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It’s Fall, Ya’ll – Time to Break Out the Pumpkin Spice!
It’s finally that time of year when the air gets cold, the boots come on, and all of the yummy fall recipes with pumpkin pie spice surface – which is why I figured putting a pumpkin twist on my favorite homemade granola recipe just made sense!
Granola is super easy to make at home, and I love how customizable it is. I like to adjust my homemade granola flavors depending on the season. Cinnamon and pumpkin spice are my two favorite fall flavors, so this specific granola recipe incorporates both of them, along with pumpkin seeds to make this pumpkin recipe extra autumn.
5 Reasons Why You Should Be Making Granola at Home
The cereal aisle at your local grocery store is probably packed with different delicious types of granola, but here are 5 reasons why you should consider making your granola from scratch:
- Ingredients: So many pre-made/processed foods have hidden ingredients and preservatives, but when you cook from scratch you know exactly what’s going into your food and can control the nutrients and sweeteners you put into it.
- Customizable Flavor: Homemade granola is easy to customize based on what ingredients you have at home and what flavors you’re craving! You can opt for fall flavors like this Pumpkin Pie Spice Granola, go for a cozy chocolate granola, or add dehydrated fruit for a brighter granola in the spring and summer.
- Cost Effective: Good granola can get… EXPENSIVE. You can make large batches of granola at home with your own ingredients for a fraction of the cost!
- Refined Sugar-Free: Many store-bought cereals and granolas are loaded with refined sugars. By making granola at home, you can use natural sweeteners like honey and organic maple syrup instead.
- Reduce Kitchen Waste: I love to get scrappy in the kitchen, and granola is the perfect pantry clean-out snack because you can put whatever you have left into it. I usually throw various nuts, seeds, dried fruits, and oats that are nearing the end of their life into it to give them a new life as something delicious!
Customize Your Granola: Testing Different Seeds, Spices, and Sweeteners
Granola is so easy to customize based on what flavors you want and ingredients you have on hand! Start with a base of oats, then add 1/2 portions of your favorite larger nuts and seeds and 1/4 portion of smaller seeds. This recipe uses chopped almonds and pumpkin seeds, but walnuts, cashews, and pecans would also be great additions! When I have sesame seeds and chia seeds on hand I love adding them in, too!
Experiment with different spices when making your granola – this recipe uses cinnamon and pumpkin pie spice, but you can omit those or add anything else you like! Around Christmas time, cloves are a great addition to granola as well.
Adjust your granola to be as sweet, salty, or neutral as you like. This recipe calls for maple syrup, but honey is another great alternative sweetener. Adding dates would also help sweeten the granola naturally! Check out my recipe for homemade date caramel if you too love dates.
How to Make Granola at Home
Making homemade granola is easy – it comes together in one bowl and only uses a baking sheet or two depending on how much or how little you want to make. Here is how to make granola:
Preheat your Oven: Granola is a lower and slower dish to bake. Preheat your oven to 325 F.
Combine Your Dry Ingredients: In a medium-sized bowl, combine your oats, almonds, pumpkin seeds, cinnamon, pumpkin pie spice, and salt.
Add Your Sweetener: Add your maple syrup to the bowl with your dry ingredients and mix until everything is combined.
Bake Your Granola: Carefully dump your granola mixture onto a parchment-lined baking sheet and spread it evenly across the pan. Place in the oven and bake for 20-25 minutes until your granola is crispy and golden brown.
Enjoy it alone or with your favorite yogurt or milk!
For details and visuals, check out the how-to video below. Enjoy your homemade granola!
Ingredients:
- Oats
- Chopped Almonds
- Pumpkin Seeds
- Maple Syrup
- Cinnamon
- Pumpkin Pie Spice
- Salt
Full Pumpkin Spice Granola Recipe:
Print
How to Make Granola: Pumpkin Spice Granola for Fall
- Yield: 2 cups 1x
Ingredients
- 1 c oats
- 1/2 c chopped almonds
- 1/2 c pumpkin seeds
- 1 tsp cinnamon
- 1 tsp pumpkin spice
- 1/3 c maple syrup
- Dash of salt
Instructions
- Preheat your Oven: Preheat your oven to 325 F.
- Combine Your Dry Ingredients: In a medium-sized bowl, combine your oats, almonds, pumpkin seeds, cinnamon, pumpkin pie spice, and salt.
- Add Your Sweetener: Add your maple syrup to the bowl with your dry ingredients and mix until everything is combined.
- Bake Your Granola: Carefully dump your granola mixture onto a parchment-lined baking sheet and spread it evenly across the pan. Place in the oven and bake for 20-25 minutes until your granola is crispy and golden brown. Remove from the oven and allow your granola to cool before storing it in a container with a lid.
For more recipes like this one, follow me on social media at @dinneratallis!