Little Boy #3 asked me to lay with him as he’s falling asleep tonight. So I’m writing this post snuggled up next to him and I’m watching him try to keep his eyes open. His blinks get heavier and longer as he slowly fades away to dreamland. This kid has some pretty amazing eyelashes, which makes his blinking even more dramatic. These are the days, my friends. Just trying to soak them up the best I can with a big fat thankful heart.
Little Boy #1 and Little Boy #2 get to stay up a bit longer, but they are also tucked into bed with the glow of their reading lights and a good book. My boys have SO MUCH energy, and my husband and I find that our evenings are so much more (eh hem) enjoyable if we take the boys swimming for an hour or so after dinner. As I watch them thrash around in the pool, I’m always so thankful they are not doing the same thing in my house!
But we won’t be able to take them swimming too much longer. The days are getting shorter and the pool is getting colder. It’ll be time for family bike rides and walks to the park instead. As Fall quickly approaches, I can’t get my mind off cozy recipes like Pumpkin Pie Spice Granola!
Based on one of my most popular recipes, this granola recipe is made with coconut oil instead of butter and uses both finely chopped and coarsely chopped nuts, which gives it the most wonderful texture. The finely chopped nuts stick to each oat, and the coarsely chopped nuts give it a great crunch. I used almonds, but I really feel like this granola begs for pecans. I didn’t use pecans here simply because they make the inside of my mouth feel strange.
TMI? Sorry.
Go ahead and use pecans if you please.
Like my basic Honey Almond Granola, this recipe makes sticky, clumpy granola which is just how I like it. It only takes a few minutes to stir all the ingredients together, and then just 10-12 minutes to bake. Easy enough to make a batch every week so you always have some on hand. I love it on yogurt. Watch out though, this granola will disappear fast!
Hope you get a chance to try it and that you love it too!
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Pumpkin Pie Spice Coconut Oil Granola
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 10 minutes
- Total Time: 20 minutes
- Yield: 10 servings 1x
- Category: Breakfast
- Method: Bake
- Cuisine: American
Description
You’ll love how sticky and clumpy this granola is, and it’s so easy to make you can always have some on hand!
Ingredients
- 1 cup almonds or pecans, divided
- 3 cups old fashioned oats
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/3 cup brown sugar
- 1/2 cup sunflower seeds
- 1 1/2 heaping teaspoons pumpkin pie spice
- 1/3 cup honey
- 3 tablespoons coconut oil
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
- In a food processor or blender, pulse half of the almonds until they are very finely chopped. Pour them into a large bowl. Then chop the other half of the almonds coarsely, and pour them into the same bowl.
- Pour the oats, salt, brown sugar, sunflower seeds, and pumpkin pie spice into the bowl with the almonds and stir to combine.
- In a small microwaveable bowl, combine honey and coconut oil, and heat for 40 seconds. Stir to dissolve the coconut oil, and add the vanilla extract.
- Pour the honey mixture over the oats, and stir so that they are evenly coated.
- Pour the oats evenly onto a Silpat or parchment lined baking sheet (helpful if it has sides).
- Bake the oats for 5 minutes, and then stir them around. Return to the oven for 5-7 more minutes. Watch closely so it won’t burn.
- Pour the granola and onto a piece of wax paper to cool. Spread it out into a thin layer, about 1/4 inch thick.
- After it cools completely, break the granola into clusters and store in an airtight container.
Notes
I bought a big bag of roasted, salted sunflower seeds (without the shell) at Trader Joe’s for about $7 and I’ve been adding them to yogurt, salads, and pretty much just eating them by the handful!
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 Serving
- Calories: 305
- Sugar: 16g
- Sodium: 563mg
- Fat: 16g
- Saturated Fat: 4.5g
- Unsaturated Fat: 10.4g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 36g
- Fiber: 4.6g
- Protein: 7.4g
- Cholesterol: 0mg
Sam @ PancakeWarriors says
Oh this with the almonds and sun flower seeds looks so good. Wonder if your allergic to to pecans? This recipe would be amazing on the new pumpkin Greek yogurt. Yummm
Julie says
Sam, you might be right about the slight allergy… and what is this pumpkin Greek yogurt? Must try!
Melanie @ Garnish & Glaze says
That looks yummy! I can’t even imagine trying to harness all the energy of three little boys so they don’t destroy the home. What a good idea to tire them out with swimming and biking!
