Creamy Berry Buckwheat
I had to share this recipe in time for Valentine’s with the beautiful pinks, reds, and purples… and creamy, sweet taste! Not only is it a fun color that kids love, but it helps to strengthen the immune system and warm the bones on a cold winter’s morning.
Creamy buckwheat is a perfect substitute for oatmeal! Buckwheat is a seed, not a grain and a complete protein. It’s loaded with antioxidants (to keep us looking young) and fiber (to keep us looking trim). I also use my secret ingredient, kombu. A seaweed with no fishy taste, but lots of nutrition! It helps to nourish and boost energy, making it the perfect addition to a healthy breakfast.
Creamy Buckwheat cooks up in 10 minutes, so it’s the perfect option to get a healthy breakfast in a hurry. It’s also great to make ahead of time and just heat up in the morning.
Creamy Berry Buckwheat
A perfect oatmeal substitute! Loaded with protein and fiber and a sweet berry taste, this hot breakfast cereal is a hit with the kids and even the pickiest breakfast eaters. Quick, healthy, hardy… and delicious!
Ingredients
- 1 (13.66 oz) can coconut milk (regular, not lite) and water to make up the difference (follow liquid amount on buckwheat package for 1 cup)
- ½ piece kombu (optional, no taste) Sea vegetable, packed with essential minerals
- 1 cup creamy buckwheat
- ¼ cup xylitol or sweetener of choice
- ¼ teaspoon sea salt
- ¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1 tablespoon organic salted butter
- 1 tablespoon unrefined virgin coconut oil
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- ¼ teaspoon KAL liquid stevia, or to taste (optional for sweeter taste)
- 2 cups frozen mixed berries (raspberries, blueberries, blackberries) or berries of choice
- Nuts or seeds; pumpkin seeds, sliced almonds and/or ground flax (optional)
- Shredded coconut (optional)
Directions
- In a 3-quart saucepan, bring the coconut milk, water and kombu (if using) to a boil.
- Add buckwheat, cover and bring down to a simmer (low heat) for about 10 minutes.
- After 10 minutes, stir well to incorporate any extra liquid. If it seems too liquidy, cook 2-3 minutes longer, but it will continue to thicken as it cools.
- Add xylitol or sweetener of choice, salt, cinnamon, butter, oil, vanilla and stevia (if using). Mix well.
- Add berries to thaw and heat through for 3 minutes.
- Serve into bowl. Sprinkle with nuts, seeds or coconut if desired.
Quick notes
You can find kombu in the Asian section at a health food store and online. It is a powerhouse for your immune system and an easy way to add nutrition to your diet… like adding a multivitamin to your food.
You can grind the kombu in a nut and spice grinder and leave in the recipe or just put a piece in and take it out before serving.
If the buckwheat gets too thick just add a splash of water or coconut milk to desired consistency.
You can make a double batch or if there is any left over, just store in the refrigerator in an airtight container and heat it up the next morning for a quick on the go breakfast.
My trick to heating up leftovers: add some coconut milk to a sauté pan over medium-low heat and cover for 5-10 minutes stirring every few minutes… it will return to a delicious creamy consistency.
Phase 1 Friendly
Number of servings (yield): 4
Variations
To make dairy-free or vegan substitute the butter for coconut oil
Frozen berries work best, but fresh can be used too.
Sounds delish! Just curious though how I would measure for the vanilla extract and stevia if they are in the same bottle. I have a bottle of natural vanilla flavor stevia extract.. I’m planning to use it today in your apple/cinnamon amaranth recipe
Made your curried cabbage with chicken last night, can’t wait to try it today 
You are a Godsend!!
Oh, that’s no problem… just add it to taste. Everyone is different with how sweet they like things, so I suggest that for all recipes like this…. it’s just a guideline to give you an idea. Also, all stevia tastes different, so your vanilla stevia could have a different sweetness than my KAL stevia. Maybe try adding in 1/4 teaspoon vanilla stevia and only 1/8 cup xylitol, and taste. If you want it sweeter add in more xylitol. That way you will get the full vanilla flavor from the stevia. Let us know how you like it!
Hi Kristin,
I have a question, I have had buckwheat I got
for sprouting some time ago, I have had it in the
freezer, but never used it very much, could this be
used for the creamy berry buckwheat? My husband likes to eat Quinoa in the mornings, but this would
be a good change, from that or eggs which he also eats sometimes, so if you could let me know I sure
would appreciate it. Thank you Nancy Wonnacott
Creamy buckwheat is a much different consistency and it has a milder taste in my opinion. You could try whole seed buckwheat, but I think you would like the creamy buckwheat much better. Hope that helps Nancy!
I appreciate your hard work and creativity and love these recipes!
The fact that 85% of our immune system is in the gut is good knowledge to have! So give me please your scoop on coffee and what we should replace it eith if necessary.
Thank you, traci
I really need to do a post on coffee, but here are some facts:
* Coffee is technically a berry not a bean.
