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    HOME » Breakfast

    Dated: October 21, 2020 Last Modified: January 20, 2022 by Laura This post may contain affiliate links.

    Healthy Pumpkin Granola (nut + gluten free!)

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    Healthy + delicious pumpkin granola that’s nut + gluten free! Easy to make for breakfast, snacks, & more. Top 14 allergy free. 

    An easy and delicious granola recipe that is based on my popular simple granola! Filled with pumpkin and spices, this fall themed granola is just as simple to make and so good! Perfect for topping yogurt, smoothies, ice cream, or snacking on right out of the bowl. 

    Free from: wheat/gluten, dairy, casein, eggs, peanuts, tree nuts, coconut, corn, soy, fish, shellfish, sesame, lupin, mustard, dyes

    Full disclosure: This post contains affiliate links and you may view my full disclosure by clicking here.

    Making Pumpkin Granola

    A good granola recipe should be simple to make and filled with simple ingredients. I wanted to keep them free from the top allergens as well because everyone deserves a delicious mix for the season. 

    Oats 

    The oats are the foundation of any granola. Heart healthy and full of fiber, they are a great food to include in your diet. You want them to be gluten free certified if you are avoiding gluten. The two brands I trust and currently use are Bob’s Red Mill Gluten Free Old Fashioned Oats and Trader Joe’s Oats.

    Pumpkin

    The star of this show! Make sure you use 100% pure pumpkin puree in this recipe and not pumpkin pie mix. The mix has spices already added and could include other unknown allergens. By making sure you have pure pumpkin you are making sure your granola is 100% safe to enjoy. 

    The recipe only calls for a few tablespoons of pumpkin, leaving you with a lot left over. You can save pumpkin in the fridge for a week, in the freezer for a month, or make some other recipes that use pumpkin! Here are some ideas. 

    Pumpkin Muffins with Streusel Topping (gluten free, top 8 free, vegan)

    Pumpkin Chai Ice Cream (gluten free, egg free, no churn)

     

    OIL

    Oils are what make the granola crispy and delicious. I like to use a neutral flavored oil like canola when making mine. Other options could be olive oil for a more savory type of granola or coconut oil (if not allergic).

    SWEETENER

    This granola recipe can be made with the sweetener of your choice: maple syrup or brown sugar. These provide a depth of flavor, a crispy sweetness as it cools, and subtle hint of warmth. Other options include brown rice syrup, date nectar, or corn syrup for the liquid, and coconut sugar or date sugar for the brown sugar replacement.

    It’s best not to use honey in a granola recipe. Honey in its raw form is filled with delicate enzymes that get destroyed by the heat. You can always add honey to your granola after it is baked and cooled; perhaps drizzling honey over each serving of granola right before eating.

    SALT + SPICES

    Here is where the magic happens in this recipe! The warm spices are what really make it feel autumnal. Cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, allspice, and cloves are all combined to give the granola a depth and sweetness. You can add all these ingredients separately or you can add pumpkin pie spice blend which has them already mixed up! 

    For the best tasting granola, don’t skip the salt! Salt helps to enhance flavors, especially sweet things. This is because the sodium particles zero in on the bitter elements of a dish (even if they are so small you can’t consciously taste them) and block them! Sweet things now seem sweeter because of salt. So, you can add less sugar to this recipe if you include salt.

    VANILLA

    Do NOT skip on this! Using good vanilla extract helps to make things sweet, something you’ll really appreciate since this recipe uses less sugar than other granola recipes.

    Customizing Your Pumpkin Granola

    The best part of making your own granola is how you can customize the flavors so you get exactly what you want! Now, this is a totally optional step and you don’t have to add any of these. You can make the recipe as written and it will be amazing! Here are some ideas when you are looking to jazz it up a bit! 

    Nuts and Seeds

    If you can safely enjoy nuts, tree nuts, coconut, or other seeds (such as sunflower), feel free to add them! 

