Sweet Potato Granola
with molasses glazed walnuts and salted pumpkin seeds
Now that it’s officially autumn this weekend, it’s high time I make my favorite recipe: sweet potato granola. Sweet potato is so comforting and has the perfect autumnal warmth to it! I truly cannot find a flaw in such an exemplary vegetable. I’ve made this granola every fall since 2016 and the season doesn’t feel right until a bath comes out of my oven. Bryant Terry’s recipe gave me a great starting point to tweak the ingredients to my taste and adjust the recipe yield. You can easily swap out the sweet potato for pumpkin puree but the flavors might not shine through as well. Feel free to adjust the spices if you do use pumpkin, but in my opinion, the recipe works the best with sweet potato.
This recipe might look a bit long but it’s really not that bad once you get past glazing your walnuts. The longest part is waiting for everything to bake and cool which is torture because everything smells so good in the process! Have a book, craft or movie you can relax to while you make it!
How I like to eat this granola
with yogurt and blackberries
sprinkled on top of pumpkin pancakes drowned in bourbon maple syrup with a dollop of whipped cream (eee!)
in a big bowl with oatmilk
in the kitchen, in the dark, like a rat
This recipe does make a good amount for the week but if it’s a bit too much fill a mason jar (or two!) and send it off to a friend!
Sweet Potato Granola
makes about 12 cups granola
Granola
16 oz sweet potato, baked
18 oz rolled oats, toasted
1/2 cup roasted & salted pumpkin seeds
3/4 cup maple syrup
3/4 cup oil (I use coconut or canola)
3 tablespoons brown sugar
2 tablespoons molasses
1 1/2 cups molasses glazed walnuts
2 teaspoons cinnamon
1 teaspoon nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon cloves
1/2 teaspoon salt
Molasses glazed walnuts
1 1/2 cups chopped walnuts
1.5 tablespoon oil
2 tablespoons sugar
1/4 cup molasses
Instructions
For the glazed walnuts
While the sweet potato cools, make the glazed walnuts. Toast the nuts over medium high in a dry pan until fragrant and transfer to a large bowl.
In a small pot, heat the oil, sugar and molasses over medium low and stir until thinned out. Pour over the nuts and mix until well coated. Spread on a piece of parchment to cool.
For the granola
Pierce and bake the sweet potato wrapped in foil at 400°F for 50 minutes, or until fork tender (alternatively you can pierce and cut the potato down the middle and place it flesh down on a oiled baking sheet and bake until tender).
Once the sweet potato is out of the oven, turn the temperature down to 325°F. Spread the oats on a large baking sheet and toast for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until lightly browned. Once finished toasting, take them out and set aside. Lower your oven temperature to 300°F at this time.
Heat the oil, sugar, salt, molasses and maple syrup in a medium pot over medium heat. Bring to a gentle boil for about 1 minute. Set aside to cool slightly.
After the sweet potato has cooled enough to handle, scoop out the flesh into a food processor/blender and blend until smooth. Pour in the maple molasses mixture and blend.
In a large bowl, stir together the toasted oats, pumpkin seeds, glazed walnuts and spices. Pour in the sweet potato puree and mix until well coated.
Evenly spread out on a lined baking sheet and bake for 35 minutes. After the time is up, break up any large chunks and bake for an additional 10 minutes.
Leaving the granola in the oven, turn it off and crack the oven door for 10-15 minutes (this is the part that makes the whole house smell heavenly).
Take out to cool completely then store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to a month (mine never lasts this long!).
Happy snacking!
Janaya