My Favorite Banana Granola

Published August 9, 2022 | By Patricia

If you’ve followed me for some time, then you probably already know that I’m addicted to homemade granola. Granola is one of my favorite foods. It goes well with so many things: as breakfast, pre workout snack or dessert.

My previous granola recipe was made using different kinds of unrefined sugar but I never thought of including three bananas into the mix. Also, there are many good reasons why homemade granola is so much better than the store bought varieties. Most of the granola you find in the supermarket is loaded with refined sugar, bad fats, salt and along with using refined grains and the unwanted additives.

On the other hand, by making your own granola, you can control all of this and leave out the unwanted ingredients. Besides all of this — it’s so much more tasty!

Banana Granola

Prep Time 10 mins + Cook Time 35 mins = Total Time 45 mins

Prepares 12 servings

Ingredients

1 tbsp chia seeds
1/4 cup (60 ml) water
2 1/2 cup (250 gr) rolled oats
1/2 cup (80 gr) almonds, / chopped
1/2 cup (80 gr) pumpkin seeds
1/4 cup (40 gr) sunflower seeds
a pinch of sea salt
3 bananas, / ripe
3 tbsp rapeseed oil

Spices to select from…

1 tbsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tbsp ground anise
1/2 tsp ground vanilla
1/4 tsp ground cloves

Optional to taste…

3/4 cup (180 ml) almond milk
half a banana or banana slices

Instructions

Preheat the oven at 325ºF (160ºC) and cover the baking tray with parchment paper.
Combine the chia seeds and the water and let them soak for at least 20 minutes.
Mix all the dry ingredients into a large mixing bowl (including the spices).
Combine the bananas and the oil and puree those into a smooth mixture.
Add the wet mixtures (the banana and chia seeds) to the dry mixture and mix thoroughly.
Spread the granola over the baking tray and bake for 15 minutes in a preheated oven.
Remove the tray from the oven, stir the granola with a wooden spoon and place back in for an additional 20 minutes. Note: check on this throughout to avoid burning.
Let the granola cool down and serve with the almond milk and the sliced banana. Enjoy!

Equipment Needed:

baking tray, mixing bowls

Ingredient Substitution and the Result

refined sugars => bananas, V + C
milk => almond milk, P
“bad” fats => rapeseed oil, V + S
too much salt => a pinch of sea salt
processed grains => rolled oats, nuts and seeds, F + V

Result of the Substition:

F = increase in fiber
V = increase in vitamins
C = cut in calories
P = plant-based swap
S = less saturated fat

Conclusion

The result was delicious and I am very happy with it. It is not only good for my health but also for the environment because it does not require any packaging. The best part is that it tastes great too. I hope you enjoyed reading about this recipe as much as I did writing it. Feel free to share your thoughts and ideas by leaving a comment below. Thanks for reading!