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    Home » All posts » Heart Healthy Breakfast Ideas

    Heart Healthy Pumpkin Granola

    Published: Oct 7, 2019 by Laura Yautz

    Jump to Recipe Print Recipe

    Is it time to switch up your breakfast to something more seasonal? Heart Healthy Pumpkin granola has you covered! This granola recipe is really simple, delicious, and has no added sugar or oils (I have included an option for a sweetener though if you're working on decreasing your sugar consumption slowly!).

    This recipe uses real pumpkin, and is lightly sweet, with warming, complementary spices like cinnamon, ginger, and cloves. It's nicely crunchy and chewy, and holds up to milk without getting soggy. It's great by the handful, in a bowl of milk, or layered in a parfait. The sky is the limit with this pumpkin granola! Have I mentioned its yum-factor yet? YUM! It seriously tastes like a crisp Fall morning.

    Granola spilling out of a Mason jar on a black background with text overlay: Heart Healthy Pumpkin Granola, no added sugar, easy.

    How To Make Heart Healthy Pumpkin Granola

    You probably know by know how I really prefer to keep things simple, and this is no exception. Toss everything in a bowl and mix it up. Bake. Yum! 😋

    This is really customizable though. You can use any nut or seed for any nut or seed, and any dried fruit for any dried fruit in the ingredients. No need to run out to the store for just one thing! Don't have pecans? Use walnuts, or more slivered almonds. Have sliced almonds instead? Use those! No hemp seeds? Use flax. Want to make it totally nut free? Use sunflower seeds, flax seeds, etc., instead of nuts.

    If you do replace the dates with something else, I high recommend using the optional maple syrup or honey in the recipe, though. The dried dates are very sweet, and another fruit may not impart the same sweetness.

    Pumpkin Granola

    Is Granola Healthy?

    I get this question a lot, and it's a fair one! Granola has a reputation for being healthy. The internet has even begun referring to people who used to be called "health nuts" as "crunchies" - which is a reference to granola being crunchy. So, is granola worthy of the health halo it's received?

    The answer is: sometimes. It seems to be the answer in all things nutrition, doesn't it? It depends. At its heart, granola is pretty healthy: nuts, seeds, dried fruit, and usually a whole grain of some kind. Sounds great! But it kind of goes downhill from there.

    Because we like sweeter things in America, there's almost always some kind of sugar added: honey, maple syrup, agave, rice syrup, molasses, or corn syrup. They all mean the same - added sugar. Which alone isn't terrible, but there tends to be a lot of sweetener added. Plus, it adds up over the day really fast because it's an ingredient in much of what we eat. Added sugar is a known contributor to heart disease and many other maladies. If you want to learn more about added sugar, check out my YouTube video on the topic. I avoided having to use a sweetener by using dried fruit chopped small, so you get some in every bite! For my granola recipe, the fruits I chose were dates and raisins. Raisins are easily found, and already small, and dates have a very sweet caramel flavor, so they fit perfect.

    The next addition in commercial granola is often oil of some kind. Again, not necessarily terrible, but granola is usually full of nuts and seeds. Remember that nuts and seeds are high calorie foods, because they have a lot of fat in them. Good, heart healthy fat, but still a lot of fat. I avoided using an oil by using pumpkin, which helped bind the granola together, and coat it to prevent quick burning.

    What else have you seen in boxed granola? Chocolate chips? Marshmallows? Other such add ins. None of that here. I used a combination of warming, familiar spices to amp up the flavor and perceived sweetness so nothing else was needed! I also fit in 24% of your daily fiber, as much protein as an egg, and 32% of your daily magnesium in a ½ cup serving!

    Here's to your health and taste buds!

    📖 Recipe

    Pumpkin Granola close up
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    Print

    Heart Healthy Pumpkin Granola

    Is it time to switch up your breakfast to something more seasonal? Pumpkin granola has you covered! My version is really simple, delicious, and has no added sugar or oils! Mix, bake, enjoy, repeat!

    Course Breakfast, Snack
    Cuisine American
    Prep Time 10 minutes
    Cook Time 30 minutes
    Total Time 40 minutes
    Servings 7
    Calories 278 kcal
    Author Laura Yautz

    Ingredients

    • 1 cup Old Fashioned Oats
    • 1 cup chopped, pitted Dates
    • ½ cup Raisins
    • ¼ cup Sesame seeds
    • ¼ cup Pumpkin seeds (pepitas)
    • ¼ cup slivered Almonds
    • ¼ cup chopped Pecans
    • ¼ cup Hemp seeds
    • ⅔ cup Pumpkin puree
    • 1 tablespoon Lemon juice
    • 1 teaspoon Vanilla extract
    • 1 teaspoon Pumpkin pie spice
    • ½ teaspoon Cinnamon
    • (Optional) 2-3 tablespoon Maple Syrup or Honey

    Instructions

    1. Preheat oven to 300 degrees F.

    2. Combine all ingredients and mix well.

    3. Transfer to a baking sheet, and spread thin.

    4. Bake for 30-35 minutes, tossing every 10 minutes, until mixture is dry and crispy, but not burned.

    Nutrition Facts
    Heart Healthy Pumpkin Granola
    Amount Per Serving (0.5 cup)
    Calories 278 Calories from Fat 111
    % Daily Value*
    Fat 12.3g19%
    Saturated Fat 1.6g10%
    Polyunsaturated Fat 5.5g
    Monounsaturated Fat 4.7g
    Sodium 4.2mg0%
    Potassium 591.6mg17%
    Carbohydrates 37.6g13%
    Fiber 6g25%
    Sugar 20.8g23%
    Protein 7.8g16%
    Vitamin A 181.9IU4%
    Vitamin C 2.4mg3%
    Calcium 98mg10%
    Iron 3.1mg17%
    * Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
    Granola spilling out of a Mason jar on a black background with text overlay: Heart Healthy Pumpkin Granola, no added sugar, easy.
    Granola spilling out of a Mason jar on a black background with text overlay: Heart Healthy Pumpkin Granola, no added sugar, vegan.
    Close up of pumpkin granola with text overlay: Heart Healthy Pumpkin Granola, no added sugar, easy.
    Granola spilling out of a Mason jar on a black background with text overlay: Heart Healthy Pumpkin Granola, no added sugar, easy.
    Granola spilling out of a Mason jar on a black background with text overlay: Heart Healthy Pumpkin Granola, vegan, easy.
    Split image; top image is close up of pumpkin granola, bottom image is granola spilling out of a Mason jar on dark background. Text overlay: Heart Healthy Pumpkin Granola, vegan, easy.
    Split image; top image is close up of pumpkin granola, bottom image is granola spilling out of a Mason jar on dark background. Text overlay: Heart Healthy Pumpkin Granola, no added sugar, easy.
    Granola spilling out of a Mason jar on a black background with text overlay: Heart Healthy Pumpkin Granola, no added sugar, easy.
    Granola spilling out of a Mason jar on a black background with text overlay: Heart Healthy Pumpkin Granola, no added sugar, easy.

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    Laura Yautz

    Hi, I'm Laura! I’m a Registered Dietitian and I love food and cooking, It’s my passion to help you discover how delicious and easy heart healthy eating can be! I’m glad you’re here! Take a look around. You’re going to LOVE Being Nutritious!

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