Pumpkin Pecan Granola

Fall is in the air...well, right now it feels like winter is in the air, but you get the picture. I made this delicious new Pumpkin Pecan Granola recipe last night and our house still had remnants of my baking in the air when we woke up this morning. (:

Here is the recipe [adapted from The Sprouted Kitchen]:

Ingredients:

• 2½ tbsp olive oil
• ½ tsp sea salt
• ¾ tsp pumpkin pie spice
• ⅓ cup Grade B maple syrup -- **I didn't have any maple syrup, so I substituted honey
• ⅓ cup pumpkin puree
• 2 cups old-fashioned rolled oats
• ½ cup roughly chopped raw pecans
• ½ cup dried cranberries

Instructions:

1. Preheat the oven to 325°F.
2. In a large mixing bowl, whisk together olive oil, salt, pumpkin pie spice, maple syrup, and pumpkin puree until smooth. Add in the oats, pecans, and sesame seeds and stir until well-coated.
3. Spread the granola evenly onto a large rimmed baking sheet, trying to keep as many granola clusters intact as possible. Bake in preheated oven for 35-45 minutes or until the granola is dry and golden-brown in color, stirring every 10 minutes or so by scooping the granola on the edges back into the centre and then spreading back out into an even layer. [Watch carefully! Mine didn't take the full 35 minutes and still had a few burned clumps...]
4. Let the granola cool for a few minutes, then stir in the dried cranberries. Allow to cool completely on baking sheets before transferring to an airtight container for storage. Finished granola will keep for about a week, assuming you don’t eat it all long before then.

And, here are the nutrition facts [from CalorieCount.com]:

NOTE: a serving size is 1 tablespoon [it's a great add in for yogurt or to eat with apples, but it is high in sugar, so don't eat it by the cup full!] (: 

Nutrition Facts

Serving Size 25 g

Amount Per Serving

Calories 87 Calories from Fat 41

% Daily Value*

Total Fat 4.5g 7%

Saturated Fat 0.6g 3%

Trans Fat 0.0g

Cholesterol 0mg 0%

Sodium 48mg 2%

Total Carbohydrates 11.3g 4%

Dietary Fiber 1.4g 6%

Sugars 5.0g

Protein 1.5g

Vitamin A 13% • Vitamin C 1% Calcium 1% • Iron 3%

Nutrition Grade B

* Based on a 2000 calorie diet

Nutritional Analysis

Good points

• No cholesterol
• High in manganese
• High in vitamin A

Bad points

• High in sugar