• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar

Oh My Veggies logo

  • Recipes
    • Vegetarian Recipes
    • Vegan Recipes
    • Vegetarian Main Dishes
    • Vegetarian Appetizers
    • Vegetarian Breakfast Recipes
    • Vegetarian Side Dishes
    • Dessert Recipes
    • Snack Recipes
    • Drinks
    • Sauces, Spreads and Condiments
    • Holiday Recipes
    • From our Readers
  • Cooking Tips & Hints
    • Cooking Tips
    • Plant-Based Nutrition
    • Product Reviews
  • Shop Cookbooks
  • About Us
  • Nav Social Menu

    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • Twitter
menu icon
go to homepage
  • Find Recipes
  • Cookbooks
  • About Us
  • Free Meal Plan
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • Twitter
  • subscribe
    search icon
    Homepage link
    • Find Recipes
    • Cookbooks
    • About Us
    • Free Meal Plan
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • Twitter
  • ×

    Oh My Veggies » Vegetarian Recipes » Vegetarian Breakfast Recipes

    Blueberry, Almond, and Puffed Amaranth Granola Bars

    Published: Jul 14, 2014 · by Meg · Updated: Jan 21, 2022 · This post may contain affiliate links.

    Jump to Recipe - Print Recipe

    Have you heard of amaranth before? This teeny, tiny gluten-free grain is on track to reach superfood status with its health benefits and the multitude of ways that it can be prepared. Much like quinoa and the Incas, the Aztecs upheld amaranth as a sacred crop and used the grains to make ceremonial foods for religious ceremonies.

    Amaranth is a purplish-red flowering plant that can reach heights of up to 6 feet with beautiful edible leaves. When the flower itself is dried the yellowish pinhead-sized amaranth seeds are easily shaken out. These earthy seeds can then be ground into flour, cooked like cereal, or even popped like miniature popcorn without the oil. Neat huh?!

    Blueberry, Almond, and Puffed Amaranth Granola Bars
    I first learned about popping amaranth and serving it as a customizable breakfast cereal from a post on Edible Perspective a few years ago and I'm not sure what took me so long to try it myself. Although I don't think you will find me standing in the kitchen popping it for breakfast, I do happen to like it mixed into my favorite portable breakfast food -- granola bars.

    After having popped amaranth a few times now, I have some helpful tips for you:

      • Make sure your pan is hot enough. If the amaranth doesn't start popping almost immediately, the pan needs to heat longer.
      • Allow for a few test batches. Much like popping popcorn for the first time, it will take a few times to get into your groove.
      • Accept the fact that not all of the amaranth will pop. If you wait for the last few grains to pop, inevitably some of your amaranth will be burned. The little unpopped grains are fine and can be eaten as well, so just throw them in the mixing bowl along with the popped ones.

    As for the rest of the recipe, the blueberries really make the flavor pop in these granola bars. The small dried berries are bursting with sweet berry goodness! And if you just can't get enough of them, you can always whip up some easy blueberry mousse, too. Then crumble up one of your granola bars over the top for garnish!

    Blueberry, Almond, and Puffed Amaranth Granola Bars

    Blueberry, Almond, and Puffed Amaranth Granola Bars

    Puffed amaranth makes a nutritious addition to these homemade granola bars!
    Print Recipe Pin Recipe Email Recipe
    Prep Time: 10 minutes
    Cook Time: 20 minutes
    Total Time: 30 minutes
    Course: Baking, Dessert
    Cuisine: American
    Diet: Vegetarian
    Keyword: Blueberry, Almond, and Puffed Amaranth Granola Bars, granola bars recipe, homemade granola bars, puffed amaranth recipe
    Servings: 8 meal bars or 16 snack bars
    Calories: 435kcal
    Author: Oh My Veggies

    Ingredients

    • 1 cup raw almonds roughly chopped
    • 1 cup rolled oats
    • ¼ cup hemp hearts
    • ⅓ cup raw sunflower seeds
    • ⅓ cup amaranth
    • ⅓ cup firmly packed light brown sugar
    • ½ cup honey
    • 4 tablespoons unsalted butter
    • ½ teaspoon kosher salt
    • 1 ½ teaspoons vanilla extract
    • 1 cup crispy brown rice cereal
    • ½ cup dried blueberries
    US Customary - Metric

