Introduction

Popped sorghum is a favorite among people who are allergic to corn and miss popcorn.

But if you have ever popped sorghum in the past, you may recall that the pop rate is not stellar – you will be lucky if half the sorghum pops.

When I was preparing for the previous post, Cooking with Sorghum 101, I tried out many different ways to make popped sorghum and was left with a lot of unpopped kernels.

And if there is something that bothers me strongly it is food waste.

I most certainly was not about to throw out all these nutritious, tasty roasted sorghum kernels.

So when I found myself trying to pick a sorghum recipe to pair with the Sorghum 101 post, a dessert that uses popped sorghum as well as the unpopped kernels sounded like a fun challenge.

What I came up with is flexible, layered, popped sorghum parfait recipe made with: popped sorghum, a soft toasted sorghum crumble and vegan cream “cheese”.

Before getting to the recipe, below are some tips related to making the dessert components.

Popped Sorghum

Popped sorghum is a fun topping for a parfait.

In the recipe, I combine it with some maple syrup and a pinch of salt for a flavor similar to salted caramel.

For maximum crunch, it is best to combine the popped sorghum with the syrup just prior to serving.

Easiest Way to Pop Sorghum

As mentioned in my previous post, I have had the most success popping sorghum using a microwave and a brown paper bag.

The other tool that has been most useful is my homemade sifter: a repurposed metal steamer insert with holes 3/16^th of an inch in diameter.

sorghum popping tools: brown paper bag and steamer insert as sifter

From what I can tell on Amazon, what I have is the Farberware classic series steamer.

The hole size is critical to separate out the popped sorghum and allow the unpopped kernels to pass through.

As it turns out, I also have a basting perforated spoon with the exact same 3/16^th of an inch hole diameter but it is a little more cumbersome to use.

I would suggest checking what you already have in your kitchen for a utensil with the same hole size.

My simple method is to place maximum ¼ cup at a time in a brown paper sandwich bag and microwave on high for 2 minutes and 30 seconds.

I then sift the popped sorghum out and microwave the remaining kernels for another 2 minutes and 30 seconds.

Any kernels that remain unpopped after two tries are set aside to make the roasted sorghum flour.

Type of Sorghum Used

To pop sorghum, I tested out Bob’s Red Mill (not organic) as well as Nature Nate’s Popping Sorghum (organic).

While the popping sorghum was slightly bigger, I didn’t see a significant difference in popping rate between the two.

The Nature’s Nate brand does sell already popped sorghum which may be a good option for you if you cannot eat popcorn.

Note that one of the Amazon comments on the popping sorghum did recommend using a Stirring Popcorn Maker which apparently increases the popping rate but it uses hot oil which I prefer to avoid.

In the meantime, for this recipe, please note that sometimes it is advised to hydrate the sorghum prior to popping.

However, when using the microwave, it led to burning of the sorghum – therefore I do not recommend trying to hydrate the sorghum here.

Toasted Sorghum Crumble

If you follow microwave instructions for making popped sorghum provided here, there will be minimum burnt kernels.

What you will have are nicely roasted sorghum which happen to make excellent roasted/toasted sorghum flour.

In case, like me, you were not aware of it, toasted flour is actually considered a gourmet ingredient in baking.

Because it is toasted, the flour can be used in no cook desserts – especially perfect in the summertime when using the oven is a last resort.

The toasted sorghum flour is simply combined according to the general formula below to make a soft crumble:

2 parts toasted sorghum flour + 2 parts liquid sweetener + 2 parts nut butter

+ 1 part powdered flavoring (optional)

Substitutions

The liquid sweetener used in the recipe is maple syrup but other alternatives are sorghum syrup, date syrup or agave nectar.

Peanut butter was picked for the parfait crumble as it combines well with the chocolate flavoring in the recipe.

Tahini, almond butter or even sunflower butter would work.

The optional flavoring picked here is cacao powder.

Cinnamon, cardamon or even orange zest are good dessert spice alternatives.

Parfait Cream “Cheese” Filling

To make the vegan cream cheese filling, I combined tofu, peanut butter and maple syrup.

I used extra firm tofu because that is what I had on hand but firm or silken tofu can be substituted.

If you prepare the filling ahead of time (as in the day before), the flavors have time to meld and you will get an even creamer result.

Alternative Recipes

The exact same ingredients can be tripled and combined differently to make a delicious vegan cheesecake.

Simply use the crumble as the base of cake.

Top with the cream filling, bake for 30 minutes at 350° F for a firmer cake and then refrigerate for minimum of 2 hours.

Add the popcorn topping just prior to serving.

To turn this dessert into a breakfast, add a layer of fruit above each layer of cream – for example sliced bananas work well with the peanut butter cream “cheese” filling.

The soft crumble can be used on its own as a topping over fruit, smoothie bowls or sweet baked desserts.

Conclusion

There you have it, a no waste popped sorghum recipe.

If you have any other suggestions for using the toasted sorghum kernels, please do add them to comments below.

As usual, wishing you a grainlicious experience!