Munch-worthy

 

I love that people know me so well. 

My instructional assistant, Debbi, knows that I love granola, pumpkin and Pinterest.  So, when I got her email the other day for Pumpkin Pie Granola pinned from Pinterest, I knew I would have to give it a shot.

So, last night before heading to a Pampered Chef party at my dear friend Susie’s house, I whipped up a batch.  Even though the granola made the house smell delicious, the end result was a little bit different than I had imagined.

 

 

The “chunks” of granola were pretty big, and the crispiness was good, but parts were still a little bit soft in the middle.  To be honest, I wasn’t sure I was in love with the recipe, but as I was letting it cool I kept going back for more, and more and more.  I couldn’t stay away (especially after adding walnuts, cinnamon chips and dark chocolate chips).

In a nutshell, this granola may not be the best recipe ever, but it is definitely munch-worthy and makes a healthy fall snack to have around. Try it out and see what you think!

Enjoy!

 

 

Pumpkin Pie Granola

Print this recipe!

4 cups old fashioned rolled oats
2 tsp. cinnamon
1 tsp . pumpkin pie spice
1 cup sugar
½ tsp salt
1 tsp . baking powder
¾ cups pumpkin
½ cup Applesauce (unsweetened)
3 TBSP maple syrup (or honey or agave nectar)

Optional add-ins: chocolate chips(white, semi-sweet, dark), 1 cup honey teddy graham lightly crushed, walnuts, almonds, dried cherries

Instructions:
Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Prepare a baking sheet by spraying with cooking spray. Mix the dry ingredients in one bowl, and the wet ingredients in another. Mix wet and dry ingredients together until it is well combined.

Dump granola on baking sheet, spread out, and bake for 20 minutes. Take out of the oven, stir, and then bake for an additional 20 minutes or until the granola is golden brown and is crisp. (Mine wasn’t completely crisp out of the oven but after it cooled it was better – I ended up putting it in for an additional 10 minutes to crisp even more).

Let cool completely and then add in the optional add-ins at this point if desired.  Can be stored in an airtight container for up to one week.