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1 Comment This delicious homemade granola uses bananas for sweetener making this a healthy alternative to the sugary variations you can find out there. It’s easy to make and super delicious
Easy banana granola
My favorite kind of breakfast is pretty simple. It’s usually something like Greek yogurt, some fresh fruit and a crunchy granola. Ready in no time at all and pretty filling. However, a lot of the store-bought granola mixture variations you can find in the grocery store contain loads of added sugar. So I wanted to make a variation without added sugars. And still pretty delicious. So naturally I arrived at bananas. I regularly have brown bananas and while those are perfect for making a banana bread they are also perfect for making this banana granola.
What do you need for the banana granola
Now in terms of ingredients you really don’t need a lot and you can vary however you like. I only made a combination of nuts and seeds in this particular version, making it also gluten free and paleo proof. But you could easily add some other things in there.
- Nuts – I use a variety of different nuts
- sunflower seeds
- pumpkin seeds
- flax seeds
In addition to the above you could consider adding some rolled oats, chia seeds or add some dried fruit after baking.
You can choose to leave the oil out if you want although I do prefer to add a few tablespoons of oil into the mix.
How to make the granola with bananas
You add all the dry ingredients into a large mixing bowl and next add the mashed banana. This is usually enough to get all the ingredients wet to some extent. I have tried doing this as well with a few tablespoons of olive oil first added to the banana mixture. Melted coconut oil will work as well. That makes the nuts a bit crunchier so definitely a good addition and the overall granola better to store.
If you have a sweet tooth you can add a little maple syrup to the bowl as well.
Spread the banana granola out in a single layer on a baking sheet and if necessary bake in a double batch as the best way to bake it is in an even layer that is not too thick.
After baking the banana granola in the oven make sure to let it cool down completely before storing in an airtight container. Break up any larger pieces into small pieces if necessary. The banana can sometimes clump together.
Variations
On top of the variations I already mentioned you could add some pumpkin pie spice or cinnamon to the mix as well. Love those extra flavors! After baking you can add chocolate chips for a bit chocolately goodness and you can also mix the granola with some peanut butter or almond butter for extra flavor.
Banana granola
Ingredients
- 2 bananas overripe , mashed
- 300 g mixed nuts
- 75 g sunflower seeds
- 75 g pumpkin seeds
- 2 tbsp whole flax seeds
- 2-3 tbsp olive oil
How to make the banana granola
- Preheat the oven to 180˚C/350˚F
- Mash the bananas well with a fork or use a hand blender. Mix the banana puree with the olive oil.
- Combine all other ingredients in a large bowl. Stir in the banana mixture well.
- Spread the mixture on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper and bake in the oven for about 20 minutes. Make sure the layer is not too thick. If necessary bake it in two batches.
- After 10 minutes, mix the layer up with a spoon. When golden brown, remove from the oven and allow to cool completely before storing in an airtight container.
Nutrition Information per portion:
Disclaimer:
The nutritional values above are calculated per portion. The details are based on standard nutritional tables and do not constitute a professional nutritional advice.
Looking for a way to use less sugar in your granola? Using banana as a sweetener is a great alternative!