You know those kinds of recipes that make your house smell great for days?? Well, this soft-baked pumpkin chai granola is bound to replace any Fall-themed candle you have in your house with how YUMMY and cozy it smells coming out of the oven.

I’ve already shared my secret to getting LOTS of clusters on my last granola recipe post, so if you haven’t checked that out, go ahead and do so now.

BUT since I’m nice, I’ve also included it here as well 🙂

A friend of mine (hey, Kels) asked if I knew of any good pumpkin granola recipes, and in my Google search, I realized I should just come up with my own. I like a good challenge, so here we are. I think chai seasoning is very underrated, so the addition of that was a no-brainer.

The chunks are so big in this, you might even consider this a cookie recipe. Not only does this pumpkin chai granola have great cluster potential, but it also has great texture with the added quinoa. And yes, trust me on using the uncooked quinoa in this recipe.

The pecan halves (not chopped – keep those babies fully intact) just add an extra layer of fall flavors.

I think I’ve covered all the bases here with pumpkin, chai, AND pecan, don’t you agree??

I also think this granola recipe would be great as a treat for Thanksgiving to put out for guests to take home. Just a thought 🙂

Soft-Baked Pumpkin Chai Granola

Author: Blaire
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 25-30 minutes
Total Time: 40-45 minutes
Category: Breakfast

Print Recipe

Description

Ingredients

Dry base

2 cups Old fashioned oats
3/4 c. Tricolor quinoa (any quinoa would do, I just thought the colors looked cool and fall-like)
1 TBSP cinnamon
2 Tsp ground ginger
1 1/2 Tsp cardamom
1/2 Tsp nutmeg

“Sauté Mix ins”:

2 cups pecan halves (check out Whole Foods in the bull section)
1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
1.5 TBSP Vanilla (This may seem like a lot, but I like a lot of vanilla, k?)
1 Tsp cardamom
A pinch of sea salt
2/3 cup pumpkin purée

Wet ingredients:

1/3 cup Agave nectar (maple syrup or honey would also work here)
1/4 to 1/3 cup Coconut sugar (or brown sugar) – depending how sweet you want it
1/3 cup Coconut oil

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3 egg whites

Instructions

Preheat oven to 325.

Mix the “dry base” ingredients in a large bowl. Set aside.

Over medium heat, combine the “saute mix ins (minus the pumpkin)” following in a sauté pan. Cook until the pecans are golden and fragrant, about 5 minutes. Then, mix in 2/3 cup pumpkin purée in the saucepan before pouring into the dry mix bowl. Note: the pumpkin/pecan mixture will look clumpy and unappetizing haha but just mix it in real well with the oats and it’ll all be good! Have faith.

In a saucepan over medium heat, whisk the wet ingredients until the sugar dissolves (or do the same thing in a microwave if you don’t wanna dirty another pan, I feel ya).

Pour the agave mixture in the dry mix bowl and ✨MIX WELL UNTIL EVERY LAST DRY BIT IS COATED✨. Then, pour over a 1/2 sheet pan, or split between 2 quarter sheet pans. You want a very thin layer.
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***SECRET TO GET THE CLUMPS*** Whisk 3 egg whites for 45 seconds until frothy, then dump over granola and use the back of a spoon to spread it over the mix. This will give you the best clumps!
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Bake for 25-30 min or until golden brown and the edges are crispy. Let it cool completely (muy importante)! Then transfer to a mason jar or plastic baggie.

Keywords: pumpkin chai granola

Soft-Baked Pumpkin Chai Granola

BUT since I’m nice, I’ve also included it here as well 🙂

I think I’ve covered all the bases here with pumpkin, chai, AND pecan, don’t you agree??