I took a break from making granola, which was probably a good thing since I have something like 30 recipes for it. Then along came Banana Nut Granola. Break over! This recipe is perfect for when you need a quick energy snack. It's a great "use up the bananas" recipe, an interesting change from banana bread, and vegan and gluten-free.
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This recipe is super easy and you can make it all in one bowl. Because bananas have so much moisture, the granola requires a long and slow bake time, and you can bet your kitchen will smell fantastic. Just keep an eye on the granola and don't let it get too brown. I baked the batch in the photos a little too long so it's slightly browner than it should be.
Clumpy Banana Nut Granola
Banana Nut Granola is supposed to be very clumpy, so start by spreading it on the baking sheet in one big slab. After the first 10-12 minutes (when it's starting to brown), turn the slab and allow it to naturally break into big sections. After the full bake time, you can break it up into clumps as large or small as you like. Below is a picture of the granola before going into the oven.
This recipe calls for almonds, but of course you can use any nuts you like including pecans. A little ground flax might also be a good addition. If you want to really emphasize bananas, you could throw in some banana chips.
Recipe
Banana Nut Granola
Ingredients
- 2 medium size bananas, very ripe
- 3 tablespoons melted coconut oil (36 grams)
- 3 tablespoon maple syrup (80 grams)
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ⅛ teaspoon salt, add an extra pinch if you like
- 2 ½ to 3 cups oats, old fashioned type (scant cups) (260 grams)
- ⅔ cup almonds, sliced or whole
- ⅓ cup pumpkin seed kernels
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 F. Have ready a large (13x18) rimmed baking sheet lined with a sheet of parchment paper.
- Mash the bananas in a large mixing bowl, then stir in the melted coconut oil, maple syrup, vanilla extract and salt.
- Add 2 ½ cups of the oats, pumpkin seeds and nuts and stir to coat. At this point you can decide if you want to add that last ½ cup of oats. The mixture should be fairly moist from the other ingredients. I used about 260 grams oats total
- Pour mixture onto the baking sheet and press flat so that you have one big slab of granola.
- Bake at 350 F, for 20 minutes. Halfway through the 20 minute bake, use a spatula to flip the granola. The big slab will break, so just let it. Reduce heat to 250 degrees F. and shield with a large sheet of foil. Continue baking for another 45 minutes or until granola is brown. It won't be crisp at this point, but should crisp as it cools.
- Let cool completely.
Anna says
There are never too many ways to use up ripe bananas.
Sue K says
I should keep this on my radar and try it soon. We’ve been buying granola mostly because good homemade granola disappears too quickly at our house and that frustrates me. Banana granola sounds unique I love a way to use up over ripe bananas!