pumpkin pie granola

the guys were away this past weekend and had to bus to chaumont, france, which is basically the opposite corner of the country. with a 10+ hour road trip looming and many unfortunately planned "dinner and snack stops" at gas stations along the way, i decided to prepare a handful of healthy-ish snacks ahead of time for andy.

because pumpkin is still very much in season at the farmer's market, and we had a fresh batch of puree in the refrigerator, i knew something pumpkin-inspired was in store. the recipe was super simple and produced a very tasty alternative to the pre-made, mayonnaise-based salads otherwise available for consumption on road trips such as these.

is this granola diet-friendly? no. low in sugar? definitely not. but it is homemade and i know exactly what went into it. it's preservative-free, didn't come in a plastic bag, and is as "clean" as possible. all wins in my opinion.

pumpkin pie granola

you'll need...

5 cups rolled oats

1 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice

1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon nutmeg

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup brown sugar

2/3 cup pumpkin puree

1/4 applesauce (homemade if possible, stay tuned for this recipe)

2 tablespoons agave nectar

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 cup sliced almonds

then you'll have to...

preheat oven to 325 degrees fahrenheit and line large baking sheet with parchment paper.

in a large bowl, combine oats, spices and salt, then mix well.

in a medium bowl, whisk together brown sugar, pumpkin puree, applesauce, agave nectar, and vanilla. once whisked until smooth, pour wet ingredients into large bowl and stir until oats mixture is completely coated.

spread mixture evenly on prepared baking sheet. bake for about 24 minutes - removing the pan and tossing granola every 6 - 8 minutes. once crisp and golden, remove from oven and toss with sliced almonds. sprinkle over a bowl of plain greek yogurt (or just nosh on it plain) and enjoy!

store in an airtight container.

recipe adapted from two peas & their pod