Pumpkin Granola

I'm not going to lie: I love all things pumpkin. Pie? Pancakes? Lattes? Love. Love. Love. Pinterest trends light up with pumpkin recipes (it's even an inside joke on The Pinterest). On a parallel topic, I love granola, too. In bar form and by the handful. And, the intersection of these two passions (is that too strong a word?) is Pumpkin Granola.

I have tried several granola recipes, but never been satisfied. They've never had the big, yummy clumps or enough flavor. But, I submit to you a new family favorite: Pumpkin Granola! Maple syrup meets big, classic pumpkin pie spices. I amped up the spices from the source recipe - because you can never have too much pumpkin spice (in my opinion). I even have a new canister on the counter dedicated to Pumpkin Granola that demands to be refilled on a weekly basis.

Pumpkin Granola

adapted from Two Peas and Their Pod

Ingredients
5 cups rolled oats
1 tablespoon cinnamon
2 teaspoon ginger
1 teaspoon cardamom
1 teaspoon nutmeg
¾ tsp. salt
¾ cup brown sugar
½ cup pumpkin puree
¼ cup applesauce
¼ cup maple syrup
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3/4 cup dried cranberries (or cubed candied ginger if you're feeling especially pumpkin-y)

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 325° F.  Grease a half sheet pan (or line with a silicone baking sheet) and set aside.

2. In a large bowl, combine oats, spices, and salt. Mix well.

3. In a medium bowl, whisk together brown sugar, pumpkin puree, applesauce, maple syrup and vanilla extract. Whisk until smooth. Pour wet ingredients into oat mixture and stir until the oats are evenly coated. They will be moist. Evenly spread the mixture onto the prepared baking sheet.

4. Bake for 20 minutes. Remove pan from the oven and stir ever so gently (the less the disturbance, the bigger the clumps!). Bake for an additional 15-20 minutes or until the granola is golden and crisp. Remove from the oven and stir in dried cranberries. Let cool completely. Store in an airtight container.