Pop up some whole-grain goodness with this gluten-free and vegan Chili-Lime Popped Sorghum snack mix.
Maybe it’s all the sweets that have been offered up and easy accessible at work over the last couple weeks, but our cold and snowy weather has had me craving some seriously savory snacks. I first fell in love with popped sorghum a few months ago when I added it to granola. It’s mini popcorn appearance has a cute factor I can’t really get over and it has a whole grain goodness that is just as satisfying as popcorn.
Using what I had in the pantry, I spiced things up a bit and added pepitas and pecans for a little boost of protein and extra nutrients. While you can pop sorghum on the stove, I highly recommend using a paper bag and popping the grains in the microwave. When popping sorghum, only about 60-70% of the grains will pop, and to get the most “pop” I’ve found it best to use no more than an 1/8 cup of grains at a time in the microwave. While this may seem complicated for a simple snack, you can have it all to yourself in about 10 minutes.
Definitely worth the wait. Hope everyone is staying warm and cozy inside this week!
Chili-Lime Popped Sorghum (Gluten-Free, Vegan)
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup uncooked sorghum grain*
- 2 teaspoons coconut oil
- 1/2 cup raw unsalted pepitas
- 1 cup unsalted pecans
- 1/4 teaspoon chili powder
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1/2 teaspoon sea salt or to taste
- 1 teaspoon coconut sugar
- 2-3 teaspoons fresh lime juice
Instructions
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Place an 1/8 cup of the sorghum grain into a paper bag, folding down top. Microwave for 2 to 3 minutes. Transfer popped sorghum and remaining uncooked grains into a medium bowl. Repeat 3 more times for an 1/8 cup at a time. This will ensure you get a higher number of grains to pop.
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In a small bowl, combine chili powder, cumin, salt, and coconut sugar.
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Place coconut oil in a medium saucepan. Bring to medium heat, and once oil is melted, add pepitas and pecans and toast for 2 to 3 minutes, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat and add the lime juice and half of the spice mixture. Stir to coat.
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Pour pepita-pecan mixture into the bowl of popped sorghum. Add remaining spices. Stir to evenly combine and coat. Sprinkle with additional salt as desired.
Recipe Notes
*I've used Just Poppin brand and Bob's Red Mill with good results. Both can be found on Amazon.
you = win. that is all.
:)
haha, thanks, jaime! :)
Duuuuude – you have NO IDEA how excited I am about this recipe. My friend and I just hosted a Feastly dinner and we wanted to serve popped buckwheat, but couldn’t get it to pop for the life of me! I tried popping amaranth, which was delicious, but SO TINY. I didn’t even THINK about trying sorghum. This is perfect and exactly what we were looking for! I can’t WAIT to try this recipe.
Oh yay! You’ll have to let me know how you like popped sorghum! I dig it. I didn’t even know you could pop amaranth!
Tessa! I can’t wait to try your popping method, and this whole recipe actually! My attempts at popping sorghum have always been stove-top but I’d end up burning so many and give up. This sounds absolutely delicious! xo
Thanks, Christine! I hope you like this method. I find it much less frustrating than the stove top! I’ve certainly burnt my fair share. :)
I’m such a novice when it comes to popping things (I literally made my first batch of popcorn about a month ago!) and I would never have thought to pop anything other than corn – this sounds so great though!
Thanks, Kathryn! Oh my goodness – are you hooked now?! :)