I really thought my pumpkin obsession had subsided after eating one too many pumpkin-shaped Reese’s peanut butter cups on Halloween. I was truly convinced I’d moved on following my back-to-back pumpkin soup, pumpkin bread, and pumpkin smoothie recipes. I was cured of my fixation–was until I caved and had an almond milk PSL (that’s a pumpkin spice latte for those of you haven’t been to a coffee shop in the last 6 weeks) this weekend. The flame was reignited and the inspiration instantly came to me–I would create my very own PSG (that’s Pumpkin Spice Granola), which it turns out was even better than that PSL.
You’ve heard me rave about the nutritional powerhouse that is pumpkin, so I won’t inundate you with all those fun facts again. Okay well maybe just one sentence to reenforce this gorgeous gourd’s health profile. Pumpkin is packed with fiber, Vitamin A, Vitamin C and a few grams of plant protein, and at only 50 calories per serving is a perfect balance to all that Halloween candy you’ve been eating (guilty as charged).
Without further ado, it’s PSG time!
Pumpkin Spice Granola
What You’ll Need:
- 5 cups gluten-free rolled oats
- 1 cup raw pumpkin seeds (pepitas)
- 1/2 cup coconut oil (liquid or melted)
- 3/4 cup (or half a 15 ounce can) pumpkin puree
- 3/4 cup maple syrup or honey
- 1 Tbs vanilla extract or 1 vanilla bean scraped
- 1 Tbs ground cinnamon
- 1 tsp ground nutmeg
- 3/4 tsp ground cloves
- 1 inch ground fresh ginger
- Optional: 1 cup dried blueberries, chopped dates or tart cherries
How to Make It:
- Preheat the oven to 325°F
- In a large bowl, mix together the oats and raw pumpkin seeds.
- In a blender, blend together the coconut oil, pumpkin puree, maple syrup, vanilla, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, and cloves until smooth.
- Pour blender mixture over your dry ingredients and stir until evenly coated
- Spread the mixture on a lipped baking sheet, pressing it down to evenly cover all the way to the edges.
- Bake for 1 hour, gently turning the granola with a spatula every 15 minutes. Flip in sections so that you’re sure to keep some tasty clumps. Also make sure you move some of the granola from the edges to the middle and from the middle to the edges about halfway through cooking so that it cooks evenly.
- After an hour, turn the oven down to 300°F and cook another 15 -25 minutes. You’ll know it is done when it is dry to the touch and piece left to cool on the counter turns crispy. Remove from the oven and let it cool.
- If you’re adding dried blueberries or cherries, stir them in while the mix is still cooling.
- Store in an air-tight container for up to 2 weeks.