breakfast friday | Pumpkin Maple Pecan Granola
/A little crunch + splash for your Thanksgiving morning breakfast.
This recipe is simple and to the point. I went with a forever dreamy combination of oats, pecans, and walnuts for the base. The pumpkin spice flavor and subtle maple sweetness pack each crunchy bite. A few chopped dates are added for caramel-like flavor and chew. This is everything I like about granola. Crispy, not oily, and lightly sweetened.
I learned a few new granola baking trips from the talented Melissa over at The Fauxmartha and thought I would try them out with this batch. My favorite tip was to hold off on adding the nuts until the last bit of cook time. This ensures they will have a buttery and lightly toasted flavor. No burnt nuts in this batch!
Now, on with the show.
with a few granola baking tips from the fauxmartha
Pumpkin Maple Pecan Granola
gluten-free, vegan // yields 5-6 cups
for the wet mixture:
- 1/2 cup pumpkin puree
- 1/3 cup pure maple syrup
- 3 tablespoons unrefined coconut oil, melted
- 1-2 tablespoons muscovado sugar, or coconut sugar/sucanat/brown sugar
- 1 vanilla bean scraped, about 1/4 teaspoon
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon
- 1/2-3/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon ginger
- 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
- 1/4 teaspoon all spice
- 1/8 teaspoon clove
for the dry:
- 2 1/2 cups gluten-free rolled oats
- 2/3 cup pecans, chopped
- 1/3 cup walnuts, chopped
- 6-8 chopped + pitted medjool dates*
Preheat your oven to 325* F. Line a large rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper. In a large bowl whisk together all wet mixture ingredients until fully combined. Remove 2 tablespoons from the mixture and set aside. Stir the rolled oats into the wet mixture [big bowl] until fully coated. Spread evenly on the parchment and bake for 30 minutes stirring once halfway through.
While baking combine the nuts with the remaining 2 tablespoons of wet mixture until fully coated. After the 30 minutes toss the nut mixture with the oats and spread evenly on the pan. Bake for another 12-15 minutes until golden brown. Mixture will still feel soft. Reserving the nuts for the last 12-15 minutes ensures they will not burn.
Mix chopped dates in. Allow to fully cool. Granola will crisp once fully cooled. Store in an airtight jar in the fridge for up to a few weeks.
Serve with chia pudding, oatmeal, yogurt, milk of choice, overnight oats, etc.
*If your dates are really soft/mushy be sure to store granola in the fridge to maintain maximum crispness. Or, reserve the dates and add to each serving before eating.
