Banana bread granola! What is not to love about this combo? I am a (almost) exclusive homemade granola person. Store stuff is always not fresh or just garbage. Really.
I love Sarah Britton’s recipe for banana bread granola, but her (and many!) methods to bake is just not…..great. Granola is a high fat, high carb, and relatively moist thing. The goal is to evaporate moisture, meanwhile encouraging browning and adhesion (ie: clumps).
One achieves this by baking low and slow, and cooling slowly. I bake my granola at 250F for 2 hours, and allow it to cool in the oven after the baking period. This method works and is reliable. No fussing and stirring while baking. Large chunks. Tasty granola at the end.
I know buckwheat groats may be a tad odd, but really, they are fantastic not only for their crunch and flavor, but they are nutritional powerhouse material as well. Seek them out in bulk bins at your health food store or coop. Whole Foods stocks them where I live.
Best buds with fruit and yogurt, especially during berry season! Try this ’nola and I bet you’ll never buy the overpriced garbage at the store again. Cheers to that!
Banana Bread Granola // Makes about 8 cups // Recipe from Sarah Britton’s My New Roots (get the book, it’s fantastic)
- 3 large bananas, the kind you’d use for banana bread – super ripe!
- 1/3 cup melted coconut oil
- 1/2 cup maple syrup
- 1/4 tsp sea salt
- 2 heaped tsp cinnamon
- 3 cups rolled oats
- 1 cup buckwheat groats (not kasha), or more nuts/seeds
- 1 1/2 cups unsweetened coconut, shreds or flakes
- 1/2 cup sunflower seeds
- 1 cup walnuts
- Line a half sheet tray with parchment, and preheat oven to 200F.
- In a blender, combine bananas, coconut oil, maple syrup, sea salt, cinnamon and nutmeg. Blend until smooth.
- Mix the remaining ingredients in a large bowl. Pour the banana mixture on, and mix thoroughly. Use your hands if needed.
- Spread evenly on sheet tray, and bake in the middle rack of the oven for 2 hours. After 2 hours, shut oven off, crack the oven door, and allow to cool.
- Store in an airtight bag or jar. I like to store in the freezer, but room temp works as well.