This Banana Bread Granola with toasty oats and crunchy walnuts is naturally sweetened with maple syrup and mashed banana. A touch of ground cinnamon brings warmth and makes it taste just like a loaf of freshly baked banana bread! Gluten-free, vegan.
A Healthier Take on Dessert for Breakfast
If you find yourself craving something sweet and satisfying for breakfast, this banana bread granola is for you. It's lightly sweetened with maple syrup, just enough to stave off dessert cravings but not so much that it'll give you a sugar crash mid-morning. With healthy fats from olive oil and walnuts, plus fiber from the oats, this is just the thing to bake up and eat all week long.
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Ingredients and Substitutions
Gluten-free oats - Forms the bulk of the granola, baking up to be crispy and toasty. Check that your oats are certified gluten-free as not all are.
Walnut pieces - A good source of plant-based omega-3 fatty acids, these nuts add a delicious crunch to the granola. Swap for other chopped nuts (pecans or peanuts are delicious here) for a different flavor. If you need the recipe to be nut-free, use sunflower or pumpkin seeds instead.
Ground cinnamon - Adds a warming flavor to the granola that complements the sweet taste of the bananas. You can omit it if you're not a fan.
Ripe bananas - Ripe bananas will have brown-spotted peels and are at their sweetest and most flavorful at this point. The mashed banana helps to bind everything together, making the granola form nice, big clusters.
Maple syrup - Naturally sweetens the granola with a mild, caramelised flavor. Substitute with agave nectar or honey (if not vegan).
Olive oil - A little fat is needed to aid the granola crisping up nicely as it bakes. You can use melted coconut oil, if you prefer.
Pure vanilla extract and salt
How to Make Banana Bread Granola
Before you start: Preheat the oven to 325°F (160°C). Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.
Step 1: In a large bowl combine oats, walnuts, salt, and cinnamon. Stir to combine.
Step 2: In a separate medium bowl, add bananas and mash well. Add maple syrup, olive oil, and vanilla extract. Whisk until combined.
Step 3: Add banana mixture to dry ingredients in the large bowl. Stir with a large spoon until the oat mixture is completely coated. Transfer mixture to prepared pan and spread into an even layer. Using an extra piece of parchment paper, press down oat mixture into an even, packed layer.
Step 4: Bake for 25-35 minutes, stirring halfway through bake time and carefully flattening back into an even layer with your piece of parchment (wear an oven mitt). Granola is done when it starts to turn golden.When finished baking, remove from the oven and allow granola to cool completely on a wire rack before breaking into pieces and placing in an airtight container. This will ensure there are clumps!
Variations
Change up this granola to make it your own!
- Once the granola has cooled, mix in some dark chocolate chips, banana chips or chopped dates for extra sweetness and flavor.
- Add a tiny pinch of ground cloves to the granola along with the cinnamon. The clove helps to enhance the banana-y flavor.
- Mix a few tablespoons of natural, drippy peanut butter into the oat mixture before baking for a peanut-banana bread granola.
- Add a handful of unsweetened, shredded coconut to the oat mixture before baking for a tropical twist.
Recipe tips
- Let the granola cool completely before breaking it up into chunks as this will give you the biggest clusters.
- Don't worry if the granola seems a bit soft when it's warm from the oven. It will crisp up as it cools.
- Watch the granola closely, if it seems like one side is browning faster than the other, rotate the pan 180-degrees so it can bake evenly.
- Make sure you store the granola in an airtight container when it has completely cooled. If it's still warm when you do this it's likely to become soft.
More Gluten-Free Oat Recipes
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📖 Recipe
Banana Bread Granola
Ingredients
- 4 cups gluten-free oats
- ¾ cup raw walnut pieces
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1 medium ripe banana mashed
- ½ cup maple syrup room temperature
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 325 degrees Fahrenheit. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.
- In a large bowl combine oats, walnuts, salt, and cinnamon. Stir to combine.
- In a separate small bowl, add bananas and mash well. Add maple syrup, olive oil, and vanilla extract. Continue to mash until all chunks are pureed. Whisk until combined. Add banana mixture to dry ingredients in the large bowl. Stir with a large spoon until the oat mixture is completely coated.
- Transfer mixture to prepared pan and spread into an even layer. Using an extra piece of parchment paper, press down oat mixture into an even, packed layer.
- Bake for 25-35 minutes, stirring halfway through bake time and carefully flattening back into an even layer with your piece of parchment (wear an oven mitt). Granola is done when it starts to turn golden.
- When finished baking, remove from the oven and allow granola to cool completely on a wire rack before breaking it into pieces and placing in an airtight container. This will ensure there are clumps!
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