If you want your house to smell like banana bread without actually baking banana bread, make this granola.
This granola is pretty rad, and provides yet another way to use up overripe bananas; serious score in my book.
The ingredients you need are likely in your pantry RIGHT THIS SECOND. WHOA. EVEN the wet ingredients: coconut oil, agave nectar or maple syrup, vanilla extract, and a big ol’ ripe banana.
Look how friggin’ good that looks; and it’s not even baked! Hubba hubba.
Ta-da! Banana bread granola. So delicious + VEGAN & gluten-free! It’s
Crunchy
Nutty
Not too sweet
Super fragrant
JUST like banana bread
& loaded with healthy fats, Omega-3s & 6s, protein, and fiber
Plus, it takes about 30 minutes start to finish and is the perfect breakfast or on-the-go snack.
John loves his granola over yogurt. I prefer mine straight up with almond milk (or straight outta the jar #fistfuls). But it also makes the perfect topping for smoothies, creamy oats, frozen yogurt, and ice cream.
If you aren’t a banana fan, sub sweet potato, pumpkin or even beet puree! (Hello hot pink granola! That’s my jam.)
Enjoy!
Banana Bread Granola
Ingredients
- 3 cups rolled oats (GF for gluten-free eaters)
- 3/4 cup raw walnuts
- 1/2 cup raw pecans
- 3 Tbsp raw sugar (or sub brown sugar)
- 1/2 tsp sea salt
- 1/2 Tbsp ground cinnamon
- 1 Tbsp flaxseed meal (or whole flax seeds)
- 1/4 cup coconut oil
- 1/3 heaping cup maple syrup or agave (or honey if not vegan)
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 medium ripe banana (mashed // 1 banana yields ~1/2 cup)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (176 C).
- Mix the oats, cinnamon, sugar, salt, flaxseed, and nuts together in a large bowl (see photo).
- In a small saucepan over medium low heat, warm the coconut oil, maple syrup (or agave or honey), and vanilla extract. Once liquidy, remove from heat and whisk in banana puree until well combined. Pour over the dry ingredients and mix well.
- Spread the mixture evenly onto one or two baking sheets (making sure it doesn’t get crowded // use additional baking sheets, as needed, if increasing batch size) and bake for 23-28 minutes or until golden brown. The coconut oil will help it crisp up well, but be sure to watch it carefully as it can brown quickly.
- NOTE: If you don’t toss the granola while baking, it will get clumpy, which I personally love. But if you want a more crumbly granola, toss/stir a bit at the halfway point to break up the clumps.
- Once the granola is visibly browned, remove from the oven and toss just a bit to let the heat escape. Cool completely on the baking sheet or in a heat-safe bowl. Store in a container or jar with an air-tight seal – it should keep for a couple of weeks.
Video
Notes
*Nutrition information is a rough estimate.
Louisa says
Very nice granola !!
I didn’t have vanilla extract and only 15ml of maple sirup so I put 2 bananas, replaced the walnuts by a mix of sesame seeds and sunflower seeds, nutmeg instead of cinnamon and the granola is delicious. It was longer to cook though.
Thank you for the recipe.
Your modifications sound lovely, Louisa! Thank you for sharing! xo
Pam says
I have made this a couple of times. Both times I have intentionally under baked it. It came out a little on the soft side and so yummy. Thank you!
Lovely! Thank you for sharing, Pam! xo
prashanthi atluri says
Is a video included for this?
Yes, you can find it here.
Leah says
Hi MB! This recipe sounds amazing :D Just wondering, have you ever tried toasting it on the stove? I have friends overseas who don’t have access to an oven and was thinking this would be a great healthy breakfast alternative for them to try. Thanks!
Hi Leah, we haven’t, but it could be worth a try!
Resa says
Love this granola! Have been making the chai granola alot lately but came back to this delicious treat. Very easy to put together in no time. The house smells amazing afterwards.
Thank you
We’re so glad you enjoy both recipes, Resa! Thank you for taking the time to leave a review! xo
Anita Borozan says
I made this today and its really easy and delicious. Well, the non-burnt part was delicious hahaha. In my defense, I was distracted because I had to make lasagna and was chatting with my mother at the same time, thus forgetting that it should be taken out of the oven when its just browned. Its still good to eat though, just not as good as it could have been hahaha.
Ah, bummer! We’re glad some of it is still tasty. We hope you get to make it again! Thank you for sharing, Anita! xo
JadziaAdrienne says
Can you use chia seeds, or hemp hearts in addition to the nuts and seeds listed? Also, why both the brown sugar, as well as the agave, honey or maple syrup? Could you get away with only using the liquid (maple syrup, honey, agave, etc)? Are quick oats the same as rolled oats? Finally, I’m totally blind. Is the best way to tell if it’s nicely browned to taste it and then just put it back in the oven if it’s not crunchy enough?
