Pumpkin Granola

Oh, glorious Fall. I am thoroughly enjoying your presence and all the pumpkin related foods you bring!

I haven't had a lot of luck with granola in the past, mainly because I like it sweet...never want to add enough sugar in hopes of keeping it healthy. I also leave out a lot of the oil usually so it's not as fattening. (At least I can identify my issues...right?! hehe) This recipe is awesome though because it has a lot less sugar (though still a decent amount) and NO oil! Woot woot!! 

So far we've had this in milk, on yogurt, and just for general snacking! It's realllly good!  

Crunchy perfection <3

 Pumpkin Granola 

(Recipe adapted from Two Peas and Their Pod)

Ingredients:

5 cups rolled oats
1.5 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
1 teaspoon cinnamon
¾ tsp. salt
¾ cup brown sugar, not packed
½ cup pumpkin puree
¼ cup applesauce
¼ cup maple syrup (you can cut this amount down with agave, but I didn't have any on hand)
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 cup walnuts, chopped
3/4 cup dried cranberries
1/2 cup pepitas (I didn't have any of these, but they would have been yummy!)

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 325° F. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside.
2. In a large bowl, combine oats, spices, and salt. Mix well.
3. In a medium bowl, whisk together brown sugar, pumpkin puree, applesauce, maple syrup and vanilla extract. Whisk until smooth. Pour wet ingredients into oat mixture and stir until the oats are evenly coated. They will be moist. Evenly spread the mixture onto the prepared baking sheet.
4. Bake for 20 minutes. Remove pan from the oven and stir. Bake for an additional 15-20 minutes or until the granola is golden and crisp. Remove from the oven and stir in dried cranberries and pepitas. Let cool completely. Store in an airtight container.