Pumpkin Granola

I got this recipe from my good friend Lindsay.  I'm not quite sure where she got it from but it is divine!  I have had it for breakfast nearly every morning for the past 3 months and there is still no sign of my taste buds even beginning to get sick of it. Mmm so so good!  I love this granola.  I always double the recipe because I go through it so fast.

Pumpkin Granola

Yields about 6 cups

3/4 cup pumpkin puree
1 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp nutmeg
Dash of ground ginger
1/2 tsp salt
3/4 cup brown sugar (I always replace with half coconut oil & half honey)
1/4 cup maple syrup
1 tsp vanilla extract
4 cups old fashioned oats
3/4 cup dried cranberries
1/4 cup raisins
1/2 cup almonds
1/4 cup unsweetened flaked coconut
1/4 cup roasted pumpkin seeds

(you can omit some of those ingredients if you don't have them or like them and add more of other ingredients you do like.  I generally do 1 cup chopped almonds and 1 cup chopped walnuts.)

Directions

Preheat oven to 250 degrees.  Spray baking sheet with cooking spray.

In a large bowl, mix together the pumpkin puree, cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, and salt.  Stir in the oil, honey, maple syrup, and vanilla extract until smooth.  Add the oats, dried cranberries, raisins, almonds, coconut, and pumpkin seeds, stirring until granola is evenly coated.  It will be moist.

Spread out evenly on prepared baking sheet.  Bake for 55 minutes and stir granola around.  Bake for an additional 55 minutes.  Allow to cook completely before storing in an air-tight container.  Granola will crisp up once it has cooled down.

** I just made this recipe again last night but this time I put the granola in my dehydrator over night (about 9 hours) at 105 degrees.  I'll probably even do it at a lower temperature next time and cook it for longer.  By cooking things at a lower temperature it prevents all of the enzymes from being killed- live enzymes are so good for us- so that is why I tried doing it this way in a dehydrator.