pumpkin granola

I was inspired by Audrey's post and this recipe for pumpkin granola. She raved about the amazing smells that filled her home when she made this perfect fall treat. I also thought it would be a wonderful little gift to bring my friends for our weekend in Ann Arbor. The smells and the tastes that come along with this recipe are insanely good. You won't need your fall scented candle if you make this.

I did make quite a few changes to the original recipe, but followed the basic guidelines. Here's my version of pumpkin granola.

Here's what you'll need... 
5 cups rolled oats (or old fashioned oats, they are the same)
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup pumpkin puree
1/4 cup apple sauce
1/4 cup pure maple syrup (not the same as what you put on your pancakes!)
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3/4 cup dried cranberries
1/3 cup sunflower seeds
1/3 cup slivered almonds
nonstick cooking spray

Here's what to do...
Preheat the oven to 325 degrees. Spray a baking sheet with nonstick cooking spray.
In a large bowl, combine oats, almonds, spices and salt and mix well.
In another bowl, combine brown sugar, pumpkin puree, apple sauce, maple syrup and vanilla extract. Whisk until smooth.  Pour wet ingredients into oat mixture and stir until evenly coated. Evenly spread the mixture onto the prepared baking sheet.
Bake for 25 minutes. Remove pan and stir. Bake for an additional 25 minutes or until the granola is golden brown and crisp.
Remove from the oven, stir in the cranberries and sunflower seeds. Let cool completely. Store in an airtight container.

{whisking pumpkin, apple sauce, maple syrup and vanilla}

{wet ingredients into dry}

{before baking...}

{... and after}

{fall in a jar}

{pumpkin granola}