There are always bananas in my kitchen. Both my husband and I love bananas and although we eat a lot of them, I can never quite get the scheduling perfect on when to buy a new bunch, so inevitably we have bananas hanging around that are a little passed their prime.
Sure, you can make banana bread or banana cookies or banana pancakes or banana chia pudding… but even with all of these options, there are still plenty more delicious ways to use your unemployed bananas like today’s banana nut granola recipe.
Let’s get started…
Begin by mashing a large extra ripe banana until smooth in a large bowl. Whisk in 1/2 cup of pure maple syrup, agave or honey, 1/3 cup of extra virgin olive oil, a teaspoon of pure vanilla extract, 1/2 teaspoon of sea salt, 2 teaspoons of ground cinnamon and 1/2 teaspoon of nutmeg until everything is completely combined.
For the dry ingredients, we are adding 3 cups of old fashioned oats, 1/2 cup of chopped walnuts, 1/2 cup of chopped pecans, 1/2 cup of pumpkin seeds and 1/4 cup of chia seeds. This is my preferred mixture, but if you prefer pecans over walnuts or want to add almonds instead, its totally fine! Just keep the volume the same, but feel free to add what you love.
Mix everything until it all looks evenly distributed and there are no dry spots left behind then transfer the mixture onto a generously greased rimmed baking sheet and spread it out evenly.
Be sure that the mixture is not too thick. I like using a 16″ x 22″ baking sheet for this recipe, so it has plenty of room to spread out. The thinner it is, the more crunchy it will end up.
Bake in a 350 degree oven for 24-26 minutes or until the granola is lightly golden brown all over.
Once the granola is browned and feels set to the touch, place the baking sheet over a cooling rack or cutting board and let the granola cool completely before crumbling it.
This step is really important in creating that crisp granola texture. If you prefer a softer granola, you can both bake it slightly shorter and break it up while it is still warm.
Once it has fully cooled, you can either pick it up and break it apart with your hands or slide a flat spatula under the granola and break it apart that way…
You can keep it in big chunks or break down into small pieces. The good news is that this granola is 100% yours, so you can make it exactly how you love it!
This granola is nutty and subtly sweet with great texture and a beautiful banana flavor bread flavor. I love adding a few slices of banana over the bowl and covering everything with vanilla almond milk… breakfast perfection.
Banana Bread Granola
Ingredients
- 1 large overly ripe banana
- 1/2 cup of pure maple syrup, agave or honey
- 1/3 cup of olive oil
- 1 teaspoon of pure vanilla extract
- 1/2 teaspoon of sea sale
- 2 teaspoons of ground cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon of nutmeg
- 3 cups of old fashioned oats
- 1/2 cup of walnuts, chopped
- 1/2 cup of pecans, chopped
- 1/2 cup of pumpkin seeds
- 1/4 cup of chia seeds
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 350 degrees
- Mash a large banana smooth in a large bowl
- Add 1/2 cup of pure maple syrup, agave or honey, 1/3 cup of extra virgin olive oil and 1 teaspoon of pure vanilla extract and mix until completely combined
- Add 1/2 teaspoon of sea salt, 2 teaspoons of ground cinnamon and 1/2 teaspoon of nutmeg mix until evenly distributed
- Add 3 cups of old fashioned oats, 1/2 cup of chopped walnuts, 1/2 cup of chopped pecans, 1/2 cup of pumpkin seeds and 1/4 cup of chia seeds and mix until everything is evenly distributed
- Spread evenly over a generously greased baking sheet
- Bake for 24-26 minutes or until the granola is golden brown and crisp
- Allow the granola to cool fully before crumbling into pieces and transferring into an airtight container
- Store at room temperature for up to 2 weeks
Reader Interactions