Nutty Pumpkin Granola

  Heidi Stohs sent this recipe with rave reviews. And, since I had 1/3 cup pumpkin left from her recipe for Pumpkin-Pecan Cookies with Browned Butter Frosting, it seemed only fitting to give it a try. She uses it atop her Greek yogurt and also suggests it as a green salad topping. (It’s good for snacking, too.)

     The recipe that Heidi sent was an adaptation of one from Ellie Krieger who is well known for her healthy cooking and emphasis on nutrition. So, it should not be a surprise that this granola has NO added oil and is full of healthy ingredients. I made a few additional adaptions and here is my version . . .

We buy oats, spices & other basics at
Glens' Bulk Food Shoppe in Pleasantview,
6405 W. Morgan Ave.,
Hutchinson, KS 67501.

Nutty Pumpkin Granola     Makes about 3 cups of granola

1½  cups rolled oats


¼ cup chopped raw or slivered almonds


¼ cup chopped walnuts


¼ cup pepitas
(pumpkin seeds)

¼ cup sunflower seeds

2 tablespoons flax seeds

1/8 teaspoon salt


3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon


1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg


1/4 teaspoon ground cloves


1/8 teaspoon ground ginger


1/8 teaspoon ground allspice


1/3 cup pumpkin puree
 (plain w/out added sugar or spices)

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract


¼ cup blue agave syrup (see below) or 1/3 cup pure maple syrup


1/3 cup dried cranberries

1.     Preheat the oven to 300°; spray a baking sheet with nonstick spray.

2.     Mix together the oats, nuts, salt, and spices. Then, stir in the pumpkin puree, vanilla, agave or maple syrup and cranberries. Be sure everything is well combined.

3.     Spread the mixture onto the prepared baking sheet and bake for 30 to 40 minutes, stirring occasionally, until golden brown and crisp. The granola will crisp up a bit more after it’s out of the oven, too. (I baked mine just a bit longer . . . until it was fairly dry.)

About Agava . . .

·      Agava nectar or syrup is a sweeter from the agave plant. It is sweeter than honey and most other syrups and sugars . . . so you can use less to get the same level of sweetness. There are actually several types of agave plants yielding light colored to dark colored nectar; blue agave is most common.

·      Agava nectar scores a 30 or less on the glycemic index; 55 or below is classified as low glycemic. It provides natural sweetness without the typical blood sugar spike resulting from other sweeteners.

·      While agave (pronounced ah-GAH-vay) is best recognized as the plant from which tequila is made, it has also been used for thousands of years as an ingredient in food. The nectar made from the plant is known in Mexico as aguamiel, or "honey water."

Also on this site: Everyday Healthy Granola