Gluten-free Puffed Amaranth Granola
You’ve all probably tried my regular homemade granola which is massively better than store-bought granola. And my muesli, while we are on the topic of breakfast foods. But this became my new favorite this year. On a trip to Mexico with My New Roots, the resort had ample gluten-free options. Naturally insistent on sampling one of absolutely everything especially when it comes to baked goods, I tried the lot. And the gluten-free options, in my opinion, were better than the gluten-full options! Hence the birth of the Coricos Cornmeal Cookies. Anyway, this is my new favorite granola. While puffing amaranth might seem at first blush like a serious undertaking, it is one of those things that takes practice but is not particularly difficult. I have tried to describe the process well but just know you need an extremely hot pan, an extremely short time window, and a lot of patience for the first few tries. Happy puffing!
what you need
4Â cups puffed amaranth
1 cup chopped raw pecans
1 cup chopped raw almonds
1/2 cup raw pepitas
3 tablespoons chia seeds
3 tablespoons golden flax seeds
2 1/2 tablespoons unrefined coconut oil
1/3 cup honey
1 cup dried fruit of choice (I like blueberries)
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
A healthy amount of cinnamon
how to make it
[heat] oven to 350
[don’t freak out] if you don’t have all the nuts and seeds. Granola is super flexible. The main focus here is on puffing the amaranth. You can use whatever nuts, seeds, dried fruit, or raw coconut is to your taste. No pressure.Â
[puff] your amaranth. See notes below.
[combine]Â amaranth, nuts, and seeds (not fruit) in large bowl. In separate bowl, combine coconut oil, honey, cinnamon, and vanilla. You can melt the coconut oil for 10 seconds (no more) in the microwave to help combine the wet intgredients.Â
[pour] the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients, and stir until well combined.Â
[bake]Â granola in two batches spread out on parchment paper on large baking sheets. Bake for 5 minutes, toss granola with a spatula, and bake five minutes more. The granola will turn golden but should not burn. You may need a third round for 3-5 minutes depending, but you should start at 10 minutes to ensure the delicate amaranth does not burn.Â
[cool]Â for ~20 minutes and then mix in your dried fruit of choice. Store in airtight container for up to 10 days, serving over Greek yogurt with fruit as you desire a delicious breakfast or snack.Â
how to puff amaranth
Puffing amaranth takes a bit of patience. Basically, you want a super large skillet and you want to get it extra hot (this is on the highest setting on my electric stove until it starts to smoke a bit). Add your amaranth one tablespoon at a time. It should begin to puff (popping like popcorn) almost immediately.Â
KEEP THE PAN MOVING!
You should use a grease screen so keep the adorable little amaranth puffs from popping all over your kitchen. 1 tablespoon of amaranth should puff in 15-20 seconds. You want to pour it into a bowl quickly as you will notice it will start to burn (turn slightly black and smell). Try this on repeat with 1 tablespoon of amaranth at a time until you get the hang of it.Â
When you’re ready, graduate to 1/4 cups of amaranth at a time.
pour in 1/4 cup,
place the grease screen,
move the pan constantly as the amaranth puffs (~20-25 seconds for 1/4 cup),
remove from pan quickly and pour into a bowl to let cool.
you should remove the amaranth from the pan while it is still popping slightly… yes… while there are still pops happening! Like microwave popcorn, guys!
It will take you maybe 10 minutes to get the hang of this process and then you’re golden.
