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Fall can bring nostalgia to even those who live in season-less environments. I grew up in a small beach town in Central Florida, and I can count on one hand the number of times it dipped below 80 degrees on Christmas Day. And Halloween? Even warmer!
Yes, wearing a homemade felt frog costume was just as suffocating as it sounds. But those few weeks sprinkled throughout fall and winter when we could bust our windows open without busting out into a full-body sweat used to make my heart flutter.
Now that I get to experience a true fall year after year, I get even more excited to prolong the season! For me, that means long walks in parks where I dive into piles of leaves like a child, too many cups of hot tea to count, and gosh darn it something pumpkin spiced!
Really, if done right, the pumpkin-spiced craze can be incredibly nourishing. Traditional fall spices like cinnamon, ginger, and mace or nutmeg each have health benefits that garner my respect, so what better way to get those benefits than combining them in a delicious oven-baked granola that will satisfy that nostalgia without derailing your Autoimmune Protocol lifestyle. I will delay your snacking no further. Enjoy this comforting treat in moderation, and remember to stock up on all those amazing fall vegetables, too!
- 2 cups unsweetened coconut flakes*
- ⅔ cup raisins
- ⅔ cup chopped apple rings
- 2 medium bananas with brown spots
- 2 tbsp melted coconut oil
- 1 ½ tsp cinnamon
- 1 tsp ground ginger
- ½ tsp ground mace
- ¼ tsp sea salt
- Preheat oven to 300 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or grease well with coconut oil.
- In a medium mixing bowl, stir together coconut flakes, raisins, and apple rings.
- In a separate medium bowl, mash the banana until smooth ensuring you have ⅔ cup of mash.
- Stir the coconut oil, spices, and sea salt into the mashed banana.
- Coat the dry mixture with the wet mixture by stirring until well combined and everything sticks together.
- Spread out evenly onto prepared baking sheet into a ¼-inch layer.
- Bake for 45 to 50 minutes, stirring halfway through, until the granola is a golden brown and smells of baked pumpkin bread.
- Let cool for at least 10 to 15 minutes to set. Break any large chunks into smaller, bite-sized pieces.
35 comments
Are the apple rings to be fresh or dried/dehydrated?
Sounds delightful. Can you clarify about the apple rings? Are these fresh apples or dried apples? Thanks!
Dried apples!
I used fresh and it’s worked out lovely!
I just made this for my annual Halloween party, and it’s delicious. I can’t believe it’s AIP! Everyone will love it, and it’s nice to know anyone can eat it.
Oh this looks really amazing! Never tought about adding pumpkin spice to granola, what a good idea.
This is to die for!!!!! Satisfies all my fall baking cravings 😉
Just made this during Sunday batch cooking………DELICIOUS,,, used dried organic apples slices, chopped them up……..granola got crispier as it cooled..yum, yum! Thanks for recioe. DH loves it too!
Wonderful to hear! I’m making it tonight too!
I want to try this but am I missing something in the ingredients list…where is the pumpkin spice???
You make your own with the spices in the recipe. Store bought usually has nutmeg which is not AIP.
What’s the best way to store this?
For longest storage time, covered in a container in the fridge. It won’t hold its crispness as long on countertop.
Is that dried apple rings or fresh apples? How to store/keep and for how long? Looks yummy! Can’t wait to try! 🙂 Thank you for sharing!
Dried! Sorry about that!
Yum. I used freshly cooked pumpkin in place of bananas because I hate bananas. I added 2tbsp of date paste to replace the sweetness that the nasty ripe banana would have given. Lol. Great recipe thank you!
Could I substitute something else for the banana mash? Perhaps applesauce? (I am sensitive to bananas).
What about mashed sweet potato, butternut, or pumpkin instead? Applesauce may be too watery.
I also have a banana sensitivity. Would applesauce be a good sub? Please say yes because I want to make this asap!
A gal up above used pureed pumpkin – can you try that? My only worry with applesauce would be the lack of starchiness and extra water may not crisp the granola.
Absolutely delicious! It tastes like a cross between a pumpkin pie and banana bread… So basically heaven 🙂 I forgot to get dried apples at the store, so I made it without, but I look forward to making it with them next time!
[…] Pumpkin Spice Granola – Autoimmune Paleo […]
For my first week of the elimination phase, I knew I had to treat myself with something special. I like small meals, and plenty of snacks, and my favourite breakfast historically has been yogurt, fruit, and GRANOLA. So, when I saw this recipe I knew I had to try it. I couldn’t find unsulphured dried apples (all had the sulphur), so I used unsulphured dried apricots instead. Though mine came out a bit on the dark side at the bake times listed, it was a lovely sweet snack to indulge in when I got cravings for goodies during my first week! Thank you so much!
Is there a recommended substitute for coconut flakes? I’m allergic to coconut 🙁
I’m going to try it with sliced tigernuts instead of coconut since I’m intolerant.
This is in response to a very old comment, but for anyone reading, you could use unsweetened banana chips. I added those to my coconut mix and they were great!
[…] Granola makes a yummy snack, but the bags sold in stores are either expensive or contain iffy ingredients. I LOVE this recipe for pumpkin spice granola! […]
[…] Pumpkin Spice Granola by Autoimmune Paleo (egg-free, AIP-friendly) […]
I absolutely love this as a snack/sweet treat. Since I have a hard time finding raisins which aren’t prepped in sunflower or cottonseed oil, I often opt for dried cranberries (processed with apple juice instead of sugar. ) I also love the taste of the cranberries. Tonight I am trying it with some green raisins (I found some organic ones that are only sun dried), dried tart cherries and some sun dried physalis–I found these at my local organic shop today. A bit pricey, but makes for a luxury treat. Will see how it turns out. Thanks for sharing this recipe. I travel a lot for work and this is now one of my go-to take along snacks!
[…] Get the recipe for Pumpkin Spice Granola! […]
Love this snack! Have made it twice now and doubled the batches both times. To mix it up I have been doing half the batch as the recipe states and half another variety. The first time I added molasses and cloves to the original recipe to make it gingerbread tasting. The second time I only used the cinnamon for the spice and used cranberries versus the raisins for cranberry coconut granola. This is my favorite AIP blog. Keep up the great posts!!
[…] Pumpkin Spice Granola […]
This is my favorite aip snack. Watch out – it’s addictive! I use one banana and pumpkin purée instead of two bananas and it comes out extra pumpkin-spicy and a little less sweet, which I prefer.
This is so tasty! I made some modifications each time I made it and like it most when I replace the banana mush with a mix of canned pumpkin puree and apple sauce. The bananas were a bit too sweet for me.
I just made this today and love it!! I didn’t have dried apples so I used fresh and it turned out great! The only problem is that I can’t stop eating it!!! Yum!