Pumpkin Pecan Granola

Major homemade granola kick happening at our house right now! Here's another homemade granola recipe for y'all...flavored with pumpkin and pumpkin-y spices! And packed with a little flaxseed punch too! Anyhoo...add this to your list to try later this fall...or whenever you can get your hands on some canned pumpkin. I used my last can that I'd stockpiled last year to make this! Perfect in a bowl with milk, on top of plain or vanilla yogurt or just as it is!

• Ready In: 45 mins
• Serves: 8
• Yields: 8 breakfast servings

Ingredients

• 1⁄3 cup applesauce
• 1⁄2 cup pumpkin puree
• 3  tablespoons maple syrup
• 1⁄2 teaspoon  almond extract or 1⁄2 teaspoon vanilla extract or 1⁄2 teaspoon  maple extract
• 2  cups quick-cooking oats
• 2  cups  traditional oats
• 1⁄4 cup brown sugar
• 1⁄4 cup flax seed (optional)
• 1  teaspoon cinnamon
• 1  teaspoon nutmeg
• 1  teaspoon ground ginger
• 1  cup pecans, chopped
• 1  cup raisins

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 300°F.
2. In a small mixing bowl, combine the applesauce, pumpkin puree, maple syrup and extract.
3. In larger mixing bowl, toss together the 2 kinds of oats (I use both kinds because I find it clumps better, as the littler oats can get into the "Crevices" of the bigger oats -- making nice clumps!), brown sugar, flaxseed, cinnamon, nutmeg and ginger.
4. Spoon the pumpkin mixture into the oat mixture and combine until all the oats are covered in the pumpkin mixture.
5. Spread onto a baking sheet lined with parchment paper or silicone baking mat.
6. Bake in the preheated oven for 20 minutes, then gently toss and mix in the pecans and bake for another 10-15 minutes.
7. Stir in the raisins or other dried fruit after it has cooled some on a cooling rack.
8. Store in an airtight container for up to a week. Beyond a week, I recommend storing in a plastic container or freezer baggie in the freezer for up to 3 months.
9. Serve Pumpkin Pecan Granola as is, over yogurt or with milk.
10. P.S. You could certainly eliminate the brown sugar and up the maple syrup to 1/4 cup if you prefer!
11. P.P.S. I used whole flaxseeds. If you wanted to grind them before mixing them in, that'll work too!