Sweet Potato Granola

Granola. Doesn’t it just scream fall? I love every kind, especially the pumpkin and spice varieties. Although I’ve never made a pumpkin granola myself, I thought sweet potato would be a fun experiment and an exciting route to take. And so I did (quite successfully, I might add).

This recipe begins with all things hearty and good: Nuts and oats. I opted for almonds, pecans, and  pepitas, but you could really go with any nut or seed of your choice. Just make sure they’re untoasted lest they’ll burn in le oven.

This granola gets its gorgeous hue (in part) from sweet potato puree. Just bake up a sweet potato, puree a generous portion of its tender filling, and add it right into the wet ingredients. Slather the remaining portion with almond butter and shovel it directly into your face. Win win.

Sweet potato not only provides a slight sweetness and orange hue to this granola, it also provides a ton of health benefits.

Sweet potatoes are rich in vitamin B6 (prevents heart attacks), vitamin C (wards off sickness), and vitamin D (boosts immune system), as well magnesium, which can help relieve stress. They also provide ample amounts of carotenoids – an antioxidants that helps fight cancer-causing free radicals in the body and even improve eyesight and immunity. Sweet potatoes are also high in fiber, iron, and potassium. The benefits are practically endless.

This granola is super simple to throw together. You just need:

Oats
Nuts
Sugar
Honey or maple syrup
Salt
Coconut oil
Sweet potato
Cinnamon
& Dried fruit

I can imagine it would be equally delicious with pumpkin instead of sweet potato as well. I guess I’ll just have to try another batch to test out that hypothesis. Shucks.

I’m in love with this granola. It’s super crunchy and hearty and perfectly sweet and spicy from the cinnamon. Much to John’s pleasure, the sweet potatoes are not the dominant flavor, but rather another layer of flavor and sweetness.

The nuts give  plenty of staying power, the cranberries a little tart sweetness, and the oats tons of fiber. Health in a bowl, I say.

I’ve been enjoying mine with almond milk or sprinkled on top of yogurt or a bowl of steel-cut oats. I’d imagine it’s also lovely on top of smoothies or straight outta the bag.

It’s simply the perfect fall food with its heartiness and spice. I can easily see it becoming a staple in our house in the chillier months to come. Though I’m not usually a fan of cold weather, if it involves lots of sweet potato granola I think I can get in the mood. Cheers!

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4.95 from 18 votes

Sweet Potato Granola

Simple sweet potato granola with oats, nuts, pepitas, and cranberries. Crunchy, sweet, and satisfying. Perfect over oatmeal, yogurt, or smoothies or swimming in a bowl of almond milk.

Author: Minimalist Baker

Prep Time 10 minutes

Cook Time 20 minutes

Total Time 30 minutes

Servings: 10 (~1/2-cup servings)

Category: Breakfast

Cuisine: Gluten-Free, Vegan (optional)

Freezer Friendly 3 months

Does it keep? 2-3 weeks

Ingredients

US Customary - Metric

• 3 cups rolled oats
• 1 1/2 cups raw nuts of choice (such as almonds or pecans)*
• 3 Tbsp sugar
• ¼ tsp sea salt
• 1/2 Tbsp ground cinnamon
• 1/4 cup coconut oil (melted)
• 1/3 cup honey (sub maple syrup or agave for vegan)
• 1/2 cup sweet potato puree
• 1/4 cup dried cranberries (or other dried fruit)

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 340 degrees F (171 C).
2. Mix the oats, nuts, cinnamon, sugar,, and salt together in a large bowl.
3. In a small saucepan over medium-low heat, warm the coconut oil, honey (or maple syrup) and sweet potato puree and whisk. Pour over the dry ingredients and mix well with a large wooden spoon.

4. Spread the mixture evenly onto two baking sheets (or bake in two batches // use more baking sheets, as needed, if increasing batch size) and bake for 20-25 minutes, stirring a bit near the halfway point. If you like a chunkier granola, don’t stir as it breaks up the clusters. Instead, just rotate the pans at the halfway point to ensure even cooking.

5. Add the craisins or other dried fruits, and any toasted nuts to the baking sheet in the last 5-10 minutes of cooking so they don’t get too toasty.
6. Once the granola is visibly beginning to brown (usually 20 minutes), remove from the oven, and let cool completely. Transfer to an airtight container. Should keep for a couple weeks.

Notes

*If your nuts are already toasted, simply add them in in the last 10-12 minutes of baking and lightly toss to coat. Otherwise, they’ll get too brown by the end of baking.
*Nutrition information is a rough estimate.