Pumpkin Spice Granola (Reduced-Sugar)

Imagine a lightly sweet and cinnamon scented pumpkin spice granola studded with dried cranberries and crunchy nuts and seeds that actually contains real pumpkin and not just pumpkin spice. We’ve created just that and kept the sugar (from pure maple syrup) low for stable blood sugars all morning long.

This post was originally published on October 15th, 2016. Updated on November 4th, 2021.

Pumpkin Granola is Not Your average granola!

What makes our Pumpkin Spice Granola unique? Well, for starters, we use real pumpkin puree in the recipe and not just pumpkin pie spice. Doing so adds flavor, texture, fiber, and vitamins to create a healthy reduced-sugar granola that’s perfect for sprinkling over yogurt, enjoying with your favorite milk or non-dairy milk alternative, or simply snacking on straight from the jar.

Secondly, our pumpkin spice granola recipe uses just a half cup of pure maple syrup to make it subtly sweet while keeping the total sugars to just 7 grams per ⅓ cup serving. That’s pretty darn good when compared to store-bought granola and by making your own at home with ingredients you likely already have on hand in your pantry, you’ll also save money.

Curious about the health benefits of pumpkin? Check out this article!

Ingredients to make pumpkin spice granola

Many of these ingredients to make pumpkin granola may already be in your pantry meaning you’re just that much closer to making a batch today. Here’s what you’ll need:

• Old-fashioned rolled oats – not quick or instant; use certified gluten-free oats if needed
• Pecans – For a nut-free option replace the pecans with sunflower seeds or additional pumpkin seeds
• Pumpkin seeds – also known as pepitas
• Pumpkin puree – not pumpkin pie filling which contains added sugar and spices
• Maple syrup
• Avocado oil – or other neutral-tasting oil
• Cinnamon
• Pumpkin pie spice
• Vanilla extract
• Pinch of salt
• Dried cranberries – raisins, dried apricots, or currants also work well

How to make pumpkin spice granola

Making homemade granola at home is one of the simplest things you can do – and economical too! We make it even easier by using just one bowl and if you line your baking sheets with parchment paper, clean up is even easier. Here’s how to make a batch of low-fuss Pumpkin Granola:

1. Preheat the oven to 300℉. Line 2 large rimmed baking sheets with parchment paper.
2. Add the oats, pecans, pumpkin seeds, pumpkin puree, maple syrup, oil, cinnamon, pumpkin pie spice, vanilla, and salt to a large bowl. Stir well to combine.
3. Divide the granola mixture between the two prepared baking sheets, spreading it into an even layer.
4. Bake for 15 minutes. Rotate the pans top to bottom and bake an additional 15 minutes, checking after 5 minutes, or until the granola is golden brown and slightly crunchy.
5. Turn the oven off and with the door cracked open a few inches, allow the granola to cool completely in the oven without stirring (about 45 minutes).
6. Once the granola has cooled completely, remove the pans from oven, and stir in the dried cranberries.
7. Store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 weeks or freeze for longer storage.

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Dried fruit completes the deal

We’ve added dried cranberries to this recipe for sweet and tart contrast to the warm and spicy cinnamon and nutmeg and to give it a bit of a fiber and anti-oxidant boost. If cranberries aren’t your thing, you can replace them with raisins, dried apricots or blueberries, dried currants, or even coconut flakes.

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Pumpkin Granola: FAQs

Will this granola get crunchy if you add canned pumpkin? Yes, it does. Because we wanted to use real pumpkin instead of just pumpkin pie spice the oat mixture for this Pumpkin Spice Granola will feel wetter than other homemade granolas you’ve made in the past. Don’t panic. Lowering the oven temp to 300℉, resisting the urge to stir, and allowing the granola to cool completely in the oven ensures that you get that crunch you love in granola despite the addition of canned pumpkin (assuming you wait for it to fully cool).

Can Pumpkin Spice Granola be made nut-free? Yes! Swapping the pecans for raw sunflower seeds or additional pumpkin seeds – or even more oats – will make this granola nut-free.

Can I give this as a gift? Of course you can! Everyone loves a delicious, home-baked treat made with love. We suggest packaging pumpkin spice granola in resealable jars (we’re crazy about these Weck jars) or silicone bags (these ZipTop bags stand on their own making them easy to fill).

Are you hungry yet?

You just may want to double the batch to stash some in the freezer or give some away as a gift to a friend, neighbor, or teacher and share the pumpkin love.

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