Hi, Hemp hearts or chia seeds would be great additions! We prefer the texture/flavor with both sweeteners, but you could leave out the raw/brown sugar for a less sweet result. Quick oats are different from rolled oats – they are more finely ground and we wouldn’t recommend them for granola! The granola will firm up more out of the oven so it would be better to taste for a nicely toasted flavor vs. relying on texture. Hope that helps!
Ingrid says
So good!! I used monkfruit and agave and am obsessed. I also used more banana. I have to resist eating it all in one sitting. I baked for an extra 5 minutes as I like it extra crunchy!
We’re so glad you love it, Ingrid! Thank you for sharing! xo
Sarah says
Just made it and doubled the recipe after reading the reviews, glad I did, it is sooo good! I did add an extra banana bc I wanted the extra banana flavor, I also added a cup of raisins. I baked for 25 minutes to make it more of a soft granola which is what I prefer, Thank you so much for the recipe! It’s a keeper and one I’ll be using regularly :)
We’re so glad you made it and enjoyed the result, Sarah. Thank you for the lovely review! xo
Elizabeth says
Delicious and less oil than my other granola recipes! I didn’t stir until nearly done, so it clumped in places like cookies. I didn’t have walnuts so I combined salted pumpkin seeds recently bought from Costco with mostly pecans. Will make this again, but before that the MB maple pumpkin granola.
We’re so glad you enjoyed it, Elizabeth! Thank you for the lovely review! And enjoy the pumpkin granola :) That’s another delicious one!
Brigitta says
OMG! This granola is soooo yummy! I have been making my own granola for a while, but with a recipe that calls for peanut butter, and I was looking for something different, and wow! This blows my mind!
Thank you
Whoop! We’re so happy you love it, Brigitta. Thank you for sharing! xo
Melina says
Hi!
Do you think there’s a way I can add some vegan protein powder in this recipe?
Hi Melina, you could possibly replace the flax meal with protein powder!
Lil says
What oil do you recommend in place of coconut?
Hi Lil, you can use any neutral-tasting oil such as olive or avocado oil, or melted butter would also work!
Tracy Hoesel says
Yeee! What perfect granola! It’s chunky, crunchy and bursting with flavor. What a great use of an over ripened banana.
We’re so glad you enjoyed it, Tracy. Thanks so much for the lovely review! xo
Maëlle Guyon says
Hi! By what can i replace coconut oil? This granola looks so good and i can’t wait to do it !
Hi Maëlle, you can use any neutral-tasting oil such as olive or avocado, melted butter would also work!
Jo says
This is WAY TOO GOOD!!! Like others said, I should have doubled the recipe hahah! Now I have to try not to binge and eat the whole batch right here right now! This is soooo tasty. I can’t tell yet if I prefer it by itself or in milk but either way it’s delicious!
Thanks so much for the lovely review, Jo. We are so glad you enjoyed it! Next time, would you mind leaving a star rating with your review? It’s super helpful for us and other readers. Thanks so much! xo
Ka says
This was DELICIOUS!!!! I wish i had doubled the recipe. Will DEFINITELY make more! Only issue I always have is my granola doesn’t clump (*tear streaming down my face*). Any tips? P.S. Thanks for the MANY amazing recipes… I absolutely LOVE this website!!
We’re so glad you enjoy it! Thanks so much for the lovely review. One tip is to avoid tossing the granola while its baking and only stirring it a bit once it comes out of the oven and letting it fully cool! That way some of the pieces will still clump together!
brigitta says
what have been working for me is before the cooking time ends (in 5 minutes) I squash the granola down flat with a spatula, and after taking it out of the oven I let it cool down completely , untouched .
And then you can brake it up the the pieces /clumps you desire :)
Ani says
I just made this and am having to restrain myself from eating it all off the pan before it’s even cool. For sure doubling next time. I followed the recipe (including maple syrup and brown sugar) but did 2 cups gf oats and 1 cup each of walnuts and pecans because I like a nuttier granola. I love the chunkiness! So so yum.
We’re so glad you enjoyed it, Ani! Thanks so much for sharing! xo
Linsey says
I never wouldve thought to make a banana bread granola but wow oh wow am I glad the fine people at MB did because this stuff is SO GOOD.
I didn’t have any walnuts so I used extra pecans, and I added in a few tablespoons of hemp seeds.
I wish mine was a teeny bit more banana-y but I think that will just vary on the banana used. Mine was super ripe but maybe I needed a larger one? Either way, its still super tasty and I’ve been snacking on it all day!
We’re so glad you enjoyed it, Linsey. Thank you so much for your kind words and support! xo
Katie Chambers says
Instead of banana puree, could I just put in some dried banana chips? We have a dehydrator.
