Well, I survived the fall semester of my second year (P2) of pharmacy school! And you better believe I’ve been busy in the kitchen since I finished! With the holidays coming, I’ve been trying to round up all my goodies as quickly as I can while still trying to keep my kitchen from looking like a tornado (or a snowstorm of powdered sugar) went through it. So far, so good. But I still have a few recipes to go..
I won’t be sharing any of the goodies I made for Christmas until after Christmas so I don’t spoil the surprise, but I do have some recipes that can help you out if you are at a loss when figuring out last minute gifts! This granola recipe is great for a last minute gift – it’s quick and easy to make, you probably have most of the ingredients, and it’s delicious! My sister, Lauren, requested granola for her birthday (which was in October), and so I took two kinds home to her over Thanksgiving, since I wasn’t home before that. I chose the pumpkin spice because I had some leftover pumpkin in the fridge that I wanted to get rid of.
The pumpkin spice is rather subtle in this, so if you’re really into it, up the pumpkin pie spice to 3 teaspoons instead of the 1 1/2. I liked it just how it was – not too overpowering so I could combine it with some fruity greek yogurt.
With granola, I like mixing it in with my yogurt, having it with some milk as cereal, or just eating it by the handful. What’s your favorite way to eat yogurt?
- 4 cups old-fashioned oats
- 1/2 cup unsweetened coconut
- 1 cup nuts, chopped (I used almonds and walnuts)
- 1/2 cup pepitas (pumpkin seeds)
- 1 1/2 tsp pumpkin pie spice
- 1/2 tsp cinnamon
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1/3 cup coconut sugar (or brown sugar)
- 2/3 cup pumpkin puree
- 1/4 cup honey
- 1/4 cup water
- 2 Tbsp coconut oil (or butter)
- 1 tsp vanilla
Preheat oven to 350ºF.
Combine oats, coconut, nuts/pepitas, pumpkin pie spice, cinnamon, and salt in a large bowl.
Combine pumpkin, water, honey, coconut sugar, vanilla, and coconut oil in a small sauce pan, and bring to a boil over medium heat. Pour the boiling mixture over the dry mix, and stir until evenly coated.
Spread out onto a parchment lined baking sheet and bake for about 25 minutes, stirring halfway through.
Store in an airtight container.
*If you'd like to add any dried fruits, add up to 1 cup after baking.