Pumpkin Spice Granola Recipe

sarahaas

9 years ago

I’m keeping this post simple because I feel it could easily get out of hand, fast!

Here’s the deal, like the rest of America, I am in love with pumpkin.

For some people, this is just a trendy type of love, but for me, it’s the real deal and it’s got roots, people, serious roots. You see my love of pumpkin stems from my love of Halloween. And that love story began a long, long time ago, back when I was embarking on my first trick-or-treating experience. Long before I knew that candy was just the beginning of my beautiful (and believe it or not, healthy) relationship with all things sugar. Now that I have such an advanced palate (uh huh, yep, I do. Ha!) and a degree in Nutrition, I can take what I love and put a de”light”full spin on it. Enter, my pumpkin spice granola.

This granola recipe celebrates my love for pumpkin.

I want to put a cozy sweater on when I eat it and sit in a pile of leaves while I enjoy those warm heavenly spices like cinnamon and nutmeg, those toasty oats and pecans and that hint of pumpkin and honey. It’s Fall in granola form. Make a batch and keep it in an air-tight container, in a nice cool, place and you’ll have granola for the week. And the options are really endless when it comes to what do with it. I suggest adding a little pumpkin spice granola to your morning bowl of cereal or yogurt. Or use it as a topping for stewed apples or frozen yogurt. Or, just it as is, because it’s just that yummy.

Pumpkin Spice Granola

Author: Sara Haas

Description

Delicious all year round, this pumpkin-infused granola is lovely on Greek yogurt, tossed into pancake batter or as a topping for baked apples.

Ingredients

Scale

1 cup pecans, chopped
1/4 cup pumpkin seeds
4 cups rolled oats
1/4 teaspoon sea salt or Kosher salt3 tablespoons butter
1/3 cup pumpkin puree (not pumpkin pie mix)
1/4 cup honey
1 tablespoon pumpkin pie spice
1/2 cup dried cranberries, optional

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 325’F and line a large sheet pan with parchment paper.
In a large mixing bowl, combine the pecans, pumpkin seeds, oats and salt. Set aside.
Heat a small pot over medium heat and add the butter. Once the butter has melted, add the pumpkin pie spice. Stir and cook for 1 minute. Add the pumpkin puree and the honey and stir, cooking an additional 1 minute. Remove from the heat and pour over the oat mixture, stirring to combine.
Pour oat mixture onto prepared sheet pan and place in the oven. Bake for about 22 minutes, stirring the mixture once halfway through cooking time to prevent uneven browning or burning.
Remove from the oven and allow granola cool on the pan. Stir in dried cranberries, if desired.