This chai spiced puffed millet granola has light and airy puffed millets, crunchy pepitas, coconut flakes, and tart dried apple slices, all of which are tossed in warm chai spices, sweetened with coconut sugar, and crisped with coconut oil to make a healthy granola perfect for your morning breakfast.
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Ingredients and substitutes
- Puffed Millets - The airy and light element of this granola. Puffed rice is a great substitute.
- Pepitas - The green crunchy inside of a pumpkin seed. You can substitute with your favorite nuts.
- Unsweetened Coconut Flakes - Make sure to get flakes and not shredded coconut as it can burn quickly.
- Dried Apple Slices - Gives tart and fall flavors to this granola. Substitute with your favorite dried fruits.
- Chai Masala - You can use my homemade chai masala spice blend to flavor your granola or use store-bought blends (I recommend some brands down below) to give this granola its delicious flavor.
- Coconut Sugar - Adds a nice caramel-y flavor but can be substituted with brown sugar, jaggery, or honey.
- Salt - Salt helps the other flavors shine.
- Baking Soda - Allows the granola to be a delicious golden brown.
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What are puffed millets?
Millets are small grains that are gluten free. There are many different varieties of millets ranging from pearl millet to foxtail millet. Millets are primarily grown in dry and warm climates and have been grown in Asia and Africa for centuries. Millets require very little water, making them a very climate-friendly grain to add to your rotation.
Puffed millets are millets that have been puffed using high heat and pressure to yield a light and airy snack. If you can't easily find puffed millets, puffed rice is the most similar substitute.
What is coconut sugar?
Coconut sugar is an unrefined palm sugar made from the coconut tree. Despite its name, coconut sugar doesn't taste like coconut but rather like a complex molasses-y and caramel-y sugar. A good substitute for coconut sugar is brown sugar or jaggery.
How to store granola
Here are a few tips on how to store your granola so it stays crunchy longer:
- Make sure the granola is completely cool before storing it away. If the granola is still warm when it's stored away, it will create steam and condensation in the container, causing the granola to become soggy.
- Store granola in a tightly sealed container. Storing in a sealed container prevents the granola from getting stale.
- Keep granola in a cool, dry place.
- If granola is stale, crisp it up by placing it in the oven at 300F for 10-12 minutes or until the granola is crispy.
If you store granola properly, it can last for 3-4 weeks or longer!
How to serve granola
Granola is super versatile. It can be served for breakfast or brunch or on top of your favorite desserts. Here are some ideas on how you can serve granola:
- Serve granola over yogurt
- Treat granola like cereal and enjoy with milk
- Make a granola parfait with layers of cream, yogurt, fruits, and granola
- Add granola to ice cream
- Top your favorite cobbler or pudding with granola
Granola as a holiday gift
Granola is a great affordable holiday gift for friends and family. You can simply portion out granola in small gift mason jars or package it up in small gift bags to pass out during the holiday season.
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Tips for making granola
- Toast your granola on a lower temperature for a longer time. This helps ensure that all the moisture is drawn out and that things get a chance to evenly brown.
- Don't be afraid to swap in and out ingredients based on your taste. For example, if the recipe calls for pepitas but you only have walnuts at home, feel free to swap an equal amount in.
- Avoid adding inclusions that burn easily. For example, instead of shredded coconut, which toasts and burns quickly, try adding coconut flakes, which take the same time as other nuts to toast.
- Add salt to the granola. Adding a bit of salt doesn't make the granola salty but rather enhances the flavor of the other ingredients in the granola.
- Make sure that the dry ingredients are fully coated in wet ingredients. Most granola recipes call for wet ingredients in the form of melted sugar and fats like coconut oil. Make sure that all of the dry ingredients are properly tossed in the wet ingredients so they brown properly.
- Turn the sheet pan half way through the bake time. Oven temperatures vary so it is best to check on the granola at the half way mark. It is important to turn the granola in the oven because the back of the oven tends to be hotter than the front of the oven.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes! Most granolas are naturally gluten free and that includes this recipe!
You can make this granola 3-4 weeks ahead of time.
It is easy to make your own homemade chai masala. However, if you are looking to buy chai masala, check out Diaspora Co Chai Masala or Spicewalla Chai Masala.
You can eat granola like cereal with milk, with yogurt, or add it as a crunchy addition to desserts like ice cream or parfaits.
Store the granola in a tightly sealed container like a mason jar to keep it crunchy, and away from the heat and light to preserve the flavors.
Brown sugar, jaggery, or honey are great alternatives for coconut sugar.
Allow the granola to completely cool and then either package it in small mason jars or small cellophane gift bags for the holidays.
Chai Spiced Puffed Millet Granola with Coconut Sugar
- Total Time: 25 minutes
- Yield: 4.5 cups 1x
- Diet: Vegan
Description
This chai spiced puffed millet granola has light and airy puffed millets, crunchy pepitas, coconut flakes, and tart dried apple slices, all of which are tossed in warm chai spices, sweetened with coconut sugar, and crisped with coconut oil to make a healthy granola perfect for your morning breakfast.
Ingredients
- 2.5 cups puffed millet
- 1 cup pepitas, unsalted
- ½ cup unsweetened coconut flakes
- 2 tablespoons water
- ⅓ cup coconut oil
- 1.5 teaspoons of chai masala
- ⅔ cup coconut sugar
- ¼ teaspoon sea salt
- ¼ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ cup dried apple slices (50g), cut into strips with scissors
Instructions
- Heat the oven to 325F. Line a 9x13 baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside.
- In a large bowl, mix puffed millets, pepitas, and coconut flakes. Set the dry ingredients aside.
- To a medium saucepan on medium heat, add water, coconut oil, chai masala, coconut sugar and sea salt and mix. Allow the sugar to melt and dissolve and the liquid to come to a rolling boil.
- Once the mixture comes to a rolling boil, turn off the heat, add baking soda, and whisk vigorously. The mixture will lighten in color and slightly rise.
- Pour warm mixture over the dry ingredients and mix to coat all the dry ingredients with the wet.
- Spread the mixture on the baking sheet and bake for 15-20 minutes, making sure to stir at the halfway point until the mixture is deep golden brown. Mix in dried apple slices. Allow to cool completely. The granola will harden and form clusters as it cools. Serve with yogurt or milk.
Notes
- Make sure to buy unsweetened coconut flakes and not shredded coconut as the latter burns easily.
- Substitutes for coconut sugar are brown sugar or jaggery powder
- Prep Time: 5
- Cook Time: 20
- Category: Breakfast
- Method: Oven
- Cuisine: Indian
Keywords: Chai Spiced Puffed Millet Granola with Coconut Sugar
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