
Pumpkin season is among us, folks! It’s early on…I know, but can you really have too much pumpkin goodness? I know I can’t! My initial interest was in creating some snacks to have on hand because my schedule at work has been really busy. I don’t typically fall into the “snacker” category, but I have found that if I have things readily available and keep myself satisfied I am less likely to want things that I shouldn’t be eating! Occasionally, I fall into the Larabar or Epic bar trap — and while I stand by what those companies are doing — they’re expensive, and homemade is always better if you can help it.
Anyway, I’ll be real with you — these were SUPPOSED to be bars. But bars didn’t happen. And ingredients should never be wasted. The consistency didn’t suit well for a bar…so, rather than feeling like I had failed…I crumbled that mess up! And guess what, ended up with an incredibly tasty “granola.”
The other noteworthy thing about this mix — is that I wanted to leave out nuts. People just use and eat too many nuts now-a-days if you want my personal opinion. Not only are nuts expensive, they can be easily over-eaten, and if you’re like me — eating them makes your nose stuffy. Don’t ask me why…but they do.
So, let’s get right to it.
Ingredients
- 1/4 cup coconut oil
- 2 tbsp. coconut nectar
- 1/4 cup sunbutter
- 1 tsp. vanilla extract
- 2 tbsp. pure pumpkin puree
- 1 tsp. pumpkin-pie spice
- 1/2 cup pumpkin seeds
- 1/2 cup roasted/salted sunflower seeds
- 1/3 cup plain raw sunflower seeds
- 1/2 cup unsweetened shredded coconut
- 1 tbsp. sesame seeds
- 1/2 cup raisins
Process
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
- Combine the coconut oil, coconut nectar, sunbutter, vanilla extract, and pumpkin puree in a small saucepan over medium heat. Continue to whisk occasionally, until it is well blended.
- Meanwhile, mix the pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds, sesame seeds, shredded coconut and raisins together in a medium-sized bowl.
- Whisk the pumpkin-pie spice into the warmed sunbutter mixture, and remove from heat. Allow this mixture to cool slightly.
- Once cooled, pour it into the bowl with all of your seeds/coconut/raisins. Mix well.
- Line an 8×8 baking pan with parchment paper. Pour in your mixture, spread it out evenly, and press it down with your hands.
- Bake in the oven for 30-35 minutes.
- Remove it from the oven and allow it to cool for a while on a wire rack. Break it apart into large chunks and store in an air-tight container.
Ways to enjoy your granola —
* Eat it as trail mix type snack
* Enjoy it with some grassfed milk or coconut milk spooned on top
* Eat it warmed up with a dollop of grassfed cream on top for a simple dessert
* Enjoy it crumbled on top of some grassfed yogurt