Rolled oats combine with maple syrup, pumpkin puree, pecans, pumpkin seeds (pepitas), warm spices and dried cranberries in this easy and delicious pumpkin granola.
Bring a little Fall to your breakfast with this easy and delicious granola with pumpkin seeds and flavoured with pumpkin puree. Sweetened with maple syrup, flavoured with pumpkin puree and warm spices and then mixed together with pecans, pepitas and dried cranberries. You’ll only need 1/2 cup of pumpkin puree so it’s perfect for that bit of leftover canned pumpkin.
Ingredients and substitutions
Rolled Oats – Start with large-flake, old-fashioned rolled oats. Quick or instant oats are not recommended.
Pecans -I love pecans in this granola, but walnuts would also work. For a nut-free granola, you can omit the nuts.
Pumpkin puree – For best results start with canned pure pumpkin puree. While canned pumpkin pie filling would probably work here, as it is pre-spiced you’d want to reduce or eliminate the added spices.
Maple syrup – I love maple syrup for the added flavour, but honey would also work (as would agave or brown rice syrup). I find honey makes for a crispier granola, if that is a priority for you.
Brown sugar – In addition to the maple syrup, a bit of brown sugar is added. Beyond a bit of extra sweetness, the brown sugar helps to coat the oats nicely.
Vanilla – A dash of vanilla adds another bit of flavour. You can omit if you don’t have any on hand.
Cinnamon, nutmeg and ginger – The combination of 3 warm spices channels the Fall flavours of pumpkin spice. If you prefer, you can use all cinnamon instead.
Pumpkin seeds (pepitas) – Start with raw pumpkin seeds, as they will “toast” along with the granola in the oven. You can substitute sunflower seeds if you like. If you only have roasted pumpkin seeds, add them at the end with the cranberries.
Oil – I prefer a neutral cooking oil such as vegetable or canola, but olive oil will also work.
Dried cranberries – Dried cranberries add great colour and flavour. Do note that they are added at the end of cooking. You could substitute raisins for the cranberries if you like.
How to make pumpkin granola
- Start by combining the rolled oats, pumpkin seeds (pepitas) and pecans in a large bowl.
- In a 2-cup measure, stir together the pumpkin puree, maple syrup, brown sugar, oil and spices.
- Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and stir well to thoroughly coat the oats.
- Spread the mixture evenly onto a large baking sheet and bake for 25-30 minutes, stirring every 10 minutes.
- Remove from the oven and scatter the dried cranberries over top. Allow to stand undisturbed for 10 minutes.
- Stir the granola and then allow to cool completely before transferring to an airtight container.
Recipe tips!
- While there is pumpkin puree in the mixture, the end flavour is quite subtle. Combined with the Fall spices though, the finished granola certainly channels the classic Fall flavours.
- If you’d like a spicier granola, feel free to increase the spices a bit to your taste.
- Allow the granola to cool completely before transferring to a storage container.
Pumpkin spice variation
Instead of the 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon, use 1/4 teaspoon each of cinnamon, ginger and nutmeg.
Storing and freezing granola
Homemade granola will keep for up to 4 weeks when stored at room temperature in an airtight container. Store in a cool, dry and dark place for longest shelf-life.
If you live in a very hot and humid climate, storing in the refrigerator is probably a better option to extend the shelf-life.
Homemade granola can be frozen. You can portion out small containers and freeze them for up to 3 months. To thaw, just set it on the counter for 10 or 15 minutes. Dried fruit sometimes gets hard through the freezing, so you may want to add it after freezing and before serving.
How to use this pumpkin spice granola
- Use it as a topping for yogurt or a smoothie bowl.
- Enjoy as is with a little milk.
- Toss some in with regular cereal.
- Use to make your own trail mix by adding more dried fruit, seeds and nuts.
- Use it to make homemade energy/protein bites.
- Use it to make your own granola bars.
- Sprinkle some on your Fall salads.
- Use as a topping for baked apples.
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Get the Recipe: Pumpkin Granola
Ingredients
Dry ingredients:
- 4 cups large-flake rolled oats
- 1/2 cup pecans, chopped
- 1/2 cup raw pumpkin seeds (pepitas)
Wet ingredients:
- 1/3 cup maple syrup, or honey
- 3 Tablespoons brown sugar
- 3 Tablespoons vegetable or canola oil
- 1/2 cup canned pumpkin puree
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon, *see Variation in notes below
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
Added after baking:
- 1/2 cup dried cranberries
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350F (non-convection) and have a large baking sheet at the ready.
- In a large bowl, add the rolled oats, pumpkin seeds and pecans. Stir together.
- In a small bowl or a 2-cup measuring cup, combine the maple syrup, brown sugar, oil, pumpkin puree, vanilla, cinnamon and salt. Stir together well.
- Add the wet ingredients to the bowl with the oats. Use a large spoon to stir together well, ensuring that all the oats are well coated with the pumpkin mixture.
- Spread the granola mixture onto the baking sheet in a thin, even layer.
- Bake the granola for 25-30 minutes, stirring every 10 minutes, until dried and golden.
- Remove from oven and scatter the dried cranberries over top. Don't stir in just yet. Allow to stand for 10 minutes, then stir the mixture. Allow to cool further until completely cooled before transferring to an airtight container.
- Granola will keep well for up to 4 weeks, stored at room temperature in a cool, dark place .
Notes
- Nutritional information is for a 1/4 cup serving.
- If you’d like a spicier granola, feel free to increase the spices a bit to your taste. You could also replace the 3-spice mix with 3/4 teaspoon of cinnamon instead if you prefer.
- If you live in a very hot and humid climate, storing in the refrigerator is probably a better option to extend the shelf-life.
- Homemade granola can be frozen. You can portion out small containers and freeze them for up to 3 months. To thaw, just set it on the counter for 10 or 15 minutes. Dried fruit sometimes gets hard through the freezing, so you may want to add it after freezing and before serving.
- Pumpkin Spice Variation: Instead of the 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon, use 1/4 teaspoon each of cinnamon, ginger and nutmeg.
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Hi! I’m Jennifer, a home cook schooled by trial and error and almost 40 years of getting dinner on the table! I love to share my favourite recipes, both old and new, together with lots of tips and tricks to hopefully help make your home cooking enjoyable, stress free, rewarding and of course, delicious!
Great recipe, really liked the subtle pumpkin spice flavor. Added some diced candied ginger I’d just gotten for a bit of extra zing!
Thanks Sharon and I love the candied ginger addition!
Sounds delicious! Our household only uses steel cut oats. Can they be substituted for the rolled? Thanks!
Hi Suz and yes, you could substitute steel cut oats, with a couple of caveats. First, as steel cut oats are finer, you may not need 4 cups. I would start with 3 cups and add more as needed after adding the wet ingredients. You just want to be sure all the oats are nicely coated in the pumpkin mixture. Secondly, steel cut oat granola will probably need less oven time, so watch closely and stir often. The finished granola will be crispier than with rolled oats, as well.
Thanks for getting back to me! Trying this today!