Sometimes I like to take a break from the butter and sugar and focus on making quasi-healthy food.
HOLD THE PHONE.
Did I just say that out loud? I don’t even know who I am anymore!
But in all seriousness, sometimes it’s just as fun to come up with recipes that not only taste good and make you smile, but that nourish my body as well. Makes me feel…oh, what’s the word…happy. Excited. Self-aware in the good way.
Now if you’ve been reading for a while you know that I do not like the typical blog world breakfast foods: granola, oatmeal, Oats in a Jar, overnight oats. Anything oats-y is really not my thing, so when I make oats-y stuff it means that I must really be craving healthier foods. Either that or I’m going crazy.
I’ll let you be the judge of that.
I was a little scared of how this granola might turn out…I mean, it’s only sweetened by a super-ripe banana and a tiny bit of sugar. It’s got hardly any fat per serving (well, I didn’t calculate it, but since there’s a tiny bit of vegetable oil and the rest is peanut butter I feel OK saying that). How would the granola be crunchy? Would it taste weird? Would it be even close to worthy of a breakfast or snack item?
I’m here to tell you YES. Yes to all of it and then also that you need to go make this immediately. Even if you’re not oats-y like me.
PEANUT BUTTER BANANA-BAKED GRANOLA
- 2 cups rolled oats
- 1/4 cup flax meal or regular flax seed
- 1/4 cup wheat germ
- 1 cup nuts of your choice (I love and have pecans, but anything you like would do)
- 1 large very ripe banana, cut into slices
- 1/8 cup sugar
- 1/4 cup peanut butter, melted slightly
- 1 Tbsp vegetable oil
- 1 tsp vanilla
- 1/2 tsp cinnamon
- 1/4 tsp salt
Preheat oven to 300. Combine all of the dry ingredients (oats, flax, wheat germ, nuts) in a bowl. Set aside. In a food processor add the banana, sugar, peanut butter, oil, vanilla, cinnamon, and salt. Process until completely smooth (side note: you can certainly mash it all together till smooth, but I like the food processor). Pour over the dry ingredients and mix until it’s all combined. Pour onto a baking sheet sprayed with non-stick spray. Bake at 300 for 45-50 minutes, stirring every 10 minutes, until the granola is golden brown and crunchy. Let cool completely before storing. Enjoy!
I know, you guys are probably leaning toward the me-being-crazy thing, but make this first and then let me know what you think then! I can’t guarantee I’ll keep up with the healthy recipes, but I can guarantee that they’ll taste good!
making this right now.
i love making granola! The mushed banana is genius. GENIUS!
This looks amazing. AMAZING I tell you! Can’t wait to try it! 🙂
This recipe was made for me! Banana+peanut butter? Sold!
Yum! I will certainly try this out for breakfast tomorrow morning. Thanks for posting!
Especially during the week, I like healthy breakfast food. It makes me feel like I’m starting the day off right. Peanut butter and banana is such an amazing combination…I love this recipe!
This granola reminds me of my Telluride Trail Bars….LOVE this combo. Your granola looks wonderful Heather. Can you bring some for breakfast?
Pb granola – that sounds like heaven in a bowl!
Love that blue bowl! And the granola in it, too! 🙂
This. Looks. SO. Good.
And I love the shot of the milk pouring into the bowl…get in my belly, granola!
This sounds like a wonderful granola recipe. I will need to make some soon. thanks for sharing
Um. Hold the phone. I need to make this.
Your pictures are wonderful. I feel happy (almost healthy happy) looking at them. But this granola, it looks amazing! I am putting together a list of things for a basketball tournament I have coming up and I’m adding this to the list. What a great way to carry a healthy, tasty snack throughout the day!
Homemade granola is the best! Can’t wait to try this recipe!
I’ve tried to use fruit in my granola to replace some of the sugar and fat but it never worked out very well. Yours looks amazing! I’m going to bookmark it to give it a try 🙂
Wow…that looks seriously incredible!!! Would it still be considered healthy if I ate the entire batch in one sitting? I am going to say yes….
I’ve never had banana granola before… This looks incredible!!
Oh my. I need this for breakfast right now! How delicious- the perfect flavor combinations of peanut butter and banana!
GREAT pictures, especially the milk pour one :D. This looks delicious! PB banana is one of my favorite combos! Nay, it is my favorite!
I am ALL over anything with PB + Banana!!! I have a banana buckwheat bake in the oven and plan on smothering it with PB!
I got threw oatsy and non-oatsy phases, ha. I’m currently in a non-oatsy phase but I LOVE the combination of peanut butter and bananas so this looks like something I would definitely like … oatsy or not!
Heather, this is wonderful! I have to say, breakfast is the one meal that often gets neglected and I often run out of ideas for what to eat. Might also have to do with something about early mornings. 😉 Anyhow, this granola will go on my must-make-soon list. Thanks for sharing!
Mmmmm…if this is health food, sign me up!!! 😀
PB and banana is one of the best combos ever!
This is the most perfect granola I’ve ever seen! Besides, if it is healthy that means you can eat more!