Pumpkin Apple Cranberry Harvest Granola

Happy Food Day!  I'm excited about the first Food Day and have decided to post one of my new favorite healthy fall recipes to celebrate.  Are you getting sick of pumpkin yet?  I'm not and will likely post a few more pumpkin-themed recipes before the snow starts to fall, if that ever happens in DC.

I've been working on this pumpkin granola recipe since they started carrying canned pumpkin at the grocery store.  It's a super easy recipe using canned pumpkin purée along with fresh apple purée, maple syrup, cinnamon, and nutmeg, which infuse the granola with all the best fall flavors.  You can use fresh pumpkin purée if you have it, but canned pumpkin makes the whole process really quick.  I use a combination of walnuts, almonds, and cashews because they're some of my favorite nuts, but you can adjust the combination depending on your taste.

To make a really hearty breakfast with this granola, add some cooked bulgur and/or quinoa to a bowl, pour in enough milk to soak the grains, and top the mixture with plain Greek yogurt, chopped apples, a dollop of pumpkin butter, apple butter, or sweet potato butter, a sprinkle Pumpkin Apple Harvest Granola, and a dash of cinnamon.  It's a delicious way to start the day and keeps me full even through a morning workout.

Granola also makes a great topping for ice cream and desserts (I've been enjoying it on top of homemade pumpkin frozen yogurt lately), or you can eat it on it's own with some cold milk poured on top.

Unlike most granola recipes, this recipe contains no oil.  It also contains substantially less sugar than most granolas - using puréed apple and maple syrup to naturally sweeten the granola instead of refined sugar.

Pumpkin Apple Harvest Granola (Makes 5 1/2 cups)

2 cups oats

½ cup unsweetened shredded coconut

¼ cup flaxmeal

¼ cup sunflower seeds

½ cup almonds

½ cup cashews

½ cup walnut halves and pieces

½ teaspoon cinnamon

¼ teaspoon nutmeg

½ teaspoon salt

½ cup canned or fresh pumpkin puree

1 small apple, cored and chopped into 5 pieces, or approximately ¼ cup unsweetened applesauce

¼ cup maple syrup

½ teaspoon vanilla

1/2 cup dried cranberries

1. Combine oats, coconut, flaxmeal, and sunflower seeds in a large mixing bowl. Roughly chop almonds, cashews, and walnuts and add to the oat mixture.  Add cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt to the granola mixture and stir to combine.

2. Add pumpkin, apple pieces or applesauce, maple syrup, and vanilla to a blender or food processor.  Blend about a minute, until the mixture is smooth.  Pour the pumpkin mixture over the oat mixture and stir until the entire granola mixture is coated. 

 

3. Spread the granola on a half sheet pan lined with parchment.  Bake at 350 degrees about 30 minutes – begin stirring the mixture after 15 minutes and stir about every five minutes until the granola is evenly toasted.  Be careful not to let the granola burn in the last 5-10 minutes of cooking.  

4. When the granola is evenly browned and crispy, remove it from the oven and allow it to cool in the pan placed on a cooling rack.  Add the dried cranberries to the mixture while it is warm, and stir to combine.  Allow the granola to cool completely before transferring it to any storage container.  I also like to stir the granola as it cools to keep everything crispy.

If you want to have this granola as a snack during the week, I recommend adding 1/2-cup portions to sandwich bags and storing them in the freezer to keep the granola really fresh.  Otherwise, you can transfer the granola to one large storage container and keep it in the freezer or refrigerator to extend the shelf life, though I doubt it will last much more than a week once you realize that it tastes good sprinkled over just about everything.

Nutrition facts for one 1/2-cup serving, assuming you get about 11 total servings (about 5 1/2 cups of granola): 

Nutrition Facts

Serving Size 108 g

Amount Per Serving

Calories 221 Calories from Fat 102

% Daily Value*

Total Fat 11.3g 17%

Saturated Fat 3.3g 17%

Trans Fat 0.0g

Cholesterol 0mg 0%

Sodium 76mg 3%

Total Carbohydrates 26.5g 9%

Dietary Fiber 4.6g 18%

Sugars 9.8g

Protein 5.5g

Vitamin A 35% • Vitamin C 6% Calcium 3% • Iron 8%