Homemade Pumpkin Spice Granola

For quite some time now my favorite and most frequent breakfast is granola, yogurt and some fruit (typically frozen fruit).  I had been buying granola cereal but was tired of how overly crunchy they were and the raisins in them were always as hard as a rock.  I reached out to my Facebook friends for suggested recipes for homemade granola.  Several friends shared some great recipes.  Here's the first one I tried and it is SO good.  My kids and husband like it too (I may have to hide some of it so they don't eat it all)!  I can't wait to try different variations of this recipe in the future!

Homemade Pumpkin Spice Granola 

(adapted from www.skinnytaste.com)

Ingredients:

• 1/4 cup uncooked quinoa, rinsed well and pat dry with paper towel
• 1 1/2 cups rolled oats
• 1/4 cup ground flaxseeds
• 1/4 cup pine nuts (or other seed/or nut)
• 1/4 cup chopped pecans
• 1/2 cup dried cranberries
• 1/4 cup honey (used fresh honey from my mom and dad)
• 1/4 cup pumpkin puree
• 1 tsp olive oil
• 1 tsp pumpkin spice
• 1/4 tsp cinnamon
• pinch salt

• 1/2 tsp vanilla extract

Directions:

Preheat oven to 325° F.

Spread oats and quinoa out on a parchment lined baking pan. Toast in the oven 10 minutes, stirring once.

Remove the oats from the oven, pour the toasted oats into a medium bowl and add the ground flaxseeds, pine nuts, pecans and dried fruit.

Reduce oven to 300° F.

In a second medium bowl, combine honey, pumpkin puree, oil, pumpkin spice, cinnamon, salt and vanilla. Pour over oats and stir together with a spatula. Spread back onto a baking sheet and bake an additional 20 minutes, or until golden.

Makes 3 2/3 cups.