Pumpkin is inarguably one of the quintessential flavors of Autumn. Most people reserve pumpkin treats for the months of October and November. I, on the other hand, enjoy the squash in its canned pureed form well beyond the fall holidays. Baked into muffins and breads, stirred into yogurt and smoothies, cooked into oatmeal and risotto, pumpkin puree is a staple in my year-round diet.
I have so many pumpkin-centric recipes saved that I should devote a separate folder, (on my computer and in my recipe binder), just for this ingredient. One of these recipes is Pumpkin Spice Granola. I don’t know why it took me so long to make this granola, but I am glad I finally got around to it! Less sweet and lower in fat than my favorite cereal-topper, this granola sill manages to give Nature’s Path Pumpkin Flax Plus Granola a run for its money.
My modifications to the original recipe include halving the recipe, eliminating the puffed rice cereal in favor of an all-oats base, and cutting down a bit on the brown sugar. I opted to include pecans, pumpkin seeds, dried cranberries, and raisins to the mix, but any combination of nuts and dried fruit would be delicious.
The spiced granola is surprisingly crunchy considering the lack of butter or oil in the recipe. I love the crunch factor, but if you prefer a chewier granola, simply bake the mixture for less time.
Pumpkin Spice Granola
adapted from Annie’s Eats, originally from Baking Bites
Ingredients:
- 3 cups rolled oats
- 1 tsp pumpkin pie spice
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1/4 cup light brown sugar
- 1/4 cup pumpkin puree
- 2 Tbsp unsweetened applesauce
- 2 Tbsp pure maple syrup
- 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
- 3/4 cup chopped nuts and/or seeds (I used pecans and pumpkin seeds)
- 1/2 cup dried fruit (I used raisins and unsulfured dried cranberries)
Directions:
- Preheat oven to 325*F. Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper.
- Meaure the oats into a large bowl, set aside.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the pumpkin pie spice, salt, brown sugar, pumpkin puree, applesauce, maple syrup, and vanilla extract. Whisk until very smooth.
- Pour wet ingredients over oats and stir until the oats are evenly coated. Spread mixture on the prepared cookie sheet in an even layer.
- Bake for 30 minutes. Remove sheet from the oven, stir the nuts & seeds into the granola, and bake for an additional 10-15 minutes, or until the granola is golden brown and crisp.
- Remove granola from the oven, toss with dried fruit, and cool completely. Store in an airtight container.
This looks delicious. I’m also a big fan of that bowl.
YUM! bookmarked :)
just printed it out!!! I’m doing this TONIGHT. I swear. :P Thank you!!!!
This would be another great hostess gift! Love it! And that bowl is beautiful. You really do love your pumpkin, huh? Nice work, Lauren!
Rose and Nicole,
Thanks for the compliment on the bowl! I love organic materials and shapes, and I have a few of these wooden bowls around the apartment.
My my that granola looks simply divine!
Must make this!! (I actually at some Nature’s Pride pumpkin flax granola in my yogurt today… funny :) )
ooh, another one going on my to-try list! my my, i will never catch up with it ;)
Lovely meeting you last night! Adore your blog! And, love the fact you have grapes in your header…ha-ha! Thanks for the recipe! I too love pumpkin–for its fab nutrition and delectable taste! Your recipe sounds awesome! Thanks!
Hi! It was great meeting you last night :) I LOVE anything pumpkin-related and the Nature’s Path granola is one of my faves. But this one looks even better!
Mmm. This sounds wonderful. I’ve been doing a lot with pumpkin for the past couple months, but one thing I haven’t tried is granola. Great idea!
Thanks for the nice comments on my blog. Hope you keep coming back!
~Michelle
YUM! This sounds fab-u-lous! I will most definitely be making this. Thanks!
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just printed this! sounds amazing!
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