Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Granola

Take yogurt, oatmeal, and cereal up a notch with this festive autumn Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Granola made with cranberries and almond butter!

Pumpkin spice is in the air, leaves are starting to change, and the holidays are here! If you’re like me, lots of baking happens during the holidays so come with me as I share some easy tips to stay organized in the kitchen this holiday season. The post is sponsored by The Container Store.

Pumpkin spice is either a love it or hate it, and for me, it is one of the strongest loves ever. It totally kicks off and gets me right into the holiday season because soon enough it’s Thanksgiving and then Christmas. I start planning my holiday baking around the end of September so that I am all organized for the next few months.

With the planning of the holiday baking, I think about all the ingredients I need to buy and what I already have on hand, and then I sometimes find myself in a deep rabbit hole in my pantry finding old expired ingredients and things I don’t ever remember buying.

This holiday season, I am doing things differently. Organization is going to be key for me so that I know exactly what I already have and exactly what I need to get. That’s where a trip to The Container Store comes in handy.

Here’s what I bought at The Container Store:

• Expand-A-Shelf - great for organizing spices at different levels.
• Measuring spoons and measuring cups - perfect for all of the holiday baking requirements.
• POP cereal dispensers - great for granola storage, cereal storage so you can see what you already have, or for general organization purposes.
• Good Grips Baking Essentials containers - perfect for decanting items like flour, sugar, oats and keeping them fresh with the airtight seal button.
• Modular canister set - clear containers for ingredients. 5 pieces at multiple heights for different ingredients.
• Zip Top containers - for keeping small amounts of leftovers, fresh produce, or other things you would typically use a plastic baggie for.
• Clear turntable - perfect for keeping oils, sprays, extracts organized and easy to access.
• Jumbo Pantry Bins - for extra loose bag storage, to keep smaller containers organized.

The Container Store has the organizing essentials you need to simplify your holiday in the kitchen. From measuring spoons, to storage containers, to bins and baskets, and so much more, The Container store is your one stop spot for all of your holiday baking needs.

Plus, while some of us may dread the idea of having to clean and organize everything, we have to agree that after it’s all done, there is an immense amount of joy that comes with it!! The trick is just keeping it up after so that you get to feel that joy year-round.

Top tips for organizing

• Decant your dry baked goods! This helps you see exactly what you already have and how much you have left of it.
• Place your spices on a tiered shelf - then you can see all the spices at eye level!
• Place any loose baggies or leftover product in clear bins so you can see what you still have before buying more
• Buy multiple different sizes of containers for all different amount of products
• Write expiration dates on the bottom of containers with a piece of masking tape so you don’t forget!

Click here to shop my favorite products from The Container Store to keep food fresh!

The perfect granola for the fall season

Speaking of holiday baking, does it absolutely bum anyone else out when you bake a ton of goodies and then you have nowhere to store them to keep them fresh? SAME. Which is why I rely on my containers from The Container Store to keep all of my baked goods fresh.

Let’s take this pumpkin chocolate chip granola number for example.This tasty recipe is a mix of almond butter, cranberries, chocolate chips, and of course, pumpkin. It's the perfect treat and also happens to take on delicious fall flavors. What perfect timing!

I love to use this as a topping on my favorite breakfasts like oatmeal and yogurt, and it also makes a delicious snack for eating as-is. It takes about 10 minutes of prep time, and then the rest of the work is done in the oven. Then we seal it up in an airtight container and we are good!

Ingredients in this pumpkin chocolate chip granola recipe

To make pumpkin spice granola, we'll use a base of rolled oats, pumpkin pie spice, salt, pecans, cranberries, and chocolate chips. Then, we'll mix that with a blend of pumpkin puree, almond butter, coconut, honey, and vanilla. The result is a crunchy pumpkin and almond butter flavored treat with cranberries and chocolate chips mixed in!

• Rolled oats: First up, begin with 3 cups of rolled oats. These will form the base of the granola and work as a nice protein-rich foundation.
• Pumpkin pie spice: Add pumpkin flavor by including 1 tablespoon of pumpkin pie spice.
• Salt: ½ teaspoon of salt adds a bit of flavor.
• Pecans: Next, add a yummy nutty taste with 1 cup of chopped pecans.
• Cranberries: ¼ cup of dried cranberries will add a fruity flavor and help to sweeten up the recipe.
• Chocolate chips: Follow the pecans with ½ cup of mini chocolate chips. Chocolate always makes granola that much better.
• Pumpkin puree: Enhance the pumpkin flavor and thicken up the recipe with ¼ cup of pumpkin puree.
• Almond butter: Do the same with ¼ cup of almond butter.
• Coconut oil: Next, use ¼ cup of coconut oil. This helps the ingredients bind together.
• Honey: Naturally sweeten the granola with ⅓ cup of honey.
• Vanilla: Finally, finish the recipe with 1 teaspoon of vanilla.

Tools used to make this recipe

To create your granola, you will need a baking sheet, parchment paper, a large mixing bowl, a stirring utensil, a medium mixing bow, and a whisk.

For measuring, gather the following sized cups: ½ tsp, 1 tsp, 1 tbsp, ¼ cup, ⅓ cup, ½ cup, and 1 cup.

How to make pumpkin chocolate chip granola

The method for making granola is made quite similar to making cookies. Mix the dry ingredients, mix the wet, add them together, and bake!

Begin by preheating the oven to 350ºF. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

In a large mixing bowl, mix the oats, pumpkin pie spice, salt, pecans, cranberries, and mini chocolate chips until everything is well combined.

Then, whisk together the pumpkin puree, almond butter, coconut oil, honey, and vanilla in a medium sized bowl.

Add the wet ingredients to the dry and stir until everything is completely combined and each piece of the dry mixture is coated.

Press the mix into a thin flat layer on the baking sheet and bake for 25-30 minutes or until golden brown. Do not stir. Clusters will form when you let the mix bake and don't touch or stir it.

Let the granola cool completely before breaking it into pieces.

Ways to use granola

Granola is the perfect snack, whether used as a topping or eaten as-is! It's delicious in a bowl with a bit of milk cereal-style, and it makes a great, hearty topping for yogurt, parfaits, oatmeal, pudding, and more. You can also use it as a cookie or cake crumble topping! Yum.

Why rolled oats are recommended

When it comes to using oats in this recipe, I recommend sticking with rolled oats (or old fashioned, as they're the same!). Rolled/old fashioned oats have a different cooked texture than steel cut. Rolled oats are soft where steel cut are chewy, and using the latter can make for a weirdly textured granola.

Another natural sweetener option

Not a fan of honey? That's a-okay with this granola. Instead, you can use maple syrup or molasses for natural sweetener alternatives! Of course, you can alway use regular sugar too if preferred!

Storing pumpkin granola

Granola can be kept right on the counter and does best in a tightly sealed, airtight container. Enjoy within 1-2 months for the freshest taste. You can of course put it in the refrigerator for a longer life!

If you liked this recipe, you'll want to try these!

My granola recipes do not stop here! Top your favorite treats with some of these flavors for totally mouth watering snacks!

• Cake Batter Granola
• Chocolate Peanut Butter Granola
• Healthy Almond Butter Granola
• Cinnamon Toast Granola

Click here to shop my favorite products from The Container Store to keep food fresh!

Photos by Moriah Sawtelle and recipe by Erin Antoniak.