Pumpkin Spice Granola Recipe
Last week I talked about the versatility of this one small pumpkin I picked up at the market. Not only did I make a tasty snack from the seeds, I roasted the pumpkin itself for pumpkin puree to use in Pumpkin Spice Coffee, which was so tasty, especially in this cold weather.
With 1 cup of pumpkin puree leftover, I used it to make a delicious and simple pumpkin spice granola. We are regular granola eaters in our house, so it was fun to experiment with another flavor variation and we were thrilled with the result. My granola is usually a combo of oats, nuts, and unsweetened coconut flakes paired with an oil/fat, sweetener, spices, and salt, so I went with that outline and infused some pumpkin puree into the mix.
This recipe makes two sheet pans worth, at least 10 cups or more, depending on how much granola you snack on while it's cooling. It's great with some plain yogurt (I'm really enjoying this kind right now) or sprinkled over ice cream. I usually store a container in my desk drawer for late-afternoon snacking. Give it a shot!
Pumpkin Spice Granola
(makes 10+ cups)
- 6 cups old fashioned oats (not quick cooking)
- 2 cups nuts (I used a mix of sliced almonds, slivered almonds and walnuts)
- 1 cup unsweetened coconut flakes
- 1 cup pumpkin puree (or leftover pumpkin pie filing)
- ½ cup maple syrup
- ½ cup olive oil
- ½ tsp salt
- 2 tsp pumpkin pie spice (or cinnamon)
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line 2 baking sheets or jelly roll pans with parchment paper or a silpat nonstick mat.
In a large bowl, combine oats, nuts, and coconut. In a medium bowl, whisk together pumpkin puree, maple syrup, olive oil, salt, and spice. Add wet ingredients to dry ingredients and combine thoroughly (I find that using your hands is best to really mix it up).
Divide mixture between two pans and spread into a single layer. Bake for 15 minutes, stir and rotate pans and bake for another 15 minutes. Let cool before storing in an airtight container.