Nothing is better on cool fall mornings than a bowlful of nutty, crunchy, and oh-so-delicious Pumpkin Spice Granola. Sweet and crunchy and with plenty of clusters, this granola is the perfect start to any day.
Easy Homemade Granola
Granola is delicious, there’s no doubt, but it’s also good for you. With a touch of sweetness from the maple syrup, plenty of pecans, and fiber-rich oats, you can feel good about eating a heaping portion of this easy granola recipe.
Making homemade granola from scratch is not only easy to do, it’s soooo much cheaper than buying store bought. You also get to completely customize your blend to your own taste.
I love starting my morning with a breakfast parfait of Greek yogurt, granola, and fresh fruit. My Maple Hazelnut Granola has been a kitchen staple for quite a while now, and while I love it, fall means it’s time for pumpkin spice.
Part pumpkin spice granola, part pumpkin seed granola, it’s all delicious. For this recipe, I use pecans, added pumpkin seeds for crunch and flavor, and added chia seeds for health benefits. Not to mention the pumpkin spice blend that genuinely turns this homemade granola into a fall treat!
What You’ll Need
This absolutely delicious crunchy pumpkin spice granola recipe calls for 10 simple ingredients, many of which you may find already in your pantry, plus a couple superfoods you can grab at the grocery store.
- Old fashioned oats – The go to for granola, choose these over instant or steel cut to get great results.
- Pecans – You can also use any other variety of chopped nuts, like walnuts, if you desire.
- Pumpkin seeds – Organic pumpkin seeds are my preference because they are smaller, but either one works.
- Chia seeds – Chia seeds add an array of health benefits – including extra fiber – to this granola.
- Egg white – My secret for granola that’s not overly sugary but still has the perfect crunch.
- Brown sugar – Either dark or light brown sugar will give this granola an underlying molasses flavor and a subtle sweetness throughout.
- Pure maple syrup – More for flavors than sweetness or texture, use real maple syrup not a maple flavored syrup.
- Butter – Melt the butter then allow it to cool before adding to the mixture.
- Pumpkin spice – Pick it up in the spice aisle or see below for my super simple homemade pumpkin spice blend.
- Vanilla extract – makes every baked good better.
- Kosher salt – A pinch of salt helps to amp up the flavor of all the other ingredients.
Recommended Kitchen Tools
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- measuring spoons and cups
- large mixing bowl
- medium mixing bowl
- balloon whisk
- 12″ x 17″ baking sheet or sheet pan
How to Make Pumpkin Granola
Homemade granola is a quick and easy recipe. You’ll spend far longer waiting for it to bake and cool than preparing the recipe!
- Prepare the baking sheet. Preheat the oven to 300F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper, a silpat sheet, or grease it with a thin coating of butter.
- Combine the granola ingredients. Combine the oats, pecans, pumpkin seeds and chia seeds in a large bowl. In a separate medium bowl, beat the egg white until foamy. Add in the remaining ingredients and whisk to combine. Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and stir to combine.
- Bake. Spread the granola in an even layer on the baking sheet. Bake for 30 to 35 minutes, until golden brown.
- Cool. Cool the granola and store at room temperature.
The Secret Behind Granola Clusters
The one thing many granola recipes are missing is the crunchy clusters. Often they tend to fall apart into individual pieces that can be difficult to eat on the run, but not this granola!
You won’t believe how easy it is to get those nutty and crunchy granola clusters from homemade granola, and it takes one little ingredient to do it: an egg white. Yes, that’s it. An egg white in granola will bind to the granola pieces as it bakes and form into tasty clusters. It’s that simple!
What Is Pumpkin Spice?
From muffins and donuts to lattes, pumpkin spice can be found in many dishes. In this Pumpkin Spice Granola, it’s incredibly delicious.
Pumpkin spice combines spices like cinnamon, ginger, and allspice. You can buy it whenever you purchase spices, but it’s so easy to make your own at home.
