Pumpkiny Granola

It’s October which means the food and drinks are pumpkin everything! And while I love lots of good, rich pumpkin goodies, sometimes I know I need to be good and have something healthy. It’s all about balance, you know? So for those days when I need a good, filing breakfast that is fast but still has that pumpkin appeal, I grab some tasty and homemade Pumpkin Granola.

I have created a very basic recipe which includes only oats and spices but you can feel free to add in any nuts or other little things you like in your granola. The ingredients used here are simple, easy to find and really just good for you. And the beauty is you still get that feeling of indulgence since it has a kick of the pumpkin goodness you need this time of year.

So make a batch of this when you have a bit of time and get ready to feel good about breakfast and snacks for the week! As an awesome bonus, this makes your house smell just amazing when you make it! Good food and good potpourri for the house in one? Sign me up!

Pumpkiny Granola

Prep Time: 5 minutes | Total Time: 1 hour 35 minutes | Makes: 2-3 cups

Ingredients

• 2 cups old fashioned oats
• 1/4 cup pure maple syrup
• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 1/2 cup pure pumpkin puree
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
• 1/4 cup brown sugar

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 250 degrees and line a large baking sheet with parchment paper or grease well
2. Combine all ingredients into a large mixing bowl and stir util well combined
3. Spread mixture evenly over prepared baking sheet, giving the mixture lots of room and making a thin, single layer
4. Bake in the oven for 1 hour 30 minutes, stirring every 30 minutes. The granola is done when the mixture is dried and crisp brown
5. Allow to cool for 5-10 minutes, then break up and store in an airtight container for up to 1 week

Tips

• For recipes like this, I love to keep it very basic so that you can customize this to your and your peoples liking. I love to have recipes in my arsenal that are more blueprints for making good food just the way we like it. Feel free to play around with the seasonings, amounts and what goes in it. If you are a nut lover, add some nuts! Bit of a choco-holic? Add some mini chocolate chips to it after it has cooked (this prevents them from becoming a melty mess!).
• This is wonderful scooped up by the handful alone or topped on some yogurt. Most recipes I have seen recommend plan yogurt, but I actually love this over cinnamon-apple flavored yogurt so don’t be afraid to play around a little!