Pumpkin Spice Granola
September 15, 2010 in breakfast
If you can believe it, I’m just not feeling the pumpkin this year. I think I did too much last year because I am out of ideas and motivation when it comes to the big, orange things. But since September means fall to me, I feel like I should be doing some sort of fall-ish cooking.
This granola has pumpkin in it’s name which automatically makes it scream fall, right? Plus it made the whole house smell sweet & spicy as if a pumpkin pie was in the oven. And I can’t forget how delicious it was! It was so good on it’s own but even better in milk. The spices flavored the milk and made for a tasty drink at the end.
As with every granola recipe, it’s all easy adaptable. Use the nuts and seeds you have on hand. Dried fruit would be delicious, especially cranberries. I also thought about throwing in some white chocolate chips once it was cooled which I think would be ah-mazing.
If you want, you can eliminate all of the oil but substitution more applesauce. I have a pretty much oil-free recipe here if you want to check it out. I like a combination of oil and applesauce but you can get crunchy granola with just a tablespoon or so of the oil, so check out that recipe if you’re interested.
Last thing: every time I post a granola recipe I get emails from people saying that their granola wasn’t crunchy. Granola is weird, I’ve found. A lot of it depends on your oven and a lot depends on how you spread it out on your baking sheet. I don’t like to dirty 2 pans so mine isn’t in a single layer, spread apart as you can see in the below picture. That means that I have to bake mine about twice as long as the recipe states. I recommend always tasting your granola before you turn your oven off to make sure it’s how you want it.
- 4 cups old-fashioned oats
- ½ cup chopped walnuts
- ⅓ cup pumpkin seeds
- ⅓ cup sunflower seeds
- 1 cup coconut
- ⅓ cup applesauce
- ¼ cup vegetable oil
- ⅓ cup honey
- 1 heaping teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
- ½ teaspoon salt
- Preheat oven to 300. Spray 2 large, rimmed baking sheets with oil.
- In a large bowl, stir oats, walnuts, pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds, and coconut together. Set aside.
- Over low heat, stir the applesauce, oil, honey, pumpkin pie spice, and salt together until everything is combined and heated through. Pour over oat mixture and stir to combine.
- Put oats on the baking sheets and spread into a thin layer. Bake until golden brown, about 50 – 55 minutes, stirring every 10 minutes. Cool before serving.
Looks delicious! I have heard rumors that pumpkin is going to be scarce again this year, anyway. (Maybe that is why I have latched on to Sweet Potatoes this year?). I can’t wait to see what else you’ll be making for fall this year!!
.-= Pam´s last blog ..Homemade Marshmallow Cream With No Corn Syrup! =-.
I wish we could get things like pumpkin spice over here as that looks delicious and so autumny!
.-= Breige´s last blog ..KCW Monday- French Onion Soup =-.
Looks yummy! I think it is a little early still for feeling the pumpkin stuff… needs to get colder with the leaves changing…
This looks and sounds amazing! I have never made my own granola…so thanks for the tips on the baking time!
.-= shelly (cookies and cups)´s last blog ..Pizza- Football & a Giveaway =-.
Sounds great! I wonder if pumpkin could be substituted for the applesauce to really give it a pumpkin pie flavor? I might have to try it!
.-= Cara´s last blog ..Zucchini Bread Batter Oatmeal =-.
hello… thank you for posting, this sounds delicious! i did have a quick question though – should the coconut be the “sweetened flaked coconut” you find in the baking aisle, or plain unsweetened?
I used the sweetened kind but I’m sure the unsweetened kind would be just as delicious. Thanks for commenting! :)
I don’t even LIKE pumpkin, but I’m pretty sure I have to make this. Like today (before the sun comes back out in Southern CA).
Just made this I am sure it will be delish! I will never buy that stupid 4 dollar bag of granola again this was super easy!! For the love of pete could not find pumpkin seeds so threw in some almonds!