How To Make Pumpkin Pie Spice
The best part about making your pumpkin spice blend – or pumpkin pie spice – is that you can adjust the spices to suit your tastes. Here’s my favorite pumpkin spice recipe:
- 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
- 2 teaspoons ground ginger
- ½ teaspoon allspice
- ½ teaspoon cloves
- ½ teaspoon cardamom
- ½ teaspoon nutmeg
Measure all the ingredients into a small jar with a tight-fitting lid, and shake well to combine. Store leftover pumpkin spice with your other spices.
Is This Gluten-Free Pumpkin Spice Granola?
This recipe is made with oats, and while oats are naturally gluten-free, they are often processed in factories that also process wheat and other ingredients with gluten in them. If you’re super sensitive to gluten, make sure you’re using a brand of oats that are specifically marked as gluten-free, to be safe. In which case then yes, this Pumpkin Spice Granola is gluten-free.
Tips for Success
For perfectly crunchy pumpkin granola, keep these things in mind.
- Don’t use hot butter. Melt it, then let it cool before adding it or it could cook the egg whites in the granola.
- Don’t overcook the granola! The granola won’t be crunchy when you pull it from the oven. If you try to bake it until it’s crunchy, it will burn. Allow it to cool on the baking sheet, and it will get crunchy. Trust me!
- Let it cool before stirring. It’s so tempting to dig in as soon as it comes out of the oven, but resist! Hot granola must cool before it’s crispy. Be patient and let it cool undisturbed.
- Use old-fashioned oats. I’ve made homemade granola with all oats and find that old-fashioned oats give the best results.
Recipe Variations:
The great thing about making your own granola is that it’s extremely customizable. While this version is loaded with fall flavors, you can easily change up this recipe for any time of year by adding in your favorite ingredients or using the things already stocked in your pantry. A few possibilities:
- Chocolate chips (milk, dark or white)
- Coconut flakes (add halfway through baking to avoid burning)
- Hazelnuts, walnuts, or almonds
- Dried cranberries
- Quinoa (it adds protein!)
- Sunflower seeds or flax seeds
- Swap coconut oil for the butter to make it dairy free.
Serving Suggestions
There are a variety of ways to enjoy this easy pumpkin granola. Here are a few of my favorites:
- In a yogurt parfait
- With milk
- As a topping on breakfast muffins
- As-is for a snack on the go
- Over salted caramel ice cream
How to Store
One of my favorite things about this easy pumpkin granola recipe is how long it lasts! Stored in an airtight container homemade granola will last for weeks on the counter or in the pantry, similar to the lifespan of store bought cereals. I like to store mine in a glass jar or one of the OXO pop up containers.
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Pumpkin Granola
Ingredients
- 3 cups old fashioned oats
- 1/2 cup pecan – chopped
- 1/2 cup pumpkin seeds
- 2 tablespoons chia seeds
- 1 egg white
- 1/2 cup brown sugar
- 2 tablespoons maple syrup
- 1/4 cup butter – melted and cooled
- 1 1/2 teaspoons pumpkin spice
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 300º. Prepare a standard baking sheet by lining it with parchment, a silpat sheet, or a thin layer of butter.
- In a large mixing bowl combine together the old fashioned oats, chopped pecans, pumpkin seeds, and chia seeds.
- In a smaller mixing bowl beat the egg white until foamy. Add the brown sugar, maple syrup, melted and cooled butter*, pumpkin spice, vanilla extract, and salt. Whisk to combine.
- Pour the wet ingredients over the dry ingredients and stir to combine.
- Spread the granola in an even layer on the baking sheet, pressing firmly to pack down. Bake in the middle of the preheated oven 30 – 35 minutes or until it's golden brown.
- Granola won't be crispy when you remove it from the oven. Allow to cool completely in the pan to crisp up.
- Store in at room temperature in an airtight container
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Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated and is for general information purposes only. For the most accurate information, calculate using your select brands and exact measurements.