Crunchy, grain free banana granola made with mixed nuts, seeds, natural sweeteners and mashed bananas for easy homemade breakfasts and snacks on the go.
There are a ton of reasons to love this homemade banana granola, but I’ll keep it brief with some of the main points here:
- Grain-free: Unlike more traditional granola recipes that are made with oats, this one relies on a mixture of nuts, seeds and desiccated coconut to create it’s delicious texture and bulk!
- Oats can be a tricky ingredient for anyone needing to avoid gluten because of how easily they are exposed to cross contamination.You can learn more about how to safely consume oats on a gluten free diet in my post:Â Are Oats Gluten Free?
- Nutrient-dense: This granola is made with natural sweeteners, healthy fats, protein and carbs.
- Easy to make: Simply mash, mix and bake – no special equipment needed.
Grain Free Banana Granola Ingredients
- walnuts and cashews – roughly chopped
- unsweetened coconut – desiccated or shredded coconut
- pumpkin seeds (aka pepitas) and sunflower seeds – for extra crunch
- ground cinnamon – adds a bit of warmth
- coconut oil – melted and cooled
- maple syrup – just a touch to balance of the banana flavor
- vanilla extract – a little flavor
- mashed banana – our main sweetener
More Granola Recipes You Might Like:
- Turmeric Stove Top Paleo Granola
- Crunchy Banana Chocolate Granola
- Homemade Pumpkin Spice Granola
- Grain Free Paleo Vegan Granola
Recipe
Grain Free Banana Granola
Yield:
9 servings
Prep Time:
10 minutes
Cook Time:
25 minutes
Total Time:
35 minutes
Crunchy, grain free banana granola made with mixed nuts, seeds, natural sweeteners and mashed bananas for easy homemade breakfasts and snacks on the go.
Ingredients
- 1 cup | 140 grams raw cashews, roughly chopped
- 1 cup | 100 grams raw walnuts, roughly chopped
- 1 cup | 95 grams shredded or desiccated unsweetened coconut
- 1/2 cup | 65 grams pumpkin seeds/pepitas
- 1/2 cup | 70 grams sunflower seeds
- 1 teaspoon nutmeg
- 2 teaspoons cinnamon
- 1/4 cup 60 ml coconut oil, melted
- 2 medium bananas, ripened and mashed
- 2 tablespoons maple syrup or honey if you don't need it to be vegan
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
Need help converting to weights? Check out my cups to grams Conversion Guide.
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F/180°C. Line a large baking tray with parchment paper ready for your granola.
- In a large mixing bowl combine your chopped nuts, seeds, desiccated coconut, cinnamon, and nutmeg.
- In a medium sized mixing bowl mash the bananas with a fork. Stir in the melted coconut, vanilla extract, and maple syrup.
- Pour the banana-oil mixture over the granola and stir it all together making sure that every bit is coated in the banana mixture.
- Spread the granola out on the lined baking tray in an even layer and bake in the oven for 30-35 minutes. About halfway through remove the pan to gently stir the granola so that it cooks evenly. Once it reaches a golden brown colour, remove and cool before serving.
Notes
one serving is about 1/2 cup
Nutrition Information
Yield: 9
Serving Size:
cup Calories: 388Saturated Fat: 13gSodium: 7mgCarbohydrates: 20gFiber: 4gSugar: 8gProtein: 8gThis website provides approximate nutrition information for convenience and as a courtesy only. Nutrition data is gathered primarily from the USDA Food Composition Database, whenever available, or otherwise other online calculators.
April J Harris says
I haven’t tried acupuncture personally but several folks I know have had it with very good results. Two or three of my friends have it regularly. Your granola recipe looks fantastic – so healthy and delicious. I know my family will love it! Thank you for sharing with us at the Hearth and Soul hop.
Sarah says
That’s wonderful to hear that you’ve got friends who have seen results with it! It seems like acupuncture can be a great thing provided you see the right person. Thank you so much for stopping by – I hope you family likes this as much as we do!
Cat says
I’m so happy that I found your blog, is so full of delicious recipes! Like this one!!! I really feel for Mike, if it can help I can tell that my mom suffers of MS and she experimented great results with acupuncture, same for one of my best friends that suffer of psoriatic arthritis. They had like 2 or 3 sessions, but then they start to see some improvements. Of course is not magic but it helps! Also, you could try to give him some Melatonin (here in Italy is very easy to find and buy) if you haven’t tried it already. Is very helpful with sleep problems. Here is an article (in case you haven’t already search about it) https://sleepfoundation.org/sleep-topics/melatonin-and-sleep.
I really wish you al the best!
Sarah says
Hi Cat!
I’m sorry to find out that your mom has MS, but I’m glad to hear that she did see some benefits from trying acupuncture. I’m quite looking forward to him trying it because we’ve heard such great things about the woman he was recommended to see. To be honest, he tried taking melatonin years ago, but never found that it did much for him. I think it would be a good idea to try again though because it was at a time when he had a lot of undiagnosed problems. It could be a lot more effective this time around, and I’m willing to try anything that might help.
Thanks again – I so appreciate your kindess!
Chris @ SimpleFood365 says
What a wonderful recipe and a great mix of yummy things! Love the pictures too!
Sarah says
Thanks, Chris!
Meredith says
Looks sooooo good!!! Have you ever tried putting it into a bowl with some cold coconut milk?
Sarah says
Thanks Meredith! I usually eat it by the handful, but my husband loves sitting down with this in some coconut or almond milk and loves it that way
Emma says
This looks beautiful. I haven’t seen granola made without oats before. Thanks for linking up with #freefromfridays
Sarah says
Thanks, Emma! My pleasure 🙂
Annie @ Annie's Noms says
I LOVE homemade granola so much, it’s way better than shop bought! This looks fab, never had banana granola before!
Sarah says
Right? Once you make granola from home you can’t go back – it’s too good! Thanks, Annie!
Gabriel @ The Dinner Special podcast says
Wow! Reading about Mike’s sleep I just can’t help but really feel for him. At least he has this delicious looking and sounding banana granola as some comfort. I’ve never thought of adding mashed up bananas to granola before but it’s such a simply yet tasty twist. Awesome idea Sarah!
Sarah says
Thanks, Gabriel! Mike will appreciate your sympathy. As you say, at least he gets to eat tasty food in the mean time – silver lining,s right?
lindsay Cotter says
be still my heart! <3 i love. haha. This is one heck of a combo friend. pinned!
Sarah says
Haha, thanks Lindsay!
laura | dairyfreekids says
This looks divine. I am hoping to make granola soon and I love the addition of bananas in this. Re the acupuncture, I’ve had sessions before and had great success with it. If you have been recommended a practitioner I think go for it for sure. Good luck! #freefromfridays
Sarah says
Thanks, Laura! Glad to hear you had success with acupuncture-I hope we’re just as fortunate!
Howie Fox says
This looks super tasty! Much more tasty than my current relatively bland muesli I think 😉
I tried acupuncture once, but didn’t notice a difference to my state from before. That doesn’t mean that I don’t think it can help, though!
Sarah says
Thanks, Howie! It sounds like it can be pretty hit and miss with people ,so it will be interesting to see how it goes.