Hi Katie, the mashed banana helps hold it together, so it won’t be quite the same, but probably still tasty!
Dee-Anna says
This is so good. I really love it.
I was wonder if I could substitute bananas for apple sauce?
Hi Dee-Anna, we haven’t tried that so we cannot guarantee results. Texturally it could work, but would have less of a banana flavor!
Jessica F says
I just made this and the house smells incredible! I love the flavor and that it’s so chunky. However, I question the part of the instructions that said not to stir the granola while baking to achieve more chunks. I tried that but at the end of baketime the granola was still wet underneath. I had to stir and continue baking. I think because of the banana’s added moisture you MUST stir this granola at the halfway point to get it to fully dry and crisp up. Still had tons of chunks, though. Only problem now is to get some for my breakfast before my partner eats it all!
Thanks for the review and for sharing your experience, Jessica!
Christine Perri says
Made this on my son’s request and it was super easy to make and delicious to eat. Whole family loves it. Now off to find a “cinnamon roll” granola recipe 😉
Ohh yum! So glad you all enjoyed this recipe, Christine!
Fee says
Absolutely delish! I made this for the first time tonight and have just tried a little bowl! I wasn’t disappointed – it’s crunchy and full of goodness and has the perfect sweetness for my liking!
I didn’t add the sugar and mixed up the raw nuts and seeds – I added what I had in the cupboard: pumpkin and sunflower seeds, almonds, cashews, Brazil and walnuts.
I also warmed the coconut oil and agave mix in the microwave which worked out perfectly.
I’ll definitely be making this again!
Thank you,
Fee
We’re so glad you enjoyed it! Thank you for the lovely review and for sharing your modifications! xo
Tracy says
Delicious! I have been eating oatmeal for breakfast for wayyyyy too long, and finally the switch flipped and I’m tired of it. Granola sounded good. . . . but I didn’t want store bought. So I went to your sight, and as always, you never fail to please! So many appealing recipes I had a hard time deciding which one to try first. Eating my first bowl of this one right now, and planning to work my way through many of the other recipes! Thanks for making breakfast tasty again!
Yay! So glad you enjoy this recipe, Tracy. Thanks for the great review!
Kristen says
Absolutely delicious! It’s a little sweet for me, so I’ll probably cut the three TB of honey (I subbed the extra sugar with that), but the smell is intoxicating, and it tastes just as amazing. My only complaint is that it sticks like crazy! I’m talking knuckle busting, cling-to-the-pan-for-dear-life sticking to the pan. If you don’t to your granola, be prepared to line the pan with foil, and it seems that tossing it before it’s fully set is an absolute must. Otherwise, go ahead and make that double batch the first time. You’ll absolutely need it. I can’t wait to try my next batch with shredded coconut! Amazing! I want to try cutting the sugar even more and adding an extra banana too. We shall see. Thanks for another truly winning recipe!
Hi Kristen! Sorry this stuck so badly for you, but glad to hear you’re enjoying the taste! Thanks for the review!
Felicia Bimer says
I’ve made this 3 times, each time adding different nuts and seeds. Has come out perfect every time!! I’ve used both maple syrup and agave and I like both. So so good!
Amazing! We’re so glad you enjoy it. Thank you for sharing your experience, Felicia! xo
Ramune says
It smells like in heaven😍
xoxo!
Cora says
Damnnnnnn. Subbed in avocado oil for the coconut oil because I try to keep my saturated fats down, but it did not alter the deliciousness of this recipe. Absolutely amazing. I let it get a little extra toasty and wow, it really tastes like banana bread. Highly recommend making this if you wanna be the favorite family member.
Ha, love this, especially “if you wanna be the favorite family member”! Thank you for sharing, Cora! xo
Sarah says
I love this granola! Make it all the time.
Amazing! Thank you for sharing, Sarah! xo
Laurie B says
I do not care for coconut anything, but I wanted my first run on this recipe to follow the recipe. I sort of followed the recipe! I added 1/4c chia seeds, 3/4 raw pepitas; did not have walnuts so I added almonds. It’s in the oven and it smells divine. Ok, it’s out of the oven. Send reinforcements so I don’t eat it all tonight!
Laurie B says
Oh my gosh, I forgot to mention I added golden raisins and dried cranberries. I will look like a rockstar at our team meeting when I treat everyone!
Ohh yum!
Yay! Thanks so much for the lovely review and for sharing your modifications, Laurie!
Jill says
Do you store it in the fridge or on the counter/pantry?
thank you
Pantry!
angela says
Hello, I cant wait to try this. When you say it stays in container for a couple of weeks, Do you store in the fridge or counter top?
(Just want to be sure),
Thank you!
Hi Angela, storing in the fridge is best. Hope you love it!