down. Wait for the timer to go off. The finished waffle should be dry to the touch on top and a deep brown colour. The edges will still be slightly damp/granular looking. If your waffle isn’t there yet, bring the lid back down and keep cooking it.
  • Very carefully extract the waffle from the waffle iron with a fork, slowly lifting up one edge. The waffle will feel delicate and slightly undercooked. This is okay! It will continue to set up in the warm oven.
  • Transfer the cooked waffle to the baking sheet in the oven to keep warm. Repeat the waffle making process with the remaining batter.
  • Serve the buckwheat coconut waffles warm with maple syrup, extra dollops of non-dairy yogurt, and fruit of choice.
Overhead shot of buckwheat coconut waffles with coconut. Waffles are plated with a dollop of vegan yogurt and some passion fruit on top of a brown speckled plate.
05/02/2020 (Last Updated 18/03/2024)
Posted in: autumn, breakfast, earthy, gluten free, quick, spring, summer, sweet, vegan, winter

19 comments

5 from 3 votes

Recipe Rating




  • monya

    5 stars
    I love this recipe so much <3 I make these waffles almost every weekend, thank you! I didn't see a pumpkin waffle variety on your website, but would be so thrilled if you decided to try one out :)

  • Cristel

    5 stars
    I have made these twice now. They are amazing! First time exactly as written in my waffle maker.
    Second time I tried them as pancakes and they worked perfectly as well. The only change I made was using mashed banana instead of yoghurt. So Im not sure what the other commenter did wrong but they definitely worked for me as pancakes. Next time I make this recipe, I might even try to bake them as muffins.

  • Megan

    5 stars
    Laura, these were delightful! I made a few swaps based on what I had available and some allergies. So they may not have turned out exactly as intended, but they were still delicious, so this recipe served as a great guide. I used half pumpkin seed meal and half rolled oats in lieu of almond/hazelnut meal, and used kefir (I am not vegan) instead of yogurt. I sprinkled in a bit more flax to make up for the kefir, which is a bit runnier than yogurt. I love a toothsome waffle, so the coconut and my addition of oats really took this over the top! I served them with some berry jam and bee pollen.  I’m going to freeze the leftovers and eat them all through this week. These were really filling and such a nice break from my usual breakfasts.

  • Veronica

    These sound absolutely decicious. would the recipe still work without adding in the coconut to the batter? Some of my family members are allergic to coconut.

    • Laura

      Hi Veronica!
      I would replace the shredded coconut with another 1/4 cup of almond meal if you need to make this coconut-free.
      -L

  • Alison

    Hello! I have been making your recipes for YEARS now and thought it was about time I reached out to say hi!

    My husband and I both enjoyed this recipe, which was a surprise for hubby since he was really suspicious of the buckwheat.

    We eat eggs in our house, so after following the recipe to a “T” the first time, I decided to change the flax for egg in batch #2, and to do the usual waffle technique of separating the whites and yolks and beating the yolks to stiff peaks before folding in. This made a far more typical waffle texture – tall, fluffy, airy. Both approaches are totally different so I’m not sure which I prefer honestly, because the dense cakey original does compliment the flavor profile.

    Also, these are a million times better with the suggested tangy yogurt topping. Do it, even if you think it sounds weird. It is a perfect match for the buckwheat.

  • Rui

    These are SO awesome! Made them twice (double batch) in just one week :P Turned them into 2 other flavors by a. switching out cacao and cinnamon with matcha and sweet plum powder b. omitting maple syrup and switching out cacao + cinnamon with garlic powder, herbs de provence and more salt… the texture was so satisfying & everything was super simple to do, keeps really well in the freezer! thank you so much laura!

  • Susan Singer

    Damn, girl! Are your foods as fantastic as they look and sound?? If so, I’m immediately a huge fan! I can’t wait to try these out!

  • Herbert Sydney Johnson

    thank you

  • Kate

    I made these using the exact recipe as pancakes and they turned out great !

  • Anita Sabados

    I don’t have a waffle iron so I usually just make interesting waffle recipes as pancakes. For anyone who does the same thing —this one didn’t work at all! Stuck to my pan and was irretrievable. I love buckwheat and I’m sure it would be good made as directed!

    • Laura

      Hi Anita,
      Bummer that it didn’t work for you as pancakes, but I really appreciate your feedback here as this was definitely the top question that I received about this recipe.
      -L

  • Cassie Thuvan Tran

    You may a very good point on buckwheat! A LOT of people cannot get past its incredibly Earthy flavor as well as its grainy and gritty texture. On a color spectrum, some people may perceive buckwheat as gray (another sensory aversion)! However, these waffles look absolutely TO DIE FOR. I went to Cafe Gratitude as well. I never ordered the buckwheat pancakes before and I think I’m missing out!

    • Molly

      yum! just made these for breakfast and they kicked my friday off right! Felt indulgent but also healthy- tough combo to achieve. Made a few substitutions- no waffle iron so I made these as pancakes, also omitted the flax seeds and used 1 egg. worked like a charm- delicious! Thanks for a great recipe, Laura!

  • Miranda

    These look amazing! I am in the market for a waffle maker — may I ask which one you’re using? :)

    • Laura

      Hi Miranda!
      I have a verrrrrry old, very basic Cuisinart waffle maker. I don’t think they even make it anymore! Having said that, I would not hesitate to buy this brand again. It has withstood the test of time for me.
      -L

  • Chelsea Cufaro

    Hi! Could you possibly use this mixture to make pancakes? I don’t have a waffle maker. Thank you!

    • Laura

      Hi Chelsea,
      One commenter reported that this recipe did not work as pancakes as written. Another commenter substituted a regular egg for the flax egg and had success making them as pancakes. Not sure on your personal dietary preferences/choices, but this is the feedback that has been reported so far!
      -L

  • Sonya

    Can’t wait to make and eat these beautiful waffles ❤️