Amaranth Krispy Treats

This was an amaranth experiment and it turned out pretty darn delicious. It took a few tries to get it down but I am very excited to share the finished product!

Growing up I loved Rice Krispy Treats. Ask my mom… I would eat an entire pan in one sitting. I wrote Puffed Amaranth Cereal blog a few months ago and it got me thinking how fun it would be to make Amaranth Krispy Treats. So that is exactly what I did! I gave them a bit of a Valentine’s Day twist at the end, but you can certainly eat them on any occasion. What I love most about these chewy treats is they only require three ingredients! Five if you top them with dark chocolate and goji berries like I did.

Amaranth Krispy Treats

Ingredients

• 1 cup amaranth, uncooked (~4 cups puffed)
• ½ cup honey
• ½ cup maple syrup
• 1 cup chocolate chips (optional topping)
•  ½ cup goji berries (optional topping)

Preparation Instructions

1. Heat a pot over medium-high to high heat. (You might have to do a few test batches to get the heat just right for your stove.)
2. Add one Tbsp of amaranth (it works best if you do one at a time) and immediately cover with lid to avoid amaranth puffs from popping all over your kitchen.
3. Shimmy and shake the pot over the burner for ~10 seconds. (It is ok if all of it doesn’t pop. It is perfectly fine to have a few whole grains in your batch and is better than ending up with burnt puffs.)
4. Dump puffs into bowl, return pot to burner & repeat until all of your amaranth is puffed.
5. Heat honey and maple syrup in a pot over medium-high heat until boiling.
6. Add puffed amaranth and stir.
7. Place in a 9x9” pan lined with tinfoil.
8. Allow to set for ~30-60 minutes. Cut into squares or shapes.
9. Dip or drizzle with chocolate and goji berries if desired.

Puffed Amaranth

Pressed into tinfoil lined pan

After cooled and removed from tinfoil

Cutting into squares

Shaping into fun shapes

I used dark chocolate chunks 

Melted in microwave for two minutes

Goji berries!

Dipped and decorated in all sorts of ways! Have fun with it!

Fuel Facts

Numbers: 132 calories, 3 g protein, 1 g fat, 27 g carbs, 3 g fiber

**For 1/9^th of recipe without chocolate or goji berries  

Ingredient Breakdown:

v Amaranth – This gluten-free grain is high in protein and contains the amino acid lysine, often missing in other grains, making it a complete protein source. In 2008 scientists discovered the presence of a lunasin-like peptide within the amaranth protein. Lunasin is the peptide in soybeans that has been associated with preventing inflammation and cancer.

v Honey – Due to the combination of glucose and fructose, honey will keep you energized longer than it’s sweet counterparts. Glucose is used quickly by the body, providing an immediate energy source. Fructose takes longer to absorb, sustaining blood sugar levels. When blood sugar is kept stable, your energy will also remain constant, so say goodbye to the afternoon crash.

Honey is also a great natural healer. For starters it is packed with polyphenols, antioxidants that have immune boosting properties to keep you from becoming sick. In addition, honey contains an enzyme that produces hydrogen peroxide which is why it is believed to be antibacterial in nature. Honey can be used topically to treat burns, wounds, and even acne. Honey fights off impurity-causing bacteria while also hydrating the skin.

v Maple Syrup – Made from the sap of the maple tree, this sweetener is a great natural alternative to refined sugar. Maple syrup is also high in zinc and manganese, nutrients that boost the immune system.