Pumpkin maple nut granola, this might sound a little late and off placed for this season. Fall has been long forgotten and we are almost mid way through the winters, gorging onto hearty comforting meals and hot soups. But what would you do if you have loads of frozen pumpkin lying in the freezer for almost over 2 months now.
I got this big stash of leftover roasted pumpkin from the giant pumpkin I got for making this wonderful roasted pumpkin and apple soup last year during autumn {and you know what, there is still some left even after making this granola, so expect some more off season leftover pumpkin recipes to come by here}.
And I think winters are the perfect time to bake some granola too, when you get super lazy all wrapped up in the blanket and find it immensely hard to get up on time early in the morning and make yourself a good breakfast. My body just goes to hibernate and I am almost everyday running for the office in the morning, that is when I think this granola kind of breakfast comes in super handy.
And it is good enough to save you off the inflicted laziness of the winters. It’s full of fiber, nutrients, loads of dried fruits and nuts, which are really essential to keep your body warm too. I sweetened this granola using maple syrup and some demerara brown sugar. It’s recipe which I kind of developed myself adapting from some of my previously tried out granola recipes.
This one is amazing and keeps good for a very long time. The granola is crispier and gets some natural sweetness from the pumpkin too. You can add any mix of nuts and dried fruits to it, almonds, walnuts, pistachios, coconut, dried berries, or even summer fruits like dried apricots too, basically whichever you fancy and whatever you have at hand.
- 3 cups rolled oats
- 1 1/4 cups whole almonds
- 1/2 cup raw pumpkin seeds
- 1/3 cup pumpkin puree
- 1/4 cup light olive oil
- 1/3 cup maple syrup
- 3 tbsp demerara sugar
- 1/4 tsp of sea salt
- 3/4 tsp pumpkin pie spice
- 1 cup mixed dried fruit (raisins, berries, apricots)
- 1/3 cup coconut chips
- Preheat oven to 170 degree C. Line two baking sheet with either parchment paper or silicon mat and set aside.
- Mix the oats, almonds, pumpkin seeds, spices, sugar, and salt together in a bowl.
- Mix in olive oil, maple syrup and pumpkin puree and mix with a wooden spoon.
- Spread the mixture evenly onto prepared baking sheets and bake for 25-30 minutes.
- Rotate the pans at the halfway point of baking time, to ensure even cooking.
- Once the granola is golden brown, remove from oven and let cool completely {It will crisp up as it cools}.
- Once cooled, mix in the dried fruits and coconut chips.
- Transfer to an airtight container.
