Soft-Baked Pumpkin Granola
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This soft and chewy pumpkin granola is made with real pumpkin puree, maple syrup, brown sugar, and warm fall spices. It’s not your standard crunchy granola– it’s tender, cozy, and tastes like a slice of pumpkin pie in a snackable, textured form.
THE PUMPKIN GRANOLA THAT ISN’T CRUNCHY (ON PURPOSE)
Pumpkin granola is not exactly a rare find in the fall, but most of what you’ll see out there is pumpkin spice granola: crunchy oats flavored with pumpkin pie spice with no actual pumpkin in sight. And hey, there’s nothing wrong with that! But this one is different. There’s real pumpkin puree in the mix, and that changes everything about the texture.
This soft-baked pumpkin granola has been included in my recipe index since 2018, and it’s one of my all-time favorite recipes. It stays tender and chewy, so it eats more like pumpkin pie filling and oats had a delicious baby than like a bowl of crunchy clusters. I think there’s a place in the recipe world for soft granola, and this is the one I’d put at the top of the list.
HOW SOFT-BAKED GRANOLA CAME TO BE
I stumbled into soft-baked granola by accident with my carrot cake granola, which has been a reader favorite since 2015. Vegetables bring a lot of moisture, and that moisture doesn’t just bake off the way it would in a standard granola. My first batch was not what I’d planned, until my husband grabbed a handful and declared he loved the texture. Soft-baked granola was officially born in our house.
Pumpkin works the same way. Pumpkin puree is mostly water, so instead of crisp, shattering oats, you get a granola that’s soft, chewy, and reminiscent of pie— or rather a crisp since we’re working with oats. The low, slow bake dries it out just enough to hold together in clusters, while the pumpkin keeps everything tender.
INGREDIENTS YOU WILL NEED
This is a short ingredient list, nothing fussy!
OLD FASHIONED OATS: do not use quick oats, or you’ll end up with pumpkin mush in a hurry.
CHOPPED NUTS: I like pecans, starting with halves and giving them a rough chop so there are big and small pieces. Walnuts also work well. I’ve also used slivered almonds!
SPICES: pumpkin pie spice plus a little extra ground cinnamon, and a pinch of salt to balance the sweetness.
PUMPKIN PUREE: make sure you’re using plain pumpkin puree, not pumpkin pie filling. I always measure it with measuring cups rather than a scale, since the moisture content can vary a lot from brand to brand, and a scale could steer you wrong here.
BROWN SUGAR & MAPLE SYRUP: this duo sweetens the granola and helps everything stick together. Light or dark brown sugar both work, but make sure it’s pure maple syrup and not pancake syrup.
VANILLA EXTRACT: just a little to round out the depth of flavor.
COCONUT OIL: be sure you melt it before adding. In a crunchy granola, this is the ingredient that crisps things up. Here it keeps the oats from turning soggy and gives you that soft, chewy bite. Use refined for a neutral flavor. Any neutral oil or even melted butter works, too.
HOW TO MAKE SOFT-BAKED PUMPKIN GRANOLA
Preheat the oven: we’re working with a low 250°F (121°C). This is a low and slow situation, and that gentle heat is what dries the granola without scorching the sugars.
Mix the dry ingredients: toss together the oats, chopped nuts, pumpkin pie spice, cinnamon, and salt.
Mix the wet ingredients: in a separate bowl, whisk together the pumpkin puree, brown sugar, maple syrup, and vanilla until everything is smooth.
Coat the oats: pour the pumpkin mixture over the oats and stir until everything is evenly coated. Then pour the melted coconut oil over the top and stir again until it’s well distributed. It’ll be wet and sticky, and that’s exactly right.
Bake: spread the granola in an even layer on your baking sheet and bake for 1 hour and 15 minutes, stirring every 15 minutes. Skip the stir after the final 15 minutes so you get nice clusters.
