Pumpkin season might be over, but flax season has just begun! Get ready for Flax Spice Lattes, Flax-scented hand soap, and flax-o-lantern seed carving contests.
Okay, I definitely just made up “flax season” for the purposes of this review, but it makes sense. If we eat healthy things with flax in them now, when it’s time for summer barbecues and pool lounging, we can feel justified in going Kobayashi on a pack of hot dogs.
How does that old saying go? Oh yeah:
“April flax brings Lay’s Stax!”
Flax isn’t the most common things to find in the breakfast aisle, especially outside of Canada, but if you’re feeling the need for seed, Sweet Home Farm has you covered with their Pumpkin Flax granola.
I’m definitely going to try it: half because I want to, and half because my hand won’t fit any deeper into my can of Lay’s Stax.
All of my loyal hummingbird readers out there can rejoice: this stuff looks a lot like bird feed, with many loose pieces and seeds. The texture isn’t far off from avian cuisine, either (not that I would know).
It has a light, crispy crackle, and for good reason, too: unlike most granolas, this Pumpkin Flax stuff isn’t purely oat clusters. There are also bits of fluffy brown rice scattered amongst their oat brethren that make this granola feel like a grown-up, hipster Rice Krispies.
So while fans of hearty, ultra crunchy granola might be disappointed, pumpkin lovers, cinnamon maniacs, and pie-baking grandmas will feel right at home with this Sweet Home Farm. This granola has a very strong pumpkin pie flavor.
The toasted, graham-like oats and golden, slightly scorched cinnamon flavor brings to mind a good spiced pie crust. Meanwhile, the sweet roasted pumpkin seeds and addictive molasses undertones give us our pie filling. I’m not recommending that you scatter handfuls of this granola onto a slice of real, creamy pumpkin pie, because if you did try something so devilishly delicious, I would have to confiscate the slice for my own, uh, “evidential research.”
The tiny black flax seeds provide a welcome earthy burst that well complements the pumpkin, but their bitter aftertaste leaves me running for a glass of milk. Luckily, this granola is destined for milk.
Aside from further cream-ifying the already creamy, pumpkin pie filling flavor, the seedy bitterness is also nearly neutralized. Since the crumbly bits of oat and rice have a larger surface area than most granolas, they suck up milk like Kirby in a pumpkin Halloween costume, giving them a texture like oatmeal. And this stuff makes for a better pumpkin spice oatmeal than Quaker’s attempt, thanks to the popping pumpkin seeds and molasses ribbons.
Though there are bitter bits, a dearth of crunchiness, and a bit of false advertising—this really feels more like a cereal than an oatmeal, not that I’m complaining—this is quite a pleasant and solid granola. Err, I guess it isn’t that solid when you pour milk onto it, but you get what I mean.
Keep it up, Sweet Home Farm: if you need more granola flavor ideas, you know what comes right after Lay’s Stax season, right? Peanut butter cup season, baby!
The Bowl: Sweet Home Farm Pumpkin Flax Granola
The Breakdown: Pumpkin Spice Rice Krispies that become Pumpkin Spice Oatmeal when added to milk? Call Optimus Prime: I think I’ve found this autumn’s newest Transformer.
The Bottom Line: 8.5 dedicated hummingbird blog-readers out of 10
(Quick Nutrition Facts: 250 calories, 4 grams of fiber, 11 grams of sugar, and 6 grams of protein per 2/3 cup serving)
***Note: This sample of Pumpkin Flax Granola was sent to me by Attune Foods. If you’re looking for it, I’d recommend trying Walmart, Whole Foods, or buying online.***