Pumpkin Spice Sourdough Granola

Crunchy and Salty Pumpkin Spice Sourdough Granola has all the warm and cozy feelings of fall and is such a healthy way to start the morning! Perfect as a cereal or on top of a scoop of yogurt with a splash of maple syrup, bake up a quick batch today!

This post contains affiliate links, which means I make a small commission at no extra cost to you. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

It’s pumpkin season, and we’re going all in at the Flour Barn! At the bakery, this means all the pumpkin recipes: pumpkin cheesecake, pumpkin spice cinnamon rolls, pumpkin chai lattes, and so on and so forth. In the house, things tend to stay a little heartier. We’re mixing pumpkin into our muffins, our sourdough loaves, and our pumpkin spice sourdough granola! Not only do I love the flavors of pumpkin spice, but it really makes the kids feel like this is a special time of year. So light a candle, and let’s make granola!

See our original Sourdough Granola recipe here!

If you’ve made granola before, you may know that the challenge is in making it clump together nicely so you end up with more than just a jar of toasted oats and nuts. The addition of sourdough starter solves this problem perfectly. It’s truly the perfect binder for granola. It holds everything together and bakes up beautifully, and I wouldn’t want to make homemade pumpkin granola without it.

Whether your family uses granola as a cereal alternative, as a topping for yogurt, or to sprinkle over smoothie bowls, this pumpkin spice granola recipe is a delicious way to change up your usual rotation. A bowl full of warm spices is such a great way to start a fall morning!

Dry ingredients

For the base of our homemade pumpkin spice granola, we are going to use old-fashioned oats, crunchy pecans, and pepitas (pumpkin seeds) for a salty bite. I always prefer to use roasted and salted nuts for my granola — it gives each bite more flavor and helps them stand out on their own.

To put the “spice” in pumpkin spice sourdough granola, we’ll add ground cinnamon, ginger, cloves, nutmeg, sea salt, and plenty of pumpkin pie spice. As your granola begins to bake, your home will fill with this pumpkin spice blend — all the best scents of the season.

We’ll also add a couple tablespoons of brown sugar for just the right touch of sweetness.

Wet ingredients

Here’s where the magic happens. Pure maple syrup and sourdough starter combine with pumpkin purée (not pumpkin pie filling!) to form the binder for our granola clusters. To round out the flavor, we’ll add vanilla extract.

This pumpkin mixture is what gives the granola its cozy pumpkin flavor and those big clusters we all love in a perfect homemade granola recipe.

How to Use Sourdough Starter in Pumpkin Granola

Because this recipe does not rely on sourdough starter as a leavening agent, the starter does not need to be active. You can use discard as long as it has been fed within the last week and stored in the refrigerator. If your starter has been sitting longer than that, it can develop an overly acidic flavor that will translate into your healthy pumpkin spice granola.

The consistency of the starter matters. You want it to mix smoothly into the pumpkin purée. If your starter clumps around a fork, thin it with a splash of water until it stirs easily. That way, when you combine oats and the remaining wet ingredients, everything blends together without lumps.

Expanded Directions

Here’s a quick overview of the process before we dive in: mix dry ingredients, mix wet ingredients, combine, bake, stir, bake again, cool, and enjoy.

1. Preheat and prepare. Heat your oven to 300°F and line a large baking sheet (or two smaller ones) with parchment paper or a silicone mat. A prepared baking sheet ensures nothing sticks and makes cleanup easy.
2. Mix the dry ingredients. In a large mixing bowl, combine oats, crunchy pecans, pepitas, and additional ingredients if you wish. Stir in cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, cloves, salt, and brown sugar until the dry ingredients are well coated with the warm spices.
3. Mix the wet ingredients. In a separate bowl, whisk together pumpkin purée, sourdough starter, pure maple syrup, and vanilla extract. Whisk until the pumpkin mixture is smooth and glossy.
4. Combine. Pour the wet ingredients over the dry ingredients. Using a wooden spoon or spatula, stir until everything is evenly coated. The oats and nuts should look slightly damp and clump together — that’s how you know you’ll get big clusters instead of loose, unbaked granola.
5. Spread it out. Transfer the granola mixture onto your prepared sheet pan. Spread into an even layer but keep it slightly pressed together. Don’t spread it too thin — pressing helps create those big clusters.
6. Bake. Bake for 40 minutes, then carefully stir and re-spread into another thin layer. Rotate your pan and return it to the oven. Continue baking for another 15–20 minutes, checking at the 15-minute mark. The granola should look golden brown and smell like fall goodies.
7. Cool completely. Let the granola cool on the baking sheet without touching it. As the granola cools, it firms up and forms crunchy clusters. If you stir too soon, you’ll break them apart. Wait until the granola cools completely before transferring it to an airtight container such as a wide mouth mason jar.
8. Add extras. Once cooled, stir in dried cranberries, chocolate chips, or coconut flakes if desired.

