October Pumpkin Series: Pumpkin Maple Granola

Happy Hallo-week! We're almost to the end of October, but my interns have two more great recipe adaptations to share. This Pumpkin Maple Granola, adapted from Minimalist Baker, is sure to please and is a great option for nursing mamas since it contains galactogogues oats and flaxseed. Dig in!

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From Kayla: 

I’ve always loved fall. When blessed with the vision of fall colors, I’m absolutely in a state of bliss. The crisp air refreshes my lungs as I inhale the warm smells of the season. Living in Tennessee, we had three huge trees in our front yard. I would volunteer myself to rake the leaves; at a young age, I’d discovered the feeling of pure Zen. My parents would buy the trash bags with jack-o-lantern faces on them. After jumping into the leaf piles a few times, I would stuff these bags with the leaves I’d raked. We would have enough leaves to line our ½ acre long driveway with these bags. I loved dressing up for Halloween, and you better believe my costumes were always on point. But my best memories of fall were not of candy or scary masks, but of good home cooked comfort food and the array of colors outside my southern childhood home.

These days, I have my own ideas of comfort food. Thick oatmeal, creamy pasta, steamy lattes, rustic soup and chunky granola are among the front runners. This pumpkin maple granola was adapted from the Minimalist Baker, using what I had on hand. While they match the pumpkin them much more, I was out of pepitas. So I added cashews and macadamia nuts, along with a couple tablespoons of flax seeds to boost the omega-3. I replaced regular sugar with brown sugar to incorporate a deeper, rich molasses hint. I also used a roasting pan for my granola and baked it all in one batch. I brought some of this to share with my coworkers and it was a huge hit! I hope you enjoy.

Pumpkin Maple Granola

Adapted from Minimalist Baker

Ingredients:

3 cups rolled oats

1 ½ cups raw pecans

½ cup cashews

¼ cup macadamia nuts

2 tablespoons flax seeds

3 tablespoons brown sugar

¼ teaspoon sea salt

¾ teaspoon pumpkin pie spice

½ teaspoon cinnamon

¼ cup coconut oil

1/3 cup maple syrup

1/3 cup pumpkin puree

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 340 F. Mix oats, nuts, spices, sugar and salt together in a large bowl. In a small saucepan over medium-low heat, warm the coconut oil, maple syrup and pumpkin puree and whisk. 

Pour over the dry ingredients and incorporate with a wooden spoon.

Spread evenly onto two baking sheets or in a large roasting pan. Bake for 23-33 minutes. For chunky granola, don’t worry about stirring. If you like it more consistent, stir halfway through.

Remove from oven when granola is golden brown and let cool completely. It will crisp up as it cools.

Enjoy!

Kayla