(Note: this post was originally published on February 4, 2019. It was one of the earliest posts on The Rogue Brussel Sprout! It has since been updated with new photos and a few tweaks).
Homemade granola is the absolute best treat, don't you think? It’s easy to make, infinitely customizable, and the whole house smells wonderful while it bakes. This unique banana bread granola is one I've made for years; in fact, it was one of the first recipes here on the blog! It's a hybrid between the two best cozy treats: banana bread and granola.
The beauty of using mashed banana in granola is that it acts as both a sweetener and a fat, helping the granola to crisp up and become flavorful without having to add a lot of sugar or oil. In fact, this vegan banana granola is lightly and naturally sweetened with maple syrup, uses just a small amount of coconut oil, and is entirely plant-based. It's an indulgent-tasting (but secretly healthy) breakfast or snack that's loaded with whole grains and even some good fats and protein thanks to powerful walnuts.
If you've made granola before (or looked at the ingredients in store-bought granola), you'll know that many recipes use a large amount of both oil and sugar. Those ingredients help the granola to crisp up as it bakes, but unfortunately they also mean that most granolas are basically cake in disguise. Some granolas even use powdered milk or egg whites to help with crisping and clumping.
This unique vegan banana granola ditches all the refined sugar and uses just a small amount of coconut oil thanks to a secret ingredient: mashed ripe banana. The banana provides natural sweetness to this granola and the moisture helps it to clump together and eventually get crispy while baking. There's only a half cup each of maple syrup and coconut oil in the whole batch (at least 16 servings) and no other sweeteners or oils.
Curious about omitting the oil completely? Personally, when I've tried to omit the oil from this banana bread granola recipe, I've found that the granola feels a little bit heavier and softer; it's ok, but not as good as when I use just a little bit of coconut oil to help with the crisping. Feel free to give it a try though and leave a comment below to let everyone know what you think.
This vegan banana bread granola is easy to make: just toss all of the ingredients together and bake. Then, after baking, you'll add three additional fun mix-ins inspired by the flavors that are typically in banana bread: banana chips, toasted coconut, and chocolate chips. Feel free to swap in whatever ingredients you like to add into your banana bread; pecans, date slices, dried mango, etc, will all work great.
If you've made a traditional granola recipe before that uses a lot of oil, this one is going to be different. Because the banana has a higher water content than oil, the granola takes longer to dry out and eventually crisp up. You'll see that the mixture seems wetter than what you're used to. You'll need to give this healthy banana granola time to cook down in the oven and become delicious and crunchy. Don't rush it, otherwise your granola could end up soggy.
If you're intrigued by the idea of making granola with fruit puree instead of oil, you'll also want to check out this applesauce granola and this pumpkin granola.
Here's what you'll need for this vegan banana granola recipe, as well as some thoughts, tips, and possible substitutions. If you make any substitutions, I'd love to hear about it in the comments section below.
If you've never tried homemade granola before, now is the time. It's easy and fast. Making your own at home allows you to be in control of the ingredients, so you can say goodbye to options that are loaded with oil and sugar. This banana bread granola is plant-based, uses real-food ingredients, has minimal oil and sugar, is naturally-sweetened, and even has some protein and healthy fats from the walnuts. It's a breakfast or snack you can feel good about savoring.
How can you enjoy this granola? It's delightful on its own, with your preferred milk, or with your favorite yogurt. You can keep it simple or dress it up in a fancy parfait for a brunch party. It's a great topping for ice cream to create a fun dessert with satisfying crunch. This vegan banana granola is even a wonderful homemade gift because it's unique, travel-friendly, and keeps well.
This healthy banana granola is truly a favorite in our house. It has all the delicious flavors of banana bread coupled with the satisfying, snackable, portable crunch of granola. I hope you love this recipe as much as we do!
It makes me so happy to hear from you and see your creations! Please leave a comment below and let me know what you think about this recipe. If you post a photo on Instagram, hashtag #TheRogueBrusselSprout and tag me (@TheRogueBrusselSprout) in the post text so that I'm sure to see it.
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Imagine cozy banana bread flavors in a delightfully crunchy format. This banana bread granola is much healthier than store-bought options; I can guarantee you'll want to make it again and again.
Did you make this recipe? Did you make substitutions? How did you serve it? Any helpful tips? Please share your thoughts, since these insights are really useful to both me and to other readers.
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