Crunchy Wheat Snacks

My kids like these crunchy wheat snacks.  They assumed they wouldn't because this snack is basically just wheat, but they came back for more.  And more.  And said things to me like, "I can't believe it's just wheat, but it's really good."  And "I can't stop eating this."

Whole wheat berries are a great thing to store (because they can store about 30 years!) and because they're packed with nutrition in their whole-grain state.  (I wrote about that here.)

These simple snacks can be made savory or sweet, and to me the savory ones resemble tiny corn nuts.  Give this a try with different seasonings and see what's your favorite.  My sons like the version with salt and ranch dressing mix, and my daughter and my husband like the plain salt ones.  I'm partial to the cinnamon-sugar ones.

The savory flavors would also make great a salad topping.  Like "think outside the box" croutons.

CRUNCHY WHEAT SNACKS

pictured here:  salt and ranch dressing mix
pictured below:  cinnamon-sugar

PREP TIME:  about 1 hour
COOK TIME:  4-5 minutes (repeated 3 times)

INGREDIENTS

• 1 c. wheat berries (Wheat berries are just wheat in whole grain form.  Find them in the bulk foods section of a health food store, or order online here or here or here.)
• 3 c. water
• 6 Tbsp. oil
• seasonings of your choice, such as salt, dry ranch dressing mix, garlic salt, seasoned salt, or cinnamon-sugar

DIRECTIONS
Place wheat berries and water in a medium pot.  Bring to a boil over high heat.  Boil 5 minutes.  Reduce heat to low, cover the pot with a lid, and simmer for 45-50 minutes.  Drain off excess water.  In a large skillet, heat 2 Tbsp. oil over medium heat for 3 minutes.  Add 1 c. cooked wheat berries to the hot oil.  Cover with a lid and cook for 4-5 minutes, shaking the covered skillet every 30 seconds so the wheat will fry evenly.  Drain on a paper towel to remove excess oil.  Sprinkle with your choice of seasonings.  Repeat twice more (using the remaining 2 cups of cooked wheat berries).  Store in an airtight container.

Try this recipe, then comment and let me know how you like it!  And Pin it to Pinterest to save and share using the image below.

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