Pumpkin Spice Granola

I had the privilege of visiting with my sister yesterday at her lovely home. She made us some homemade granola with a drizzle of yogurt and frozen blueberries. It was exactly what I needed to start the day and it got me thinking about creating a fall inspired granola recipe.  I also happened to read an article about natural sugars last night and learned that all of the heart-healthy antioxidant and antibacterial properties of honey are destroyed by too much heat when it is used in baking goods. I decided to adjust my go-to honey granola and used maple syrup instead. This is a perfect make-ahead recipe that lasts 3 weeks! So make a batch or two and sprinkle it over yogurt, or eat it as an afternoon snack! I hope you enjoy this as much as we did this fine and crisp fall morning. 

Pumpkin Spice Granola 

Ingredients 
3 cups of old-fashioned rolled oats
1 ½ cups of chopped pecans 
¼ cup of pepitas (optional)
3 tablespoons of unsalted butter 
⅓ cup of Maple Syrup
⅓ cup of pumpkin puree
½-1 teaspoon of Pumpkin Pie spice

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees
2. Combine all of the dry ingredients in a large bowl.
3. Add the butter, Maple syrup and pumpkin puree to a small sauce pan and melt.
4. Combine the wet ingredients with the dry and mix well. 
5. Transfer to a large baking sheet and spread in an even layer
6. Bake until golden and fragrant for about 30 minutes, making sure to stir halfway through, or not if you like your granola to be chunky. 
7. Let cool completely on the baking sheet and store in an airtight container for up to 3 weeks. 
8. Enjoy with a drizzle of plain yogurt, or Trader Joes Pumpkin yogurt and berries!