Vegan, Dairy-Free, Refined Sugar Free
I first began making my own granola to reduce my waste. We bought a box every week or so and the granola itself, of course, came in a plastic bag. This was such a simple swap that reduces 26-52 plastic bags from entering the earth every year, just from our household alone!
Homemade granola is simple, delicious, and it is so easy to customize. You can make plain, peanut butter, and of course, pumpkin spice. This flavor works great as a snack or as a topping for smoothie bowls, ice cream, or in trail mix. The lovely spices come together and really bring together any sweet treat. Not to mention, it is a great way to use up any leftover pumpkin you have from the holidays or just a great way to eat more pumpkin flavored items all season long.
All you need is just 5 whole, plant-based ingredients (and whatever spices you have on hand), and about 10 minutes of prep work to make this granola.
First, you will combine your wet ingredients: maple syrup, nut or seed butter of choice, pumpkin puree, vanilla, and spices. Use a whisk or a fork and make sure they are well incorporated. Next, add your oats and if you want, you can add any nuts and seeds you like. Add-ins that work well with this flavor is pumpkin seeds, pecans, chia seeds, and walnuts. If you want to add any dried fruits, wait until the granola is out of the oven.
After you spread the granola on a baking sheet (with edges is best) that is greased or lined with a silicone baking mat, your job is done. Well, of course other than cleaning. This granola recipe takes a bit longer to bake that others because of the pumpkin. But, all you have to do now is let it bake on 350F for about 20 minutes, flip and mix it, and let it bake for another 20-30 minutes. At this point, turn the oven off and let the oven continue to get some of the moisture out of the granola to maximize the crispiness.
You will know this granola is done when it is crunchy. It is difficult to tell when it is done when it is still warm, so to do a test before turning the oven off, just remove a small piece of granola and let it cool. If it is still chewy, let it bake for a few more minutes. If it is crunchy, remove from the oven or keep it in with the oven cracked just to remove more moisture. When the oven is on a low temperature, it acts more as a dehydrator.
And that’s it! Simple, yummy, fall-inspired granola that you can really enjoy all year round.
Pumpkin Spice Granola
Prep Time: 10-15 minutes
Baking Time: 40 minutes
Total Time: one hour
Serves: 2-3 cups of granola
Ingredients:
- ¼ cup nut or seed butter of choice, I used tahini
- ¼ cup pumpkin puree (not pumpkin pie mix)
- 1/3 cup maple syrup or other liquid sweetener
- 2-4 tbsp. melted coconut oil
- ½ tsp salt
- 1 tsp cinnamon*
- ½ tsp each nutmeg and all spice*
- ¼ tsp each ginger and cloves*
- 2 cups of rolled oats, I used whole, old fashioned
- ½-1 cup nuts and seeds of choice
Directions:
1. Whisk together the wet ingredients in a medium sized bowl; nut or seed butter, pumpkin puree, coconut oil, and maple syrup. Add the salt and spices and mix until well incorporated.
2. Add the rolled oats and nuts and seeds of choice. If you choose to leave nuts and seeds out, you may need to add more oats. Do so ¼ cup at a time until there is no “liquid” left at the bottom of the bowl, but the oats are not too dry. If they do become too dry, add maple syrup or pumpkin 1 tbsp. at time.
3. Once everything is mixed well, spread evenly onto a greased or silicone-mat-lined baking sheet that has edges to keep the granola on the pan.
4. Bake at 350F for 20 minutes. Remove, flip, and let bake for another 20 minutes or until golden. Test a piece by removing it from heat. If it is to the consistency that you like (I prefer crispy), you can remove the tray from the oven. If not, let stay in there for a few more moments. I also leave my granola in the oven while the oven cools. At a low temperature, the oven acts as a dehydrator and helps to remove any leftover moisture.
I hope you enjoy this fall-themed recipe that can be enjoyed all year round. I hope you use this recipe to learn more about baking and as an easy way to reduce your waste and eat healthier.
Let me know what other flavors you'd like to see me recreate.
- Emma
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