Description
This Pecan Pumpkin Granola is an easy and quick fall breakfast with simple pantry ingredients and the best cozy pumpkin spice flavor. It is healthy enough for meal prep and special enough for brunch and holiday mornings. Use these ideas for yogurt bowls and snack cups and party jars because every crunchy cluster tastes homemade and warm. Keep a batch ready for busy mornings and sprinkle it over fruit or enjoy it by the handful.
Ingredients
- 3 cups Old fashioned oats
- 1 cup Raw pecan halves
- 1/2 cup Pumpkin seeds
- 1/2 cup Pumpkin puree
- 1/3 cup Maple syrup
- 1/4 cup Melted coconut oil
- 2 tablespoons Brown sugar
- 2 teaspoons Pumpkin pie spice
- 1 teaspoon Vanilla extract
- 1/2 teaspoon Fine sea salt
- 1/2 cup Dried cranberries
Instructions
- Add the oats and pecans and pumpkin seeds and pumpkin pie spice and salt to a large mixing bowl. The dry mixture changes from plain oats into a speckled fall blend with rough pecan pieces and green seeds scattered unevenly through the bowl.
- Add pumpkin puree and maple syrup and melted coconut oil and brown sugar and vanilla to a smaller bowl. The mixture changes into a glossy orange coating with tiny darker sugar streaks and a thicker texture that will cling to the oats.
- Pour the pumpkin maple coating over the oat mixture and fold until the oats look darker and slightly sticky. The dry ingredients change into a clumpy orange tinted mixture with pecans partly coated and seeds tucked between uneven oat clusters.
- Transfer the coated granola onto a sheet pan and spread it into a rough uneven layer. The mixture changes from a bowl of sticky clumps into a flat baking layer with thicker patches near the center and loose oats around the edges.
- Bake the granola until the edges turn golden and the pecans look toasted and darker. The soft sticky mixture changes into crisp browned clusters with uneven color and some deeper toasted spots along the corners.
- Scatter dried cranberries over the cooled granola and scoop a single portion onto a white plate. The finished granola changes into a colorful serving with crisp clusters and chewy red fruit and rough homemade pieces that are not perfectly shaped.
Notes
Pro Tips:
- Let the granola cool fully on the pan before breaking it apart so the clusters set into crunchy pieces.
- Use old fashioned oats instead of quick oats because they hold shape better and create a heartier homemade texture.
- Add dried fruit only after baking so the cranberries stay chewy and bright instead of hard and dark.
- Press the mixture lightly on the pan before baking if you want larger clusters with crisp uneven edges.
Storage: Let the granola cool completely before storing because trapped steam can soften the crisp clusters. Keep Pecan Pumpkin Granola in an airtight jar or container at room temperature for up to 1 week. For longer storage freeze the cooled granola in a sealed freezer bag and press out extra air before sealing. If the granola softens after a few days spread it on a sheet pan and warm it briefly until the clusters feel crisp again.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 30 minutes
- Category: Breakfast
- Cuisine: American