Baking with Basil

One of my favorite fall breakfasts is warm apple with granola.  I slice up an apple, heat it in the microwave for 30-45 seconds and then top with cinnamon, granola, and dried fruit.  Quick, simple, easy and wholesome!!  Last year my mom was on a granola kick and since I haven’t been home in awhile to grab any of hers, I decided to try to make my own this year.  It was like it was fate or something because the day I was thinking about this, I hopped over to a blog that I read all the time and she had posted this recipe.  If that isn’t a sign, right?!?!

The smell of the granola while it was baking was so wonderfully fall!!  I might even make this before people come over just because the house smells amazing!  The recipe came together very quick and the thing I liked most about it was that it didn’t call for butter or oil.  Granola can be tricky like that sometimes and hide stuff that’s really not needed.  One word of caution I will give you is this recipe makes A LOT!  The first time I made it I put it all on one pan and it was too crowded and never got crunchy.  I would suggest spreading it out onto two pans or half the recipe.  Other than that, this pumpkin granola has been a staple in my breakfast all week.

(Printable Recipe)

Pumpkin Granola

Recipe from Two Peas and Their Pod

Ingredients

• 5 cups rolled oats
• 1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
• ¾ tsp. salt
• ¾ cup brown sugar
• ½ cup pumpkin puree
• ¼ cup applesauce
• ¼ cup maple syrup
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 3/4 cup dried cranberries
• 1/2 cup pepitas

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.

Notes

• Make sure granola is evenly spread out on pan while baking to achieve crunchy results.
• May need to bake longer than time recommended.  I checked mine every 5-10 minutes after (40 minutes recipe calls for) and stirred between each time.
• Granola will continue to crisp up a little more after you remove it from the oven.