Healthy Pumpkin Granola Clusters with Pepitas, Pecans and Hemp Hearts
Crunchy pumpkin spice granola clusters made with oats, pumpkin purée, maple syrup, pecans, pepitas and hemp hearts. Slow-baked for big, snackable chunks.
- Prep
- 10 min
- Cook
- 50 min
- Rest
- 45 min
- Serves
- 12
Healthy Pumpkin Granola Clusters with Pepitas, Pecans and Hemp Hearts is a vegan snack recipe made with old-fashioned rolled oats, pecans, raw pepitas (hulled pumpkin seeds). It takes 60 minutes of hands-on time, plus 45 minutes resting, serves 12, and each serving has 279 calories, 8 g of protein and 4 g of fiber.
Pumpkin purée adds flavor but also a lot of water, so this granola bakes low and slow at 300°F until the clusters dry out and get properly crisp instead of chewy. A little ground flaxseed helps hold everything together. Pressing the mixture into a flat, packed layer and leaving it unstirred is what gives you big chunks. Hemp hearts add protein and a nutty flavor, and the pecans and pepitas bring plenty of crunch.
Ingredients
- 3 cups243 gold-fashioned rolled oats
- 1 cup99 gpecans, roughly chopped
- ¾ cup97 graw pepitas (hulled pumpkin seeds)
- ⅓ cup53 ghemp hearts
- 2 tbsp14 gground flaxseed
- 2 tsp5.2 gground cinnamon
- 1 tsp1.8 gground ginger
- ¼ tsp0.6 gground nutmeg
- ⅛ tsp0.3 gground cloves
- ½ tsp3 gfine sea salt
- ½ cup123 gcanned pumpkin purée (not pumpkin pie filling)
- ⅓ cup106 gpure maple syrup
- ¼ cup54 gcoconut oil, melted
- 1 tsp4.2 gvanilla extract
- ½ cup60 gdried cranberries, stirred in after baking (optional)
Kit: rimmed baking sheet, parchment paper, large mixing bowl, whisk, spatula
Tips
- Don't stir during baking. A packed, undisturbed layer is the key to big clusters.
- If the clusters still feel soft once they've cooled, put them back in the 300°F oven for 5–10 minutes. Pumpkin holds moisture, so ovens and pans can vary.
- Add dried fruit only after baking. In the oven it turns hard and can burn.
Swap ideas
- Walnuts or almonds instead of pecans
- Walnuts taste a bit more earthy and slightly bitter. Almonds give a firmer crunch.
- Melted refined coconut oil or neutral oil instead of virgin coconut oil
- No coconut flavor, so the spices come through more. The texture stays about the same.
- 1 tbsp pumpkin pie spice in place of the individual spices
- Quicker to measure, though you lose control over the ginger and clove balance.
- Add 2 tbsp coconut sugar to the wet mixture
- A bit sweeter, with more caramel flavor and slightly crisper clusters.
The numbers
Nutrition per serving
279kcal per serving
Everything else · 12 servings per recipe
- Saturated fat
- 5.5 g 28%
- Sugars
- 6.4 g
- Sodium
- 101 mg 4%
- Potassium
- 279 mg 6%
- Calcium
- 43 mg 3%
- Iron
- 2.4 mg 13%
- Vitamin C
- 1 mg 1%
- Vitamin B12
- 0 µg 0%
% Daily Value on a 2,000 calorie diet. Calculated from USDA FoodData Central values for each ingredient; optional ingredients are excluded. Estimates vary with brands and portions.
Sources: Cereals, oats, regular and quick, not fortified, dry, Nuts, pecans, Seeds, pumpkin and squash seed kernels, dried, Seeds, hemp seed, hulled, Seeds, flaxseed, Spices, cinnamon, ground, Spices, ginger, ground, Spices, nutmeg, ground, Spices, cloves, ground, Salt, table, Pumpkin, canned, without salt, Syrups, maple, Oil, coconut, Vanilla extract
Method
Heat the oven to 300°F (150°C) with a rack in the center. Line a large rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper.
In a large bowl, combine the oats, chopped pecans, pepitas, hemp hearts, ground flaxseed, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, cloves and salt.
In a separate bowl, whisk the pumpkin purée, maple syrup, melted coconut oil and vanilla until smooth and glossy.
Pour the wet mixture over the dry ingredients and fold with a spatula until every oat is evenly coated and no dry pockets remain. The mixture should look damp and clump when squeezed.
Tip the mixture onto the lined sheet and spread it into an even layer about 1/2 inch thick. Press down firmly with the spatula or your palms to compact it into one solid slab.
Bake for 25 minutes, then rotate the pan front to back without stirring. Keep baking for another 20–25 minutes, until the slab is deep golden brown, the edges look toasted, and the surface feels dry and firm when you press it lightly. It will still have a little give in the center.
Leave the pan on a rack and let the granola cool completely, at least 45 minutes, without touching it. It firms up and crisps as it cools.
Break the slab into clusters as big or small as you like. Toss with the dried cranberries if using.
Storage: Once the granola is completely cool, store it in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 weeks. It also keeps for 3 months in the freezer. Make sure it's fully cooled and dry before sealing it, because any leftover moisture will soften the clusters.
Questions
- How much protein is in healthy pumpkin granola clusters with pepitas, pecans and hemp hearts?
- Each of the 12 servings has 8 g of protein, 4 g of fiber and 279 calories, calculated from USDA FoodData Central values for every ingredient.
- Is healthy pumpkin granola clusters with pepitas, pecans and hemp hearts vegan?
- Yes. It contains no dairy, eggs, honey or other animal products.
- How long does healthy pumpkin granola clusters with pepitas, pecans and hemp hearts take to make?
- 10 minutes of prep and 50 minutes of cooking, so 60 minutes of hands-on time, plus 45 minutes of unattended resting.
- Can you make healthy pumpkin granola clusters with pepitas, pecans and hemp hearts ahead?
- Once the granola is completely cool, store it in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 weeks. It also keeps for 3 months in the freezer. Make sure it's fully cooled and dry before sealing it, because any leftover moisture will soften the clusters.
- What can I substitute in healthy pumpkin granola clusters with pepitas, pecans and hemp hearts?
- Walnuts or almonds instead of pecans — walnuts taste a bit more earthy and slightly bitter. almonds give a firmer crunch.. Melted refined coconut oil or neutral oil instead of virgin coconut oil — no coconut flavor, so the spices come through more. the texture stays about the same.. 1 tbsp pumpkin pie spice in place of the individual spices — quicker to measure, though you lose control over the ginger and clove balance.. Add 2 tbsp coconut sugar to the wet mixture — a bit sweeter, with more caramel flavor and slightly crisper clusters..
- Does healthy pumpkin granola clusters with pepitas, pecans and hemp hearts contain gluten or tree nuts?
- Yes — the ingredient list includes gluten and tree nuts, in some cases as an optional ingredient you can leave out. Check the labels on the products you buy if you're cooking for an allergy.
Nutrition is calculated from USDA data for every ingredient — how we work it out.
Published October 2, 2026 ·American