Pumpkin & Spice Granola

Here we are. I feel like the world wants to launch into a pumpkin palooza as soon as Labor Day is over. My tastebuds weren’t quite ready for all that’s fall. Until I tested this recipe and the switch was flipped! The day I tested Pumpkin & Spice Granola was one of our cooler, rainy days here in Ohio. The clouds are dark and rolling across the sky. A drizzle of gray rain mists the landscape. Elton John is crooning “Benny & The Jets” {don’t you love that song!!??}. Our black cat, Cabernet, is snuggled in her fuzzy blanket-lined bed taking a peaceful nap. I light a cedar & smoke- scented candle and turn on the oven.

There is a coziness to fall baking that I adore! The sweet scent of cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, and cloves filling the house. I’ve missed the flavors of rich pumpkin purée, the juicy, tenderness of a baked sweet apple, the subtle smokiness of maple syrup and brown sugar. The sifter is brought out of the cupboard. The rolling pins are lined up ready for the pastry dough they will roll. I stock the freezer with packages of yeast for the morning I wake up, and nothing but a soft, fluffy, gooey cinnamon roll will do.

While granola is the opposite end of the spectrum from the aforementioned cinnamon roll, it is just what we need to ease back into the rituals of fall. After a summer filled with rich, creamy ice cream and ice cream cake, I crave something for breakfast with crunchy walnuts and creamy pumpkin purée. I want pumpkin pie! But, as I hinted, the ice cream treats have taken their toll, and I need something just a tad healthier! To keep my pumpkin-pie-loving-heart happy and healthy, I created Pumpkin & Spice Granola!

Ladies and Gentlemen…Start your ovens!

If you’ve never made granola at home, now is the time to start! I promise once you make your very own batch, you’ll be hooked! If you consider yourself a novice in the kitchen, Pumpkin & Spice Granola is the perfect recipe to start practicing your cooking skills! It’s is simple as measuring, {and you don’t have to perfect with the measurements like baking a cookie or cake requires!}stirring, dumping the contents of the bowls onto different cookie sheets and baking the pumpkin coated oats until they are crunchy. The key to the granola becoming crunchy is to divide the mixture between two parchment-lined cookie sheets. Spread the pumpkin and maple syrup coated oats into a thin layer. Stir the mixture every ten minutes during the baking time and voila! Bask in the crunchy pumpkin glory you just created!

If you are pumpkin fiend in the fall, check out my Pinterest account. I have a board called Pumpkin Yums filled with tons of Pumpkin treats from some of my favorite food bloggers! While you are there, you can follow me if you like! And, if you are not yet a subscriber of the Yums & Kisses newsletter, you can subscribe at the bottom of this page! I would love to have you as part of the family!

As a side note~

I just want to mention that my posts may be a bit sporadic over the next several weeks. I have a family member who is going to be having major surgery this month, so I may not be able to post as frequently as I have been. My goal is at least two posts a week. I’ll be honest, it’s been a bit of a challenge lately. I’m not complaining just explaining. Between doctors visits, pre-surgery procedures and just wanting to spend as much time with the said person as I can, my time for the blog is limited.{I’m writing this post at the hospital, in fact} I’m not going anywhere, I just may not be here, as often as I have been for a few weeks. This blog is my baby! I love it, and I love that you let me visit with you every week! Thank you, sweet friends!

XO~ Heidi

Pumpkin & Spice Granola

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★★★★★

5 from 1 reviews

• Author: Heidi Clark~Yums & Kisses
• Prep Time: 5 minutes
• Cook Time: 50 minutes
• Total Time: 55 minutes
• Yield: 12– 1/2 cup servings 1x

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Description

Pumpkin & Spice Granola is a cozy way to start the day! Whole grain oats are combined with warm cinnamon, rich walnuts, crunchy pumpkin seeds, creamy pumpkin purée, and real maple syrup! The perfect not-too-sweet way to start the day! 

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Ingredients

Scale 1x2x3x

4 c. rolled oats {regular, not quick-cooking}

2 Tbsp. granulated sugar

1 tsp. sea salt

1 cup walnuts, whole or chopped

1/2 cup pumpkin seeds

1 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon

2/3 c. maple syrup {the real stuff, please!}

4 Tbsp. butter

2/3 c. pumpkin purée {not pumpkin pie filling}

1 tsp. vanilla extract

optional add-ins:

dried cranberries

mini chocolate chips

chopped dried figs

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Instructions

Preheat the oven to 325°.  Line two cookie sheets with parchment paper.

In a large mixing bowl, combine the oats, sugar, salt, walnuts, pumpkin seeds, and cinnamon.

In a small saucepan, over medium heat, melt the butter.  Add the maple syrup,  pumpkin puree, and vanilla extract. Whisk to combine. Pour the pumpkin mixture over the oats, and stir until the oats are coated thoroughly.  Divide the oats evenly between the two cookie sheets.  Spread the pumpkin-coated oats into a thin layer. 

Place the uncooked granola in the oven for 40-50 minutes. Stir the oats every 10 minutes during the bake time so the granola dries evenly.  When the granola feels almost completely dry, and firm, it’s done!  The granola will get crunchy as it cools.

When the granola is completely cool, sprinkle the optional add-ins over the trays.  Transfer the granola to a large glass storage jar. The granola will stay fresh for two weeks {if it lasts that long!}

Notes

I love the walnuts left whole for this recipe but, if you prefer chopped nuts that’s cool too!

Please don’t use artificially flavored pancake syrup! Your tastebuds will thank you, if you splurge for the real thing!

 

• Category: breakfast
• Method: baked
• Cuisine: american

Keywords: pumpkin spice granola breakfast snacks