Pumpkin Granola (gluten-free & vegan)

Pumpkin granola that's super simple to make and full of vibrant fall flavor. It's minimally sweetened, loaded with warming homemade pumpkin pie spice, and studded with toasty nuts and pumpkin seeds.

Made with just a handful of pantry-friendly ingredients in under an hour. You'll never want to go back to store-bought once you've made this easy and addictive homemade pumpkin spice granola!

As a longtime fan of pumpkin desserts and homemade granola recipes, it was inevitable that I would share a pumpkin granola recipe on TBG. I started mixing up batches of this pumpkin spice granola a few weeks ago to use up a surplus of golden pumpkin spice leftover from making gluten-free pumpkin muffins. 

Jay and I couldn't stop reaching into the jar to nom crunchy granola clusters and toasty nuts and seeds. We had to hide the jar in the cupboard as no one was safe with it sitting out on the counter, taunting us day and night. 

Clumpy, Clustery Pumpkin Granola

This pumpkin granola recipe is simple to make and takes well to variations. Here are a few more things that make it extra-special:

1. It boasts large clumps and clusters thanks to a magical granola-making technique that I learned from my pastry school teacher (not during pastry school – that would be a weird thing to make – but at my teacher's bakery where I did an internship at the end of our course).
2. It uses my golden pumpkin spice mix which you may have on hand if you've already whipped up a batch for GF pumpkin muffins or GF pumpkin bread.
3. It's minimally sweetened with maple syrup and maple sugar or coconut sugar.
4. It's moistened with olive oil, which lends healthy fats as well as fruity depth of flavor.
5. A good hit of salt makes it completely addictive. 
6. It's gluten-free, vegan, and low-FODMAP which keeps my tummy happy when I eat it.

This pumpkin spice granola is so habit-forming, if you're anything like us, you'll be crunching it straight from the jar all fall and winter long. 

Ingredients and Substitution Suggestions

This pumpkin granola recipe uses just a handful of ingredients you probably already have in your pantry. It's quite forgiving, so feel free to swap ingredients as needed. I've shared a few options below. 

• Oats are the star of this show. Be sure to use old-fashioned rolled oats (not instant or steel-cut oats). If you or your granola-eaters are gluten-sensitive, be sure to source certified gluten-free oats. I like One Degree Organic sprouted oats and Bob's Red Mill gluten-free oats. (If you're looking for grain-free or paleo pumpkin granola, try this one from Paleo Running Momma.)
• Pecans and pumpkin seeds add crispy goodness. Feel free to swap in other nuts, such as walnuts, hazelnuts, almonds, and/or cashews. Or use other seeds such as sunflower, flax, hemp, and/or sesame seeds. Or add popped amaranth as per the granola recipe in Alternative Baker. To keep the granola nut-free, omit the pecans and use other seeds in their place. 
• Maple syrup and maple sugar or coconut sugar sweeten the granola. I prefer using maple sugar as it keeps the granola more brightly colored. Coconut sugar makes a darker granola albeit with lovely brown sugar notes. Using half liquid sweetener and half granulated sugar helps the granola bake up shatteringly crisp. You can use agave syrup or date syrup in place of the maple syrup if need be, and brown sugar or date sugar in place of the maple sugar. I don't recommend using honey instead of maple syrup as it tends to absorb moisture and make granola soft.
• Olive oil adds richness and depth. You can sub any neutral-tasting oil such as sunflower, grape seed, or avocado oil. Melted butter, ghee, or coconut oil will work too. 
• My golden pumpkin pie spice adds layers of flavor from cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, and allspice, while turmeric enhances the golden hue. You can use any pumpkin pie spice you've got, or see the recipe notes for spice subs if you don't feel like making a large batch. 
• Fine sea salt sharpens the flavors. Kosher salt works just as well. Just don't use iodized table salt which can taste harsh. 

How to Make Pumpkin Granola

This pumpkin spice granola could not be easier to make.

While most granola recipes call for stirring the granola as it bakes, I've learned the secret to large granola clusters: spread the granola into a thin layer on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper and don't stir. It bakes into a sheet of evenly-baked pumpkin granola that you can break up into whatever sized clusters you like. 

Here's how to make crispy, clumpy pumpkin spice granola:

Healthy Pumpkin Spice Granola for Everyone

This granola is naturally vegan and can accommodate other dietary restrictions and food allergies too:

• Gluten-Free Granola: use certified gluten-free oats.
• Low-FODMAP granola: use maple sugar instead of coconut sugar. 
• Nut-Free Pumpkin Granola: use extra seeds (pumpkin, sunflower, hemp, sesame, and/or flax) in place of the pecans. 

