Amaranth-Oat Granola

Granola is one of the easiest things to make, you can make countless variations by adding different ingredients to the basic granola. Today I am sharing with you Amaranth oat granola which is an easy, healthy granola variation that I really love. Puffed amaranth adds a nice nutty flavor to your basic granola, making it more nutritious. Amaranth is known for very high levels of proteins, so I try to incorporate it as much as possible in everything I make. You can very well skip adding it if you don’t have it or don’t like it.

This granola is super easy to make. All you need are a handful of ingredients easily found in your pantry, oats, sweetener, oil, nuts and dried fruits. Just toss them all together in a bowl and bake it, that’s it, your granola is ready! Serve it for breakfast with Almond milk, yogurt or Coconut chia pudding, add it to your Parfait, sprinkle over your ice cream or simply have it as a snack.

Hope you enjoy this protein packed, lightly sweetened granola for a healthy breakfast or as a snack…

Yields: About 3 to 4 cups

Ingredients:

2 cups Old-fashioned Rolled oats (make sure to use gluten free oats if you are making it gluten free version)
2 tablespoon Amaranth grain
1/2 cup Raw Pecan, chopped or whole per your liking (almonds, walnuts, hazelnuts, cashews, pistachios, peanuts, or macadamia nut)
2 tablespoons Chia Seeds
1/4 cup Pepitas (Flax seeds, sunflower seeds, or any seeds of your liking)
1/4 teaspoon ground Cinnamon (pumpkin pie spice or any other flavoring of your choice)
3 tablespoon melted Coconut oil (or sunflower oil, olive oil)
1/4 cup Honey or Maple syrup (substitute with any other sweetener of your choice)
1 teaspoon Vanilla extract
1/3 cup Dried Fruit, chopped if needed (cranberries, raisins, dried blueberries, dried cherries, or dried apricots)
1/4 teaspoon Salt, optional (I add salt only sometimes, usually skip adding it)
2 tablespoon chocolate chips, Optional
1/4 cup unsweetened Coconut flakes/slices, Optional

How To:

Preheat the oven to 350Deg F. Line the baking sheet with a parchment paper.
Heat a pot over medium-high heat for a few minutes. To check if the pan is hot enough and ready, sprinkle some water in it, it will sizzle and dance around. Let the water evaporate completely before you add anything in it.
Now that the pan is ready add about a teaspoon of amaranth to the pan, cover the lid and shake the pan. It should begin popping immediately. Let it sit for about 5 seconds in hot pan, while shaking the pan. Remove the popped amaranth into a bowl / plate. Take care not to burn them.

In a large bowl add all the ingredients popped amaranth, oats, pecans, chia seeds, pepitas, and cinnamon. Stir it all together.
To this now add coconut oil, maple syrup, and vanilla extract, toss it all together. Take your time to mix all the ingredients together until it is well incorporated. Feel free to use your hands to mix it…

Transfer the granola into the prepared baking sheet, spread it into an even layer and press it down with spatula. Bake the granola for about 20 minutes.
Halfway through the baking remove the pan, mix the granola using a spatula. If you are using coconut add it now and mix. Press it down into an even layer using a spatula and continue cooking it further for 10 more minutes.

Remove the granola from the oven and set it aside to cool down. Do not handle it until it has cooled down completely.
After it has cooled down completely add dried fruits and/or chocolate chips to it. Transfer it to an airtight container and store it.

Serving Suggestion:

Serve it with sweetened yoghurt, regular milk or almond milk.
Add it over coconut chai seed pudding or make chai seeds pudding parfait using this granola and fruits.
Use it to make Parfait using vanilla yoghurt and berries or fruits of your liking.
Sprinkle some over your fruit toast, porridge, or just over a scoop of Vanilla ice cream to add some crunch.
Snack on it as is.

Note:

Shelf Life: Store it in cool place in an airtight glass container for about 3 to 4 weeks at room temperature. You can freeze this granola as well. Make sure to let it thaw for about 10 minutes before serving it, as the dried fruits might be frozen.
Amaranth: Feel free to add more amaranth if you wish. While popping amaranth, if the pan is not hot enough the grains wont pop immediately. Remove the grain and let the pan heat up for few more minutes. Also make sure you are shaking the pan while the grain is popping, this will prevent them from burning. Do not worry if all of the grains added don’t pop, it is ok.
If you want to skip amaranth, simply add little more oats.
Wet ingredients: You can add all the wet ingredients together in a bowl and microwave it for 20 seconds. Mix it well and pour it over the dry ingredients. This is especially useful if you are adding thick honey to the granola. It will help in easy mixing of the wet ingredients.
Clumpy granola: If you want chunkier granola add 1tbsp more of sweetener and 1 tbsp more oil. Use a smaller pan for baking or spread it in only in half of the pan, however make sure that the granola is not overly crowded or else it will not bake evenly. Press them down firmly with spatula after you stir it, especially halfway into baking. Do not roast it longer, remove it once it becomes light brown, as longer you cook less gooey it will be. Remember the granola will continue to crisp even after you remove it from oven. Do not touch the granola until its cools down completely. Hopefully you get clumps in granola using these techniques, but mind you it is not full-proof method, but I do promise that it will be delicious 🙂
Baking: Place the baking sheet on the middle rack of the oven for first 10 minutes. After stirring it place it to the top rack for the rest of the cooking process. Depending on your oven it will take about 20-25 minutes for the granola to be light brown. Since all the ovens are different keep an eye on the granola towards the end so that it does not burn. Note that the granola will continue to crisp and darken a bit as it cools down.
Nut free version: Skip using any nuts if you are making a nut free version. Instead you can add more seeds, or a combination of different seeds that work for you.