A homemade granola recipe perfect for fall, this pumpkin spice granola is sweetened with maple syrup and flavored with – you guessed it –  pumpkin pie spice. Pepitas and dried cranberries round out this breakfast treat.

I’m on the bandwagon. Let’s pumpkin-spice everything. Starting with boring ol’ granola.

Feelings of adoration towards granola are fairly new to me. I was never much of a granola fan because I just didn’t get it. Why eat this calorie-dense food that doesn’t even fill me up?

A warm bowl of oatmeal would be so much more filling. A bowl of cold cereal would be so much more tasty.

Then I started looking at granola as less of a meal and more as a condiment. A fun little breakfast add-on of sorts. Like sprinkles.

Give me a cupcake? I’m grateful. Give me a cupcake with sprinkles? I’m gleeful. So granola is basically like breakfast sprinkles. 🙂

Ironically, I started eating boring ‘ol granola because I was bored with my standard yogurt breakfast. Once I started adding a little granola on top, it became much more tasty and much less boring.

Today, I almost always have a container of homemade granola in the pantry. It’s easy to make, and with seemingly endless flavor combinations, it’s a fun way to make something familiar yet new.

The granola I’m sharing here fits fall perfectly. It’s sweetened with maple syrup, flavored with pumpkin pie spice, and accompanied by pepitas and dried cranberries.

I’m pretending here that I have time to eat a pretty bowl of yogurt with granola and fruit in the mornings. It’s cute, but rather unrealistic.

Most mornings I’m pouring a tablespoon or two from a baggie that I pre-portioned the night before into a cup of siggi’s. I wolf it down – armed too with a cup of coffee – as I start the day. It’s an easy way to get off to a good start. Enjoy!

Pumpkin Spice Granola

Yield: 5 cups

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Cook Time: 30 minutes

Total Time: 45 minutes

This pumpkin spice granola is sweetened with maple syrup and flavored with – you guessed it – pumpkin pie spice. Pepitas and dried cranberries round out this breakfast staple.

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Ingredients

• 2 cups old-fashioned oats
• 1/2 cup unsweetened, shredded coconut
• 2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup maple syrup
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 1/2 cup roasted pepitas
• 1/2 cup dried cranberries

Instructions

1. Combine the oats, unsweetened shredded coconut, pumpkin pie spice, and salt in a large bowl.
2. In a smaller bowl, stir together the maple syrup, olive oil, and vanilla extract.
3. Pour the wet ingredients over the dry ingredients in the large bowl and stir to combine.
4. Spread the mixture across a baking sheet and bake at 350 degrees F for 30 minutes, stirring every 10 minutes, until the granola is toasted and slightly crisp.
5. Allow the granola to cool, then stir in the roasted pepitas and dried cranberries.
6. Store in an airtight container for up to one month.

Notes

Note that this recipe calls for adding roasted pepitas after the granola comes out of the oven. If you have unroasted pepitas, you'll want to bake them with the granola instead.