Homemade crispy granola

Intro:
In our family we love to add granola to our yogurt, oatmeal or chia pudding. Unfortunately the store-bought granola is not always the healthiest. Some are loaded with sugar or high fructose syrup or unhealthy oils and additives. There are a few good options from local sellers here in The Philippines but the other day I thought why not trying to make a big batch of homemade granola with our favorite ingredients that we had in the pantry? I got inspired by the granola recipe by Cookie+Kate but I made a few changes to make it my own. It includes puff amaranth for that extra nutty and sweet crisp and added nutrients but feel free to omit it if you don’t have it or are short in time. This granola is loaded with minerals, vitamins, antioxidants, healthy fats, Omega-3, fiber and protein! It is slightly sweetened with coconut sugar and maple syrup. Enjoy!

Preparation time: 15 minutes
Baking time: 25 minutes
Portions: Approx. 15 servings

Ingredients:
1/3 cup amaranth
3 cups old fashioned rolled oats
1 cup pecans, roughly chopped in pieces
1/2 cup pumpkin seeds
1/3 cup hazelnuts, halved
1/3 cup hemp hearts
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1 tbsp coconut sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/3 cup olive oil
1/3 cup maple syrup
1/2 cup raisins

Procedure:
1. Place a large pot on the stove and heat it up on medium-high
2. When hot add amaranth and once it starts popping keep shaking the pot gently in order for it to pop evenly.
3. Remove from fire as soon as the popping becomes very seldom otherwise the amaranth will start burning and place into a sieve to filter out any unopened or burned kernels. Set aside and let cool slightly.
4. Heat up oven to 180C (350F) and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
5. In a large bowl combine all the ingredients up to cinnamon and stir well. Add oil, vanilla and maple syrup and mix again very well. Do not add raisins.
6. Spread mixture evenly on the prepared baking sheet and bake for approximately 25 minutes until golden and slightly crispy (it will get crispier while cooling). Give it a stir half way through baking time.
7. Remove from the oven and let cool completely, then add to a bowl with raisins and mix well once again (you can shred any big chunks that might have formed) before enjoying it or storing it.

Notes:
Store in an air-tight container or jar for up to a month.