Vegan Pumpkin Granola

Recipes

Nov 16

Written By

Fall is seriously one of my favorite holidays because of the abundance of flavors for the season! I am always experimenting with different flavors this time of year and I really got into the groove this year with my pumpkins and butternut squash. As you know I try and keep as many of my recipes, plant-based, so I’ve really enjoyed using some of my new plant-based solutions with a few old favorites.

I decided to bring back one of mine and my kids favorite snacks that seems to always just taste better in the fall. This season, I am really excited to be joined by some of my fellow allergen-friendly bloggers in my first ever blog hop! We each created one of our favorite allergen-friendly recipes to share with you. While my recipe doesn’t check all of the allergen-friendly boxes, some of my fellow food lovers shared their awesome treats, covering a variety of dietary restrictions. Scroll to the bottom to check out some of their delicious creations!

INGREDIENTS:

2 cups of quinoa OR millet OR rolled oats
1 cup of nuts, chopped (ideas: walnuts, pecans, macadamia nuts, hazelnuts, almonds, shelled pistachios)
2 tablespoons of Pumpkin (or your favorite) seeds
¼ cup of dried fruit // cranberries, blueberries, raisins, goji berries, mulberries – try to find without added sugar!
3 teaspoons ground cinnamon
pinch of sea salt
1 banana, mashed
3 tablespoons maple syrup
3 tablespoons tahini
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

INSTRUCTIONS:

Preheat the oven to 325°F and line a baking sheet with a Slipat or thin layer of coconut oil.
Combine mashed banana, maple syrup, tahini and vanilla extract in a bowl with a fork until a paste forms.
In a large bowl, combine the quinoa/millet/oats, nuts, seeds, cinnamon and salt.
Add the banana paste to the dry ingredients and combine until a ...granola(!) has formed.
Spread the granola evenly on the baking sheet and bake for 15 minutes. Mix it up and then bake for another 15 minutes. Keep an eye on this...if it looks done before this time is up - take it out!
After baking – let the granola cool for 30+ minutes and then add the dried fruit.
Store in airtight mason jars in the refrigerator for best results. Use as a cereal in the morning with almond milk, top your smoothies with it, or put it in to-go bags for a snack!