How to Enjoy Pumpkin Granola

This pumpkin pie granola is tasty enough to eat on its own like a crispy granola bar. Here are some other ways to dress it up:

• Serve it with plant milk and seasonal fruit.
• Sprinkle it over yogurt swirled with nut butter.
• Put it on overnight oats, chia pudding, or breakfast porridge.
• Crunch it with ice cream such as vanilla, maple sugar, horchata, maple pecan, or ginger ice cream for an impromptu dessert.
• Crumble it over pumpkin ice cream or pumpkin pudding for double pumpkin trouble.
• Pour creamy pumpkin seed horchata over it instead of milk.

However you serve it, I hope you love this easy pumpkin granola recipe as much as we do!

More Homemade Granola Recipes

• My Favorite Granola a.k.a. Stolen Granola
• Ginger Granola
• Maple Brown Butter Granola
• Cardamom Granola
• Peanut Butter Granola with Chocolate
• Dark Chocolate Granola

More Gluten-Free Breakfast Recipes

• Gluten-Free Buttermilk Pancakes (DF, vegan & low-fodmap options)
• Almond Flour Crepes (paleo)
• Sweet Potato Breakfast Bowls
• Gluten-Free Breakfast Bars
• Banana Buckwheat Pancakes

More Gluten-Free Pumpkin Recipes

• Gluten-Free Pumpkin Muffins (vegan option)
• Gluten-Free Pumpkin Bread (dairy-free)
• Pumpkin Pudding (vegan option)
• Find all of my favorite gluten-free pumpkin desserts here!

Bojon appétit! For more Bojon Gourmet in your life, follow along on Instagram, Facebook, or Pinterest, purchase my gluten-free cookbook Alternative Baker, or subscribe to receive new posts via email. And if you make this pumpkin seed granola, I’d love to know. Leave a comment and rating below, and tag your Instagram snaps @The_Bojon_Gourmet  and  #bojongourmet.

5 from 6 votes

Golden Pumpkin Spice Granola (gluten-free & vegan)

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Crispy, crunchy clusters of pumpkin spice granola studded with toasty almonds and pumpkin seeds. This granola is minimally-sweetened with maple syrup and coconut sugar and laced with just the right amount of my golden pumpkin pie spice. It's just the thing to enjoy on a crisp fall morning with yogurt or plant milk, fall fruit, and a swirl of nut butter.

Alanna Taylor-Tobin

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 45 minutes

Total: 55 minutes

Servings: 8 servings

Ingredients

• 6 tablespoons (75 g) mild olive oil or other vegetable oil
• ¼ cup (55 g) pumpkin puree
• 3 tablespoons (60 g) maple syrup
• 3 tablespoons (35 g) maple sugar, coconut sugar, or light brown sugar
• 2 teaspoons golden pumpkin pie spice*
• ¾ teaspoon fine sea salt
• 2 ½ cups (250 g) old-fashioned rolled oats**
• 1 cup (100 g) raw pecan halves
• ½ cup (75 g) raw pumpkin seeds

Instructions

• Position a rack in the upper third of the oven and preheat to 325º. Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper.
• In a large bowl, whisk together the olive oil, pumpkin puree, maple syrup, sugar of choice, pumpkin pie spice, and salt.
• Add the oats, pecans, and pumpkin seeds. Stir well.
• Spread the oat mixture into the prepared pan. Take the time to spread it into an even layer with the edges slightly thicker than the middle, this way the granola will bake evenly.
• Bake the granola without stirring until deeply golden, 35-50 minutes. If it’s browning too quickly, lower the oven temp by 25º. It will still be soft when hot but should crisp up as it cools.
• Test for doneness by removing a small clump of granola, placing it on a plate to cool for a minute or two, and eating it. If it’s crisp when cool, it’s done. If it’s still soft, return to the oven for 5 more minutes and test again.
• Remove from the oven and let cool to room temperature, about 30 minutes. Break up into whatever size clusters you like and store airtight for up to 1 month. If the granola softens as it sits, return it to a 250º oven for 10 minutes to crisp it up again.

Notes

*If you don’t have a batch of golden pumpkin pie spice already made, use ¾ teaspoon cinnamon, ¾ teaspoon ginger, ¼ teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg, 1/4 teaspoon turmeric, and 1/8 teaspoon allspice. Or sub any pumpkin pie spice.

**Use certified gluten-free oats if need be. I like One Degree Organic sprouted oats and Bob’s Red Mill gluten-free oats.

Nutrition facts are for 1 of 8 servings. 

Nutrition

Calories: 341kcalCarbohydrates: 30gProtein: 6gFat: 23gSaturated Fat: 3gPolyunsaturated Fat: 5gMonounsaturated Fat: 14gSodium: 222mgPotassium: 226mgFiber: 4gSugar: 10gVitamin A: 1200IUVitamin C: 1mgCalcium: 42mgIron: 2mg

Making this? I'd love to see!Tag your snaps @The_Bojon_Gourmet and #bojongourmet!