Easy Banana Granola

Making granola at home is so much easier than you’d think! Plus, by creating your own, you can control the amount of sugar and oil and the quality of ingredients in your granola. My recipe for Easy Banana Granola is fruit sweetened and so simple kids can make the whole thing from start to finish. This crunchy, sweet cereal or yogurt topping has become a staple in our home and I know it will be a hit in yours too!

Kids can help make Easy Banana Granola:

• Mise en place! The fancy French way of saying “get everything ready and prepared to cook.” Have kids help get the ingredients out from the pantry or cabinets and even choose which kinds of nuts and/or seeds they would like to include in the granola.
• Smash those bananas! Kids can peel the overripe bananas, place them in a bowl, and smash the heck out of them with a potato masher. A sturdy whisk also works well to mash bananas.
• Add and mix:  Kids can dump the remaining ingredients into the bowl with the banana and stir it all together. Make sure to use a large bowl so that all the granola doesn’t end up all over the counter.
• Scoop and spread: Hold the bowl and have your child help use the spatula or spoon the scoop the granola mixture out onto the prepared baking pan then spread it out into an even layer.

Subs and Tips:

• No Nuts? No problem! You can really customize this granola however you’d like. Add sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds, raw quinoa and/or dried coconut for delicious texture and flavor.
• Gluten-free? Make sure the oats you use are certified gluten-free.
• Sweetener: You can definitely adjust the sweetness of this granola to suit your own tastes. If feeding toddlers or just want to keep the amount of sugar in your family’s diet low, only use the banana as the sweet element in this recipe. I personally love the flavor a little maple syrup adds, but you could also use honey or agave instead.
• Oil: I like to use avocado oil for most of my baking, but you can also use any flavorless oil such as melted coconut oil or any vegetable oil.
• Quinoa? I love adding raw quinoa to my granola because it adds so much crunch and flavor. However, it is completely optional.
• Only one banana? Or not sure you will go through the whole batch? Make a half batch! This recipe is easy to cut in half and you can pretty much eyeball all the add-ins. It’s a great way to use up that one lonely brown banana.
• Freezer Friendly! Yes, granola is very easy to freeze and defrost. You can make a double batch and freeze half of it for later. Just keep in in an airtight container to avoid freezer burn.

Easy Banana Granola

Low sugar, healthy granola for snacking or breakfast.

5 from 2 votes

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Prep Time 5 minutes mins

Cook Time 25 minutes mins

Total Time 30 minutes mins

Course Breakfast

Cuisine American

Servings 4 cups

Ingredients

  

• 2 very ripe bananas
• 1/4 cup avocado oil or other flavorless oil
• 3 Tbsp maple syrup optional
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 2 to 5 Tbsp water
• 2 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1/4 tsp fine salt
• 3 cups rolled oats gluten-free if desired
• 3/4 cup sliced almonds
• 3/4 cup chopped walnuts or sub any nuts or seeds you like
• 3 Tbsp hemp seeds, chia seeds, or a mix of both optional
• 3 Tbsp raw quinoa optional

Instructions

 

• Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Line a sheet pan with parchment, foil, a slicone mat, or lightly grease with oil.
• Mash the bananas in a large bowl until no lumps remain. Stir in oil, maple syrip if using, vanilla, and 2 Tbsp of water. If not adding the syrup, stir in the remaining 3 Tbsp of water.
• Stir in the remaining ingredients until everything is well combined. Dump onto the prepared sheet pan and spread into an even layer.
• Bake for 15 minutes then toss and bake for an additonal 10 minutes or until golden brown around the edges. Cool completely then store in an airtight container for 1 week or freeze for up to a month.

Keyword gluten free, healthy snack, low sugar

Looking for more recipes with little or no added sugar at all??
Check out my ebook, No Sugar Still Sweet, filled with over 20 breakfast, snack, and dessert recipes you’ll feel good about serving your little ones.

Other popular recipes using overripe bananas:

• Banana Beet Cupcakes with Berry Cream Cheese Frosting
• Banana Pumpkin Blender Muffins
• Banana Blueberry Muffin Tops