Julie says
Thanks Melanie! Love my boys but they are crazy :0)
Jen @ Baked by an Introvert says
This looks fabulous! Delicious and healthy; it doesn’t get any better than that.
Julie says
Thank you Jen!
Amy | Club Narwhal says
Holy yum, Julie! I crave granola on a daily basis and this looks like a great one to add to the rotation. Especially since pumpkin pie spice is involved 🙂
Julie says
Thanks Amy! Hope you get a chance to make some soon!
anna @ annamayeveryday says
This looks fabulous and reminded me that my little boy asked me the other day to make some more granola and I had clean forgot – thanks for the reminder and the recipe!
Julie says
Thanks Anna! Hope you both enjoy!
Kathi @ Deliciously Yum! says
This is such a sweet post. I love how you cherish every second with your kiddos, no matter what ;). For some reason, granola has always been a comfort food to me. Adding pumpkin spice only makes it that much better!!
Julie says
Thank you Kathi. You are so right, granola is a comfort food!
Aggie says
I can relate to the tiring out the kids in the pool/bikes/park mode very much 🙂 I love putting my kids down good and tired, they have so much energy!
Your granola is gorgeous! Beautiful pics
Julie says
Thank you Aggie!
Laurie says
Where did you get those cute lil metal bins?
Julie says
Laurie, I’ve had them so long I can’t remember. You might find something similar at Hobby Lobby or Michaels.
Valerie | From Valerie's Kitchen says
I love to make granola at home and your fall inspired version looks SO good!
stephi mortensen says
I have to make a large batch of this for about 75 people. I want a nice size portion to put into snack size bags. How much does one batch serve? thanks
Julie says
Hi! Each batch would serve about eight snack size portions.
Gabriel Poe says
I just made this and was already sneaking spoonfulls before I popped it in the oven. This could be crack! So good!
Jo says
Looks great! Pecans, almonds, and walnuts used to make my mouth feel funny. Now they give me full blown anaphylaxis. Please be careful; nut allergies creep up on you.
Julie says
Wow, that’s scary. Thanks for the warning!
Terri says
I substituted dried cranberries for sunflower seeds. What would have been helpful was knowing that the granola would still be a little wet but would dry as it cooled.
Lin says
This was my first time making homemade granola. I’ll never buy the store bought stuff again. I used pecans because it’s what I had on hand. Absolutely delicious. Thank you for the tasty recipe!
jenna says
hi could i swap the honey for maple syrup?
Aleah says
Made this today and it was so delicious! I have two little ones (19 months and 2 months) and I didn’t feel like stressed over making it because it was so easy. Thank you for the amazing recipe!
Julie says
You are so welcome. I remember the days when my boys were tiny and making something extra in the kitchen was a major victory! Glad you liked it!
Anthony says
Do you think the granola would be ok if I used raw sunflower seeds instead of roasted and salted?
Julie says
Yes, they will be fine too. Enjoy!
Margene says
Ooo! I can almost taste it. Sounds so amazing! I wonder if it could be adapted for creation in a crock pot?
Julie says
I have never tried granola in a crockpot, but that would be very convenient if it worked out. Let me know if you try it!
Rose says
This is hands down the best granola I’ve ever had! Do you happen to know how many calories are in a 1/2 cup?
Julie says
I’m so glad you liked it Rose! I’m sorry, I don’t post nutritional information for my recipes on LLK.
Rose says
No worries, just thought I’d ask. Thanks for getting back to me.
Alene says
My pumpkin pie spice was ancient so I made my own. I mixed almonds and pecans, because I felt like it. I only had 2 cups of oatmeal left (horrors!), so I used some dried millet cereal, since I am gluten free. It all worked out perfectly. I too like clumpy granola, and this clumped just fine! Next time raisins, and I’ll up the spices, honey, and coconut oil a bit. Thanks tons! I hate spending so much money on gluten free granola when I generally have all the ingredients at home. Right?
Julie says
Way to use what you have on hand. Love it when recipes just work out that way! And yes, I agree, it’s so much better to make your own. Doesn’t take long and you really do save!
Melody Ortega says
Do you think it would be okay to add one medium size cut up apple and raisins?
Julie says
I’m a little worried the added moisture from the fruit might make it soggy. Maybe bits of dried apple and raisins?