There are some recipes I feel I could spend the rest of my life tweaking. I have been making this granola (referred to as toasted muesli in the past) for almost two years now, and just this past week, I made my favorite version to date.
Before making this latest change, I had made two others that I felt considerably improved the flavor and cooking process:
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- 1.) In place of the olive oil, I started using grapeseed oil or canola oil, whose neutral flavors I find preferable in this application.
2.) I turned the oven down to 300ºF (from 325ºF) and now bake it for 40 minutes without stirring once. Once it has been pulled from the oven, it cools completely on its sheetpan, which allows the granola to clump, not so much into clusters, but into ragged shards, which I like. Baking at a lower temperature is liberating — I no longer feel a slave to my timer and oven during the last 10 minutes of cooking, and I’ve yet to burn a batch.
Despite my satisfaction with the granola as it stood, just this week, in an effort to create a recipe for this year’s Fair Trade Brunch event, I made a batch with coconut oil. The difference is subtle — more flavor, lighter texture — but noticeable enough for me to want to always have coconut oil on hand. As I mentioned a few weeks ago in the Bircher muesli post, this granola is a staple in our house — a double batch never lasts a full week — and while sometimes it’s tempting to buy granola at the store, I’ve yet to find a good one. Have you? Seriously, I’d like to know.
Anyway, just like last year, Mother’s Day and World Fair Trade Day fall during the same weekend, and the theme this year is: “Moms Make a World of Difference.” One of the founding principles of Fair Trade is Women’s empowerment. In addition to freedom from harassment, Fair Trade certification ensures that women have a voice, a vote, and a leadership role in the community. You can read more here.
Many of you know what Fair Trade means, but to review:
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- • Fair Trade helps farmers (more than 1.2 million worldwide) in developing countries build
sustainable businesses
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- that positively influence their communities.
• Products that bear the Fair Trade logo come from farmers and workers who are justly compensated.
• Fair Trade ensures that farmers follow internationally monitored environmental standards and also provides financial incentives and resources for organic conversion, reforestation, water conservation and environmental education.
• Fair Trade empowers women to play an active role in their families and in their co-ops by starting businesses with guaranteed access to health care, certain job rights and freedom from harassment.
• Fair Trade supports education with revenues set aside to build schools and maintain enrollment.
Just like last year, to help tell the stories about the people behind their food, Fair Trade paired every blogger participating in this event with a farmer. Meet my match: Guadalupe Intriago Mera, a cocoa farmer in Ecuador:
- Guadalupe Intriago Mera has been a cacao grower all her life and is currently the president of Chone’s Fortaleza Co-Op, one of five smaller associations that feed into Fortaleza del Valle. Guadalupe, a mother of three, declares: “I want everyone to know and feel the beauty of cacao, its traditions. It is my heritage that I want to pass on to my children, one that has given me a way of life.” She teaches them everything she knows about growing cocoa, so that they can someday be members of the cooperative too. Fair Trade has given Guadalupe and her community the stable prices and market access needed to improve their living conditions and invest in their future.
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Finally, attention Pinners: This coconut oil granola is entered in a Fair Trade Pinterest competition – if you feel like participating, pin it from the Fair Trade pinboard.
Thank you to Fair Trade and to all of the Fair Trade vendors for donating the contents of this giveaway! UPDATE: GIVEAWAY IS CLOSED. WINNER IS ILONA
Fair Trade Nutiva coconut oil:
Coconut Oil Granola
Prep
Cook
Total
Yield 10 servings
If you feel like making substitutions and bulking this up with dried fruit and puffed cereal, view the original recipe.
I highly recommend making a double batch and baking on two sheetpans. Rotate them halfway through the cooking. OR, make a double batch on a single large sheetpan: love these 15x21x1-inch sheetpans. For a double batch, I use 1/3 cup oil (as opposed to 6 tablespoons—1/3 cup is just a wee bit more than 6 tablespoons), and I bake the granola without stirring at 275ºF for about an hour and 20 minutes. Often, I use grapeseed oil for simplicity. I've also been cutting the millet back by a little bit. For a double batch I use 160 g.
Parchment paper sheets — can’t say enough about them. Save them and use them again and again — I fold mine up and stick them in a ziplock bag.
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup (102g) whole millet
- 2 cups (204g) oats (not instant)
- 3/4 cup (48g) unsweetened coconut flakes
- 1 1/4 cups (128g) sliced almonds
- 1 tsp sea salt
- 1/2 cup maple syrup
- 3 Tbsp coconut oil (melted), grapeseed oil or canola oil
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 300ºF.
- In a large, toss together the millet, oats, coconut flakes, almonds and salt. Pour in the maple syrup and coconut oil. Stir to coat.
- Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and spread the oat mixture out on it. Place it in the oven and bake for 35 to 40 minutes, or until the edges look slightly dark. Do not stir.
- Let the mixture cool completely on sheetpan. When ready to store, lift up edges of parchment to loosen the granola — this will create nice big shards. Transfer shards to storage container. Pour in remaining granola — it will inevitably break into smaller pieces.
Did you make a recipe?
Tag @alexandracooks on Instagram and hashtag it #alexandracooks.
Jennifer says
I just made a batch of granola with this recipe. Oh my – I’m hoping it lasts enough to completely finish cooling. So perfect and evenly golden thanks to the lower temperature tip.