Cool completely: leave the granola on the baking sheet until it’s totally cool, then break it into whatever size pieces you like.
SUCCESS TIP
When the granola comes out of the oven, it will look soft and a little damp. Don’t panic and don’t put it back in! It firms up as it cools, but since this is a soft-baked granola, it will never be shatteringly crisp, which is the whole point. Resist the urge to stir it while it cools, too, or you’ll break up all those nice clusters.
HOW TO STORE SOFT-BAKED GRANOLA
Because there’s real pumpkin in here, this granola holds more moisture than the crunchy stuff, so it doesn’t keep as long. Store it in an airtight container, and depending on the ambient temperature in your house, you can keep in the fridge for the best texture and freshness, or at room temperature. Just plan to enjoy it within about a week for the best results (it never lasts quite that long in out house).
WAYS TO ENJOY IT
Eat it by the handful, spoon it over yogurt, pile it on oatmeal, or pour on a splash of milk. It’s cozy, it’s easy, and it’s the best way I know to get your pumpkin pie fix before the actual pie shows up on the table. I hope you love it as much as we do!
Soft-Baked Pumpkin Granola Recipe
Ingredients
- 2 and ½ cups (283g) old fashioned oats not quick oats
- 1 and ¼ cup (170g) coarsely chopped nuts1
- ¾ teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
- ¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ¾ cup pumpkin puree2
- ¼ cup (50g) firmly packed light or dark brown sugar
- ¼ cup (60mL) pure maple syrup
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 5 Tablespoons (75g) coconut oil3 melted
Video
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 250ºF (121ºC). Line a large baking sheet with a silicone baking mat or parchment paper. Set aside.
- In a large bowl, toss together the oats, nuts, pumpkin pie spice, cinnamon, and salt. Set aside.2 and ½ cups (283g) old fashioned oats, 1 and ¼ cup (170g) coarsely chopped nuts1, ¾ teaspoon pumpkin pie spice, ¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon, ¼ teaspoon salt
- In a medium size bowl, whisk together the pumpkin, brown sugar, maple syrup, and vanilla extract until smooth. Pour the mixture over the oat mixture and stir to coat evenly.¾ cup pumpkin puree2, ¼ cup (50g) firmly packed light or dark brown sugar, ¼ cup (60mL) pure maple syrup, 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- Pour the melted coconut oil over the coated oat mixture until evenly distributed. Spread granola onto prepared baking sheet and bake for 1 hour and 15 minutes, stirring after each 15 minute increment. Do not stir after the last 15 minutes. Allow to cool on baking sheet.5 Tablespoons (75g) coconut oil3
- When granola is completely cool, break up into desired sized pieces. Granola stays fresh in an airtight container at room temperature up to one week.
Notes
- Nuts: I like to use pecans for this granola, starting with pecan halves and giving them a rough chop so that I have big and small pieces.
- Pumpkin: I always measure pumpkin purée with measuring cups as the moisture content can wildly change the weight measurements, depending on the brand.
- Oil: I prefer to use coconut oil (be sure it’s refined for a neutral taste) but you can use any neutral oil or even butter.
Nutrition Disclosure
All nutritional values are approximate and provided to the reader as a courtesy. Changing ingredients and/or quantities will alter the estimated nutritional calculations.
This was amazing and Ill be making it regularly! I did use quick oats because its all I had and I use it in other granolas I make, it still turned out great!
Thank you so much, Chantelle!
This is so good! It’s like a pumpkin pie in your bowl, on your oatmeal, whatever. 🤗. And fairly easy. Win all around!
Thank you so much, Carla!
Perfect!! I’m already planning on making it again. It’s a great combo of crunchy, sweet, and the touch of spices make it delightful. 🤌
Thanks so much, Katja!
The pumpkin granola is a perfect fall treat for topping off your yogurt or for snacking. I made it as written and love the fall spice and pecan combination! Will definitely make again!
Thank you so much, Emily!