Making fresh granola is extremely satisfying because baking it requires little effort, but Banana Granola truly takes it up a notch. My go-to breakfast accompaniment is a delicious blend of crunchy nuts, caramelly bananas, and spices that make the flavor pop.
Not to say it’s an easy, healthy, and delicious recipe to start your day on the best note! My mornings tend to get a little hectic, and finding a quiet corner of peace is a challenge. So, when I do, I like to sit with a bowl brimming with seasonal fruit, yogurt, and plenty of homemade granola.
Made with simple, wholesome ingredients, for us, compulsive snackers banana granola is also the perfect munchy to have at hand.
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Why We Love Homemade Banana Granola
Making your granola can be such a fun activity with the family! You can get the kids to measure, chop and mix. You could take turns stirring the mixture when it’s in the oven (under supervision, of course).
It’s a valuable way for the children to understand the importance of using and eating natural, nutritious ingredients. Also, the excellent taste and flavor are incomparable to the packaged stuff available out there.
Plus, it’s a nice way to use up any old bananas lying around, which is always the case in my home. The riper, the better. They not only mash well but also lend a flavor eerily similar to banana bread.
Recipe Ingredients And Substitutes
Play around with the recipe as much as you want. Granola isn't restrictive at all. Change what you don’t love with any ingredient you prefer.
Oil: I prefer the nuanced nutty aroma of coconut oil. It pairs incredibly well with bananas. But you can use olive oil or any vegetable oil here.
Seeds and nuts: Use any seeds and nuts you have available. You can even mix and match here. Cashews, hazelnuts, and pecans: all are exceptional options. Even peanuts match well with the mild flavor and sweetness of bananas.
Honey: Maple syrup is an excellent substitute for honey. If you find the granola not sweet enough, adjust it by drizzling the syrup or honey on top.
Dried fruit: If dates are not your thing, switch them with raisins or even dried pineapples. Any dried fruit is an option, as long as you stir it in after the granola is baked. Adding them before makes the dried fruit chewy.
Gluten-free banana granola: Sub the regular oats with certified gluten-free rolled oats. You can even replace a small portion of the oats with puffed rice or popped amaranth.
How To Make
Step 1: Begin by preheating the oven to 180 C. Line a baking sheet with baking paper.
Step 2: Combine rolled oats, seeds, walnuts, and almonds in a large bowl.
Step 3: In a separate bowl, mash the bananas and stir in coconut oil and honey.
Step 4: Whisk in a pinch of cinnamon to boost the natural flavor along with vanilla beans or extract to give it an aromatic highlight.
Step 5: Stir the mixture very well, and then add to the dry ingredients.
Step 6: Spread evenly on the prepared tray. Bake for about 30 – 40 mins.
Step 7: To make sure the granola gets an even golden hue and bakes without burning, stir and toss it every 10-15 mins. The granola should look toasted and golden.
Step 8: Right at the end, and after you take out the granola from the oven, stir in chopped dates.
Recipe Ingredients And Substitutes
Play around with the recipe as much as you want. Granola isn't restrictive at all. Change what you don’t love with any ingredient you prefer.
Oil: I prefer the nuanced nutty aroma of coconut oil. It pairs incredibly well with bananas. But you can use olive oil or any vegetable oil here.
Seeds and nuts: Use any seeds and nuts you have available. You can even mix and match here. Cashews, hazelnuts, and pecans: all are exceptional options. Even peanuts match well with the mild flavor and sweetness of bananas.
Honey: Maple syrup is an excellent substitute for honey. If you find the granola not sweet enough, adjust it by drizzling the syrup or honey on top.
Dried fruit: If dates are not your thing, switch them with raisins or even dried pineapples. Any dried fruit is an option, as long as you stir it in after the granola is baked. Adding them before makes the dried fruit chewy.
Gluten-free banana granola: Sub the regular oats with certified gluten-free rolled oats. You can even replace a small portion of the oats with puffed rice or popped amaranth.
How To Serve
Like the making, serving granola is a fun exercise in creativity. Pander to your taste, craving, and indulgence. Top the banana granola with fresh cherries (or any fruit you prefer).
It is perfect with a bowl of yogurt, making my breakfast scrumptious with a pop of nourishment, and gives me loads of energy to soldier on for the rest of the day.
To make it more indulgent, dress it in chocolate chips or chopped dark chocolate. Remember to use good-quality dark chocolate to keep the health quotient intact.
And if you’re looking for something even more indulgent, no one is stopping you from binging on banana granola with ice cream. The combination is bang on.
📖 Recipe
Banana Granola
Ingredients
- 3 cups Rolled oats
- 1/4 gms Almonds whole or coarsely chopped
- 2 tbsp Pumpkin seeds
- 1/4 cup Walnuts
- 2 tbsp Sunflower seeds
- 2 Bananas
- 1/4 cup Coconut oil
- 4 tbsp Honey / Maple syrup
- 1 tsp Cinnamon powder
- 1 tbsp Vanilla extract
- 6-8 Dates chopped
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 180 C. Line a baking sheet with baking paper.
- Combine all the dry ingredients- oats, almonds, walnuts, pumpkin seeds, and sunflower seeds in a large bowl.
- In another bowl, mash the bananas. Add the oil, honey, cinnamon powder, and vanilla extract.
- Stir this mixture very well. Add to the dry ingredients.
- Spread evenly on the prepared tray. Bake, stirring every 10-15 mins, for about 30 – 40 mins. The granola should look toasted and golden.
- Stir in the dates, once you have taken out the tray from the oven. Let the granola cool completely before storing it in a jar. Enjoy!
Megha says
Hi..wht can we use instead of coconut oil...pls suggest
Natasha Minocha says
Hi Megha, you can use any of these vegetable oils - Canola, sunflower, safflower. Hope this helps:)
Alem1962 says
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Hema says
Oh yummy! Love granola! Your pics are so good, I'll be making this really soon 🙂
natashaminocha says
Thank you so much Hema! I'd love to know how this recipe turned out for you 🙂
Vandy says
Hi...love the recipe would love to give it a try. ...whr can I get rolled oats from is it d quaker oats that u have used????
natashaminocha says
Hi Vandy, thank you for stopping by! Most of the supermarkets in Gurgaon carry rolled oats.They can be quite expensive though!
I've also seen rolled oats by Sanjeevani in a couple of organic food stores, they were much more reasonable. If you can't find this, go ahead and use the regular Quaker Oats or Saffola Oats.
Good luck! Hope you get an awesome batch of granola to eat. 🙂
Praveen R says
Absolutely brilliant, am going to pass this on to my chef, they make a nice muesli themselves and we also have a Kerala cereal, Aval for breakfast service, this one seems even more interesting.Keep them coming, and how do we subscribe to your blog, there has to be a link to subscribing to your blog, that is how you get more people into it, cheers
natashaminocha says
Thank you Praveen! Do let me know how this worked out for you. You can click on RSS or email widget on the top right hand side to follow!
Would love to get my hands on that Aval recipe..:)