Pumpkin Spice Granola Archives

This time of year I really cannot get enough squash, apples and especially pumpkin. I honestly buy as many sugar pumpkins as I can stand cutting up and baking, so I can puree the flesh and freeze it to use throughout the winter. I stayed strong for two weeks on my cleanse and I am now slowly adding some items back into my diet such as a small amount of organic dairy, some alternatives to sugar such as honey and coconut sugar and some of our pasture raised meat from the farm. I had fresh fruit and vegetable juices or smoothies many mornings for breakfast throughout the first two weeks of the cleanse that I was excited to bring a little something different into my morning routine this week.

I was looking for something a bit crunchy, subtly sweet and that echoed the beautiful fall weather that we’ve been experiencing. I thought of granola late Tuesday night and couldn’t wait to get up the next morning to make it. Granola – YES! I was most excited that I still had some fresh pumpkin puree in the fridge from the last pumpkin I baked, so I decided to incorporate that.

Granola is one of those things that for many people scream “healthy hippie food”, for me it was something I had given up on, being that I am gluten-free. For many years I couldn’t find a granola that I liked and I honestly never thought about making my own. When I started seeing different recipes throughout my travels online, I realized how simple it was to make at home and how much fun you could have with your recipe. I am not usually a traditional cereal person, I find it to rarely be satisfying and since I try not to eat processed foods that usually leaves most cereals in the dust. Granola, though it could be considered a cereal, is so much more than that junk in a box (cue Justin Timberlake and that Saturday Night Live skit, wait – what?).

There are so many variations you can take when making your own granola, with different nuts, fruits and seeds, you can experiment with sweeteners, you could go with or without oil or butter, the possibilities are endless. Really any combination of dried fruits and nuts would be delicious. I almost added some dry quinoa, but I figured I could experiment with that next time since my list of ingredients was already getting super long. Heck – you could even add chocolate chips if you’re one of those people who loves a sweet breakfast. Many granola recipes call for oil, but I decided to attempt to keep the recipe low in fat and make it without, it came out perfectly crispy. Feel free to add a tablespoon or two, if you’d like.

Beyond being super satisfying and delicious this granola made our house smell incredible. After it cooled and I took some photos, I poured a bunch into a bowl and splashed some ice-cold organic almond milk over the top, it was perfection. I haven’t yet done it, but it would also be delicious sprinkled over some greek yogurt or your favorite ice cream.

I had so much fun making this granola yesterday morning mostly because it was the first day my back felt like it was getting better instead of worse or staying the same. Getting down to go in and out of the oven was much less painful and tedious, sitting at my desk finally doesn’t hurt and yesterday and today were the first days since I hurt my back over a week and a half ago, that I didn’t cry from the pain and frustration. I think I am on the mend folks!! Cross your fingers and send me more of those healing thoughts – I miss yoga terribly and I can’t wait to be back to feeling like my normal self again. This granola definitely made it feel like I am taking a step in the right direction. Enjoy.

By the way – is anyone else as obsessed with jars as I am? I want to store everything in jars, they just look so pretty on the countertop and in the pantry.

Pumpkin Spice Granola

1 cup fresh pumpkin puree (canned will also work here, but fresh is much tastier)
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon of ground ginger
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup honey, maple syrup or agave (I used honey)
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
4 cups old-fashioned rolled oats (if you are gluten intolerant, be sure these are certified gluten-free oats. I use Bob’s Red Mill)
1/4 cup flax seeds
1/4 cup sesame seeds
1/4 cup hulled sunflower seeds
1/4 cup hulled pumpkin seeds  (pepitas)
1/4 cup raisins
1/4 cup of dried cranberries (you can mix and match your dried fruits as you wish, I just used what I had in the pantry)
1/4 cup dried apricots, roughly chopped
1/2 cup pecans , roughly chopped (almonds or walnuts would also be delicious)
1/4 cup unsweetened flaked coconut

Preheat oven to 300ºF.
Line large baking sheet with parchment paper. You can also use a roasting pan, which is nice since you can just mix all of the ingredients right in it, without losing things over the edge.

Combine all of your dry ingredients, oats, seeds, nuts, dried fruit etc., in a large bowl (or in your roasting pan). Mix well.

In a small bowl stir together all wet ingredients plus your spices (pumpkin, honey, spices, etc).

Pour the wet ingredients over the dry ingredients and stir until well coated. Let sit 5 to 10 minutes.

If you aren’t using a roasting pan, spread the granola on the baking sheet and bake for 30-40 minutes. Toss every 10 minutes or so to provide even toasting.

Let cool completely – it will get crispier as it cools. Keep in airtight container.