Popped Amaranth Granola Recipe
By
Kate Ramos
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Tiny grains of amaranth take on a nutty flavor and crispy texture when popped like popcorn in a pan. Here we combine them with coconut, cashews, and a touch of honey to create a sweet granola that goes great with yogurt or can simply be eaten by the handful.
What to buy: Amaranth is the seed of a plant once considered a weed; it has an unusually high amount of protein and a fresh flavor that lends itself to many baked goods such as pancakes and quick breads. It can be found at your local health food store, gourmet grocery store, or online.
Game plan: The granola can be stored at room temperature in an airtight container for up to 4 days.
This recipe was featured as part of our Whole Grain Recipes photo gallery.
INGREDIENTS
- 1/2 cup amaranth seeds
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter (1/2 stick)
- 1/4 cup packed dark brown sugar
- 1/4 cup honey
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/4 teaspoon fine salt
- 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1 cup whole raw cashews, coarsely chopped
- 1 cup flaked, unsweetened coconut
- 1 cup old-fashioned oats
- 1 cup dried cherries, coarsely chopped
INSTRUCTIONS
- Heat the oven to 350°F and arrange a rack in the middle. Heat a medium frying pan over medium heat. When the pan is heated, add the amaranth and cover (a mesh splatter screen or glass lid is recommended—the seeds will begin popping like miniature popcorn kernels). Shake the pan continuously until about half of the seeds have popped, about 1 to 2 minutes. Transfer the seeds to a large bowl.
- Combine butter, brown sugar, and honey in a small saucepan, place over medium heat, and stir until butter has melted and brown sugar has dissolved. Bring to a boil and cook until slightly thickened, about 5 minutes. Remove from heat; stir in vanilla, salt, and cinnamon; and set aside.
- Add sugar mixture, cashews, coconut, and oats to reserved amaranth and stir until mixture is moist throughout.
- Evenly spread mixture on a baking sheet. Bake until toasted and lightly browned, about 10 minutes. Stir and continue to bake until lightly browned all over, about 5 minutes more.
- Remove from the oven and place on a wire rack to cool completely. Stir in cherries and serve.
wow! i thought it was going to feel like poppy seeds stuck in my teeth, but this is tasty! nothing like anything on the shelves at any store- good stuff! i used chopped walnuts and almonds, a little extra honey, extra oats...im eating a handful for dinner right now. goes well with wine too :)
This was so yummy that I mentioned it on my blog post about the amazing health properties of amaranth at blog.urbanfitnessoakland.com!
Amaranth seeds really do have the miniature popcorn texture as described here and make for a fun texture to munch on. The taste of the granola overall is very light and sweet. The granola makes for very fragile little crumbles, so it works better as a cereal than, say, a trail mix. Would make again, possibly with almonds...but thats just b/c I don't like cashews...it was still good with cashews.