Maple Pumpkin Coconut Granola

Are you a pumpkin person? You know who I’m talking about. They are the ones who can’t wait for the Pumpkin Spice Latte at Starbucks to become available- it’s like a holiday. The ones who make pumpkin risotto and pumpkin muffins and pumpkin cookies. They put pumpkin in everything- I even spotted pumpkin donuts and pumpkin butter on Pinterest. I haven’t seen the beautiful pile of gourds and pumpkins at the store yet, but with the official first day of autumn only five days away, it’s safe to say that pumpkin season is here. Pumpkin lovers rejoice! This granola is for you.

When I think of fall, I think of comfort: slippers, a cozy throw blanket, a warm cup of spiced tea. I think of something delicious bubbling on the stove, something spiced baking in the oven. I think of seasonal flavors like apples and maple and, of course, pumpkin. For this batch of granola, I basically took bits and pieces from my standby granola recipes and added some fall-ish pumpkin pie elements. The result is warmly sweet, crunchy, nutty, pumpkin-y. I started off by stirring together oats, sunflower seeds, chopped pecans and almonds, flax seed, and coconut.

Next, I whisked some melted coconut oil, brown sugar, maple syrup, and lots of warm spices: cinnamon, allspice, and nutmeg. And let’s not forget the star of the season: pumpkin puree.

I poured the bowl of pumpkin-maple goodness right into the granola mixture and mixed it really well to be sure every last nut and oat was coated. I poured the whole mess onto a cookie sheet and baked the granola for about a half an hour, stirring it every ten minutes so it browned evenly. The kitchen smelled like a heavenly combination of oatmeal cookies and pumpkin pie. YUM.

When the granola came out of the oven, it was toasted and perfect. I sprinkled a generous pinch of coarse salt over the pan while it was still warm. When the granola had cooled, I stirred in what I thought were dried cherries but turned out to be cherry-infused cranberries. Either way- delicious!

I love the texture of this granola, with the chewy coconut and tart berries and nutty crunch. Maple is my favorite fall flavor (sorry, pumpkin), and you can taste its rich sweetness in the granola. The pumpkin flavor isn’t overly strong, but makes this granola special. It’s really all about the spices- warm, comforting, and nostalgic. It’s my contribution to the pumpkin-spice addicts.

I’ll be eating my maple pumpkin coconut granola with vanilla Greek yogurt in my slippers as the temperature drops and summer bows out for the year. Farewell, warm friend. It’s pumpkin season.

Maple Pumpkin Coconut Granola

You’ll need:

•  3 cups oats
• 1/2 cup chopped pecans
• 1/2 cup chopped almonds
• 1/4 cup sunflower seeds
• 1/4 cup flax seeds
• 3/4 cup shredded coconut
• 1/3 cup packed brown sugar
• 1/2 cup pumpkin puree
• 1/3 cup maple syrup
• 1/4 cup coconut oil (melted to liquid form)
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon allspice
• 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
• Generous pinch of salt
• 3/4 cup dried cherries

Heat oven to 350 degrees.

In a large bowl, combine the oats, pecans, almonds, sunflower seeds, flax seeds, and coconut. In another bowl, whisk together the brown sugar, pumpkin puree, maple syrup, coconut oil, cinnamon, allspice, and nutmeg. Pour the wet ingredients over the granola mixture and stir well to combine. Pour the granola onto a baking sheet and bake it for about 30 minutes, making sure to stir the granola every ten minutes. When it’s done, it should be toasted and browned. Sprinkle salt over the warm granola. Once it’s cooled, stir in the dried cherries. Store in an airtight container and enjoy in your slippers as fall comes to town. YUM. 

Hungry for more? Check out the collection of recipes on the FOOD BLISS page.

One year ago: Roasted green chile stew.