Nov 18

Pumpkin Granola

I love this recipe because it is simple and made with clean ingredients. It’s low in sugar compared to most granola.

Ingredients:

4 cups old-fashioned rolled oats
2/3 cup unsweetened coconut (if you can only find sweetened, then cut down to 1/4 cup syrup)
1 cup of desired nuts/seeds (my favorites are pecans, almonds, walnuts, and pumpkin seeds)
1/4 cup uncooked quinoa
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
1/8 teaspoon salt
2 large egg whites
3/4 cup pumpkin puree
1/3 cup pure maple syrup or agave nectar
1/4 cup coconut oil, melted (or vegetable oil)
3 Tablespoons brown sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2/3 cup dried cranberries (dried fruit is optional)

Directions:

Preheat oven to 325F degrees. Line two large baking sheets with parchment paper. Set aside. In a large bowl, toss the oats, coconut, nuts/seeds, quinoa, cinnamon, pumpkin pie spice, and salt together until combined. Set aside. In a medium bowl, whisk the egg whites for about 1 minute. Whisk in the pumpkin puree, maple syrup, melted coconut oil, brown sugar, and vanilla until smooth and combined. Pour over dry ingredients and mix until everything is moistened. Spread onto two baking sheets and bake each batch for 30 minutes, making sure to stir the granola every 10-15 minutes to prevent burning. Allow granola to cool for 20 minutes on the baking sheets. This will help it get crunchier. Pour into a large bowl and add the dried cranberries. Cover tightly and store at room temperature for up to 2 weeks. Granola will lose its crunch overtime because of the pumpkin.