Serving Ideas

• Enjoy as a cereal alternative with milk.
• Sprinkle over yogurt or ice cream.
• Use as a topping for smoothie bowls.
• Pack into jars as fall season gifts.
• Snack straight from the container — because it’s that good.

Want to learn how to make your own homemade yogurt? Find out here! You’ll never go back!

This is such a great recipe to make with leftover pumpkin purée, and it’s flexible enough to swap in what you have on hand. Once you’ve made your own granola, you’ll never go back to store-bought granola again.

The best part? This homemade pumpkin spice granola keeps well in an airtight container at room temperature for 1–2 weeks. It’s the perfect homemade granola recipe to keep on hand for quick breakfasts and snacks all through pumpkin spice season.

1

Sourdough Pumpkin Cinnamon Rolls

Sourdough Pumpkin Cinnamon Rolls are soft, gooey and full of fall flavor.  Much like my Sourdough Cinnamon Roll recipe, this recipe is for sourdough enthusiast as well as sourdough beginners

Check out this recipe

2

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Scones

Tender scones with all the best flavors of Fall make for the perfect breakfast treat or afternoon snack!

Check out this recipe

3

Sourdough Pumpkin Skillet Cornbread

This Moist Sourdough cornbread is cozy and sweet and it's sure to be your new favorite cornbread when chilly weather comes around and soup season is beckoning! This a great recipe for those looking for creative ways to use their sourdough discard, or just looking to add more sourdough recipes into their daily life.

Check out this recipe

Pumpkin Spice Sourdough Granola

Crunchy and sweet granola with the all the warmth and flavors of the season! Bake up a batch of this today just so your kitchen will smell like fall potpourri! This homemade granola is wonderful with a bowl of yogurt and a splash of maple syrup, or poured with a bowl of milk and enjoyed as a cereal!

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Ingredients

  

• 300 grams old-fashioned oats 3 cups
• 113 grams pecans 1 cup
• 120 grams pepitas 1 cup
• 2 tsp cinnamon
• 1 tsp ginger
• 1/4 tsp cloves
• 1 pinch nutmeg
• 1 tsp salt
• 2 tbsp brown sugar
• 100 grams sourdough starter 1/2 cup
• 120 grams pumpkin puree 1/2 cup
• 160 grams maple syrup 1/2 cup
• 1 tsp vanilla extract

Instructions

 

• Preheat and prepare. Heat your oven to 300°F and line a large baking sheet (or two smaller ones) with parchment paper or a silicone mat. A prepared baking sheet ensures nothing sticks and makes cleanup easy.
• Mix the dry ingredients. In a large mixing bowl, combine oats, crunchy pecans, pepitas, and additional ingredients if you wish. Stir in cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, cloves, salt, and brown sugar until the dry ingredients are well coated with the warm spices.
• In a separate bowl, whisk together pumpkin purée, sourdough starter, pure maple syrup, and vanilla extract. Whisk until the pumpkin mixture is smooth and glossy.
• Combine. Pour the wet ingredients over the dry ingredients. Using a wooden spoon or spatula, stir until everything is evenly coated. The oats and nuts should look slightly damp and clump together — that’s how you know you’ll get big clusters instead of loose, unbaked granola.
• Spread it out. Transfer the granola mixture onto your prepared sheet pan. Spread into an even layer but keep it slightly pressed together. Don’t spread it too thin — pressing helps create those big clusters.
• Bake. Bake for 40 minutes, then carefully stir, flipping the clusters over. Rotate your pan and return it to the oven. Continue baking for another 15–20 minutes, checking at the 15-minute mark. The granola should look golden brown and smell like fall goodies.
• Cool completely. Let the granola cool on the baking sheet without touching it. As the granola cools, it firms up and forms crunchy clusters. If you stir too soon, you’ll break them apart. Wait until the granola cools completely before transferring it to an airtight container such as a wide mouth mason jar.
• Add extras. Once cooled, stir in dried cranberries, chocolate chips, or coconut flakes if desired.