Recipe Wednesday - Pumpkin Granola

It's Recipe Wednesday again, the day that I bring you a great recipe to try for your new, healthier lifestyle, and this is a great one.  This one comes by way of my friend at FitVPack on Facebook!  Granola is a yummy, crunchy snack, but store bought varieties are often full of sugar that you don't need and fat that you don't want.  Learn how to be a label reader, replace processed foods with better options you make yourself!

Balanced flavor and not too sweet, this is a great addition to your breakfast, a topper for your oatmeal or a top notch stand alone snack!



Pumpkin Granola:
Prep Time 10 mins/ Cook Time 30 mins /Total Time 40 mins
Yield: Makes 5 cups

 

Ingredients:

1½ cups old-fashioned oats
½ cup slivered almonds
⅓ cup pepitas [pumpkin seeds]
1 teaspoon cinnamon
⅛ teaspoon nutmeg
⅛ teaspoon cloves
⅓ cup pumpkin puree
⅓ cup pure maple syrup
½ teaspoon vanilla extract
⅓ cup chopped apricots

Directions:

Preheat oven to 300F. Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil.
In a large bowl, mix together oats, almonds, pepitas, cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves.
In a smaller bowl, whisk together the pumpkin, maple syrup, vanilla, and apricots.
Fold the pumpkin mix into the dry ingredients.
Spread the mixture onto the baking sheet.
Bake for 30 to 40 minutes, stirring every ten minutes, until granola is golden brown and crisp. Granola will continue to harden as it cools, so don’t over-bake.
Store in an air-tight container.