Reviewed: Jul. 30, 2010

I actually ended up changing this recipe a bit. I didn't have the proper pumpkin spice mix so I just added cinnamon, ginger and nutmeg. Didn't have pecans, so I used almonds. To make it more like pumpkin pie I used pumpkin puree instead of apple sauce. Found I had to bake it longer than the recipe showed, but it continued to dry after I removed it from the oven. It has excellent pumpkin flavour with the puree in there and the whole family loved it. Will definitely make this time and time again! Don't be afraid to play around with the recipe.

Was this review helpful? [ YES ]
25 users found this review helpful

Reviewer:

jennabeanski

Reviewed: Oct. 19, 2009

One of our favorite granola recipes! I do bake at 300 instead of 250 and stir about every 10 min until lightly browned, then it only takes about 40 minutes or so. One tip I've learned is granola gets crunchier after it cools!

Was this review helpful? [ YES ]
23 users found this review helpful

Reviewer:

Molly

Cooking Level: Intermediate

Living In: Gardner, Kansas, USA

Reviewed: Jun. 2, 2009

This is very tasty granola! My little siblings were eating straight out of the pan; they love it! One change I made was to substitute canned pumpkin (mixed with 2 tbs. of milk) for the applesauce. I was really looking forward to making this, because it sounds like such a unique and delicious recipe. I was a little disappointed, however, that it really didn't taste a whole lot like pumpkin pie. That is why I am giving it four stars. It is a very easy, healthy, and tasty granola, though. Do not hesitate to try this! Just don't expect it to taste a whole lot like pumpkin pie!

Was this review helpful? [ YES ]
18 users found this review helpful

Reviewer:

larkspur

Cooking Level: Expert

Home Town: Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA

Living In: Wauwatosa, Wisconsin, USA

Reviewed: May 25, 2010

It took all of my power to to rate this while I was cooking it. It made my apartment smell sooooo GOOD!! Smell aside, this is a terrific granola recipe. This is the first time I've made granola, so after browsing through all the other recipes I decided to try for this one, since it didn't use oil. SO happy I did! I read the other reviews and decided to compromise with the oven at 275. It took a little longer to cook, 1 hour 15 minutes, but after letting it sit, it became much more crunchy and I decided I may have overcooked it very slightly. I also used walnuts instead of pecans because that's what I had on hand. Added a few dashes of cinnamon as well. Other than that stayed true to the recipe, and so glad I did. While it didn't really taste much like pumpkin pie, the flavors worked so well together, it didn't seem to matter! No more expensive store bought granola for me!

Was this review helpful? [ YES ]
16 users found this review helpful

Reviewer:

Elizabeth

Cooking Level: Intermediate

Home Town: Toledo, Ohio, USA

Living In: Naples, Florida, USA

Reviewed: Dec. 22, 2010

I was out of applesauce, but had lots of fresh pureed pumpkin, so used that in its place! And, it gave more of a genuine pumpkin flavor to the granola. I was also out of the dried cranberries, so subbed in golden raisins, which worked fine. Good stuff, esp during the Christmas season!

Was this review helpful? [ YES ]
13 users found this review helpful

Reviewer:

JenJen

Reviewed: Aug. 19, 2011

I took larkspur's tip and used Trader Joe's pumpkin puree instead of applesauce. I did not use dried cranberries because I do not have any. This was so simple to make and it turned out fantastic! All three of us (my two sons and myself) thought this was one of the best granolas we've ever had. I made this early this morning and let it cool and we had it for breakfast an hour later so it was nice and fresh and crunchy. I have about a cup leftover that I stuck in Tupperware, I'll update my review if it turns out that it's less not as good the next day. I don't think of pumpkin pie when I eat it but it does make me think of fall/winter. I'll make this again--next time I'll try this with applesauce and my homemade apple pie spice.

Was this review helpful? [ YES ]
12 users found this review helpful

Reviewer:

Sarah Jo

Cooking Level: Expert

Home Town: Seattle, Washington, USA

Living In: Belle Vernon, Pennsylvania, USA

Reviewed: Jun. 5, 2009

Follwed this recipe exactly, crunchy when I made it last night....but softer today....it lost its crunch....flavor is good though...I may even add more cinnamon next time. This is a good recipe and I love the applesauce factor in this vs. oil that most granola recipes call for. I will try this again, add cinnamon and maybe bake at a higher temp. Thanks!

Was this review helpful? [ YES ]
10 users found this review helpful

Reviewer:

SLJ6

Cooking Level: Expert

Reviewed: Oct. 31, 2010

Excellent recipe! I didn't have regular oats and I ended up using quick-cooking. They didn't get crunchy like the recipe name suggests, but the flavors were awesome! Very good on top of yogurt, very good plain as a snack!

Was this review helpful? [ YES ]
9 users found this review helpful

Reviewer:

Robyn

Cooking Level: Intermediate

Living In: Columbus, Ohio, USA

Reviewed: Sep. 18, 2009

Wonderful granola! I used 5 grain plus flaxseed whole grain cereal (Bob's Red Mill) & added dried apples and used walnuts instead of pecans. I also turned the oven up to 300 degrees the last 20 minutes.

Was this review helpful? [ YES ]
8 users found this review helpful

Reviewer:

tdalrymple

Cooking Level: Intermediate

Home Town: Cary, North Carolina, USA

Reviewed: Jun. 9, 2009

I may never buy store bought granola again! This is a great recipe & I love how easy it was to make. Instead of regular applesauce, I used the cinnamon stuff because that is what we had. Baked this at 300 degrees on the convection setting for 1 hour & it came out just right. LOVE the flavors!!! Yeah, it doesn't really taste like pumpkin pie, but it is still sooo good. It smells awesome while it is baking too! For my own personal preferance I think next time I will skip on the cranberries & add just up the raisins, but that is just to suite my own personal taste. Thanks bg for such a great recipe!!

Was this review helpful? [ YES ]
7 users found this review helpful