I’m new to your blog and look forward to checking out more. And, thank you for spreading the Fair Trade awareness – we can change so much by just being a more knowledgeable consumer.
Valencia says
Your granola looks amazing! I really like the combination of all ingredients, especially the addition of the millet. I can’t wait to try your recipe. Thanks for the giveaway.
jacquie says
awesome looking granola and giveaway
Eunice says
I’ve made the toasted muesli many times, my family loves it. I enjoy making extra to give to family and friends. I can’t wait to try the new suggestions. The give away looks awesome, thanks for giving someone a chance to try these products.
Rani says
great! I was looking for an easy and healthy granola recipe with coconut oil. Just love it for everything!
Amy Tong says
love your recipe and what a wonderful giveaway prize pack. I love all the ingredients and always support Fair Trade products. Thank you for hosting the giveaway.
amy [at] utry [dot] it
Danielle T says
I love fair trade products. They’re not always easy to find in my area but I but some online!
Krysten M. says
Definitely trying this recipe!
Laurie says
You are my hero! I love that you educate us all about Fair Trade…this recipe is looking like heaven to me right now….alas, I am super low carbing it right now for health reasons but the future will allow me to make it and then I can do something besides stare at the pictures! Happy Mother’s Day to the most awesome mom I know! Love, me! ❤️❤️❤️❤️
Claudette says
the granola looks wonderful! I’ve never made it with millet before. I clicked through to the original recipe and I noticed you soaked the millet in boiling water before using. Is that step optional? I didn’t see it in this recipe. Looking forward to making some this afternoon!
alexandra says
Yes! I skip that step now — doesn’t make a difference. Good luck with it!
Rachel says
As a broke single mom I could really benefit from winning this assortment of healthy baking items!
Abigail says
I love granola and this looks yummy!
Becca F says
The granola looks great. So does the turmeric tea. I’m intrigued by both!
Nicola Swanson says
I have tried store bought granola and it is either too chewy or too crunchy for me, plus I have a nut allergy so trying to find one without nuts has been hard. I usually make my own, but have never thought to use coconut oil – much healthier and being Fairtrade is a hugh bonus.
Lisa Pankratz says
Delicious!
Maria says
Why have I been buying granola at the store?!??! Definitely will be changing that in the days to come. Hitting the bulk bins bright and early 😀
Judith says
This looks delicious! Thanks for the giveaway!
Neva Hurlbut says
The granola looks delicious. I love coconut oil.
Sarah says
That looks amazing.
Kathy says
I love making my own granola, and always use coconut oil (I melt the coconut oil with a sweetener and flavour variations from chocolate chili, to chai, to pumpkin spice.)
I have an even easier baking option for you. Once you’ve mixed the oats and other ingredients together (I use lots of nuts and seeds) and placed it into a lined baking sheet, bake at 325F for 15 minutes, then turn the oven off, and leave it in the oven with the door closed overnight. In the morning, break it apart and add dried fruit, if desired. I do it at night so that I don’t need the oven. It’s truly yummy and absolutely foolproof.
alexandra says
Very interesting! I will absolutely try this. Thanks so much for the idea!
Cathy says
I made this for the first time today. The house smells so good! I substituted the maple syrup with raw coconut nectar for a lower glycemic index. Thank you so much!
alexandra says
So happy to hear this! I have never used coconut nectar. I’ll look out for it.
Emily says
Giving this a try this weekend! The only store-bought granola I love is Mountain Rise Granola (http://mountainrise.com/). It’s not widely available in grocery stores where we live so when my husband or I see it, we buy large quantities. I just love the simple ingredients and chunky texture.
alexandra says
Thanks for the rec! I’ll have to check it out. This is one of my all-time favorite recipes. Hope you do give it a go this weekend!
Kat says
Hi there! Reading this for the second (or third?) time, in preparation for making granola to give as holiday gifts, and now that it’s 2017 I can report that I have found a good store-bought granola! The Almond Butter Granola at Trader Joe’s is really good. That’s the only one I’ve ever found that was as good as homemade!
alexandra says
Great to hear! I’m excited to check it out. Thanks for reporting!
Laura says
Made this today, the flavors were great but most of the millet fell off an is now sitting at the bottom of the container. Also, my granola didn’t clump as much as yours appears to in the photos. I followed the recipe exactly, any ideas? Do you think adding a little more maple syrup will improve the millet adhesion? Thanks!
alexandra says
Hi Laura,
Most of the millet does fall to the bottom of the container … I’ve actually been meaning to revisit this recipe and cut back on the millet. I love the flavor, but there just seems to be too much. To get big clumps, truly the best thing to do is to not touch it after removing it from the oven — don’t stir it or anything. Just let it sit there until it is completely cool, and when you are ready to transfer it to a storage container, break into pieces as you transfer it. I wouldn’t add more maple syrup because I think it will alter the flavor balance and potentially make it too sweet. There are other tricks out there for getting bigger clumps — egg whites, baking it with another sheet pan on top, and others. I haven’t tested too many of them, and this one, after a few days of storage, does end up breaking down into smallish clumps, but I don’t mind. Hope that helps!
Laura says
I tried adding a single egg white to a double batch and all the millet stayed on this time. It doesn’t seem to have changed the texture or flavor neither, I love the millet so I didn’t want to cut back, thanks!