
On November 7, 2021 I’ll be running the New York City marathon. I’ve been training for months and oats have been one of my go-to whole grains to eat during training. Recipes like this pecan pumpkin granola are a convenient way for me to enjoy oats.

InstantPot Giveaway to Fight Food Insecurity
For the second year in a row I’ll be running the NYC marathon to fundraise for City Harvest, a nonprofit organization that’s fighting food insecurity. The mission of this organization is dear to me. City Harvest rescues food that would otherwise go to waste; they then repackage and deliver the food to those in need.
I’m also doing an InstantPot giveaway on Instagram to help this organization. If you donate $20 or more you will get a free e-cookbook with some of my favorite fall recipes. Please donate today if you can.

Oats for Energy
Marathon training requires a lot of energy. Our bodies convert carbohydrates in glucose to provide us with energy; oats are an excellent source of carbohydrates. Excess glucose is stored in our muscles as glycogen or is converted to fat if it is too much for our muscles to store. On those long-run days and on race day, it is important for your muscles to have a good amount of glycogen stored.

Other Oat-Based Recipes
After you try this pecan pumpkin granola, you should check out some of my other favorite oat-based recipes:
- Easy Fruit Cake Overnight Oats
- Overnight Oats – Cheesecake, Carrot Cake & Chocolate Peanut
- Cranberry Orange Pecan Granola
- Chocolate Cherry Granola

Pecan Pumpkin Granola
Equipment
- Baking Sheet
- Parchment paper
Ingredients
- 3 Cups Rolled Oats
- 1 Cup Pecans
- 1/2 Cup Pumpkin Seeds
- 1 Tsp Vanilla
- 1 Tsp Ground Cinnamon
- 1/4 Tsp Kosher Salt
- 1/3 Cup Pumpkin Puree
- 1/3 Cup Coconut Oil
- 1/3 Cup Honey
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 300F with rack on the middle level. Prepare a large baking sheet with parchment paper.
- In a small bowl, toss pecans in about half of honey; set aside.
- In a large bowl add oats and pumpkin seeds. In a separate bowl combine the remaining honey, coconut oil, vanilla, pumpkin puree, cinnamon and salt; mix well.
- Pour wet ingredients over oats and quinoa; mix well.
- Evenly spread granola on a baking sheet. Bake for 30-40 minutes. Stir halfway through. Add pecans during the last 10 minutes of baking.
- Remove from the oven. Let cool for 1 hour before storing in an airtight container.