Paleo Pumpkin Spice Granola is the perfect, not-too-sweet fall treat that you can easily turn into bars or chocolate-dipped granola balls!

It’s time. It’s time for pumpkin, scarves, boots, not sweating when you get in your car, and the best holidays. Before I jump into my ode-to-fall, let me set your mind at ease …

Enthusiastic as I am about my favorite squash, I have no intention of blasting you with 30 different pumpkin recipes. I only have two. At least, I only have two that I’m sharing this year. How about that for a teaser!

My Paleo food blogging colleagues have already been hard at work developing stellar pumpkin-centric recipes. Here are a few of my favorites:

Pumpkin Swirl Brownies by Juli @ PaleOMG

Paleo Starbucks Pumpkin Spice Scone Clones by Vanessa @ Clean Eating With a Dirty Mind

Paleo Pumpkin Gingerbread Cake with Maple Vanilla Frosting by Melissa @ The Clothes Make the Girl

Gluten-Free Pumpkin Bread by Danielle @ Against All Grain

Pumpkin Pie Smoothie by George @ Civilized Caveman

Creamy Pumpkin Moose with Cinnamon Swirl Crumble by Taylor @ Taylor Made it Paleo

Paleo Pumpkin Bars by Elana @ Elana’s Pantry

Pumpkin-Spiced Mini Donuts & Cake Pops by Hayley & Bill of The Food Lovers Kitchen

Paleo Pumpkin Spice Latte by Cassandra @ Fed & Fit {that’s me ..heehee}

Now I understand why people have pumpkin-spific Pinterest boards.

As much as I love spring, summer, and winter all for their charming personalities, fall is my favorite. Fall never disappoints. I find that I’m the most grateful and take whatever I can get from this season. Any drop in temperature, any colored leaf, any whiff of pumpkin spice, any brown or burgundy nail color that I can now get away with …they’re all cherished.

Paleo Pumpkin Spice Granola | Fed and Fit

Now, let’s talk Paleo pumpkin spice granola. Holy moly this is GOOD stuff. It’s so good, in fact, that I couldn’t just present it one way. I’m presenting it THREE ways. You can use this recipe to make three whole different healthy, nut-free, Paleo-friendly, pumpkin spiced treats! Whoa.

1st, the original …Paleo Pumpkin Spice Granola Bars

They’re chewy, perfectly seasoned, not overly pumpkin-ed goodness. Great for lunches, hiking, sharing with colleagues, or for eating the entire batch standing up in your kitchen before you even get a chance to wrap one up.

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2nd, Paleo Pumpkin Spice Granola

Oh yeah …break it up, pour it in a bowl, and drown in some almond milk. NOM.

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3rd, Paleo Pumpkin Spice Granola Balls dipped in Dark Chocolate

This one came to me in a dream. What? Doesn’t everyone dream of things dipped in dark chocolate?

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PS. I totally realize that I cheated. I turned my first of the two pumpkin recipes into three. Sorry I’m not sorry.

Recipe time!

First, preheat your oven to 300 F and then measure out 2/3 of a cup of honey and pour it into a small saucepan. Next, measure 3 tablespoons of Extra Virgin Coconut Oil into the honey. Feel free to use butter here if you like. Add 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract into the saucepan. Finish it off with ¼ teaspoon of kosher salt.

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Got it all in there? We’re going to melt it until it’s a bubbling, delicious mess.

Isn’t this whisk the cutest?! My Mom gave it to me years ago as a joke. Look who’s laughing now! I LOVE it. I use it so much. It’s the perfect size for whisking small batches of salad dressing or granola honey goodness.

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On medium/low heat, whisk the mixture and then let it sit until it starts to bubble. Remove it from the heat.

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Measure out ½ cup of pumpkin puree into the now slightly cooler saucepan. Whisk it up!

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Measure in ½ teaspoon of ground ginger, ½ teaspoon ground cloves, then finally 1 teaspoon of ground cinnamon. This is the trio behind our favorite pumpkin spice blend. Whisk until smooth.

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Now, the star of the show …pumpkin seeds (aka, pepitas). I purchased raw unsalted from the grocery store bulk section.

Add 2 cups of the pumpkin seeds into a large bowl. Next, find some unsweetened shredded coconut (I use Bob’s Red Mill). Measure 1 1/2 cups into the mixing bowl.

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Next, grab some whole brown flax seeds. Golden flax seeds will work too, if that’s what you have on hand. Add ½ cup to the bowl.

