Yay! Happy New Year! 
It’s 2020, and we are back on our typical B.S. (Banana Smashing, that is! 
) Y’all…we are so excited to share with all of you our latest obsession. You know we love to snack, so this healthy treat is just what we were in the mood for. We couldn’t keep this delicious and healthy snack around for very long. Our households ate it up as soon as it cooled off enough for our mouths to devour it. 
Today’s featured recipe is the best way to use up those ripe bananas you continue to stare at on the kitchen counter. Please welcome our first recipe of 2020…Banana Bread Granola! 
What smells better than a fresh loaf of homemade banana bread straight from the oven? You guessed right…this incredibly easy homemade Banana Bread Granola! Not only is it healthy, it is simple to put together in no time at all. Mash some ripe bananas, add in your honey, peanut butter, coconut oil, sugar alternative (we love using Splenda!), vanilla extract, cinnamon and salt. Next, fold in the rolled oats and nuts. Done! In less than an hour your home will smell amazing and your stomachs will be oh so happy! 
Plus, you will start 2020 off right with a recipe that is taste bud approved, wholesome, and contains no refined sugar and is gluten free!
Go on, babes! Kick off the New Year right with this healthy snack that just about anyone will love! 
What You Need
4 cups old fashioned rolled oats (gluten free)
2 medium ripe bananas, mashed
1/4 cup peanut butter (or any nut butter of your choice)*
1/4 cup organic honey (or maple syrup)
3 Tbsp coconut oil, melted
1/4 cup Splenda sugar alternative (or you an use others like coconut sugar, or Stevia)
1 tsp pure vanilla extract
2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp salt
1 cup chopped nuts (we used a combination of chopped walnuts and pecans)
Step by Step
- Preheat your oven to 325 degrees.
- Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside.
- In a large mixing bowl, mash your bananas.
- Add to your mashed bananas the coconut oil, honey, peanut butter, vanilla and Splenda (or sugar alternative of choice). Mix well.
- Next, add in your old fashioned rolled oats (gluten free) and mix thoroughly.
- Last, add in your chopped nuts and stir until combined.
- Pour your granola mixture onto your baking tray and spread out evenly.
- Bake for 15 minutes, then remove from oven and stir the granola.
- Return to the oven for 15 more minutes.
- Keep the granola in the oven after baking for 30 minutes, and turn off the heat. Leave your granola in the oven for up to an hour to continue to crisp and get crunchy.
- Remove from oven, allow granola to cool completely, then break into clusters.
- Enjoy!
NOTE: Store in an airtight container for up to 2 weeks!
*When selecting a nut butter, we suggest using a more “runny” option in order to provide a sticky base for the granola while baking. We are usually fans of the Reduced Fat Jif, but for this particular recipe, we used the full fat Jif version.
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Banana Bread Granola
Ingredients
- 4 cups old fashioned rolled oats gluten free
- 2 medium ripe bananas mashed
- 1/4 cup peanut butter or any nut butter of your choice*
- 1/4 cup organic honey or maple syrup
- 3 Tbsp coconut oil melted
- 1/4 cup Splenda sugar alternative or you an use others like coconut sugar, or Stevia
- 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
- 2 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1 cup chopped nuts we used a combination of chopped walnuts and pecans
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 325 degrees.
- Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside.
- In a large mixing bowl, mash your bananas.
- Add to your mashed bananas the coconut oil, honey, peanut butter, vanilla and Splenda (or sugar alternative of choice). Mix well.
- Next, add in your old fashioned rolled oats (gluten free) and mix thoroughly.
- Last, add in your chopped nuts and stir until combined.
- Pour your granola mixture onto your baking tray and spread out evenly.
- Bake for 15 minutes, then remove from oven and stir the granola.
- Return to the oven for 15 more minutes.
- Keep the granola in the oven after baking for 30 minutes, and turn off the heat. Leave your granola in the oven for up to an hour to continue to crisp and get crunchy.
- Remove from oven, allow granola to cool completely, then break into clusters.
- Enjoy!
