Puffed grains are a great base for healthier rice crispy like treats. I have tried in vain to puff grains at home only to end up wasting half the grains by burning them in the pan.
Puffed grains (quinoa, millets, brown rice etc.) are readily available in super markets or online. In addition to using them to make these wonderful treats, they are great topping for puddings and custards.
Puffed grains can also be used as toppings for both sweet and savory treats:
- As a crunch element over soft puddings and custards or cheesecake. I have used it over chocolate ganache, a crunchy bite on a chocolate cake.
- Toast it with some butter and black pepper and garnish it on savory oatmeal, mashed potatoes, rice (you see the theme, the possibilities are endless).
This puffed quinoa bar is a favorite treat to take as a hostess gift and has always been a big hit.
Ingredients
| Qty | Ingredient |
| 1 | cup puffed quinoa |
| 3/4 | cup chopped nuts |
| 1/2 | cup sunflower seeds or pumpkin seeds |
| 1/2 | cup honey or agave |
| 1 1/2 | tablespoon of melted butter or ghee |
| 1/3 | cup flax meal or chia or mix of both |
| 1/4 | teaspoon salt |
| Toppings | |
| 1/2 | cup chocolate chips or chopped chocolate bar |
| 1/4 | chopped pistachios |
| 1/4 | cup crisp pearls |
| 1/4 | cup freeze dried rasberries |
| 1 | tablespoon of melted butter |
- Pre-heat oven to 350° F
- Mix all ingredients except the topping in a large bowl thoroughly.
- Line a medium sized pan with parchment paper enough to accommodate the mixture into a ½ inch thick slab. Pat the mix down on the parchment evenly. The cookie sheet or baking pan should be no bigger than 8 to 9 inches. The mix should not be very thin.
- Bake at 350° F for about 30 mins. If your oven is stronger and the edges start turning brown anytime after the 20-25 minutes mark, pull the pan out earlier.
- Let it cool completely either on the counter or in the refrigerator.
- Melt the chocolate chips with the butter or ghee in a microwave safe container or over a double boiler.
- Pour the melted chocolate over the cooled bar and spread it evenly.
- Top with chopped pistachios and crisp pearls and freeze-dried raspberries. Personally, I would not want the freeze-dried raspberries’, but the red color photographs well.
- Cool the pan in the refrigerator and take it out of the pan or cookie sheet with the parchment paper.
- Break into pieces and enjoy.
| Puffed grains | Nuts/Seeds | Binder | Melted butter / oils | Sweetener | Dried Fruits | Toppings |
| Quinoa | Almonds | Flaxmeal | Butter | Honey | Dates | Chocolate |
| Millets | Pistachios | Chia seeds | Coconut oil | Agave | Cherries | Freeze dried fruit |
| Amaranth | Cashews | Hemp hearts | Ghee | Maple syrup | Cranberries | Nuts |
| Brown rice | Peanuts | 1 egg | Date syrup | Crisp pearls | ||
| Sorghum | Walnuts | Sprinkles | ||||
| Pecans | ||||||
| Hazelnuts | ||||||
| Pumpkin seeds | ||||||
| Sunflower seeds |
Notes
- Crisp grains – you can crisp your own grains, but the output is not always consistent.
- Nuts and seeds – use a mix of nuts and seeds depending on what you have on hand.
- If you have truffles on hand, just melt the truffles to use as toppings – no butter or oil required.
- Other liquid sweeteners can be used if they are sticky.
- Flax meal acts as a binder and can be replaced with one egg.
Recipe Type