    Instructions

    • Preheat the oven to 350°F and line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper.
    • Spread the almonds, oats, hemp hearts, and sunflower seeds on the baking sheet and bake for 8-12 minutes, or until fragrant and lightly toasted. Transfer to a large mixing bowl.
    • Heat a medium-sized pot over medium-high heat. Test to see if it's ready by adding a drop of water to the pot. If it dances across the bottom of the pan and evaporates, you're good to go. Add 1 tablespoon of amaranth to the pan, place the lid over the top, and slide the pan back and forth to pop. The amaranth should pop within 10-12 seconds. Pour the popped amaranth into the large mixing bowl with the oats and nuts then repeat the process with the remaining amaranth one tablespoon at a time.
    • In a saucepan, bring the brown sugar, honey, butter, and salt to a boil over medium heat. Reduce heat to low and simmer until the sugar dissolves and a light brown caramel forms, about 5 minutes -- don't let it over-cook! Remove from heat and stir in the vanilla. (Be careful at this point -- the addition of the vanilla extract will cause the mixture to splatter.)
    • Line an 8-inch square baking pan with parchment paper; extend the paper over the sides of the pan to use as a handle later.
    • Pour the caramel over the nut and oat mixture. Stir in the brown rice cereal and the blueberries until incorporated. Pour the cereal mixture into the prepared baking dish and spread it out into an even layer. Cover the pan with a second piece of parchment and use the bottom of a glass or your hands to firmly press down on the granola mixture to compress the bars. When the top of the granola bar mixture is evenly compressed and you cannot press the mixture in any further, let the granola bars sit for 2-4 hours at room temperature until firm and completely set.
    • Discard the top piece of parchment and use the “handles” from the second piece of parchment to gently remove the cereal square from the pan then cut the squares into 8 large meal replacement sized bars or 16 snack size bars.

    Notes

    To store the bars, wrap them individually with plastic wrap and store at room temperature for up to 4 days or in the refrigerator for up to a week. The bars will harden in the refrigerator, but will soften again after they've been out of the fridge for a few minutes.

    Nutrition

    Calories: 435kcalCarbohydrates: 54gProtein: 10gFat: 22gSaturated Fat: 5gPolyunsaturated Fat: 6gMonounsaturated Fat: 9gTrans Fat: 1gCholesterol: 15mgSodium: 154mgPotassium: 343mgFiber: 6gSugar: 33gVitamin A: 210IUVitamin C: 1mgCalcium: 94mgIron: 3mg
    Craving more veg-friendly recipes? Shop our collection of vegetarian and vegan cookbooks, including our new Vegan Thanksgiving and Vegan Christmas cookbooks!
    « This Week's Meatless Meal Plan | 07.14.14
    4 Recipes from The Oh She Glows Cookbook »

    Snack Recipes, Vegetarian Breakfast Recipes, Vegetarian Recipes breakfast, snacks, whole grains

    Meg from Beard and Bonnett

    About Meg

    Meg van der Kruik is the blogger, photographer, and recipe developer behind This Mess is Ours, an omnivorous food blog with an incredible collection of gluten-free, vegetarian recipes.

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Erica { EricaDHouse.com } says

      July 14, 2014 at 8:56 am

      These look perfect to take on my hiking trip this weekend!

      Reply
    2. Kim @ Hungry Healthy Girl says

      July 14, 2014 at 9:35 am

      I first saw popped amaranth on Edible Perspective too and I've wanted to try it forever. These bars look good enough to make me take the plunge. Great back-to-school snack recipe!

      Reply
    3. Julia says

      July 14, 2014 at 12:44 pm

      These granola bars are gorgeous, Meg! I've never puffed amaranth before and never even thought to do it. I've also never made homemade granola bars, so this whole recipe is calling to me. I bet they're lots of fun to take on road trips or have on-hand for snacks!

      Reply
    4. dina says

      July 15, 2014 at 9:07 am

      great healthy snack!

      Reply
    5. Joanne says

      July 18, 2014 at 10:48 pm

      I don't think I've ever puffed anything on my stovetop before! Not even popcorn. For shame. I love that you turned this puffed treat into granola bars! Perfect fuel for life.

      Reply
    6. Thalia @ butter and brioche says

      July 19, 2014 at 6:05 pm

      great recipe.. definitely perfect for when my afternoon sugar cravings kick in. thanks for sharing!

      Reply
    7. Kamal says

      November 16, 2014 at 9:49 am

      Super blog! Want to know if If I can substitute the oats and hemp hearts as I am allergic to oats and hemp hearts are not available here.

      Reply
    8. Alison @Food by Mars says

      February 21, 2015 at 5:45 pm

      Pinned! Looks delicious <3

      Reply

    Something to say? Leave a comment. Cancel reply

    Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

    Recipe Rating




    Primary Sidebar

    image of the author

    Nicole is a life long vegetarian and the author of the popular vegan cookbook, Weeknight One Pot Vegan Cooking. She loves sharing her recipes and showing the world just how easy and delicious meatless meals can be!
    Learn more here.

    signature of author

    get a free 5 day vegetarian meal plan

    shop our vegetarian and vegan cookbooks

    Trending Recipes

    • Strawberry Mojito Popsicles (Don't Forget the Rum!)
    • Thai Veggie Pizza
    • Strawberry Cheesecake Overnight Oats
    • Spinach Mushroom Frittata

    Footer

    ↑ back to top

    • Shop Cookbooks
    • About Us
    • Work with Me
    • Contact
    • Privacy Policy
    • Terms of Use

    Still hungry? Check out our delicious family of blogs.

    link to VegKitchen.com - vegan recipes website
    link to deliciouseveryday.com - a vegetarian and vegan recipes website
    link to allshecooks.com - a food blog
    link to wandertooth.com - a travel website

    As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

    Copyright © 2021 Hook & Porter Media

    652 shares