Amaranth and nut butter granola

Place an oven rack in the centre of the oven, preheat the oven to 180˚C and line a rimmed baking sheet with baking paper.

Heat a large frying pan with a lid over medium-high heat. Place a single layer amaranth in the hot pan to cover the base, close the lid and the amaranth will start to pop. Give the pan a shake and return it to the heat. Continue doing this until the popping has subsided. Repeat this process until all of the amaranth has been used up. Take care – the heat must not be too high, so as to not burn the amaranth before popping.

In a large bowl, mix together the coconut oil, maple syrup, peanut and almond butters, tahini paste, water and vanilla extract until smooth. Add the popped amaranth, rolled oats, muscovado sugar, sea salt flakes, chopped almonds, cacao nibs (if desired) and pumpkin seeds, and stir well to coat.

Spread the granola mixture evenly over the baking sheet. Bake the granola in the preheated oven until it turns a dark golden brown and dries, about 20 – 25 minutes, stirring gently if the edges brown too quickly (less stirring means clumpier granola, if desired). Be careful to not overbake your granola. (Test the granola by placing a small spoonful on the counter – once it crisps up when it cools, it’s ready to be removed from the oven.)

Allow the granola to cool down completely, break up any large pieces, and mix in the dried berries and bananas. Store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 1 month.