Copper House Pumpkin-Spiced Granola
Because it is very flexible, this granola recipe may be the only one you might ever need! Feel free to change the spices, the nuts and other flavorings. I like dried fruit in my granola, but I prefer to add it before eating it. If you add dried fruit too soon during the baking process, it tends to get dry and hard. If you add it too late, it can cause the granola to lose its wonderful, crisp texture.
- Yield: 2 quarts
Ingredients
- 5 cups old-fashioned oats divided
- 1 cup whole roasted almonds
- 1 cup each: pepitas and coarsely chopped walnuts
- 4 teaspoons finely grated orange zest (optional)
- 2 teaspoons each: ground cinnamon and ginger
- 1/4 teaspoon each: ground nutmeg and cloves
- 1/2 cup maple syrup
- 2 tablespoons molasses
- 1/2 cup coconut oil or other neutral oil, such as vegetable
- 1/4 cup water
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
Instructions
Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 275 degrees. Measure 4 cups of oats in a large bowl; place remaining 1 cup in a blender or food processor canister and grind to a meal texture. Add ground oats to the large bowl, along with nuts, optional orange zest and spices. Meanwhile, bring syrup, molasses, oil, water, and salt to a simmer in a small saucepan over medium-low heat. Pour liquid mixture over oat mixture and stir to combine.
Pour oats onto a large (18- by 12-inch) rimmed greased baking sheet and spread evenly. Bake until impressively golden brown, about 1 hour and 15 minutes. Turn off oven, crack oven door and let cool to room temperature. See notes below about storage.
Notes
This recipe makes a generous 2 quarts of granola. To ensure it stays as fresh as the day you made it, store it in a large tin in the freezer, transferring what you need for the week to an airtight glass container.
If you happen to have pumpkin spice in your pantry, you may use 4 teaspoons of it in place of the cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, and cloves.