Pumpkin Granola Clusters (Print Version)
# Ingredients:
→ Dry Base
01 -
3 1/2 cups traditional rolled oats
02 -
1/2 cup pepitas
03 -
1/2 cup broken or whole pecans
04 -
1/2 cup tightly packed unsweetened coconut flakes
05 -
1/4 cup raw quinoa
06 -
2 tablespoons chia seeds (if you want)
→ Spices
07 -
2 teaspoons cinnamon powder
08 -
1 teaspoon pumpkin spice blend
09 -
1/2 teaspoon powdered ginger
10 -
1/8 teaspoon fine sea salt
→ Wet Ingredients
11 -
1/2 cup plain pumpkin puree (not the pie mix)
12 -
1/3 cup real maple syrup
13 -
2 tablespoons honey or agave
14 -
1/2 cup coconut oil (or any veggie oil)
15 -
1 teaspoon vanilla
→ Optional Mix-ins
16 -
Dried cherries
17 -
Dried cranberries
18 -
Almonds cut into slices
19 -
Chocolate bits (mix in after cooking)
20 -
Peanut butter chips (mix in after cooking)
# Instructions:
01 -
Space two racks evenly in your oven. Turn oven to 325°F. Cover two baking sheets with parchment or silicone mats so nothing sticks and cleanup's a breeze.
02 -
Grab a big bowl and dump in your oats, pepitas, pecans, coconut, raw quinoa, chia seeds if you're using them, and all your spices (the cinnamon, pumpkin spice, and ginger). Mix everything around so the spices get everywhere.
03 -
In another bowl, stir together your pumpkin, maple syrup, honey or agave, coconut oil, vanilla, and sea salt. Stir it all up till it's smooth. Make sure your coconut oil isn't solid. If it is, warm it up a bit first.
04 -
Pour all your wet stuff over the dry ingredients and stir really well. You want every bit of the dry stuff to get wet. This'll help make those yummy crunchy bits when it bakes.
05 -
If you want those big crunchy clusters, grab small spoonfuls of the mix and squeeze them into little balls. Do as many or few as you like. More balls means more clusters in your finished batch.
06 -
Split the mixture between your two sheets and spread it out flat. Pop them in the hot oven for about 40 minutes total. Every 10-15 minutes, take them out and stir everything around, flipping the bigger pieces so they get crispy all over.
07 -
When done, pull the sheets out and don't touch anything for at least 20 minutes. Don't worry if it feels soft. It'll get super crunchy as it cools down. Once it's totally cool, put it in a container that seals tight. It'll stay good for a week on your counter.
08 -
The pumpkin might make your granola get a bit soft after a few days. No problem. Just spread it on a baking sheet and put it back in a 325°F oven for 10-15 minutes. Let it cool completely and it'll be crunchy again.
# Notes:
01 -
This granola's just lightly sweet with only natural sugars. We skipped all the refined stuff, so it's better for breakfast or snacking.
02 -
Adding raw quinoa gives you extra protein and makes the clusters extra crunchy.
03 -
Want it sweeter? Just bump up the honey or agave to 1/4 cup total.