As soon as the month of September rolls around, we鈥檙e inundated with pumpkin flavor; from lattes to muffins to Oreos鈥t鈥檚 everywhere! I love pumpkin, but my opinion is that if something is called 鈥減umpkin ______鈥 it should contain the real thing鈥攏ot artificial flavoring. Enter: granola. Granola is a great way to incorporate pumpkin into your daily diet. It features all those warm spices that make you think of fall鈥攃innamon, nutmeg, cloves and allspice鈥攑lus this recipe actually has real pumpkin in it!
It鈥檚 important to note that, just as most pumpkin products contain no actual pumpkin, granola can be deceivingly unhealthy for a supposed health food. Most are high in calories due to large quantities of vegetable oil. However, in this case, you needn鈥檛 fear empty calories, as it鈥檚 the inclusion of pumpkin pur茅e鈥攁long with maple syrup and applesauce鈥攔ather than oil that helps add moisture to this recipe. Served by itself, on top of your favorite yogurt or even in your morning oatmeal for a lovely crunch, it鈥檚 the perfect way to satisfy your sweet tooth鈥nce that Halloween candy stash runs out.
Ingredients
Yield: 4 cups
- 3 cups old-fashioned rolled oats
- 2/3 cup pumpkin seeds (pepitas)
- 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
- 1/8 teaspoon salt
- 2 large egg whites
- 1/2 cup pumpkin pur茅e
- 1/4 cup applesauce
- 1/3 cup pure maple syrup
- 3 tablespoons dark brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2/3 cup dried cranberries
Directions
- Pre-heat oven to 325F.
- In a large bowl, combine oats and pumpkin seeds. Set aside.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together spices, egg whites, pumpkin pur茅e, applesauce, maple syrup, dark brown sugar and vanilla extract.
- Pour wet ingredients over dry, stirring to coat.
- Spread mixture evenly on a parchment-lined sheet pan.
- Bake for 40-45 minutes, stirring occasionally, until golden brown and dry to the touch.
- Let cool, and mix in dried cranberries.
- Store in an airtight container (up to 4-6 weeks).
Want to learn more about cooking with fall flavors? .
