Ruffled Apron Blog

Crunchy Pumpkin Spice Granola

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Happy Tuesday! Happy Halloween! Happy (insert whatever food of the day today is that I am blissfully unaware of!)

I made you a treat. A snack. Another thing to distract you from that leftover Halloween candy we all will have for the next month!

Pumpkin. Spice. Granola.

Are you sick of Pumpkin Spice things? I sure hope not!

If you aren’t tired of it, congratulations! You may skip the next paragraph.

If you are tired of pumpkin spice everything. I get it. But I implore you to kindly take a minute and consider that I totally understand that pumpkin spice does not belong on everything. Truly, I do. As much of a pumpkin lover as I am, as much as I LOVE a good fancy latte. A pumpkin spice latte is totally not my jam. And I agree that those of us recipe developers of the world sometimes go a bit overboard. But I promise you, pumpkin spice granola is not one of those things, pumpkin spice granola is my JAM and pumpkin spice granola is definitely worth – just this once – making an exception to your pumpkin spice ban.

Alright, now that we have that out of the way. I tried to come up with something new and catchy to name this granola but honestly, it really is Pumpkin Spice Granola. It was the most direct, descriptive and real name I could come up with. A perfect fall granola. A crispy, crunchy with just the right amount of spice granola. A granola with protein because…pecans.

The most basic of granolas, if you will.

Now, some of you may be saying, why should I make my own granola? It has a long list of ingredients, takes an hour plus prep time, and I can buy it at the store for $3/bag.

This is all true. For YEARS I said the same things, but then I made my own batch just to see if I could do it and I have never bought granola again.

Because you see, granola, while looking at the laundry list of ingredients and cook time seems like a lot of work – but really all you are doing is dumping stuff in a bowl, stirring and baking it for an hour. It’s SO easy.

So I challenge you granola lovers, to just try it once and if it’s annoying and painful and not the best granola you have ever tasted – then you don’t have to make it again. However, I honestly believe that once you make it the first time, you will never want store bought granola again!

Also, I TOTALLY expect you to report back to me and let me know how your trial granola goes.

Just so we are clear.

Thanks!

Print

Crunchy Pumpkin Spice Granola

Servings 12 1/4 cup servings

Ingredients

  • 2 cups old fashioned oats
  • 1 cup chopped pecans
  • 1/2 cup pepitas (roasted pumpkin seeds)
  • 1 cup pumpkin puree
  • 1/4 cup maple syrup
  • 2 tablespoons coconut oil, melted
  • 2 teaspoons cinnamon
  • 1 teaspoon ginger
  • 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 300*.  While oven is preheating, mix together oats, pecans and pepitas in a large  mixing bowl. Set aside.

  2. In a medium bowl, mix together the pumpkin puree, maple syrup, coconut oil and spices until completely combined.

  3. Toss wet ingredients into the bowl with dry ingredients and toss until all of the oat mixture is well coated.  

  4. Transfer mixture to a parchment lined baking sheet and spread into one even layer, it should be pretty wet.  Bake at 300* for about an hour or until dry and crispy.  Be sure to give the pan a good shake every 20 minutes or so ensuring that the granola cooks evenly.  Typically after 45 minutes, I check the granola every 5-8 minutes until done.  

Recipe Notes

*Note: It is important to check granola as the end of bake time nears to avoid burning. Granola is done when oat clusters feel dry to the touch. The granola will continue to crisp as it cools. If once cooled it still feels soft, you can always bake longer!