Hey Megan, you don’t have to activate the groats, though there are benefits to doing so, as your body will absorb more nutrients and find it easier to digest the proteins in the groats. But, it’s not essential, and you’ll still have a delicious recipe without activating them!

Hey Tanya! You can substitute with dairy cream, or another kind of plant-based cream. xx The IQS Team

Hey Anna! Alter Eco has some great high percentage cocoa bars, ranging all the way up to 100%, and they’re organic too. But any brand that’s high-percent cocoa and free from preservatives is a great option. xx The IQS Team

Do you have a brand of dark chocolate you recommend?

Do you have to activate the groats?

Any substitute to coconut cream?

Hey Jenny! To activate your buckwheat groats:
Step 1: rinse your buckwheat groats under running water and pick out any foreign bits. Put your washed buckwheat groats in a bowl and cover with filtered water to 5cm above the grain line. (Filtered water and a clean bowl is important to prevent bad bacterial growth.)
Step 2: Add a tbsp of Apple Cider Vinegar and soak for 6-8 hours. It’s normal for the water to become murky.
Step 3: Rinse well under running water. Dehydrate them on a very low heat until completely dry.

Same question as Barbie: How to activate the grouts? And are they supposed to be soaked and put into the recipe “wet” after we activate them ourselves?

Hey Sydney! We find True Protein Whey Protein Isolate Powder a good option here in Australia, but any brand without added sugar and preservatives will be good. The fewer ingredients the better!

Hey Kelli! There’ll be just over 100 calories per ball – though the sustained energy and healthy fats mean that these balls won’t spike your blood-sugars and will provide a good boost. Enjoy!

Hey Deb, yes that will work perfectly, just make sure they’re oat groats so you get that crunch! Enjoy xx The IQS Team

Hello! What protein powder do you use?

Can I use oatmeal instead of the buckwheat groats?

How do you activate groats…go groats go :-)

Do you know how many calories would be in each ball based on the recipe making 12 balls?

Hey Pia! Buckwheat groats are essentially just the hulled version of regular buckwheat, sometimes referred to as kernels. Here are a few links to buckwheat groats (it can be a bit confusing as stores often don’t label them as such!):
Honest to Goodness: https://www.goodness.com.au/organic-australian—hulled-buckwheat-1kg/
Naked Foods: https://nakedfoods.com.au/products/organic-buckwheat-hulled
You can also find it at Woolies from the Macro brand.
Hope you enjoy the recipe!

Hey Issy! Yes, you can sub with oat groats or barley groats, these will provide that same texture with a slightly different – but still delicious! – taste.

Buckwheat groats – is there any substitute for this ingredient?

Any tips for finding activated buckwheat groats in Australia? I’ve never heard of them!