Purely Pumpkin Pie Muesli

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~ raw, vegan, gluten-free ~

If you want to get into the Fall season quickly, this hearty‚ crunchy Purely Pumpkin Pie Muesli is autumn in a bowl.

With each bite, the leaves will start to turn color and fall to the ground… the air will become brisk, and pumpkins will automatically show up on your front porch with a big ole’ smile on their faces.

That might have been a slight stretch of the imagination, but it’s a muscle that must be worked too. Hehe But seriously, this cereal will transport you into the snuggle-zone of life, making you feel all warm and cozy inside.

This particular muesli isn’t very sweet.  I only used a quarter cup of sweetener for the whole recipe.  If you have a sweet tooth, you can always add more, but I would go ahead and hold off.

The dried fruit will help to elevate the sweetness level and if even after that, you find it needs a bit more… you can just add it on top.

Not only did I thoroughly enjoy the taste of this cereal but the pumpkin fragrance was quite amazing.  If you ever find yourself in need of an Autumn “fix”… make this muesli, add milk, stir, and build a Vicks Vapor Rub tent.  Do you remember those?  My mom used to do them for me when I was a little girl with a stuffed up nose.

Mom would fill a bowl with steaming water (not boiling!) and add a few teaspoonfuls of Vapor Rub to it. Bent over the bowl, I would gently inhale the steaming vapors as she laid a towel over my head and the bowl… too soon find out that I could breathe once again. I don’t know about you, but this was a generational thing in our family. My Mom used it. My Grandma did, too. And her grandmother before her.

The same concept, but just hover over the cereal bowl with a towel over your head and breathe in deeply. Then once your nasal sensory levels are satisfied, remove the towel and eat!

Ingredients:

Yields roughly 6 cups dried

• 4 cups raw, gluten-free rolled oats, soaked
• 1/2 cup raw almonds, soaked & chopped
• 1/2 cup unsweetened flaked coconut
• 3/4 cup sugar pumpkin puree
• 3/4 cup dried cranberries or goji berries, re-hydrated
• 1/2 cup raisins
• 1/4 cup raw pumpkin seeds, soaked
• 1/4 cup maple syrup or equivalent
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 1/2 tsp ground Ceylon cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
• 1/2 tsp ground ginger
• 1/2 tsp Himalayan salt

Preparation:

1. After soaking the oats, nuts, and seeds as instructed in the link above, drain and rinse them before adding to the mixing bowl.
   • The oats will take a few minutes to rinse.  The water will be very milky and then start to get cloudy. It will never run clear but rinse under cool water for about 2 minutes, agitating it with your fingers the whole time.  Squeeze the excess water from them and add to the mixing bowl.
2. Now add the remaining ingredients: pumpkin puree, dried fruit, coconut, sweetener, vanilla, cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, and salt. Mix well.
3. Drop clusters of the batter on the teflex sheets that come with the dehydrator.
   • If you don’t have those you can use parchment paper, but don’t use wax paper because the granola will stick to it.
4. Dehydrate at 145 degrees (F) for 1 hour, then reduce to 115 degrees (F) and continue to dry for up to 24 hours.
   • Partway through, flip the tray over onto the mesh screen and peel off the teflex sheet.
   • Continue drying until the desired dryness is reached.
   • I tend to like my granola more on the chewy side than the crunchy side.
5. Once done and cooled, store the granola in airtight containers.  You can keep it on the countertop for walk-by munching, or it can be stored in the fridge or freezer to extend the shelf life.  On the counter, it should last several weeks,  if it lasts that long!

• To learn more about maple syrup by clicking (here).
• Why do I specify Ceylon cinnamon?  Click (here) to learn why.
• What is Himalayan pink salt and does it really matter?  Click (here) to read more about it.
• Are oats gluten-free?  Yes, read more about that (here).
• Are oats raw?  Yes, they can be found.  Click (here) to learn more.
• Do I need to soak and dehydrate oats?  Not required but recommended.  Click (here) to see why.

Culinary Explanations:

• Why do I start the dehydrator at 145 degrees (F)?  Click (here) to learn the reason behind this.
• When working with fresh ingredients, it is important to taste test as you build a recipe.  Learn why (here).
• Don’t own a dehydrator? Learn how to use your oven (here). I do however truly believe that it is a worthwhile investment. Click (here) to learn what I use.

Tags: Dairy Free, Dehydrated, Gluten Free, Refined Sugar Free, Soy Free, Vegan