Pumpkin Spice Granola

My 11-year-old son took it upon himself to make everyone’s after-school snack this week. He dug around our overcrowded freezer to find about a half dozen random bags of frozen fruit. He dumped a bunch of it in the blender with some vanilla yogurt and a splash of milk and made smoothies. 

He kept telling us he was making ‘buddha bowls’ which none of us could figure out what he meant. I kept an eye on him as he shuffled around the kitchen and watched in a mix of delight and a small amount of terror as he poured the smoothies into bowls and topped them with more fruit, sliced bananas, the last bit of granola from the bottom of the bag, a scoop of peanut butter and a few chocolate chips for good measure. We finally figured out he meant an acai bowl, inspired by ones we’ve had on our trips to Hawaii. He cracked us up as set out the ‘buddha’ bowls and everyone dug in.

The kids were thrilled with his creation, gobbling it all up.  And other than a solid 30-minutes of work to rehab my kitchen after all was said and done, I was too. I loved watching him putter and create something. And for all the (many many) times I’ve selfishly shooed him out of the kitchen, instead of letting him help me, I’m so glad it hasn’t completely deterred him. 

His creativity sparked mine and we decided to make some granola for smoothies the rest of the week. We still had a can of pumpkin in the refrigerator from Thanksgiving and it was the perfect inspiration. I’ve made lots of different kinds of granola over the years but this one is extra special. Oats, mixed nuts, cinnamon, a hint of pumpkin spice and dried cranberries come together to make festive delicious granola. This recipe makes a big batch of granola, perfect to put in individual bags for teacher or hostess gifts. Or, if you’re anything like our family, it’s the perfect snack in the middle of a busy day. We grab quick handfuls as we race out the door or use it to top yogurt and smoothies all week long.

Pumpkin Spice Granola

• 2 1/2 cups rolled oats 

• 1 cup sweetened shredded coconut

• 1/2 cup cashews

• 1/2 cup almond

• 1 cup pecans

• 1 cup flax meal

• 1 cup raw pumpkin seeds

• 1/2 cup pumpkin 

• 1/2 cup melted coconut oil

• 1/4 cup maple syrup

• 1/4 cup honey

• 2 teaspoons vanilla

• 2 teaspoons cinnamon

• 1/2 teaspoon ginger

• 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg

• 1 cup raisins

• 1 cup dried cranberries

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. 

In a large bowl combine oats, coconut, flax meal, all nuts and pumpkin seeds. In a small saucepan combine pumpkin, coconut oil, maple syrup, honey, vanilla, cinnamon, ginger and nutmeg over low heat. Stir to combine ingredients. Pour wet ingredients over oat mixture. Use a spatula to combine ingredients. Spread oat mixture evenly on baking sheet. 

Bake for 30 minutes or until oats and nuts are golden brown and fragrant. Stir oat mixture at least once, halfway through cooking time so that oats brown evenly.

Remove granola from oven and cool in the pan for 5 to 10 minutes. Once cooled, stir in raisins and dried cranberries. Store in an air-tight container.