Pumpkin Granola

Gabrielle P. MDN, RD, LDN
Sep 20, 2023
3 min read

Updated: Dec 24, 2023

BY GABRIELLE | DIETITIAN

PREP TIME	COOK TIME	TOTAL TIME	SERVES
10 mins	30-40 mins	50 min	18

Gluten-Free, Nut-Free

Adding pumpkin is one of my favorite ways to spice up my Fall! This pumpkin maple granola is cozy and the perfect way to get yourself into the Fall mood! Oh, and it is also extremely quick and easy to make!

That felt so corny, I don't know how the blog girlies do it lol, but we tried.

Anyway, I'll make this short because I know no one cares about the ingredient explanation and truly just want to get to the recipe avoiding as many ads as possible.

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This Pumpkin Granola is made with pure pumpkin, along with oats, coconut flakes, pumpkin & chia seeds, maple syrup, vanilla, olive oil, and DIY pumpkin spice seasoning!

Pumpkin: add more if you want it REALLY pumpkin-y... just go for it don't worry about adding too much. Make sure it is pure pumpkin, not pumpkin pie filling.

Oats: I used certified Gluten-Free since I was bringing it to an event. Note -- oats are gluten-free, HOWEVER the risk of cross-contamination determines if oats are gluten-free vs. certified gluten-free. If you have Celiac disease, buy certified gluten-free.

Pumpkin seeds: Adds to the Fall theme, a hypoallergenic crunch, and color!

Coconut flakes: I use unsweetened. It adds a new texture, dimension, and flavor. ◡̈

Chia seeds: adds texture, omega-3 fatty acids, and soluble fiber!

Pumpkin Spice Mix: if you have pumpkin pie spice, you can use that, or I mixed cinnamon, ginger, and clove together to give me the same feel! Clove is very overpowering so just do a dash, or carefully measure out 1/4 clove.

Salt: to taste -- some want a salty & sweet granola, some want it more sweet.

Olive or coconut oil? Use coconut oil. Again, I was making this in bulk, and I have a ton of olive oil, but not a ton of coconut oil. But coconut oil, will add to the overall flavor of the granola by complimenting the coconut flakes, so I say go with coconut AIGHT.

Optional add-ins:

Nuts such as pecans -- they will burn pretty easily, so I suggest adding them in towards the end of cooking, or cooking them separately. Pecans are something I want in every Fall food, but I wanted to make this nut-free so it was free from allergens since it was for an event. ◡̈
Hemp seeds for some plant-based protein!
Baked apple
Chopped Medjool dates -- something I would have absolutely added in if I was making one batch, it adds sweetness naturally and balances out the crunch of the granola!

Baking:

I didn't have any trouble, but the coconut flakes can burn, so adding them in halfway is also a good idea.
Again, if you add pecans, add those in halfway so they don't burn.
If you are having issues with the granola not getting crispy, you can lower the heat and bake it for longer.
Cook until it's golden brown, it will crisp up as it cools.
Allow it to cool for at least an hour before putting it in an airtight container.

ENJOY! ◡̈

INGREDIENTS:

3 cups rolled oats 1/2 cup olive or coconut oil

1/2 cup unsweetened coconut flakes 1/2 cup maple syrup

1/2 cup pepitas 1 tsp cinnamon, 1 tsp ginger, 1/4 tsp clove

1/4 cup chia 1 tsp salt

1/2 cup pumpkin puree Optional: 1 cup pecans

INSTRUCTIONS:

Preheat the oven to 340°F.
Combine the dry ingredients (the oats, coconut, pepitas, chia & seeds) in a large bowl and mix.
Whisk the wet ingredients and spices together (pumpkin, olive or coconut oil, maple syrup, salt, vanilla, cinnamon, ginger, cloves, salt).
Pour wet ingredients over the oat mixture and stir until everything is well coated.
Spread the granola onto 2 rimmed baking sheets, lined with parchment paper.
Bake for 15 minutes; stir; bake for another 15-25 minutes.
Once the granola is golden brown, carefully remove it from the oven and let rest -- it will start to crisp up as it cools.
Allow it to completely cool before storing it in an airtight container.