Pumpkin Granola for Breakfast & Snacking
We love to have granola around for breakfast, to use as a topping for lactose-free yogurt and to eat out of hand as a snack. Hopefully the recipe title Maple Pumpkin Spice Granola with Pecans caught your eye.
This is one of those combos that I can taste in my mind; know what I mean? The autumn flavor of pumpkin and the combo of spices all equals yumminess in my book. The pecans toast and crisp up along with the rolled oats and spices making the whole shebang more than a sum of its parts.
This is almost like a dessert in flavor, except that the sweetness level is actually kept in check. Even with the combo of brown sugar and maple syrup, this granola is not too sweet.
Versatile Pumpkin…and Oats!
Canned pumpkin purée is one of our favorite convenience products and we use it in savory dishes as well as sweet. Read more about it in our Explore an Ingredient section. Turn to that part of the site to read about Oats, as well.
Oligos Awareness
Portion control counts here folks! ½ cup (52 g) of raw rolled oats is considered an appropriate Green Light serving (although one could argue this point, which we discuss in our Explore an Ingredient for Oats).
This granola has the addition of pumpkin purée and nuts and all told, can create a FODMAP load that might be too much for you, which is why we suggest you try ¼ cup (30 g) of the granola as a starting point.
If you have gone through the Challenge Phase and know that Oligos are hard for your body, then you could even try 2 tablespoons over some yogurt as a point of departure. I seem to have a complicated relationship with oats, which you can read more about in our Explore and Ingredient on Oats.
Always listen to your body!
Speaking of Oligos, see our Tips for information about adding dried cranberries, which we did for some of the images. They are optional.
And BTW, pumpkin can be savory, like our Roasted Pumpkin Quinoa salad.
Maple Pumpkin Spice Granola with Pecans
This granola tastes like pumpkin pie! Oats are combined with pumpkin purée and spices to create a dessert worthy treat - healthy enough for a morning meal.
Low FODMAP Serving Size Info: Makes about 5 ½ cups (1.3 L); serving size ¼ cup (30 g)
Ingredients:
- 3 cups (300 g) old-fashioned gluten-free rolled oats
- 3/4 cup (75 g) pecan halves
- 2 teaspoons cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon ginger
- 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
- 1/8 teaspoon salt
- Pinch cloves
- 1/2 cup (135 g) pure pumpkin purée, such as Libby’s
- 1/3 cup (75 ml) maple syrup
- 1/3 cup (75 ml) vegetable oil, such as canola or rice bran
- 1/4 cup (54 g) firmly packed light brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 1/2 cup (80 g) dried cranberries, optional - see Tips
Preparation:
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Position rack in middle of oven. Preheat oven to 325°F/165°C. Have ready a rimmed baking sheet pan and set aside.
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Stir together the oats, pecans, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, salt and cloves in a mixing bowl until combined.
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In a separate bowl whisk together the pumpkin purée, maple syrup, oil, brown sugar and vanilla until smooth and combined.
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Stir together the wet and dry mixtures with a firm wooden spoon until everything is mixed well. Or do what we do and dump everything in bowl of stand mixer and use a flat paddle to mix ingredients on low speed until combined.
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Scrape out onto pan in an even layer. Bake for 20 minutes, then toss granola around with a large spatula to rotate all surfaces so that the granola bakes evenly. Bake for about 20 minutes more or until just beginning to take on a hint of color and you begin to smell the ridiculously toasty and enticing aromas. Cool pan on rack. Store at room temperature in airtight container for up to 3 weeks.
Notes:
Tips
- You could try adding a few dried cranberries if you like, but remember that they add to the Oligos load.
Nutrition
All nutritional information is based on third-party calculations and should be considered estimates. Actual nutritional content will vary with brands used, measuring methods, portion sizes and more. For a more detailed explanation, please read our article Understanding The Nutrition Panel Within Our Recipes.
Love it! Very yummy! Be careful to get it onto a rack quickly to cool. Do not cool on your stovetop which will be hot and may continue to “cook” your granola (learned from my mistake!)
Ahhh residual heat! Something to be mindful of when baking cookies as well!
Delicious. I used 1/2 the brown sugar and will skip next time. It’s not too sweet but I try to go as light as possible on the sugar.
Hi Stacy, thank you for letting us know you can reduce the sugar with great results!