Cinnamon Bun Baked Buckwheat Porridge

Who doesn't love a warm, fresh-out-of-the-oven sticky cinnamon bun? Rather than indulging in your favorite bakery version, you can enjoy this dessert-like breakfast without feeling bloated and run down from all those processed sugars. This breakfast is sweetened naturally with banana, and the cinnamon adds the perfect spice to counterbalance it. I swirled a bit of vanilla flavored Greek yogurt over it for the "frosting", which topped the whole thing off perfectly and really made me feel like I was eating a sweet, sticky cinnamon bun! This recipe is gluten free and can be easily made vegan using a different frosting swirl!



Serves 1


You will need:

• 1/3 cup raw buckwheat groats
• between 1/4 - 1/3 cup non-dairy milk of choice
• 1 tsp chia seeds
• 3/4 of a banana, mashed
• 1 medjool date, finely chopped
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 1 tsp maca powder (optional)
• 1/4 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp vanilla extract

Toppings:

• about 1 tsp cinnamon
• about 1/8 cup vanilla flavored Greek yogurt
• coyo, coconut butter, or even cinnamon flavored date paste would be a great "frosting" substitution to make this recipe vegan!

Directions:

I always soak my buckwheat groats overnight in order to provide my body the best and easiest assimilation of nutrients possible. To do this, I place the buckwheat in a bowl and cover it with about 1-2 inches of water, and let it sit overnight. In the morning, the water will look slimy, and you will need to rinse the buckwheat in a strainer VERY well for about one or two minutes. 

Preheat your oven to 375F. Once the buckwheat is drained and rinsed, add it to your food processor and pulse a few times to break up the groats.

In a bowl, combine all ingredients (besides the toppings) and stir until well combined. Let this sit for a few minutes so the chia can soak up some liquid and the porridge becomes thick. I sliced and added the remaining 1/4 banana onto the top of the porridge after it cooked, and it added the perfect sweetness!

Lightly grease a small baking dish and pour in the porridge mixture. Sprinkle on the extra cinnamon in a "swirly" pattern and place in your oven for 25 minutes.

While it cooked, I made my own pastry bag for the "frosting" by cutting off a small piece of the corner of a zip-lock baggy, then I put the yogurt inside the bag and squeezed it to the opening to make an even-sized piping. 

Remove from your oven and swirl on your "frosting" of choice. I topped it with the rest of the banana and it was delicious!

Enjoy! :)