Pumpkin Spice Granola

If you've not heard of, or checked out, the Sprouted Kitchen website, you should totally get over there today. It is one of the most beautiful food sites I've ever seen. Every recipe sends me to the kitchen checking ingredients to see if I can whip up one of her whole food concoctions tonight! For my birthday, I got The Sprouted Kitchen cookbook, and it has to be one of the best cookbook buys I've ever purchased. It's stunning, every page filled to the gills with recipes, stories and photos that make you drool.

Andy eats a lot of granola, and I've tried making tons of different granola, and I've never had one turn out really well - well enough to not buy somebody else's, really. Until today! The Sprouted Kitchen Pumpkin Spice Granola is wonderfully easy, delicious, and I will be making it again and again. Imagine the variations you could make with the dried fruit choices out there or the seed options...my head is spinning, but honestly, this original version is so good, I may not want to try anything different! This is not overly pumpkin tasting, for those of you who aren't big fans, but it provides a nice, spicy note to the granola that gives it depth and bulk. So thank you Sara Forte from the Sprouted Kitchen. This is a pure delight!

Pumpkin Spice Granola
Ingredients:
2.5 tbsp olive oil
sea salt
3/4 tsp pumpkin pie spice
1/3 cup Grade B maple syrup (I used Grade A - out of B at the moment)
1/3 cup pumpkin puree
2 cups old-fashioned rolled oats
1/2 cup roughly chopped raw pecans
3 tbsp sesame seeds
1/2 cup golden raisins (or cranberries, dark raisins, etc.)

1. Preheat the oven to 325°F.

2. In a large mixing bowl, whisk together olive oil, salt, pumpkin pie spice, maple syrup, and pumpkin puree until smooth. Add in the oats, pecans, and sesame seeds and stir until well-coated.

3. Spread the granola evenly onto a large rimmed baking sheet, trying to keep as many clusters intact as possible. Bake in preheated oven for 35-45 minutes or until the granola is dry and golden-brown in color, stirring every 10 minutes or so by scooping the granola on the edges back into the center and then spreading back out into an even layer.

4. Let the granola cool for a few minutes, then stir in the raisins. Allow to cool completely on baking sheets before transferring to an airtight container for storage. Finished granola will keep for about a week.