Love breakfast cereal but not the price of boxed cereal? This healthy homemade granola recipe with persimmons and maple syrup offers great fall flavor in your cereal bowl. It’s inexpensive and tasty!
Originally published October 2013; this post has been updated.
Persimmons are one of those love ’em or hate ’em fruits. My Grandpa Sam? He loved them. Loved ’em. His beloved persimmon tree hung with orange orbs long after the leaves fell off in the autumn, and he’d happily sit with a persimmon and his pocket knife, enjoying one of his favorite fruits.
Me? I keep trying fresh persimmons but I can’t get over the wooly tongue feeling that comes from eating them. I do, however, like them added to different recipes. They have a rich flavor that evokes autumn for me. Thus, this healthy homemade granola!
Related: Persimmon Cookie Recipe: A Sweet Treat Straight from the Tree
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Related: Growing Persimmons: The Best Varieties for a Picky Palate
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When a friend recently invited me to pick persimmons from an old Fuyu persimmon tree, I couldn’t resist. Our empty granola container coupled with 40 pounds of fast-ripening persimmons inspired me to experiment with homemade persimmon granola. Turns out, this persimmon recipe is a winner!
Look around your neighborhood to see if there are persimmons that can be salvaged; no sense letting them go to waste. Don’t have persimmons? Try this pumpkin maple granola instead!
Ingredients
Oats — The bulk of this granola recipe comes from old-fashioned rolled oats. Skip the quick oats, as they won’t hold up in milk.
Persimmon Fruit — To make persimmon pulp: Choose very ripe fuyu persimmons or a custard-like American persimmon. Use the instructions in the recipe card notes to make persimmon puree from the fruit you have.
Sweeteners — With maple syrup and molasses, the sweeteners add flavor and help the granola to crisp up. If you’re cutting back on sugars, you can reduce the amount called for in the recipe for a less-sweet breakfast cereal.
Pumpkin seeds — Also called pepitas, these seeds add a nutty crunch and are less expensive than most nuts. You can use sunflower seeds, too!
Spices — Cinnamon, vanilla, and nutmeg give this granola its “pumpkin spice” flavor. You could use a pumpkin spice blend to replace the cinnamon and nutmeg, too.
Oil — I used coconut oil here, but feel free to substitute a light flavored oil (like avocado or sunflower).
Nuts — I used slivered almonds in this batch, but it’s easy to use whatever type of nut you have on hand. Just be sure to chop them into small pieces for easing noshing.
Making it
This recipe couldn’t be easier. It starts with whole grains, and is flavored with spices, maple syrup, and of course, persimmons. It really is that easy.
Combine all of the ingredients in a large roasting pan so you’ll have plenty of room to stir this homemade granola without spilling it all over the inside of the oven.
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Healthy Homemade Granola with Persimmons and Maple Syrup
Ingredients
- 8 cups old-fashioned rolled oats
- 2 cups slivered almonds (or your favorite nut)
- 2 cups green pumpkin seeds
- ½ cup coconut oil
- 1 cup persimmon pulp (see below)
- ½ cup pure maple syrup
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
- 1 tablespoon molasses
- 1 tablespoon cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon nutmeg
- 1 teaspoon ground turmeric (optional)
Instructions
- Combine all ingredients together in a large roasting pan.8 cups old-fashioned rolled oats, 2 cups slivered almonds, 2 cups green pumpkin seeds, 1/2 cup coconut oil, 1 cup persimmon pulp, 1/2 cup pure maple syrup, 1 tablespoon vanilla extract, 1 tablespoon molasses, 1 tablespoon cinnamon, 1 teaspoon nutmeg, 1 teaspoon ground turmeric
- Stir until thoroughly combined and the nuts and oats are well-coated. Bake at 350 degrees (F), stirring every 10-15 minutes for about an hour or until the granola is toasty brown. Turn off the oven and allow the granola to remain in the oven until it cools. Store in an airtight container.
- To make persimmon pulp: Choose very ripe fuyu persimmons or a custard-like American persimmon. Slice the stem from the top of each persimmon and use a spoon to scoop pulp into the bowl of a food processor fitted with a plastic blade. Pulse until the persimmon flesh is a fairly smooth consistency. I opted to do this with the seeds intact, then I picked the seeds out of the pulp. I found this easier to do than removing seeds before processing.
Notes
- Don't have a processor to make persimmon puree? No worries. Just use a bowl and a potato masher.
- No persimmons? You can substitute pumpkin puree!
- Store this healthy granola in an airtight container for up to a month.
Just made this and looking forward to trying it. Your recipe says to “Bake at 350 degrees (F), stirring every 10-15 minutes for about an hour until granola is toasty brown”. I did this and it was toasty and brown in 30 min . Am I missing something? I’m almost afraid to leave it in oven to cool. Hope it’s tasty!
If it was browned in that amount of time, it’s done!
I’ve made this twice now and doubled the batches. Such an easy way to use up those persimmons! I froze some pulp and used it months later for my second batch. I also added some chai protein powder innmy second batch and will definitely make it that way going forward
Oh, the chai powder sounds like a good addition!
is skin used as well or just the pulp?
Just the pulp.
Hello from New Zealand.
Can I do this in a crockpot? This looks like something my family would enjoy.
Also could I freeze it for a longer life?
I haven’t tried it in a slow cooker! And sure, you can freeze it, but it will last a couple months at room temp in an airtight container.
Super quick and easy, plus tasty!
ive eaten several fuyu persimmons, how is it that ive never found any seeds? or have i just gotten lucky every single time?
Fuyu persimmons are (almost always) seedless. From my understanding this is due to the trees not coming from seed (but I guess cuttings?), so there is no need for seeds. 🙂 So they are much easier to process then the Common American persimmons that we have on our property and work with.
Yes, they are almost always seedless!
I love persimmons but know what you mean by wooly tongue. I didn’t know until I moved away from the Forestville ranch that there were different varieties of persimmons. The ones we grew had to be very ripe or they were definitely “wooly tongue.” My Korean neighbor in So. CA introduced to a variety she bought at the farmers market that were delicious eaten hard and green. Now I am here in Kapaau, I am having to learn not only what grows but what varieties.
Jan
You’re here?! Terrific! Let me know if you’re ever up Honoka‘a way.