SURPRISE! It's another pumpkin recipe! I know you are as excited as I am. I originally planned on getting this recipe up on Monday but I started a new job this week (!!!!!!) and have been a little (super crazy) busy and distracted. Better late than never, right?

On Sunday morning, I did a segment on a local news station (Good Day Columbus) about the health benefits of pumpkin and ways to incorporate it more into your diet. Like I mentioned in my last post, pumpkin is a nutrient gold mine and I have been trying to incorporate it into my diet as much as possible lately.

The news station wanted me to give them ideas of "healthy" pumpkin foods and "non-healthy" pumpkin foods. I really wanted to bring an example of something easy and quick that you can make yourself that is packed with nutrition. I made this pumpkin granola a lot last year and thought it would be the perfect thing to bring to the station.

One of the big things I talked about during the segment was how important it is to make sure that pumpkin is an actual ingredient in foods that are marketed as "pumpkin" or "pumpkin spice". Unfortunately, many products have no pumpkin in them. As in...not one hint of pumpkin. Nothing. Zero. The producer who bought some of the pumpkin products for me to use during the segment brought a box of seemingly healthy "Pumpkin Spice Granola Bars". I was a little surprised to see that there was NO actual pumpkin in the ingredients. There were pumpkin seeds, but no actual pumpkin. Such a bummer. There are definitely products on the market that have real pumpkin in them, but it seems like it can sure be hard to find.

Which brings me back to THIS pumpkin granola recipe! This granola is extremely easy to make and is made from ingredients I already had in my pantry. I use my own "pumpkin spice" mix and lots of real pumpkin. Since I used so much pumpkin, this granola is not super crunchy. Instead, it is a bit softer, but filled with lots of nutty clusters which I love!

I have been eating it non-stop this week. I have been enjoying it in a bowl with some almond milk...on top of smoothies in the morning...and straight from the jar. I even made some banana "ice cream" the other night and put a big handful of this granola on top. Heaven.

Just like the pumpkin muffins I shared last week, this granola is not overly sweet so feel free to add more sweetener if you prefer. I love tasting the delicious pumpkin spice flavor and don't miss the overly sweet taste.

This granola is nutrient dense, filling, and full of protein, healthy fats, and fiber to keep things moving along and digesting. It is an easy way to get some REAL pumpkin into your diet without all that extra fake junk :)

Pumpkin Spice Granola (V + GF)

A hearty pumpkin granola filled with delightful spices and nourishing nuts and seeds.

|Makes about 3-4 cups|

Ingredients

1 1/2 cups rolled oats
1/2 cup raw almonds
1/2 cup raw walnuts
1 cup raw pumpkin seeds (pepitas)
1 cup pumpkin puree
3 Tbsp + 1 tsp pure maple syrup
1 Tbsp + 1 tsp coconut oil (melted)
1 1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp ginger (spice)
1/2 tsp allspice
pinch of nutmeg
pinch of salt

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees (F).
Mix all dry ingredients in a large bowl (oats, almonds, walnuts, pumpkin seeds, cinnamon, ginger, allspice, nutmeg, salt) until combined.
In a smaller bowl, mix wet ingredients (pumpkin puree, maple syrup, coconut oil) until well combined.
Stir wet ingredients into the dry ingredients until everything is combined. Spread the mixture evenly on a lined baking sheet.
Bake for 15 minutes. Stir granola with a spatula to break up some of the very large clusters then bake for another 15-20 minutes or until granola is golden brown.
Let the granola completely cool and store in an airtight container.
Enjoy!

What is your favorite way to enjoy pumpkin?

xoxo,

Lauren