JulieVR
Last winter I was strolling the Saskatoon Farmers’ Market – one of my favourite ones, filled with actual farmers and at least a half-dozen homemade pie stands – and I came across mason jars filled with spiced pumpkin granola, a brilliant combination I hadn’t seen before. I bought a jar and took it home in my carry-on bag, and when it ran out I set to making my own. A little tricky at first, since you have to bake off the moisture from the pumpkin in order to get it crisp, but totally doable – and fantastically delicious. A great way to have pumpkin pie at breakfast! This would also make a great gift, packaged in glass mason jars with a ribbon.
Of course this, like any granola, is totally customizable – use any combination of nuts and seeds you like, spice it up or down, and swap any dried fruit for the cranberries – but I think they’re pretty and festive.
Maple Pumpkin Pie Granola
Ingredients
- 4 cups old-fashioned oats
- 1 cup nuts and seeds (I used sliced almonds, chopped pecans and sesame seeds)
- 1-2 tsp. cinnamon
- 1/4 tsp. salt
- 3/4 cup brown sugar
- 3/4 cup pumpkin puree
- 1/4 cup maple syrupӬ or honey
- 1 tsp. vanilla or maple extract
- 3/4 cup dried cranberries
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 325° F.
- In a large bowl, toss the oats, nuts, seeds, cinnamon and salt.
- In another bowl, whisk together brown sugar, pumpkin puree, maple syrup and vanilla. Pour over the oat mixture and stir until well combined; spread out on a foil or parchment-lined baking sheet.
- Bake for 40-45 minutes, stirring once or twice, until golden. Remove from the oven and stir in the cranberries. It will crisp up as it cools. Makes lots.