    Chocolate Chips

    I think white chocolate chips would be AMAZING in this recipe! Regular chocolate chips would be super good, too. Just make sure to add these after the granola is fully cooked and cooled. 

    Dried Fruit

    While the recipe calls for cranberries, feel free to experiment with other dried fruits. Dehydrated blueberries, apricots, figs, cranberries, cherries, or raisins. Again, add after baking. Make sure that you find dried fruit that is sun-dried and unsulfured if possible – sulfur is not only a big allergen but it also unnaturally colors the fruit and extends the shelf life.

    Pumpkin Granola Tips 

    To get the best results from baking your granola, aka those delicious clusters of granola that I seek out, here are the steps you need to make that happen.

    Make sure you bake your granola on parchment paper or a non-stick slip mat. You want to make sure that you can easily remove your granola from the pan and not have to break it up!

    Let your granola cool completely before touching it! You want the sugar crystals to re-crystalize so that you can break it apart into those delicious chunks.

    To store your gluten free and nut free granola, keep it in an airtight container in your pantry. This should keep for up to 4 weeks in a cool and dark place. If you want to freeze your granola, it can be frozen after baking and should keep for up to 4 months.

    Want more Allergy Free Breakfast Ideas? Check out these recipes!

    • Extra Fluffy Gluten Free Biscuits
    • Easy Gluten Free and Nut Free Granola
    • Easy Gluten Free Vegan Pancakes
    • Soft + Chewy Gluten Free Bagels

    If you try these out, please leave a comment below! This provides helpful feedback to both me and other readers. And if you want more delicious, dietary friendly recipes you can subscribe to my newsletter and follow along on Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook!

    pumpkin granola on a baking tray with a wood spoon

    Healthy Pumpkin Granola (nut + gluten free)

    Healthy + delicious pumpkin granola that’s nut + gluten free! Easy to make for breakfast, snacks, & more. Top 14 allergy free.
    Print Recipe Pin Recipe Rate Recipe
    Calories: 174.5kcal
    Author: Laura // Living Beyond Allergies

    Ingredients

    • 2 cups gluten free rolled oats
    • ¼ cup pumpkin seeds, unsalted
    • 6 tablespoon brown sugar OR maple syrup
    • 3 tbsp pumpkin
    • 2 tablespoon oil
    • ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
    • 1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
    • ¼ cup dried cranberries
    • dash of salt

    Instructions

    • Preheat oven to 340°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside.
    • In a large mixing bowl, mix the pumpkin, brown sugar (or maple syrup), oil, vanilla, and spices. Add the oats and pumpkin seeds and mix well.
    • Spread evenly over prepared baking sheet, making sure the granola is in an even layer.
    • Bake in the oven for 12 minutes for softer, chewier granola or 20 minutes for crunchier granola.
    • Remove from the oven and let cool completely. Add dried cranberries or any other additional mix ins. Enjoy!

    Notes

    Make sure you bake your granola on parchment paper or a non-stick slip mat. You want to make sure that you can easily remove your granola from the pan and not have to break it up!
     
    Let your granola cool completely before touching it! You want the sugar crystals to re-crystalize so that you can break it apart into those delicious chunks.
     
    To store your gluten free and nut free granola, keep it in an airtight container in your pantry. This should keep for up to 4 weeks in a cool and dark place. If you want to freeze your granola, it can be frozen after baking and should keep for up to 4 months.
     
    makes 2 cups total
    calorie count: 174.5 per ¼ cup serving
     
    LivingBeyondAllergies.com

    Nutrition

    Calories: 174.5kcal
    Love this recipe?Mention @livingbeyondallergies or tag #livingbeyondallergies!

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    Hi, I’m Laura! Welcome to Living Beyond Allergies, a mix of healthy + indulgent allergy free recipes, plus a sprinkle of health resources. All eaters welcome! To learn more about me, click here!

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