* The berries are often high in mycotoxins which impact our health.
* The caffeine in the berries fights off the fungus that grows on the berries.
* Wet processed coffee is lower in mycotoxins.
I believe coffee has some wonderful health benefits, but it’s not right for everyone and in my opinion it shouldn’t be consumed everyday. So, organic wet processed coffee would be ideal if you can find it. Hope that helps!
I finally got around to making this Creamy Buckwheat. Another new favorite for our house. I made it just as you said, although we did not stir the fruit in, but topped the Creamy Buckwheat with defrosted blueberries & mango chunks (both w/o sugar). Oh so yummy. Tomorrow we will reheat the leftovers and hope to enjoy that just as much, following your instructions for reheating with more coconut milk. Thank you!
Dear Kristin, Thanks!!! Love it, love it.
Just tried creamy buckwheat last night,wow that was good is was so filling and great. Been on phase one for two weeks and it was just what i needed. Sent your links around too family last night when i got home. I own an Italian restaurant so watch fresh bread and pizza come out of the oven all day,so just needed this recipe so much. i have also tried the flat bread will be adding some spices to kick it up a notch. makes great pizza slice for my cravings.
Thanks so much for your help
God bless
Jeff
I have to say pizza is one of my most favorite junk foods… but I agree with you, as long as you find a healthy substitute, it’s so much more enjoyable to make Phase 1 or any healthy eating plan a joy. Keep up the great work Jeff! Blessings, Kristin
I made this the other day and really enjoyed it. It was great reheated, too. Thank you!
I’m so glad you liked it Barb, thanks for taking the time out to comment! Much Love, Kristin
Hi Kristen,
I want to make this but not sure if I have the correct buckwheat. I have Bob’s Red Mill whole grain creamy buckwheat. Can I use this? What if iI grind it fine like powder?
Yes Kathleen, you have the right one, woohoo! Let us know how you like it! Hugs, Kristin
Thank you for your quick response. Can’t wait to try it! I love all your recipes, thank you for what you do. I LOVE watching you on KTC!
Kristin, What a God send you are! Thank you for all you do to make Phase 1 eating enjoyable. I have been doing this 3 years and your recipes and showing us the brands and food we can eat on Doug”s show is a Blessing! I can’t thank you enough! Thank you for your selfless sharing of your ideas. God Bless
Wow Stacy, thank you… you made my day! There’s absolutely nothing else I’d rather be doing!! Much love, Kristin
Hi Kristin! I am confused as to how buckwheat is Phase I friendly. I know it is a pseudo-grain but it has lots of carbs. Since our bodies turn carbs into sugars and fungus thrives on sugar, how/why is it ok on the diet? Thank you soooo much for this site and your Phase I recipes! They are such a help to staying on the diet – I hope many more recipes are coming!!!
HI Laura, I understand your confusion! Eating an unprocessed diet loaded with veggies, some fruit, nuts, seeds, etc is key to being healthy and fighting fungus. Everything has carbs, it’s not the carbs that are always the problem, in fact everything we eat is converted to sugar for the body to use. Whole, unprocessed foods have an array of phytochemicals and nutrients that fight fungus in lieu of the fact that it contains carbs. Hope this helps!
it does help, a little, lol! it is confusing and i guess i am stuck in my old way of thinking to some extent. i was a foods/nutrition major in college and i do know that all foods have carbs, but some more than others, which is why the buckwheat threw me. it is so starchy and has many more carbs than say lettuce. i do get that some food are more anti-fungal than others and will just have to take yours, and doug’s, word on this one
i must say, i am very glad it was added to the phase one diet!!!
ps – sorry i did not see your response sooner – never saw the e-mail that was sent saying you had answered. thanks for your time, and your answer. i love your site and your recipes! you are such a welcome addition to know the cause!!!
Okay, Kristin Kons is a genius. I HATE oatmeal – the taste and consistency. I’m trying to follow the Phase I diet and made this recipe on a whim and it is DELICIOUS!! I love it, my 13-year old son loves it! This is now a part of our regular breakfast rotation. I highly recommend you try it.
Hello Kristin, Thanks for all your hard work. My husband is totally hooked on Creamy Berry Buckwheat. It’s like pulling teeth to get him to eat things good for him. I don’t let him see me put the Kombu in! Speaking of Kombu how long does it last when kept in glass jar? Mine has a whiteish coating. Is that normal?
Love seeing your smiling face on Dougs’ show!
zyou give us all hope!
Hi Edna, so thrilled this recipe is a hit with your husband!
No worries about the white film on the kombu, it’s good stuff that is a natural part of the kombu. It lasts forever…. at least a few years, if not longer. There is nothing to spoil it’s completely dried. Great question!
Great! I love sneaking in the good stuff my hubsband never knowes is there! So glad the white stuff on my Kombu is good stuff!
Thanks for answering. You should get an award for being the Sweetest, Most Giving Person!!!