Healthy Pumpkin Granola

Healthy pumpkin granola with millet, golden raisins, and pumpkin seeds. Sweetened with maple syrup and a touch of raw sugar, this easy vegan granola recipe has a delicious crunch the whole family will love.

What's your granola game like?

Do you eat for breakfast or prefer it as a snack? Eat it by the handful straight from the jar? Sprinkle it over yoghurt, or drown it with milk? All of the above?

Cool, me too.

This Healthy Pumpkin Granola is one of my favourites for a fall-themed granola recipe. It's jammed with good-for-you ingredients, comes together in one-ish bowl(s) and will have your house smelling fan-freaking-tastic while it bakes.

What's in this recipe?

This Healthy Pumpkin Granola has just 9 ingredients:

• Rolled oats --> Kind of the star of the show.
• Millet --> One of my favourite seeds.
• Pumpkin seeds --> Full of zinc and iron! 
• Pumpkin pureé --> I use my Homemade Pumpkin Purée, but canned is fine too. 
• Maple syrup --> Classic fall flavours.
• Olive oil --> Or a neutral flavoured oil if you prefer.
• Demerara sugar --> For a bit of crunch!
• Spices --> Cinnamon, ginger, and the like.
• Golden raisins --> Regular raisins are fine as well. 

If you haven't tried millet in your granola before, I think you're in for a treat; it's got a great nutty flavour and a delightful crunch. The pumpkin seeds were an obvious choice for me, but you could totally mix up the nuts and seeds.

How to I make this recipe?

Folks, it's so, so easy.

Step 1:  Dump all of the dry ingredients into a bowl. Don't add the golden raisins, we're going to throw those in at the end.

Step 2:  Add the wet ingredients right on top - just dump and stir. I took the extra step of mixing the wet ingredients in a separate bowl in order to emulsify the oil a bit, but really, that's optional.

Step 3: Spread the wet granola mixture on a parchment-lined baking sheet, and bake for about 15 minutes. Pull the tray out of the oven, stir well, and return to the oven to bake some more. We're looking for golden, crunchy granola.

Step 4: Let your granola cool on the counter top - it'll continue to crisp up as it cools. Add the golden raisins, transfer to an air-tight container, and you are in granola-munching business.

Pro tips / recipe notes:

• Can I use canned pumpkin purée? Yup, totally. I've made this with both canned and homemade pumpkin purée, and they both work just fine.
• Can I leave the sugar out and use only maple syrup? You can, but the granola will have a bit less crunch.
• How do I know when the granola is done baking? It should be golden and just turning a deeper brown around the edges. It will continue to crisp as it cools, so if it's not as crispy as you think it should be when you pull it out in the oven, know it will crisp up a bit more.
• Is this granola recipe gluten-free? If you use gluten-free oats it is.
• Is this granola recipe vegan? Yup. Totes.

What makes this granola so good?

Millet isn't just for the birds! This super seed is loaded with heart-healthy magnesium and dietary fiber. Millet contains a variety of phytonutrients, including lignans which are thought to be preventative towards breast cancer and heart disease. Millet is also a good source of copper, manganese, and phosphorous.

Oats are rich in indigestible carbohydrates called beta-glutens which help to lower blood cholesterol levels. Oats are also host to a number of phenolic compounds which have antioxidant properties. Due to the high levels of those beta-glucans, oats are also helpful in stabilizing blood sugar.

In fact, eating oats in the morning may help keep your blood sugar stable throughout the entire day. Oats are also a good source of dietary fiber and protein. Look for gluten-free oats if you're celiac or have another gluten sensitivity.

Granola, previously:

Maple Apple Walnut Granola
Coconutty Banana Walnut Granola
Coco Cocoa Granola
Healthy Pumpkin Muffins
Cinnamon Roasted Apples

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5 from 5 votes

Healthy Pumpkin Granola

Healthy pumpkin granola with millet, golden raisins, and pumpkin seeds. Sweetened with maple syrup and a touch of raw sugar, this granola has a delicious crunch the whole family will love.

Course Breakfast

Cuisine American

Keyword Pumpkin Granola

Prep Time 10 minutes minutes

Cook Time 30 minutes minutes

Total Time 40 minutes minutes

Servings 16

Calories 274kcal

Author Katie Trant

Ingredients

• 4 cups rolled oats
• 1 cup millet
• 1 cup pumpkin seeds
• ¾ cup pumpkin purée
• ½ cup olive oil
• ½ cup pure maple syrup
• 3 Tablespoons Demerara sugar
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon ground ginger
• ½ teaspoon ground nutmeg
• ½ teaspoon ground cloves
• ½ teaspoon fine-grain sea salt
• 1 cup golden raisins

Cook ModePrevent your screen from going dark

Instructions

• Preheat your oven to 325°F / 160°C. Line two large baking sheets with parchment paper.
• In a large bowl combine 4 cups rolled oats, 1 cup millet, 1 cup pumpkin seeds, and 3 tablespoons sugar.
• In a medium-sized bowl whisk together ¾ cup pumpkin purée, ½ cup maple syrup, ½ cup olive oil, 1 teaspoon cinnamon, 1 teaspoon ginger, ½ teaspoon nutmeg, ½ teaspoon cloves, and ½ teaspoon sea salt.
• Pour the wet mix over the oats and stir to combine well.
• Distribute the granola mixture over the two baking sheets into two even layers.
• Place into the oven and bake for 15 minutes.
• Remove from the oven, gently stir the granola careful to not break up any clumps too much, and place back into the oven, rotating the trays.
• Bake for another 10-15 minutes, until the granola is starting to brown around the edges. You'll need to watch it quite carefully towards the end to ensure it doesn't burn.
• Remove the granola from the oven and combine on one tray. Add 1 cup golden raisins, and stir to combine evenly.
• Allow to cool completely - the granola will get crispier as it cools - before transferring into a jar.

Notes

• Nutrition values are an estimate only

Nutrition

Calories: 274kcal | Carbohydrates: 40g | Protein: 5g | Fat: 10g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Sodium: 77mg | Potassium: 243mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 14g | Vitamin A: 1785IU | Vitamin C: 0.8mg | Calcium: 33mg | Iron: 2mg

This recipe was originally published October 4, 2017. Last edited, updated, and republished October 2, 2021.