Finally, the golden berries. I love golden berries. One of my readers once said they’re like nature’s sour patch kids. They’re tart, sweet, and far from tasting like a raisin. I dislike raisins. We’re adding golden berries to the granola mix because they help bring a bright, tart bite to the rustic sweet granola. Trust me, you don’t want to leave these guys out. You can usually find them in the health food section of most grocery stores.

Give 1 cup of the berries a rough chop. You can either do this with a knife or in your food processor. I like to chop them a bit because the berries are pretty large, otherwise. Add them to the mixing bowl.

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Got all four dry ingredients ready? Stir it up!

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Next, pour in your pumpkin spice sticky honey heaven. Stir it well.

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Grab a 9 x 13 inch metal cake pan, or whatever size you have handy. Line it with some parchment paper —- um, this is important. If you don’t use some kind of non-stick paper or oil with flour, you’ll have a sticky mess in the pan.

Pour the mixture into the pan! Pat it down with either the back of the spoon or press down with another sheet of parchment paper. You want an even, dense layer.

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Bake at 300 F for 25 minutes. When it comes out of the oven, restrain yourself! I know this is difficult. I know how good it smells. You must let it cool so it’ll set in the pan. And so that you don’t burn your mouth.

After the pan comes down to room temperature, transfer it to the refrigerator to finish setting. Note that it will only have that firm familiar granola texture if you keep it chilled.

Once cooled, you get to choose your path! Will you make Paleo Pumpkin Spice Granola Bars? Granola Cereal? How about Dark Chocolate-Dipped Granola Balls?

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Let’s talk all three …

For the bars, cut the granola into the sizes you like. I don’t recommend going too large because these are pretty chewy and they may not hold their shape. Store in the refrigerator.

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Next, the granola cereal! This one is super easy. All you have to do is take a fork to your now cooled granola pan. Stir and scrape until it’s broken up into small granola-like bits. Store it in a refrigerated airtight jar and enjoy over almond milk. This may be my favorite.

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Lastly, the dark chocolate dipped granola balls. THESE are ideal for sharing. Roll up about 1 Tbl of the cooled granola (you may want to coat your hands in coconut oil so they don’t stick too much). I recommend you place the balls into the fridge while you prepare the chocolate so that they stay nice and firm. In either your microwave or in a double boiler, melt some dark chocolate. Enjoy Life is a great, trustworthy brand. Dip the balls into the dark chocolate, place on a parchment paper, and store in the fridge so they’ll firm and stay fresh.

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Wasn’t that the best!? I hope you love this recipe as much as I do.

Paleo Pumpkin Spice Granola 3 Ways {nut-free}

4.34 — Votes 3 votes
By Cassy
Prep: 10 minutes
Cook: 30 minutes
Total: 40 minutes
Servings: 18 bars
Paleo Pumpkin Spice Granola is the perfect, not-too-sweet fall treat that you can easily turn into bars or chocolate-dipped granola balls!

Ingredients  

  • 2/3 cup honey
  • 3 tablespoons extra virgin coconut oil
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
  • 1/2 cup pumpkin puree {canned works great}
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
  • 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • 2 cups raw pumpkin seeds
  • 1 1/2 cups unsweetened shredded coconut
  • 1/2 cup whole brown flax seeds
  • 1 cup golden berries roughly chopped
  • 1/2 cup Enjoy Life or dark chocolate chips {optional if making the chocolate-dipped balls}

Instructions 

  • Preheat oven to 300 F and line a 9 x 13 inch metal cake pan with parchment paper.
  • In a small saucepan, whisk together and bring to a slight boil the honey, coconut oil, and vanilla. Remove from heat. Whisk in the pumpkin, ginger, cloves, and cinnamon.
  • In a large mixing bowl, stir the pumpkin seeds, shredded coconut, flax seeds, and chopped golden berries together.
  • Pour the liquid honey mixture over the dry ingredients and stir together. Pour the mixture into the parchment paper-lined metal pan and press down until you have an even thickness.
  • Bake at 300 F for 25 minutes. Remove from oven, let it cool completely on the counter, and then transfer to the refrigerator for one hour or overnight before moving onto the next step.
  • Bars: Cut into the bar or square shape you like and store in the refrigerator.
  • Granola Cereal: Using a fork or spoon, break up the granola mixture into small bite-sized pieces. Store in a refrigerated jar and enjoy over almond milk.
  • Dark Chocolate-Dipped Balls: Grease your hands with coconut oil. Using the cooled and set granola, roll ~1 tablespoon of the mixture in your hands to form a ball. Dip the balls in melted Enjoy Life or dark chocolate chips. Place on parchment paper and then the refrigerator to firm and store.

