pumpkin pie granola

I'm a creature of habit when it comes to breakfasts. I'll settle on a routine and eat the same thing for breakfast for weeks on end. Sometimes it's eggs, sometimes it's oatmeal; but these days it's granola and greek yogurt. For someone who bakes quite often, I've been surprisingly hesitant about making my own granola at home. But now that I have my first homemade granola under my belt, I'm itching to experiment with more. Making granola at home is easy and way more affordable than the pricey granolas I love from Whole Foods.



Since it's fall and I'm, well, pretty much obsessed with pumpkin... I decided to bake up a batch of pumpkin pie granola, inspired by Dashing Dish. I'm sharing the base of the recipe here, but the options are endless for you in terms of the mix-ins you prefer.

ingredients

4 cups old-fashioned rolled oats
1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
2 teaspoons cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon ginger
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 cup chopped walnuts
3/4 cup canned pumpkin puree
3 tablespoons honey
1/2 cup applesauce
mix-ins, such as: 1/2 cup nut of your choice (in place of walnuts), 1/2 cup chocolate chips, 1/2 cup butterscotch chips, 1/2 cup dried cranberries, 1/2 cup raisins, 1/2 cup pepitas, etc 

directions

1. Preheat oven to 325°F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
2. In one bowl, combine the oats, pumpkin pie spice, cinnamon, ginger, sugar, salt, baking powder, and chopped walnuts. 
3. In a second bowl, mix together the pumpkin puree, honey and applesauce.
4. Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and stir to combine, until the dry ingredients are evenly coated.
5. Spread onto baking sheets. If you like chunky granola, take care to leave some clumps.
6. Bake for 15 minutes, then remove from oven and stir well. 
7. Bake for a second 15 minutes, then remove and stir well.
8. Bake for a third 15 minutes, watching carefully to ensure granola doesn't burn. Continue in intervals of approximately 5 minutes if the granola is not browned and crispy after 45 minutes.
9. Remove from oven and allow to cool completely.
10. Stir in your mix-ins, such as chocolate chips or cranberries.
11. Store in a sealed air-tight container. 



hugs,
sharyn