Ingredients

Scale

The oat mixture:

3 cups old fashioned rolled oats
1 cup coarsely chopped pecans
1/3 cup sunflower seeds
1/3 cup almond slices
1/3 cup chopped cashews
1/4 cup (1 scoop) chocolate protein powder (optional, but I like the extra chocolate taste and protein boost it adds)
1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
1 teaspoon coarse sea salt
1/4 cup flaxmeal

The sticky part:

1/4 cup pumpkin puree
2 Tablespoons maple syrup
2 Tablespoons honey
1/8 cup dark cocoa powder
2 teaspoons vanilla
1 Tablespoon butter, cut into chunks

Mix-in: 1/2 cup mini chocolate chips or dark chocolate, chopped into small chunks

Instructions

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. In a large mixing bowl, mix the oats, nuts & seeds, protein powder, spices, salt, and flaxmeal.
In a small microwaveable bowl, stir together all the ingredients for the sticky mixture except the butter. Cut the butter into chunks and add to the mixture. Microwave for 1 minute, stir, then if the butter isn’t completely melted yet, microwave another 30 seconds and stir again. Repeat again if needed until the butter is melted and the chocolate mixture is nice and warm.
Combine the wet mixture with the dry mixture until completely incorporated and everything is evenly mixed. Spread the granola out onto a large jellyroll pan. Bake for about an hour, stirring every 10 – 15 minutes until the granola is nicely toasted. Remove from oven. Cool completely, then mix in the chocolate chips. Store in an airtight container. It will keep up to one month (but it won’t last that long at my house).

Notes

RECIPE SOURCE: http://www.sumptuousspoonfuls.com/

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