Puffed Amaranth Energy Bars Recipe
Author: 
Recipe type: Breakfast, Snacks
Cuisine: Vegan
Prep time: 
Total time: 
Serves: 14
 
Ingredients
  • 2 cups popped amaranth
  • 1 cup raisins (or other dried fruit)
  • ½ cup chia seeds
  • ½ tsp Himalayan salt, or to taste
  • 1 cup sunflower seeds
  • ½ cup cashews, or soaked/prehydrated almonds, chopped into chunks*
  • ½ cup raw honey or a liquid plant sweetener (if you feel like this is not enough, you can add a couple more tbsps)
  • optional: you can add zest of 1-2 lemons or oranges for beautiful aroma
Instructions
  1. Place all ingredients into a bowl, and combine until it clumps together (I used a spatula to do this)--see image below
  2. Prepare two dehydrator sheets (I use 9-tray Excalibur dehydrator), line them with non-stick sheets over the mesh sheets or two baking sheets (for baking method) line with parchment paper
  3. Dump half of the mixture on each sheet (second image below)
  4. Using a spatula and one hand divide mixture on each sheet into 7 or more equal parts, forming into bars (you can also simply spread the mixture out, if you want to make cereal instead of bars); I would no try to form bars by hands, because at this point he mixture won't stick all the way... except to your hands
Dehydrator Method
  1. Place into a dehydrator, setting timer for 4 hours, and temperature between 115-118 F
  2. It might feel like the bars are falling apart, but that's ok, after a few minutes in the dehydrator the honey will soften and the bars will be more pliable to mold into anything you want them to be, including fun round balls--especially fun for kids
  3. After 2 hours, if needed, press bar mixture tighter, to make sure it does not fall apart, and slide bars over onto the mesh sheets, removing non-stick sheets altogether
  4. Dehydrator for additional 2 hours, take out of the dehydrator and let cool off
Oven Method
  1. Bake at 350 F for 15-20 minutes
  2. Cool off on a cooling rack, so bars do not fall apart
Storing
  1. Store in an air tight container (I prefer to store mine in a refrigerator), but be careful--they might not last long enough to store ;)--I made 14 bars today, and by now we have only 4 left. Hubby said: "It is not my fault you made them so good." And I am okay living with that blame ;).
Notes
*click this link to see why and how to soak/dehydrate nuts
Recipe by Vegalicious at https://www.vega-licious.com/?p=4572