I love making homemade granola. It’s really easy, inexpensive, and relatively quick to make. It also usually makes a ton. I like to enjoy it on top of yogurt, acai bowls, or smoothies. But my favorite way to use granola is to eat it in place of traditional breakfast cereals. So many breakfast cereals are disguised as “healthy” options, but most are filled with sugar, artificial ingredients, and preservatives. If you make your own granola, you know exactly what ingredients you are using and ultimately putting into your body. This banana bread variety is truly one of my absolute favorites. The combination of banana, walnuts, and cinnamon baking in the oven is seriously divine. Once the granola had cooled, I separated it into ½ cup portions to eat for breakfast all week with almond milk. I had some extra, so I gave a few bags to my parents. This granola is totally vegan and can be made gluten free by using certified gluten free oats. The majority of these ingredients are inexpensive, but nuts and pure maple syrup can get pricey. I buy nuts in bulk to get the best price and I buy store brand pure maple syrup. You usually only use small amounts of maple syrup, so one bottle will last you a while. You could also use agave or honey instead of maple syrup, but I haven’t personally tried it, so I can’t speak to the results.
Active Time: 8 minutes Total Time: 30 minutes
Servings: 10
Ingredients: 3 cups rolled oats (GF for gluten free eaters) 1 cup walnuts 3 Tbsp raw sugar (I used turbinado sugar) ½ tsp sea salt ½ Tbsp cinnamon 1 Tbsp flax seed ¼ cup coconut oil 1/3 cup + 1 Tbsp maple syrup 1 tsp vanilla extract
1 medium ripe banana, mashed
Directions: Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Mix the oats, cinnamon, sugar, salt, flaxseed and nuts together in a large bowl. In a small saucepan over medium low heat, warm the coconut oil, maple syrup, and vanilla extract. Once liquidy, remove from heat and whisk in banana puree until well combined. Pour over the dry ingredients and mix well. Spread the mixture evenly onto a large baking sheet and bake for 23-28 minutes or until golden brown, tossing once half-way through baking. The coconut oil will help it crisp up well, but be sure to watch it carefully as it can brown quickly.
Once the granola is visibly browned, remove from the oven and toss just a bit to let the heat escape. Cool completely on the baking sheet or in a heat-safe bowl. Store in a container or jar with an air-tight seal.
Nutrition Information per serving:
Calories: 247 Fat: 13g Carbs: 32g Protein: 5g Sodium: 113mg Sugar: 10g
*Nutrition information is based on the products I used personally in this recipe. Different products may yield slightly different information.
Source: Minimalist Baker: Banana Bread Granola
