This nourishing pumpkin granola is the cozy breakfast recipe you need this fall! With wholesome ingredients like pumpkin seeds, quinoa, canned pumpkin purée, and warm pumpkin pie spices, it's perfect for topping yogurt bowls, baked fall fruits, and even oatmeal.
This pumpkin-spiced granola recipe is one of my favorite things about fall! It has tons of nourishing ingredients like real pumpkin (canned), pumpkin seeds, and even quinoa for a crunchy and cozy granola for those fall mornings. Whether you're looking for a wholesome back-to-school snack for kids, or just something yummy to top yogurt bowls in the morning, this seasonal granola recipe checks all the boxes.
Making this recipe was actually a bit of a learning curve for me, because the addition of pumpkin changed up my granola golden ratio (what I usually use in recipes like my cozy maple pecan granola), and figuring out the new ratio was so rewarding! Crunchy, clustery granola with pumpkin spice in every bite.
If you're a fan of all things fall like I am, then please try this granola with autumn apple pie yogurt bowls. It'll just make your heart so happy! In the meantime, though, pumpkin granola.
Key Ingredients & Notes
- Canned pumpkin purée is one of the key ingredients here... because it's pumpkin spice granola! Just make sure when you go to the store, you get pure canned pumpkin and not pumpkin pie filling. The filling is meant to be baked directly into a pumpkin pie, so it's already sweetened and flavored.
- Pumpkin pie spice blends can be purchased from most grocery stores. I love the one from Trader Joe's! If you're in a pinch, just substitute with ground cinnamon, or a combination of cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, and cloves. I'll provide a recommended ratio in the recipe card!
The full ingredients and instructions are in the recipe card below, so take a look at that when you're ready to make the recipe.
Step-by-Step Overview: Homemade Pumpkin Granola
- Step 1: Preheat your oven to 300 degrees, and line a sheet pan with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat. Add oats, ground flaxseeds, dry quinoa, pumpkin pie spices, coconut sugar, and salt in a bowl. Stir to combine.
- Step 2: In a small pot over medium heat, add coconut oil, maple syrup, and pumpkin purée. Continue to heat over medium, a couple stirs here and there, until the mixture comes to a boil. Remove it from heat before stirring in the vanilla.
- Step 3: Pour that pumpkin mixture into the dry ingredients and stir to get everything nicely coated. Go ahead, sneak some samples.
- Step 4: Once you've gotten everything nicely coated, spread that mixture evenly onto the prepped sheet pan. Try to get it as even as possible!
- Step 5: Bake at 300 degrees for 30-35 minutes, stirring very gently about 20 minutes in. This helps it bake up evenly without separating everything too much, which is what we want for those clusters!
- Step 6: Remove from the oven and let the granola cool for at least 10 minutes, because this is when it crisps up. You're done! YUM!
Tera's Sustainability Tips
- Use up that canned pumpkin! Since we only need some of the canned pumpkin, you'll have enough leftover for my pumpkin pasta recipe. Usually it calls for a whole can of pumpkin, but missing only ⅓ cup will still work beautifully! Additionally, you could use ½ cup to make some cozy pumpkin overnight oats... which can even be topped with this pumpkin granola. Otherwise, you can transfer the remaining pumpkin to an airtight container and store in the fridge for up to a week, or freeze it, for later use.
- Buy dry goods in bulk. If you have a bulk foods store nearby, bring your own jars or bags to stock up on oats, pumpkin pie spices, quinoa, pumpkin seeds, and nuts without the extra packaging. My local co-op has paper bags available at the bulk section as well, and I often bring these back in and reuse when I need a refill!
FAQs
Don't stir the granola too much while baking! Just a gently stir halfway through is enough. Let it cool completely, which helps the clusters form, and then you can break into them. Yum!
This recipe was only tested with canned pumpkin, so I recommend using that here! If you want to try fresh pumpkin, I'm not sure how it'll work out, but let me know how it goes.
Let it cool completely first, then store it in an airtight container in a cool, dry place for 2-3 months. You can also freeze it in that airtight container for up to 6 months.
More Cozy Fall Breakfasts
đź“– Recipe
Crunchy Pumpkin Granola with Quinoa & Pumpkin Seeds (Cozy Fall Breakfast!)
- Total Time: 40 minutes
- Yield: 5 cups 1x
- Diet: Gluten-Free, Vegetarian
Description
This easy pumpkin granola recipe has ALL the cozy fall vibes! Perfect for breakfast or a wholesome back-to-school snack, it's made with real pumpkin and packed with nourishing ingredients like oats, flax, quinoa, and pumpkin seeds. Top yogurt bowls or enjoy by the handful!
Ingredients
- 3 cups rolled oats
- ½ cup uncooked quinoa
- ÂĽ cup ground flax
- 2 tablespoons coconut sugar
- ½ teaspoon fine salt
- 1 tablespoon pumpkin pie spice (see notes)
- â…“ cup coconut oil
- â…“ cup pure maple syrup
- â…“ cup canned pumpkin (not pie filling)
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1 cup total of: pumpkin seeds (pepitas), almonds, pecans
Get Recipe Ingredients
Instructions
- Preheat + prep. Preheat your oven to 300 degrees, and line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat.
- Combine dry ingredients. In a large bowl, stir together the oats, quinoa, ground flax, coconut sugar, salt, and pumpkin pie spice.Â
- Heat wet ingredients. In a small pot over medium heat, combine coconut oil, maple syrup, and pumpkin. Keep heating the mixture over medium until it just starts to boil, stirring occasionally. Once it comes to a boil, remove from heat, and stir in the vanilla extract.
- Mix wet & dry ingredients. Carefully pour the wet ingredients into the dry and stir to get everything nicely coated.
- Transfer & bake. Spread the pumpkin granola mixture onto the prepared sheet pan in an even layer. It'll be a pretty thick layer, but the important thing here is to make sure it's even. Bake at 300 degrees for about 32-35 minutes, stirring gently halfway through. Gently is key here, as stirring it up completely will break up any potential clusters. We just want to expose more of the ingredients to heat.
- Cool & eat. Remove the granola from the oven and allow it to cool for at least 10 minutes before stirring anything. It'll feel a little soft at first, but it'll crisp up as it cools! This is also when clusters form, and you can break into those after it cools.
Notes
- DIY pumpkin pie spice: If you don't have pumpkin pie spice, you can substitute with 3 teaspoon cinnamon + ½ teaspoon ginger + ¼ teaspoon nutmeg + ⅛ teaspoon cloves.
- Storing & Freezing: Store this granola in an airtight container after it cools completely, then place it in a cool, dry place for up to 3 months. You can also freeze granola in an airtight container or bag for up to 6 months. Thaw on the countertop, then enjoy!
- Prep Time: 5
- Cook Time: 35
- Category: Breakfast, snacks
- Method: Bake
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: ÂĽ cup
- Calories: 217
- Sugar: 6 g
- Sodium: 76.4 mg
- Fat: 10.3 g
- Carbohydrates: 23.8 g
- Fiber: 3.8 g
- Protein: 5.3 g
- Cholesterol: 0 mg
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