Pumpkin Granola

'Tis the season... pumpkin season that is. It's official; Starbucks' pumpkin spiced latte has returned to much anticipation while my personal favorite, Dunkin Donuts' pumpkin donuts, are also back. So I am jumping on the bandwagon and have come up with a pumpkin granola recipe to share with all of you.

Ingredients:
3 cups old fashioned oats
1 tsp pumpkin pie spice
½ tsp ground cinnamon
¼ tsp salt
½ cup chopped or sliced almonds
½ cup chopped walnuts
¼ cup maple syrup
¼ cup pumpkin puree
1 tsp vanilla
½ cup dried cranberries (or raisins, your preference)
¼ cup roasted sunflower kernels

Directions:
Preheat oven to 300 degrees. Line a large baking sheet with foil or parchment paper. Set aside.

In a large bowl, combine oats, pumpkin pie spice, cinnamon, salt, almonds and walnuts.

In a small bowl, combine maple syrup, pumpkin puree and vanilla. (Here’s a tip when measuring sticky ingredients like maple syrup, honey, molasses, etc. Spray the measuring cup with nonstick spray first. The syrup will pour out easier.)

Pour the pumpkin mixture into the oat mixture and stir until coated well. Add the cranberries to the mixture and toss again.

Spread the granola onto the baking sheet and bake until golden brown, stirring occasionally, about 30 minutes total. (I stir every 10 minutes.) After 20 minutes, add the sunflower seeds and stir again.
Finish baking for the remaining 10 minutes.

Remove from the oven and transfer the sheet to a cooling rack and let cool completely. Store the granola in the refrigerator in an airtight container for about 2 weeks.