Recipe Notes

Makes 18 bars, 36 balls, and 3.5 cups granola cereal

Nutrition

Serving: 1bar | Calories: 240kcal | Carbohydrates: 26g | Protein: 5g | Fat: 14g | Saturated Fat: 8g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 3g | Monounsaturated Fat: 2g | Trans Fat: 0.004g | Sodium: 38mg | Potassium: 394mg | Fiber: 6g | Sugar: 18g | Vitamin A: 1647IU | Vitamin C: 2mg | Calcium: 28mg | Iron: 2mg

Additional Info

Course: Snack
Cuisine: American
Servings: 18 bars
Calories: 240
Keyword: granola bars, homemade granola, paleo granola, pumpkin spice granola

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Paleo Pumpkin Spice Granola | Fed and Fit



About the Author

Cassy Joy Garcia, NC

Cassy Joy Garcia, a New York Times best-selling author, of Cook Once Dinner Fix, Cook Once Eat All Week, and Fed and Fit as well as the creative force behind the popular food blog Fed & Fit.


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44 Comments

  1. 3 stars
    These came out pretty tasty, but I found them to be too sweet and the texture too…flexible? (didnt hold together well) compared to store-bought granola bars like kind, chewy, cliff. Next time I’ll reduce the honey to 1/3 or 1/2 cup. I may also add oats or another type of seed to make them more filling and solid.

  2. These look amazing and can’t wait to make them. Can I use pumpkin pie spice if I don’t have the other spices on hand? If so how much? Thanks again!

    1. Hi Laura, you sure can use pumpkin pie spice. If you don’t have cinnamon, I would use 2 teaspoons. If you have cinnamon, then just 1 teaspoon would work. Happy baking!

  3. I decided to go with the bar version to serve at an office breakfast along with some other things. I was concerned about them falling apart, taking into consideration how you were able to make granola with the same recipe, so I made a few adjustments. I added about 1/2 cup more dry ingredients. I added chia seeds (hopefully paleo), more coconut flakes and some raw sunflower seeds. I took your advice and ground all of the golden berries with some flax seed in my food processor, which made a sort of paste. I also used a very shallow cookie sheet, placed another piece of parchment on top and used a rolling pin over the top piece of parchment to evenly spread out the mixture in the pan. I baked them for a total of 35 minutes at 300 degrees, taking them out and scoring them into bars at the 20 minute mark. They came out beautifully! Each bar has a nice edge and is still chewy, but not falling apart. Thank you for such a delicious recipe! Best flavor out of all the granola recipes I’ve tried.

    1. Thanks for much for the update Cori! All of those additions sound great, especially the chia seeds (and they are paleo)! I’m glad you like the recipe! Thanks for trying it out 🙂

  4. Try as I might, I cannot get these to come out crunchy. I’ve tried making them twice. The first time, the bars were really soft and fell apart easily. I used a glass pan to back them. The second time I used a shallow metal baking pan and baked them on convection for longer time. They came out really soft again. BUT nonetheless they are delicious and one of my favorite paleo bars! I think they are better suited for the balls since they’re so soft – at least in my experience. Would love to have crunchy granola-like outcome if anyone has any advice. Otherwise, I’ll do the balls next time because this recipe is so delicious no matter how it comes out!

    1. Thanks so much for the kind words! Strange that it keeps coming out soft. Maybe try to pop it in the freezer to see if that helps? I’m glad you still loved the flavor 🙂

  5. I want to thank you from the bottom of my heart for this recipe. It is so delicious. You are right about the need to restrain yourself when it comes out of the oven! I have one question: Do you have any idea how long this keeps in the fridge? Do you think it would keep for a month or more? Not that it’s likely to be around that long, but my diet is very limited now and I’d like to keep these around as easy, portable food. Thank you again!

    1. Hi Laura! Thank you for the kind words! I don’t see why it wouldn’t keep in the fridge for an extended period of time. I would just make sure it is tightly covered/wrapped up. Thank you for trying the recipe!

  6. This will certainly help fuel my pumpkin addiction. Just wondered, will maple syrup work instead of honey? Its not as sticky so not sure it would? Thank you for this – will be making tonight!

    1. Hi Abbey! The recipe hasn’t been tested with maple syrup, but feel free to try it. I am thinking it would work just fine and add a great sweetness instead of the honey. Let us know if it works!

  7. Made these last night & I absolutely love it! I dont buy processed foods & I so needed a good granola for a snack! Ive been trying a lot of recipes & taken them to my co-workers & usually they not to thrilled with my food or snacks but they seem to really like these but they had a question I couldnt answer, How many calories are in a bar? I dont count calories so I really didnt look for that info!